When Wang Zhengguo and the others said so, Feng Qingxue naturally complied.
As to why Lu Tianjun only mentioned that Wang Fengmei and her mother arrived at his house in the evening, even though she had run into them at the intersection in the morning, Feng Qingxue showed no interest in prying into it. Perhaps they lost their bearings coming home and it took them quite a while to find their house after wandering about.
The appearance of Wang Fengmei and Zhao Mingfang was fleeting and left no trace, like a dragonfly skimming over the water.
Even after they had finished fertilizing, the people of the Wanglou Brigade did not stay idle.
Although it’s nearing the New Year, the higher-ups issued orders to dig rivers and construct canals. Each production brigade had to organize all labor forces to participate in this task, which had to be finished within a month.
To dig large rivers and create diversion canals to facilitate irrigation - that was probably the gist of it.
Given that this would benefit future generations, Wang Zhengguo did not dare to delay. He promptly started to organize and distribute work. Same rations as before were given along with half a day’s labor points. As a result, the majority of the common folks eagerly joined in the task, bringing their own tools such as bamboo baskets, iron spades, ropes, and hand-pushed carts, regardless of gender.
Their numbers were vast, mirroring an army.
Feng Qingxue had participated in digging rivers before, but it was spring then.
Now it was the twelfth month of winter, the river was frozen, and the frozen soil was hard.
The common people had to break the frozen river, step barefoot into the water, scoop out the silt from the shallow water onto the bamboo baskets, which is then transported by others to build the levee.
Each basket of soil and water weighed nearly five to six hundred pounds, it had to be carried over the shoulders by two people, handed over to the one standing in front in a relay method. The laborers for this laborious task lined up from the riverbed to the levee.
Watching this scene as she bandaged wounds, Feng Qingxue felt her eyes well up with tears.
These frail people - even though the Wanglou Brigade had more food than other brigades, without any supplemental food, those rations were hardly enough to satisfy the hunger of a strong laborer. Yet, these underfed people were carrying such heavy weights. The damage was not just physical, it was also fatal. Moreover, the women and men half submerged in the chilling water spelled endless trouble.
"Uncle Wang, don’t let the women go into the water," Feng Qingxue advised.
Women are naturally cold. Exposure to cold temperatures would not only affect their fertility, but could also lead to hormonal issues.
Wang Zhengguo paused, then spoke softly, "No women from our brigade are in the water, I assigned them to transport soil with carts."
He had studied and knew a bit about medicine, understanding the basic principle of women being unable to withstand the cold. However, those women in the water were not from his brigade.
"They aren’t?" Feng Qingxue turned her head. Standing on the levee looking down, she realized the working women she didn’t recognize must be from other production brigades, "Even so, Uncle Wang, you should talk to the people in charge of their brigades. Women are naturally weaker, and the cold water and frozen soil can be very harmful to their health."
Wang Zhengguo shook his head, "That wouldn’t work. I reminded them long ago, but the leader of that brigade confidently repeated the phrase ’women hold up half the sky.’ They firmly believe that what men can do, women can do as well. This is what our leaders say, and the women heartily endorse this idea. Thus, the women work like men and the men work like beasts of burden! I only got suspicious looks when I urged caution to treat women differently. Why bother? It’s enough to take care of our own brigade."