Chapter 12: Pragmatism Hot summer. As the sun gradually climbed overhead, the cicadas' chirping became more and more irritating. Fang Wei was wearing a big straw hat, walking barefoot on the soil, holding a heavy hoe in his hand. The dry vest he had just changed into was once again soaked with sweat. He was turning the soil behind the house, planning to plant some Chinese cabbage and green onions and garlic sprouts there. But the weather was so hot that the scorching sunlight that seemed to burn his skin was blocked by the straw hat. Even so, the body was still surrounded by pure stuffiness. Sweat poured out from his forehead like crazy, dripping down his cheeks into the soil. The scorched and stagnant air wrapped around the boy's skin. I feel like I am about to be swept into this hot summer and melt away along with it. The only part that could be described as cool was the soles of his feet. The soil that he had just turned over with the hoe was still moist and cool, and it felt very comfortable when he stepped on it barefoot. Occasionally, some earthworms will be turned out. Fang Wei will pick the big ones, put them in a plastic can, and then put some soil in it. As long as the soil is kept moist, the earthworms can live for a long time. When he feels like it, he can take them to the beach for fishing. Of course, digging earthworms is just a side benefit, the main thing is to grow vegetables.
The piece of land next to it was already tidied up and planted with vegetables by my mother. She had always wanted to work on this land, but she didn't have much time, so Fang Wei volunteered to help her today. After working hard for a whole morning, I finally managed to clean up a piece of open space of about five square meters, where I can plant a lot of things. Planting vegetables next to the yard is the choice of almost every family, and no one on the island has the leisure time to plant flowers in the yard. It's pragmatism. In fact, Chinese cabbage, garlic sprouts and green onions are also good. They are green and look good and taste good. These days, there isn't much planning for these wild places on the island. Whoever tinkers with them first owns them. It's not like in big cities, where if you want to plant something you can only move flower pots around your home. Fang Wei put down the hoe and picked up a bag of vegetable seeds. My mother bought it in town. It was a loose bag folded with old newspapers like a medicine bag. Opening it carefully, he scattered the cabbage seeds evenly on the turned and prepared soil. After sowing the vegetable seeds, I got some shallots and white garlic, broke them apart one by one, and planted them in the soil at the edge of the vegetable field. Finally, he returned to the yard, drew a bucket of clean water from the well, and with his weak arms, he shakily carried the bucket to the vegetable patch. He then held the ladle and evenly poured the water on the patch. After doing all this, Fang Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief. The sweat was still pouring down my forehead, but I could already seem to feel the cool breeze blowing on my face! Looking at the vegetable garden that he had prepared himself, he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction! Although there is nothing in the field now, I always feel like I can see a field of cute green vegetables growing in the near future. Perhaps this is the planting gene engraved in the bones of the Chinese people. His clothes were already soaked and his feet were covered in mud. Fang Wei was quite clean, so he had to take another shower. If I had known, I would not have showered after running. I took two showers and changed clothes twice. But thanks to the strong sunlight, in just three or five hours, the vest that I had washed in the morning was dry and I could wear it directly. Of course, you still have to let it cool down for a while before wearing it, otherwise your mother will nag you if she sees you wearing clothes that are already hot from the sun, be careful of getting a boil! As for whether there is any scientific reason for this, Fang Wei doesn't know. There are many similar rural rules and miscellaneous talks, such as "riding a dog will tear your crotch" and "peeing into a fire pit will cause that thing", etc. In short, everyone follows this, so don't let your curiosity kill the cat. Outside the yard gate, the girl who had just returned from drying fish braked her bicycle to a stop. It was obvious that she was going very fast, and the obvious braking sound could be heard.
Xu Cailing used her long legs to support her bicycle on the ground and talked to Fang Wei who was washing clothes in the yard. "Why are you washing clothes again? Where do you get so much clothes to wash?" "Don't be nervous. Today is an exception. When you fulfill your IOU in the future, you only need to help me wash clothes seven times a week." "Bah! Who worries about that!" "So you have no intention of paying it back, right?" "I don't!" "Have you finished drying the fish?" "Yes, I'll go home and have a meal first, and then come to see you later!" Without waiting for Fang Wei to speak, she kicked her long and powerful legs hard, and her figure disappeared from the gate of his yard. Then the next second, he heard the sound of her yard door opening. Fang Wei shook off the water droplets on his hands, hung up the washed clothes, and put away the dried clothes. I looked at the time. It was already eleven o'clock. Dad didn't call, which meant he wouldn't be coming back for dinner. My mother works in a small factory in town. The factory provides meals, but she doesn’t come home for lunch. He was the only one at home and he was too lazy to cook. There is still some porridge left from the morning. In this kind of weather, the porridge doesn’t even need to be heated up. It’s okay to eat it at noon, but it will smell a bit sour in the afternoon. In the freezer there were some small fish and sea bass pieces that my mom had fried yesterday. He put the two small fish on a plate and put them in the pot to steam. While the fish is steaming, pick some vegetables and stir-fry them, and lunch will be ready. Although the food was a bit simple, not even as good as the most common fast food in big cities in later generations, Fang Wei felt an inexplicable sense of fullness and satisfaction when he ate it. The green ceiling fan above his head was spinning leisurely, bringing cool breeze. Although it looked dangerous and he was always worried that it would fall down and kill people, it was actually not safe at all. Fortunately, the probability of such a thing happening was too low, at least he had not encountered it yet. Fang Wei sat on the bench, put the food on the coffee table, turned on the TV in the living room, and watched the noon news on time. Fang Wei was clear about the general direction of the times, but he didn't know much about the details of the development of the times. In the days when there were no mobile phones or the Internet, TV news was the best way to get information from the outside world. News has remained the same for many years, either using exaggerated shocking words or showing some eye-catching pictures, especially on local TV stations. What impressed Fang Wei the most was the program called "Science Approaches". Things like picking up a Ganoderma lucidum, drinking water without being afraid of being scalded, unidentified dry ice falling from the sky, and an old man's pants fading, etc., are all classics among classics. It does seem funny now, but I have to admit that I was really obsessed with him back then. In the final analysis, it is curiosity. For the boys and girls who grew up on the island, this curiosity is even stronger. Fang Wei's favorite program is "Man and Nature" broadcast by Teacher Zhao Zhongxiang. Teacher Zhao's slow, deep and magnetic voice, as well as his kind, natural and humorous language style, tell the wonders of the world. For the young Fang Wei at that time, it was truly a rare enjoyment. By the way, every Tuesday afternoon, the TV would go off, first snow would appear, and then that colorful checkered disc would appear. While Fang Wei was still slowly enjoying his lunch, he heard the yard door open from afar, followed by the girl's voice coming in. "Are you full~?" Before Fang Wei could say anything, Xu Cailing saw him eating and watching the lunch news.
"Are you still not full? You eat so slowly! I've already finished my meal and showered!" "People who don't have to cook for themselves have no right to complain about my slowness, okay?" "You're still watching the news, you're so bored, come on! Let's play some games together after dinner!" "Didn't you say you would register in the afternoon?" "It's the middle of the day and the teachers are all sleeping. It's so hot, let's wait until it cools down!" Without waiting for Fang Wei to help her connect the Famicom, she inserted the game card with ease and connected the line to the TV in front of her. "Rocket car! Watch how I break your record! Humph!" Xu Cailing took the handle and sat down next to Fang Wei. She then stared intently at the game screen on TV and began to challenge the game record set by Fang Wei. She had just finished drying salted fish in the morning and her whole body was smelling bad, so she naturally went home to change her clothes and take a shower. There was a faint smell of soap on her body, which was blown by the wind and drifted to Fang Wei's nose. Compared with the wide variety of shower gels, perfumes and other scents in later generations, the faint smell of soap on the girl seems very niche. Plain, simple and clean. It's like the taste that only the flower that grows on this island can have. "Oh! How annoying! Why is this car blocking the road like this?" Not long after the game started, Xu Cailing could be heard beating her chest and stamping her feet in anger. Fang Wei sipped the porridge in his bowl leisurely and couldn't help but said with a smile: "It's just a dish!" "I haven't warmed up yet! Just go eat your meal and stop talking nonsense!" "It's really delicious! Hey, there's a colorful car in front. If you hit it, it will speed up... Do you know how to play?" "Ahhh, stop making noise!" While the two were chatting, the sound of the yard door opening was heard again outside the house. Along with it came the ear-piercing singing. "Hmmmm~Hmmmm~Hmmmm~Hmmmm~Layo~..." He hummed the first few words, then suddenly started to yell at a certain line: "...Four pounds of soybeans~! Three belts~!" This is the theme song of Slam Dunk. Fan singer: Fang Yuansheng A loyal fan of "Slam Dunk", Fang Wei's cousin, childhood friend, and classmate. The two grew up together naked and are known as buddies who are willing to help each other. Of course, the premise is that Fang Yuansheng shuts up. Otherwise, every time he sings about four pounds of soybeans and three belts, Fang Wei just wants to stab his buddy twice... "Let's go, Awei! Didn't you say you were going to sign up? Damn, rocket car! Xu Cailing, if you die later, it'll be my turn!" "roll." Finally, under Fang Yuansheng's pleading, Xu Cailing agreed to exchange lives with him.
Fang Wei was full and had no interest in playing games with these two noobs. "I'm taking a nap. Aren't you two sleepy?" "Nap? Waste of life!" Well, when I was young, I didn’t know the benefits of taking a nap. Now that I grow up, when I take a nap, I wish I could fall into a deep sleep. "Then you two should keep your voices down and don't disturb the real king who is resting." "When you wake up, your record will be broken!" "hehe." Fang Wei yawned and lay down on his father's sun lounger. I closed my eyes, swayed, let my thoughts drift away, felt the cool breeze, listened to the cicadas and birds singing, and fell asleep unknowingly. Seeing that he really fell asleep, the little friend in the room also lowered his voice sensibly... After all, if you disturb someone's sleep, you will be spanked. (End of this chapter)
