In the countryside in those years, the most unforgettable memory of childhood was picking up dung. At that time, we understood the truth that "water is the blood of crops, fertilizer is the grain of crops, and all crops depend on fertilizer".
My grandfather hugged me and said, "For as long as I can remember, my grandfather has been holding me and talking!" "It was an era of farming, and we advocated soil miscellaneous fertilizers, organic fertilizers, and used less chemical pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
In the countryside at that time, the river water was clear, there were all kinds of small fish and shrimp in the fields and ditches, and all kinds of birds nested in the trees. But now, the mountains have been cut down, the birds are gone, and there is not even a single fish left in the ravine.
In those years, we knew how to respect nature and care for the environment, but now, how can we recover those lost beauty?
During the collectivization of the countryside in the sixties and seventies, human and animal manure was cherished due to a severe shortage of fertilizers. The production team built a large open manure pit, and the manure collected by people would be divided according to the weight, and then collectively poured into the manure pit for manure, and then the fertilizer was distributed to the crops for fertilizer.
At that time, the ratio of grain distribution to the production team was 4:2:4, of which fertilizer accounted for 2%. Therefore, it becomes understandable that children in the field pick up manure. A bucket of pig manure can be exchanged for 5 points, and many people think that pig manure is not smelly, but very fragrant.
In those days, a year with the best work could get up to 5 cents of red, and picking up dung became a way to make money. The grain grown from this fertilizer is called a fragrant.
Looking back today, although the living conditions at that time were not good, I did not feel how miserable it was. At that time, the grain was the most delicious and fragrant, and no matter what kind of grain it was, it was very fragrant.
Probably because the living conditions at that time were harsh, and there was not much oil, water and food.
When we were children, our lives were inseparable from the production team. Whether it is to work or hand in manure, the production team will record the work for us. At the end of each year, we will get the settlement, and if we are lucky that year, if we have more labor in the family, we can earn back 180 yuan a year, which is really an exciting harvest.
Children in rural areas develop the qualities of industriousness and thrift from an early age. In the first grade of primary school, the school began to organize students to pick up ears of wheat, and the collected ears of wheat were handed over to the school, so that the students could pick up the dung, and the dung that each person picked up every day was also handed over to the school.
The school also raises rabbits, allowing students to pull weeds in the field to feed the rabbits, and often conducts work-study activities. At that time, waste paper was regarded as a treasure, and students would pick up the waste paper very cleanly, save more to buy a dollar or two to pay to the school.
During the summer vacation, each elementary school student is also asked to braid a few straw hats and give them to the school, saying that they are completing foreign trade tasks. It's funny to think back on these experiences.
In the song "I Visit Dazhai and Return to My Hometown", there is a lyric that "the children of Dazhai carry dung baskets to school", which reflects that in the past years, the children of Dazhai needed to carry dung baskets while going to school in order to live, and life was very difficult.
Back then, I often picked up dung, if the tail of the cow was cocked, the friends would rush to pick up the dung, pick up more can get more work, and work in the production team on Sundays can also get two points, with the growth of age, the work will be year by year, eight points is already the treatment of adults.
In a large collective, there are many people who work efficiently, and there will be a certificate of commendation at the end of the year for good labor performance to encourage everyone. At that time, I was still in elementary school, and after school, I would run with a dung basket and follow the donkey, and the task was to pick up donkey dung.
Once upon a time, collecting organic fertilizer was quite a hard job that needed to be searched and collected everywhere. At that time, there were many primary school students picking up dung on the road, and there were very few donkey carts and carriages.
There are also professional dung pickers, mainly because the old and young are disabled and cannot engage in other labor, so they make a living by collecting dung. They had to get up early every morning, walk long distances, and sometimes fight over a piece of dung.
When I was a kid, we worked together, and when I think about it, it's very funny. Each family had six or seven children, and the family was very lively, and although we were not rich, all the vegetables and meat were very delicious, and we always had endless energy at that time.
Looking back on the past, even if it is hard and tired, my heart is full of sweetness and satisfaction.