China Day 5: Intensive Subsistence (No wet Rice)

I took the bus from Zongmeng's home to the Jilin Province (Northeast China) which is about a four and a half day drive to get where Fen lives.

As my bus slowed to a stop, the driver gave me directions to Fen's home.  It would be about a mile and a half walk to her home, but I knew she would meet me half way so I wouldn't be entirely lost.

Fen greeted me and we walked back to her home. I asked as we neared her home which crop her family grows.  Fen laughed because she said they didn't just grow one crop every single year.  She described to me how they have to rotate the crops yearly so the soil wouldn't be exhausted.  I then asked if she grew during the winter and she retorted no as it the weather is much to harsh for crops during that time.

Arriving to her home, I saw many people working in the fields.  It turns out that Fen's family, while part of a commune and share with others, they have private ownership on some parts.

We walked into the fields and noticed that her family were harvesting corn this season.

Fen made sure I knew that everyone in her family worked on their farm and usually the neighbors as well.  They were a community of farmers helping each other out especially during this season due to the lack of rainfall which caused a minor shortage in product.

After the walk around her stalks, she led me inside her home and made me some chicken corn soup.  Which to me was the perfect way to end the day.