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This post was last edited by dlutyj on 2016-8-8 at 12:45. The Lucky Grass in My Heart As dusk approached, Fuyang stood in front of his shop and saw Shuliang stopping a tractor used for harvesting fodder grass in the open space in front of the fields. Oh, he knew that it was time to harvest the first batch of alfalfa planted by Shuliang. Last night there was wind, and there was no dew on the alfalfa. As the sound of the harvester could be heard, a fresh, green scent gradually spread throughout the area, carried by the breeze. This scent reminded Shu Liang of the patches of alfalfa that had just sprouted new leaves, as well as of the women in the unit who carried baskets or bags, bending over or crouching to pick the alfalfa. The alfalfa cooked by his wife Guihua was absolutely delicious. Thinking of this, he swallowed the saliva that had accumulated in his mouth; well, it’s time to go home for breakfast. Shu Liang has been very busy – he’s dealing with the alfalfa fields covering over 300 mu of his land: installing pipes, setting up sprinkler rods, bending elbows, and constantly checking and repairing things. He’s so busy that he doesn’t even have time to go home for meals. This year, an excavator was used to lay new main pipes in his alfalfa fields; this way, there’s no need to worry about problems with the sprinkler pipes, nor is there a risk of pipes bursting in Snow Peak’s cotton fields and damaging the cotton seedlings. As the area of land he farmed increased, so did his investments. During a meeting, the team leader said that Shuliang had a long-term vision – growing alfalfa offered good prospects and high profits. Shuliang felt a bit embarrassed at that time; his ears turned red. When he returned home and shared his feelings with his wife Guihua, she laughed for a long time. Yet, inside, Shuliang was very happy. In fact, growing alfalfa was also new to Shuliang. In the past, the platoon grew crops on land, with low yields. When it came to growing cotton, Shuliang could at least talk about it in some detail. But now that they have switched to growing alfalfa using sprinkler irrigation, the management requirements are much more stringent than before. Every day while working in the fields, Shuliang thinks of his wife Guihua, who is bedridden due to illness. Guihua used to be quite attractive in the platoon as well, with many young men pursuing her. Yet she chose Shuliang, a man who was quiet and honest by nature. She didn’t mind that he was poor or had no money. After marrying him, the couple continued to grow cotton. Despite suffering from severe rheumatism, Guihua still worked in the fields alongside Shuliang as much as she could. At home, she took care of cooking and laundry efficiently, and their life together became increasingly prosperous. Guigui is usually quite casual, but whenever something goes wrong at home, it’s Guigui who makes the decisions. Just after the spring planting this year, Shuliang’s 100-mu cotton field was hit by strong winds; the drip irrigation tubes in the field got entangled with each other, leaving the field in a terrible state. Seeing the mess in the cotton field, Shuliang returned home and even cried. But Guigui told him, \"Just do what needs to be done – why cry? Hire someone to take care of it. There’s no problem that can’t be solved. I didn’t cry, so you should be stronger than me as a man!\" The company’s college-educated deputy company commander told Shu Liang that it would be time to start harvesting when the green alfalfa began to produce a few purple flowers. Osmanthus told Shuliang that alfalfa, also known as the lucky grass, has its own symbolic meaning: happiness and hope. What seems like an ordinary alfalfa gains a soul simply through the mention of osmanthus. Shu Liang gradually came to understand that it is best to harvest alfalfa when no more than 10% of the flowers are purple-colored, as this is when the alfalfa has the highest protein content. Harvesting should not be delayed past the full flowering stage; otherwise, there will be severe leaf drop, stem fibrosis, and a decline in quality. It is best to keep the stubble height at around 5 centimeters after harvesting. Too high an amount affects yield and hinders the growth of new shoots, while too low an amount makes harvesting operations inconvenient. After harvesting, it should be left to dry in place for 2–3 days, then bundled up and stored promptly; if it becomes too dry, the leaves will fall off, affecting the quality of the grass ； Excessive moisture can lead to mold growth, causing economic losses; the most suitable moisture content for storage in bales is 14–17%. Alfalfa has a strong regenerative capacity; it can be harvested 3–4 times per year, and with good weather conditions, even 4 to 5 times. All of this seemed very novel to Shu Liang. He took great care of it, sometimes watering the alfalfa field and staying by it, watching as the plants swayed in the wind. This reminded him of Gui Hua, who told him that alfalfa is a lucky plant, symbolizing happiness and hope. He thought to himself that Gui Hua was the lucky plant in his own heart, bringing him happiness and hope after all On the afternoons of early summer, the wind carried heat and agitation as it swept across the fields of the military unit. At that time, those standing in front of the shops in Fuyang couldn’t help but think of the gentle breeze in spring that caressed the willows, and the coolness of the autumn wind on their faces. Shu Liang, who was waiting by the fields for the harvester, pulled himself back from his scattered thoughts. Under the scorching sun, the alfalfa emitted vapor, making it difficult for him to see whether the harvester had turned around. He raised his head to look at the quiet, white clouds in the distance, feeling a sense of hope. It seemed as though Shu Liang could also hear the song sung by the harvester and the alfalfa. His gaze remained fixed on this lush green scene of alfalfa being harvested, but his thoughts flew away, like birds with wings, toward the distant military unit. Back home, osmanthus flowers were waiting for him, waiting for him to return. The sun was still scorching, and the sprawling leaves of the cotton fields nearby swayed and rolled in the wind. Xin Cai rode an old motorcycle that was emitting smoke, coming from the direction of the company; he was there to deliver water to Shu Liang and the harvester. The fast-moving bike scared away the swallows that were pecking at insects in the alfalfa fields. With the green alfalfa serving as a backdrop, the startled swallows flapped around in all directions, and this scene caught Shu Liang’s attention – the movement and stillness amidst those green fields of purple-flowered alfalfa.