The following day James accompanied Christian into the fields to start breaking the soil ready for sowing. The villagers worked together for the good of community so the fields were alive with people trudging up and down—breaking the earth with wooden hoes while the women followed along behind scattering handfuls of wheat seed across the furrows. Even the older children worked. Some of the older boys tended the sheep while they grazed in the open pastures further down the track from the village, while the older girls milked cows, mixed dyes, and worked on the looms. The younger children attended school.
Sowing crops was backbreaking work. James had never done such physical labour before. As the sun began its descent towards the tree-lined horizon, Christian stood up and leaned on the hand
