Honey (Part 3)

The remaining few acres were far away and too dry to use as rice paddies, so they now used the Wu family's paddy field.

The Wu family's paddy field was at the foot of a nearby hill, close to the village.

As they walked there in the early morning light, they occasionally passed the villagers who were carrying hoes, heading to work.

The Wu family's paddy field had a good location, close to the irrigation channels.

The surrounding flat fields were easy to manage and were considered the best paddy fields in the village.

Looking out, they could see many people already busy in the fields.

The cool and refreshing morning breeze blew across the fields, carrying the earthy smell of fresh growth.

Liang Hongyu set down the rice seeds and stood on the edge of the field, enjoying the breeze and the view.

Beside her, Huo Tianzhou had already taken off his shoes and rolled up his pants.

With farming tools in hand, he stepped into the paddy field.

The Wu family used most of the paddy field themselves and separated the furrows with scarecrows to keep the birds away.

The rice field was smooth after plowing, but the ridges for sowing needed to be elevated to prevent the seeds from being flooded by rain.

Huo Tianzhou had been in worse health before and hadn't had the chance to do this kind of work.

The year his mother fell seriously ill, the Wu family helped their family to sow the seeds.

After that, he followed the original owner's lead in the labor.

Now, as he held the wooden hoe to build up the ridges, his movements were not very skillful.

Liang Hongyu watched him for a while before taking off her shoes and stepping down to help.

After the sun fully rose, they had completed several ridges.

After sowing the seeds, a layer of mud had to be spread over them—not too thick and not too thin.

An experienced farmers could do this easily with small tools.

Huo Tianzhou who is lacking much experience, was worried that the layer of mud would be too thick and it will hinder seedling growth.

He had to use his hands to spread the mud slowly and adjusting the thickness as needed.

In ancient times, farming relied heavily on manual labor and took a lot of time and effort.

Liang Hongyu knew the steps but didn't realize it would be this troublesome.

She had a good grasp of the theoretical knowledge of farming but little practical experience.

Her initial attempts were not much better than Huo Tianzhou's.

Although the remaining land didn't look large, doing it this way would still take a lot of time.

The sun grew increasingly intense, and the shadows stretching northwest gradually shortened.

Liang Hongyu straightened her back to relax for a moment while glancing at Huo Tianzhou, who was still diligently tending to a ridge.

He remained tirelessly bent over, his clothes and pant legs splattered with mud.

Only a small portion of the land remained to be covered.

Once finished, they needed to spread compost over it.

Liang Hongyu walked over to the canal between the fields to wash her hands, then returned to take a drink from a bamboo tube.

Huo Tianzhou, working ahead of her, had noticeably slowed down.

After completing one area, he would step heavily to the next, his movements slow and labored.

Liang Hongyu, after finishing her drink, bent down to put the bamboo tube away.

Before getting up, she picked up Huo Tianzhou's bamboo tube and called him over.

Having been bent over for so long, Huo Tianzhou felt a sudden dizziness when he straightened up.

He stood still for a moment to steady himself before walking over.

"Have some water first," Liang Hongyu said, handing him the bamboo tube.

Huo Tianzhou's forehead was drenched with sweat, which trickled down his temples.

His face was also smudged with bits of mud.

As he reached out for the bamboo tube, he noticed his hands were covered in mud and hesitated.

The canal for washing hands wasn't far, but it required passing through three paddy fields, with feet sinking deep into the mud.

Huo Tianzhou was reluctant to move, preferring to finish spreading the compost on the remaining land.

Liang Hongyu noticed his intentions and, seeing his dry lips decided to open the bamboo tube and hold it for him to drink.

The water inside the bamboo tube shimmered in the light, catching Huo Tianzhou's eye.

He realized how parched his throat was and stepped closer to drink from Liang Hongyu's hand.

Standing on the field ridge, Liang Hongyu towered over Huo Tianzhou, who only reached her shoulder.

Whether it was due to Liang Hongyu's rough manner of offering water or Huo Tianzhou's eagerness, he ended up choking after a couple of gulps.

He turned his head away and coughing violently.

The water from the tilted bamboo tube soaked his collar and chest.

Huo Tianzhou's neck veins bulged as he coughed.

Liang Hongyu paused, momentarily taken aback.

Huo Tianzhou's coughing was hoarse and low, so faint that if Liang Hongyu didn't have keen hearing and wasn't close by, she might not have heard him at all.

His vocal cords were damaged so badly.

After coughing for a while, Huo Tianzhou hung his head, catching his breath.

His youthful face showed both vulnerability and resilience.

Liang Hongyu capped the bamboo tube and grabbed his arm, pulling him onto the field ridge, "You rest for a bit. There's not much left; we can finish it before noon."

She released Huo Tianzhou and placed the bamboo tube down, then returned to the paddy field without waiting for his reaction.

More villagers had gradually gathered to work in the fields.

Some took breaks, fanning themselves with palm leaf fans, while others, who had started early, were already finishing up and heading back, chatting briefly as they passed by.

Huo Tianzhou looked back to see Liang Hongyu bending over, continuing to work on the unfinished ridges.