Chapter 618: Harvesting Rice
Tang's dad said, "The use of water was orderly. Today your family uses it, tomorrow it's our turn, and the day after it's someone else's turn.
During long, hot summers, when it was your family's turn to use water, you had to guard against others secretly diverting water to their own fields at night. We called this 'guarding the water.'
Imagine, it's dark at night with only a faint moonlight. If you got sleepy in the middle of the night, you'd lie down on the field ridge, using some grass as a cushion against the hard clods of soil. Mosquitoes buzzed around, mixed with the sound of snoring and frogs."
Tang Xiaoxin could imagine the hardship just from her dad's words, "Wow, stealing water sounds pretty bad."
Tang's dad replied, "It's not really bad. Seeing the rice seedlings wilting makes everyone anxious. You have to understand, people relied on this for their livelihood."
At that moment, Fang Ye arrived at the edge of the rice field and blew a whistle.
Hearing the call to gather, Tang Xiaoxin jumped off the waterwheel, happily saying, "Dad, I'm going to harvest the rice!"
Tang's dad also got off the waterwheel, smiling, "Go ahead, go ahead!"
Tang's mom took a few photos of the waterwheel, the pond, and the rice field, exclaiming, "It's really nice to experience this rural environment after being in the city for so long."
The absence of the city's hustle and bustle, replaced by the sounds of insects and birds, and the fresh air, made her feel much more relaxed.
...
As soon as Fang Ye arrived, the children swarmed around him!
Clapping his hands, he cheerfully said, "Let's line up, okay? I'll do a headcount, and once we're all set, we'll start harvesting the rice. After that, we'll cook some rice to eat."
A chubby boy's eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, shouting, "I want to eat the crispy rice!"
The other children were amused by his eagerness and laughed, while the parents couldn't help but smile!
The chubby boy's dad, covering his face in embarrassment, thought if only his son was as enthusiastic about answering questions in class as he was about food.
Although Fang Ye didn't usually cook, he knew some basic culinary facts. He thought for a moment and said, "Crispy rice usually requires cold rice to make. I'm not sure if we can make it today, but I'll ask the chef. If not today, maybe next time, or we can give you some rice to take home and make it."
The chubby boy gratefully cupped his hands, "Thank you, Brother Fang!"
He had quite a gallant air about him.
Everyone was eager to harvest the rice, even more so than when they planted it. After a headcount, everyone was present.
With the previous experiences, they were much more skilled this time.
After distributing the field equipment, they didn't rush to start harvesting but first listened to Fang Ye's instructions.
"Be careful when using the sickle, stay focused, and be safe. The sickle is very dangerous, so don't swing it around. Only cut the rice, don't hurt anyone, and don't run around in the field and bump into others. Pay attention to your surroundings while harvesting!
Today, we want to harvest the rice happily, without any accidents. Parents, please keep an eye on your kids!"
The children and parents nodded seriously!
Fang Ye repeatedly emphasized safety, then explained the key points of harvesting rice and demonstrated in the field.
Holding a bundle of rice stalks in one hand and the sickle in the other, he said, "First, gather the rice you want to harvest, then place the sickle close to the base and cut quickly and forcefully, then stack it neatly to the side.
When cutting, tilt the blade downwards to avoid cutting your hand.
Follow the order in which you planted the rice and cut row by row.
Got it? Alright, give it a try."
Harvesting rice was relatively simple!
The sickles weren't the large, cumbersome scythes often seen in games, which would tire out an average person after a couple of swings.
Instead, they were small and lightweight, like the jungle knives in League of Legends, easy for children to handle.
The blades had sharp serrations and were curved, making cutting easier.
Tang Xiaoxin rolled up her pants and, with Qian Keke, stepped barefoot into the field.
They went to the spot where they had planted the rice!
Qian Keke held the golden rice in her hands, took a deep breath, and inhaled the fresh scent of the grains, "This is amazing!"
Although they had only participated in a few steps, with most of the management done by the zoo, they still felt a great sense of accomplishment!
Tang Xiaoxin exclaimed, "Let's start harvesting!"
She was overjoyed!
Squatting down, she grabbed a bundle.
Afraid of injuring herself, she carefully recalled Fang Ye's demonstration before officially starting to cut the rice.
At first, she was very cautious, but after cutting a few bundles, she quickly got the hang of it and began cutting enthusiastically.
It seemed easier than planting!
The only annoyance was the rice leaves swaying and hitting her face.
Tang's mom stood at the edge of the field, taking pictures and cheering her on, "Go, go!"
Fang Ye walked around the field, watching the children harvest rice and chatting with the enthusiastic parents.
"Principal Fang, this farming activity is really meaningful! My child used to be a picky eater, preferring snacks and high-calorie fast food like KFC and McDonald's. He didn't like eating rice.
I'd serve him a bowl, and he'd eat a little and throw the rest away.
But after planting rice, he went home and ate two big bowls of rice."
Fang Ye laughed, "Really?"
"Of course! Telling him to save food didn't mean much before. Life is so good now.
You can't let him go hungry if he doesn't eat. What if he faints at school from hunger? There wasn't much we could do. But after this farming activity, he really understood the value of food."
A mom in a white shirt joined the conversation, laughing, "My child was also spoiled, but now they can do some chores, like washing dishes and mopping the floor!
By the way, Principal Fang, do you have a girlfriend? Do you want us to introduce some pretty girls from our class to you?"
"Ah, I already have one!"
Fang Ye quickly refused. How did the conversation suddenly turn into a matchmaking session?
Maybe he was just too handsome.
The children soon harvested a lot of rice!
Tang's dad, seeing the neatly stacked bundles of rice, was reminded of his farming days and couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic and eager.
He called out, "Xiaoxin, bring me a couple of bundles of rice."
Tang Xiaoxin complied, curious, "What are you going to do with them?"
Tang's dad pointed to a square container nearby, which he had noticed earlier, "I'm going to thresh some grains!"
After harvesting the rice, the next step was to separate the grains from the stalks.
The container was a traditional threshing tool called a "guandou," used to separate the grains by beating them.