Reborn in 1977

Chapter 425: Learning to Write Begins with Raising Animals

The South is different from the North, especially the Northeast. Once winter arrives, it's freezing cold, and almost everyone hides indoors, hibernating until the ice and snow melt and spring blossoms before starting the new year's work.

But the production teams in the Jiangnan area never lack work. Even in the dead of winter, tasks are assigned.

The biggest and most important task is repairing riverbanks.

Repairing riverbanks is a long-term project. Whether it's a year of good weather or drought and floods, it doesn't affect the task of repairing the dikes; the only difference is whether it's a major repair or a minor one.

Last year, the Nanhu Commune only did minor repairs. The members of the production team, with iron shovels and hoes, carrying baskets and shoulder poles, worked for about a week to complete the task of reinforcing the dikes.

This year is different. According to the instructions from the Water Conservancy Department of the Prefectural Committee, the commune has issued tasks to the production teams within its jurisdiction, requiring them to raise and thicken the dikes and dredge some sections of the river.

If it were under the previous conditions, this whole process would probably take at least a month and a half to complete.

But this year, the production team has so much agricultural machinery that can be used with a little modification, providing a lot of assistance.

At the very least, the agricultural machinery can be fitted with plows to loosen the soil, saving the effort of digging.

If all goes well, it should be completed within a month at the latest. By then, it will be early December, just enough time for the members to prepare for the New Year.

However, these things have nothing to do with Chen Fan. Although he still holds the position of broadcaster, the broadcasting room has long been handed over to Zhang Cuie. Even if Zhang Cuie leaves in the future, her cousin Zhang Xiuyue will take over.

Indeed, inheritance is everywhere!

Moreover, Chen Fan plans to officially relinquish the position of broadcaster after this year.

The reason he hasn't done it yet is not because he is reluctant, but because Secretary Yang and the others said to let him do it until the end of the year to make it easier to calculate his work points.

This is not him deliberately taking advantage of Zhang Cuie and her sister.

As for still holding the position of "Chief Veterinarian,"… being a veterinarian has even less to do with carrying soil for the dikes.

Besides, he is now also a special commissioner of the Prefectural Health Department, so he is even less likely to carry soil for the dikes.

In short, all he can do is clap and cheer; it's better to leave everything else to others.

The production team has already begun to mobilize materials and hold frequent meetings to prepare for the major repair of the riverbanks. Chen Fan plans to go to the Prefectural Committee for a few days when the snow stops.

Otherwise, it would be inappropriate for him to just watch the excitement while everyone else in the village is busy repairing the dikes.

So it's better to run away a little further.

As a result, the snow has been falling for two days and hasn't stopped. The first snow of the winter of 1977 is a bit heavy.

The snow on the threshing floor in front of the new house has been shoveled clean. The six girls are using wooden shovels to continue shoveling snow along the downhill path, throwing the snow into the orchard next to it.

Carelessly, the youngest, Liu Lu, slipped and fell on her bottom.

Fortunately, the snow on the ground was thick, and she was wearing a lot of clothes, so she was fine, just a little dazed.

Huang Li, who was closest to her, quickly pulled her up and laughed, "You can't even walk steadily, you can only learn to be a tailor."

The adults at home had told them when they came here that they should be diligent, listen to Teacher Chen, and focus on learning a craft, at least learn a skill.

Of course, if they could gain something else, that would be even better!

Liu Dan quickly walked over, pulled her sister up, and looked her up and down, "Does it hurt from the fall?"

Liu Lu shook her head with a smile, "This is nothing. In the summer, I climbed a tree to pick fruit, and I was fine even after falling from that high."

Hearing this, Liu Dan glared even more fiercely, "You fell from a tree? Don't you want your life?"

Liu Lu quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head repeatedly, her eyes full of fear.

How did she let that slip?

Yang Ju shoveled up a shovel of snow and threw it out, took a breath, and turned around to say, "You can't run around here anymore. Following Teacher Chen, there are endless things to learn, but you must take the initiative and work hard, otherwise he won't urge you, and you will be the one who suffers."

Liu Dan nodded vigorously in agreement and told her sister a few more words. Yang Mei and Huang Li also took it to heart, and then continued to shovel snow diligently.

From the top of the slope to the bottom, and all the way to the entrance of the educated youth courtyard, the girls shoveled in front and left two to sweep behind. In less than an hour, the passage was cleared.

However, if the snow doesn't stop, they will have to do it again tomorrow.

After finishing, the girls put away their tools and walked back along the cleared path.

Yang Mei held onto the bamboo railing, slipping with every step, panting and almost crying, "Why not build a staircase? This slope is so slippery."

Yang Ju pushed her from behind and said, "If you build a staircase, it will be slippery when it snows. But when you fall, it won't just be a sore butt like Liu Lu just now. The edges of the stairs are sharp, and you could break a bone."

Liu Lu followed behind her, her eyes full of curiosity, "Sister Ju, why do you walk so steadily and don't slip much?"

Yang Ju looked back at her and smiled, "It's not just me. Your sister and Huang Ying are too."

The three newcomers immediately looked down and saw that the three older sisters were walking steadily, as if there were no ice crystals under their feet.

Huang Ying, at the back, shook her hands, "This is the benefit of practicing Small Eight Trigram Palm. Not only do you run faster and are more agile, but your steps are also steady and you don't fall easily. In short, there are countless benefits."

Liu Lu and the others' eyes lit up, "Is that the Small Eight Trigram Palm that we have to practice every morning?"

Liu Dan stepped forward quickly, grabbed her and walked up, "You talk the most. Can't you be like your sister and talk less and do more? I'm telling you, Teacher Chen has many skills. What is a Small Eight Trigram Palm? At most, it's just morning exercises…"

Amidst the babbling and a few delicate laughs, the girls climbed to the top of the slope and walked into the house.

In front of the fireplace, Duoduo and Qiuqiu were lying on the ground, comfortably squinting their eyes, not knowing whether they were asleep or not. Their four ears twitched slightly at the same time, then drooped down again, without even opening their eyes from beginning to end.

On the chair next to them, the tabby cat was curled up in a ball, already fast asleep.

Chen Fan was lying on the tea table, writing the draft of a novel with great speed.

This is a novella, about 30,000 to 40,000 words long, called 'The Ferryman'.

The story is about… well, it's the Jiangnan boat-rocking version of 'The Herdsman'.

It's not plagiarism, not even borrowing, because Chen Fan has never seen the original novel or the adapted movie.

It's just that in this era, similar stories are emerging endlessly. He just randomly picked one, made a literary adaptation, and then slightly 'elevated' it at the end, sublimating the thought, and it became a similar era story to 'The Herdsman'.

As a later person, knowing what type of works will be popular is the biggest advantage. Just write this type of text directly, there is no need to crash into someone else's car.

After finishing the last page, Chen Fan roughly checked it and put it aside to re-copy.

At the same time, he was thinking to himself that Zhang Xianliang, the master who wrote "The Herdsman," entered the Tao through literature and eventually became the boss of the Western Film Studio.

Many film and television dramas such as "A Chinese Odyssey," "New Dragon Gate Inn," and "Red Sorghum" were filmed here, and Master Zhang can also be called a big shot in the entertainment industry.

Chen Fan thought to himself, wondering if this article would have a chance to be adapted into a movie, and then create a "Jiangnan Film Studio"?

Just as he was copying and letting his thoughts run wild, six girls filed in.

Huang Ying ran to the front, "Teacher Chen, the snow has been shoveled clean."

Chen Fan looked up and smiled, "You've worked hard, quickly wipe your sweat, and don't catch a cold."

The girls smiled and nodded, taking towels from the nearby rack to wipe their sweat.

Yang Ju walked to Chen Fan's side, saw him copying, and said, "Teacher Chen, let us help you copy."

Chen Fan glanced at her, decisively put down his pen, "Okay, you can divide it up, and you can finish copying it soon."

Before he finished speaking, the stack of drafts was divided up by the girls.

Chen Fan walked around the tea table, the handwriting of the six girls was different.

Without a doubt, the handwriting of Huang Ying, Yang Ju, and Liu Dan was much better, while Huang Li, Yang Mei, and Liu Lu were much worse, even ugly.

However, Chen Fan didn't care, anyway, the copied version was for record-keeping, and he would send out his own handwriting for submission, as long as there were no typos, there was no difference.

Later, he would find some time to write a hard-pen calligraphy practice manual for them to practice well.

Seeing that they were all copying seriously, Chen Fan left with peace of mind.

Walking to the panda enclosure, Gun Gun didn't go out to play in the snow today, but was lying in the house in a daze.

Seeing Chen Fan enter the house, it immediately rolled over and pounced on him with a whimper.

Chen Fan laughed and hugged Gun Gun, "Good fellow, you've gained weight again."

Now Gun Gun is almost two hundred pounds, and only Chen Fan is strong enough to hold it steady.

But after hugging Gun Gun, its two little treasures also grabbed his trouser legs and climbed up.

Chen Fan's face darkened, am I a tree stump?

Dragging the two pandas, each weighing 40 or 50 pounds, he took two steps to the side, and then sat down on a tree stump, putting Chang Chang and Shui Shui on one leg each.

Finally, it was quiet!

Gun Gun didn't care, leaned on Chen Fan and stretched, then tilted its body and closed its eyes to sleep on him.

Chang Chang and Shui Shui were quiet for less than 10 seconds before they started fighting in his arms again.

Chen Fan leaned back, leaning against a wooden stake, letting the two pandas play.

With Gun Gun leaning next to him and two in his arms, like holding two big warmers, he looked at the flying snowflakes outside the window and soon became sleepy.

Sure enough, winter should be spent at home, sleeping is very comfortable.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was suddenly opened, and a gust of cold wind poured in, the three pandas and one person all opened their eyes and looked at the door with dissatisfaction.

Huang Ying was very helpless, "Teacher Chen, the meal is ready, you can eat."

As she spoke, she walked over and hugged Chang Chang to the side, "Little fatty, you've gained weight again."

Then she went to hug Shui Shui, "You're a girl, be careful you won't be able to marry if you eat so fat."

Gun Gun widened its two small eyes, what does that mean?

Chen Fan supported Gun Gun's head and stood up, yawning and stretching, "Is there enough food for them?"

Huang Ying held Shui Shui in her arms, reluctant to put it down, looked up and smiled, "Don't worry, they won't be short of food. If the bamboo in Lujiawan is not enough, there are four other production teams, which is enough to raise them."

A giant panda needs about 80 to 100 acres of high-quality bamboo forest. The 12 small teams in Lujiawan have bamboo forests in front of and behind almost every household, as well as on the slopes in front of and behind the village, adding up to about 120 acres.

And most of them are arrow bamboo, which giant pandas love to eat.

In the past, there was only one giant panda, Gun Gun, with two panda cubs, and they could hardly finish eating.

But as Chang Chang and Shui Shui slowly grew up, the bamboo forest in the entire Lujiawan was not enough to feed the three of them.

But if you add the other four production teams, then there is no problem.

Chen Fan nodded, then winked at Huang Ying, and Huang Ying blinked to indicate that she had received it.

Then the two acted together, hugging the three pandas into the corner, then got up and ran.

As soon as Gun Gun's butt landed on the ground, it rolled over and chased after them on all fours.

Unfortunately, it was one step behind. Seeing the door being closed, it slapped the door with one paw, and the whole bear froze, hanging on the door and slowly sliding down, still whining incessantly.

Chen Fan patted himself, stood at the door with his hands behind his back and said, "Stop yelling, it's snowing so heavily, I won't let you out."

"Aww…"

"Unless you agree to take a bath!"

"Woo woo?"

"Of course, it's true, play in the yard for a while first, and then take a hot bath, it's very comfortable."

"…Woof woof."

"Okay, you said it yourself, no take-backs."

Saying that, he opened the door, grabbed Gun Gun, who was trying to sneak out, and kicked away Chang Chang and Shui Shui, who had quietly ran over, closed the door, and then walked to the opposite corner to open the door leading to the panda yard.

The three bears immediately whimpered excitedly and rushed into the snow.

In the kitchen, the three newcomers who saw this scene had unbelievable expressions on their faces.

Yang Mei pulled her sister, as if she had seen a ghost, "Teacher Chen can talk to pandas?"

Yang Ju couldn't help but chuckle, "We used to think that Teacher Chen could talk to animals, but actually he was just playing with them.

Even if he didn't speak, could the panda resist if he wanted to give it a bath? If you don't believe me, wait and see, Teacher Chen will definitely grab them and take them to the bathroom to take a bath later."

Huang Ying couldn't help but shake her head and smile, "Animals are just animals, how can they talk. But, Teacher Chen said, we must have a heart full of imagination. If animals can't talk, you can pretend that they can talk, and then imagine that they also have language and can communicate with humans, so you can make up many, many stories."

Hearing this, the three newcomers' eyes were full of admiration.

Huang Li pulled her sister's arm, her eyes shining, "So Teacher Chen can write so many novels because he often plays with animals?"

Liu Lu also raised her right hand, "Do you have to raise so many animals to learn to write articles?"

Yang Mei immediately felt a darkness in front of her, "Then I definitely have no chance, raising animals is too expensive."

Huang Ying couldn't help but shake her head, "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up, get ready to eat."