Chapter 9: The Little Suffering Child

The big fool walked in, scratching his crotch, and said: "Secretary, are we having a meal? I have run out of rations and I am hungry"

To repair the roof, we need thatcher and seaweed, Wang Xianghong said: "What Hongmei just said is correct, let Dami Hu come over to work. He doesn't know how to cast nets or bait hooks, so let him gather seaweed and dry it, making sure it is ready before the Grain Rain festival"

Then she said, "Alright, I know that you university students are a bit shy and feel embarrassed about eating at my house, right? Don't think that way; we are all like family."

He pointed to Wang Choumao's neck and asked, "How did your red scarf end up like this?"

Wang Xianghong's expression softened, and he said: "What you say makes sense, but the road to wealth is not easy. Alas, you are a university student and you are educated, so think it over. As long as you can help our Wang family live a moderately prosperous life, I will give you the position of village chief."

He actually did the same; after returning to the dormitory, he took off his clothes to reveal his sturdy physique and got busy. When Wang Yi opened the door, he was preparing to move the miscellaneous items

The iron skillet pancakes are a captivating golden yellow, exuding an enchanting aroma

The medical conditions on the island were poor, and at that time, the weather at sea was very unfavorable, making it impossible for them to send him to the county hospital for treatment.

"Comrade Mao's soldiers are disciplined and do not take a single needle or thread from the masses," an elder praised.

Considering the current era, Wang Yi is certain that this child is not driving, and thus he is filled with sorrow; this is a poor child

Wang Xianghong immediately said: "Teacher Wang truly lives up to the reputation of a university student, speaking with such eloquence"

With great effort, he ate a small cake

Wang Xianghong waved his hand and issued the command: "Alright, everyone hurry back to have lunch. After eating, take a break, as we still have to work in the afternoon. We are currently in the flood season, and a good flood tide is invaluable. It is crucial to seize the tide."

He looked at Wang Yi with dissatisfaction, not expecting that someone with such thick eyebrows and big eyes would set a trap for him

Wang Yi is in a difficult position; this ration is something I truly cannot let go of

Then, after eating the pancake, I felt unhappy: just like the corn cake in the morning, why is it so unappetizing

"Casting nets and diving for sea cucumbers, he is inept at everything he does, but he has a large appetite and leaves nothing behind when he eats," Wang Dongfang remarked while picking at the snail meat.

Wang Yi immediately offered his seat: "Come, you are the big confused brother, right? Sit here and have a couple of bites, I am full already"

The boy indeed had two streams of mucus hanging from his nose, rising and falling like two worms with each inhale and exhale

Wang Choumao lowered his head and said: "I was robbed of it, the Young Pioneers cannot be without a red scarf, so I had to find a substitute."

Indeed, the Grain Rain is approaching, and it is uncertain when it will rain, so we must act promptly. Wang Dongxi nodded in agreement

To strengthen and expand Tianya Island, and to create new brilliance

Always be prepared

He is called Biti. The big scatterbrain pushed him aside and began to work, unafraid of dirt and fatigue, diving right in

The way the big fool eats makes him wonder if the cakes this kid is eating are the same as the ones he is eating

Tidying up the house is manageable, but repairing the roof is a challenging task

Wang Xianghong smiled and said, "Let's not discuss this for now, the topic has strayed too far. We need to think of a way to cover the roof first"

Wang Xiangzhi said: "Yes, in 1965 the troops arrived, and at that time they saw that we had built a military camp. The soldiers were very touched and insisted on giving us money, but could we accept it? Our Wang family has many sons serving in the military, and these soldiers are just like our own children."

Wang Xianghong was not stingy, but he advised him to put in the effort to help Wang Yi tidy up the house and not to be lazy

The military officers do not care about our lives or money; they have dug wells for us, cleared forests to create farmland, and even distributed five pounds of millet to each household, which shows that we have indeed benefited from the military's support

"Oh dear sister-in-law, please stop talking, if it's for you, then it's for you," Wang Yi interrupted her, "There is plenty in this city, I am a university student, the government provides subsidies, I do not lack for peanut oil"

Wang Dongfang became anxious upon hearing this: "My dear mother, didn't I just send you a season's worth of rations at the beginning of last month?"

He said: "Teacher Wang, my name is Wang Choumao, and my father asked me to come and clean for you"

He introduced to Wang Yi that building a seaweed house requires more than 70 processes, all of which are manual, necessitating the collaboration of four trades: tilers, carpenters, stonemasons, and thatchers

Wang Dongfang also brought him two pancakes and said, "Yes, we are all from the Wang family. In the future, when Xiu Fang and I have children, won't they also be studying under your guidance? Feel free to eat."

The final high fever left him with some cognitive issues—he wasn't burned into a fool, but he was certainly not in a good state, wandering around in a daze and in a state of confusion, thus earning the nickname "Big Confusion"

Xiu Fang felt guilty upon seeing this, and handed him two more pancakes: "What's wrong, do you find your sister-in-law's pancakes unappetizing?"

He truly needs to take this matter to heart; the desolation of Tianya Island later on is now a shocking sight for him to recall

The God of Longevity is a solitary figure, much like the great muddlehead. His mother came to the island during a time of famine and married his father, giving birth to him. Later, his father perished in a maritime disaster, and his mother packed her belongings and fled.

Wang Yi turned around and saw a tall and sturdy young man standing at the door

Wang Yi followed him back to have dinner

Wang Yi smiled awkwardly

Wang Dongfang's assessment is very accurate; nothing is left uneaten, and the table is cleared of leftovers.

Wang Xianghong said with a smile: "In April 1965, the title was 'Observations from the New Military Camp on Tianya Island - The Military Loves the People, the People Support the Military, and the Military and the People are United as One Family"

The great muddle raised his head: "Who said that? I have nothing left but to eat shit. Last time, Xizi played a trick on me with chicken dung. Hmm, that chicken dung is just like your snail meat."

Wang Dongfang was rendered speechless upon hearing this. He lowered his head to glance at the trembling snail meat and simply tossed it back onto the plate: "I am full"

"What a big muddle, brother," Wang Xianghong said seriously, "He is your uncle, in terms of seniority, he should call you 'father' and you should call him 'uncle'"

Fishermen fear fire the most, as every household relies on fishing boats, fishing gear, and nets for their livelihood, all of which are highly flammable

Wang Yixiao said with a smile: "As the old saying goes, contentment brings happiness. Is everything in the city good? Is everything on Tianya Island bad? I think not necessarily."

exuding a sense of foolishness

Some dishes were left over last night, so we will be having leftovers for lunch

Xiufang swiftly tidies up the meal

Specifically, it is looking at the two buns in his hand

He said to the big fool: "This is Teacher Wang ... ... "

As the gate opened, a young boy emerged from the pile of clutter

Such a good kinship must not fall apart; such a good island must not be abandoned

Xiufang immediately said: "Then you must take it away, peanut oil is so precious..."

The great confusion immediately scooped up the snail meat

Big confusion, hehe, laughs: "Not resistant to eating"

Xiufang was just joking; she has always taken pride in her skill of making pancakes.

Suddenly, a person appeared, startling Wang Yi: "Who are you?"

Wang Xianghong smiled and said, "Alright, sit down and have a bite, but there isn't much for lunch at my home, we've almost eaten it all."

Wang Xianghong was left speechless by it

Wang Yi took a heart-shaped tissue from her bag and handed it to him. He sniffed it and happily stuffed it into his mouth

Xiufang said with a hint of envy, "The city is still prosperous"

He is gleefully preparing to unleash a massacre

Da Mi Hu readily agreed.

Da Mi Hu looked at Wang Yi

This is purely fresh small fish cooked in an iron pot. He saw that when Xiufang was handling these fish, they were all lively and jumping around.

Wang Yi divided the chopsticks and said: "Correct."

I am not dissatisfied; you are the party secretary and the village head, and also an old party member. Party members should take the lead in becoming prosperous, you know...

Wang Yi quietly loosened her belt again

However, he ultimately was not the child of each household, and people inevitably did not pay as much attention to him. As a result, when he was ten years old, he fell ill with a high fever during a winter snowstorm.

"Are you still not doing well these days? Are you hungry? Are you cold?" Wang Xianghong said unhappily, "Why don't you yawn and take a whiff? You still have the smell of alcohol and meat in your mouth, and yet you are not satisfied?"

Xiu Fang saw him and said, "Has the big fool come? What brings you here at this time?"

Let's eat, let's eat

Most of the houses on Tianya Island are made of sea grass, following ancestral styles and craftsmanship

Very unrefined, Wang Yi looked at him and thought of the legendary loud donkey

You guessed correctly

Last night, the leftover dishes included small sea conchs, scallops, and mussels. She stewed them together with the small fish she had just caught in the morning, added some soy sauce, and surrounded the iron pot with some pancakes, making for a rather sumptuous lunch

This house is built with stone walls and has a roof covered with seaweed

Wang Yi said: "This is for you, this is a tissue, to wipe your nose."

Xiufang said: "First, we eat; once we are full, we will have the strength, and then we will prosper together"

At that moment, someone arrived outside the door, and amidst the sound of heavy footsteps, a wailing akin to that of a slaughtered pig echoed: "Secretary, I am here to assign work, assign work."

Wang Yimei continued with a smile in her eyes, saying: "However, my elder brother has a point; party members should take the lead in becoming prosperous. Comrade Xiaoping once said, poverty is not socialism."

Unlike the generally shorter fishermen on the island, he stands over 1.8 meters tall, with a broad chest resembling a cutting board, a flat back akin to a board, and large hands, feet, and a face like a plate, grinning widely with a hearty laugh

The big clumsy person is strong, but their mind works slowly, making them unsuitable for delicate tasks, despite having a robust physique

Wang Yi was taken aback: "What are you doing?"

This makes it even more difficult

Wang Xianghong introduced to him that Da Mihuo is also a descendant of the Wang family, a child of misfortune, and bears a striking resemblance to the God of Longevity

In the city, it is the city; we do not need to compare. In the capital, there are those who fly planes, in Xichang, there are those who launch rockets, and in the county town, there are those who drive cars. What about us on Tianya Island? We row boats; why must we compare ourselves to them? You are being greedy, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Wang Xianghong set a standard for her son.

Wang Dongfang was at a loss and had no choice but to seek help from Wang Yi

"Back then, I even made it to the newspapers, a major newspaper, the People's Liberation Army Daily, was it in the 1960s?" asked the old man Wang Xiangzhi, who came to watch the excitement.

Wang Choumao said: "It smells delicious, I thought this was cotton candy. Brother Toad said that the cotton candy in the county town is like this, big, white, soft, and fragrant"

Wang Choumao was also startled by his words and quickly pulled it out to hand it to him: "Teacher Wang, I thought you were giving this to me."

Among these, the thatching of the roof by the thatcher is the most important process, and it is also irreplaceable by other craftsmen

The barracks of the troops are also made of seaweed, Wang Xianghong recalled that this was built with the efforts of the Wang family when they learned that the troops were to be stationed on the island

The God of Longevity is quite old, and his name has been forgotten by everyone. He is commonly referred to as 'Big Confused,' and no one remembers his full name anymore

At that time, when he was about six or seven years old, Wang Xianghong made the decision, and the brigade took him in

He must contribute to the development of Tianya Island

Wang Yi became excited upon hearing this.

It is somewhat reminiscent of the thatched cottages of the past in the inland areas, but it is more comfortable, as the seaweed has a high salt content, and the sea salt provides thermal insulation, making it warm in winter and cool in summer. Additionally, it can prevent insect infestation and mold, and most importantly, it has strong fire resistance.

Wang Yi added: "Secretary, I am not suggesting that we should split up, but rather that we should strive for prosperity and lead a good life"

While serving the dishes, she said: "Teacher Wang, I noticed there was a bottle of cooking oil in the bottle you gave me yesterday? It smelled really good when I sniffed it, is it peanut oil?"

Wang Yi stroked his chin

The crowd remained lively here until after 1 o'clock, unwilling to leave

A boy around ten years old, with a dark face and rough skin, has messy hair. He is wearing a white shirt that has turned yellow from washing, and around his neck hangs a dirty red cloth strip—neither a red scarf nor anything else, just a piece of red fabric.

Shouting at the top of one's lungs is simply calling out

The big muddle chuckled and said: "You are Teacher Wang, hello Teacher! Hello Teacher!"

Her husband Wang Dongfang walked in after washing his hands and said: "Father, the city has become prosperous now, we cannot remain poor, we need to think of a way to live a good life too"

The food that he found inedible was considered a delicacy in the hands of the great muddler, devoured with great enthusiasm and voracity, making Wang Yi feel hungry just by watching

Wang Dongfang said: "No, father, the taste of wine and meat in my mouth is from the guests we entertained last night, Comrade Zhuang's friends. Usually, I wouldn't have such a thing, would I? Don't we usually eat salted fish and pancakes?"