At 7:00 AM, the cold wind, carrying the news of the approaching Spring Festival, blows people in all directions, including to a small village 70 kilometers away from home. To pick fresh and affordable sugar oranges for their friends and family, they spent nearly two hours bouncing along winding and narrow village roads before arriving at this small mountain village hidden among hundreds of acres of orange trees.
At 8:25 AM, he checked the time on his phone, climbed down from the step ladder, and emptied the oranges from his small basket into a large crate; it seemed he had only picked about half of what was needed. He rubbed his aching left shoulder, swung his slightly trembling right arm, picked a few golden oranges from the tree, and went to join his colleagues. Several colleagues were sitting on the ridge chatting, all complaining of exhaustion. The vigor they once had during their years of farming before starting their careers had long since vanished. Once people step away from manual labor for a few years, it becomes difficult to endure the hardship again. Adapting to ease is easy, but returning to hardship is incredibly challenging.
Before they could chat much, his wife called. She was at "Guomei Appliances" and had found a refrigerator she loved for 3,900 yuan. After comparing prices, she really wanted to bring it home and asked for his opinion. What could he say? The new house they moved into last year, despite its simple decoration, had already turned their hair gray and etched wrinkles around their eyes. The struggle of building a life from scratch might not break a person's spirit, but it certainly changes their appearance. The house still lacks an air conditioner and a refrigerator, and she had visited several stores. He replied, "Do as you see fit; we'll just save a bit more during the Spring Festival."
It wasn't until after 2:00 PM that they finished picking the oranges. Most were given to relatives and siblings, leaving only two boxes for themselves. By the time they returned home at 5:00 PM, the family of three sat together, tasting the oranges and discussing the refrigerator arriving tomorrow, even contemplating buying an ice cream maker.
