Farmer Planting Rice Seedlings in Misty Hefei Dawn

Dark, wet soil surrounds a farmer knee-deep in a rice paddy beside a tractor track in Hefei. The worker bends forward, hands moving with deliberate rhythm to place green rice seedlings into the mud. Early summer mist hangs low over the water, softening the edges of the landscape in diffused dawn light. The sky above is clear but pale, offering no harsh shadows. Water ripples gently around the farmer's legs, reflecting the gray-blue of the morning air. Green shoots stand upright in neat rows, against the rich brown earth. A final droplet slides from a leaf tip onto the water's surface.