As the oldest son in a farming family, Yu Yu-hsien took the lead in sharing family farm work: planting, cutting, plowing.
由於家中務農，身為長子的余玉賢，自小就帶著兩個弟弟，分擔家中的農事：放牛、插秧、除草、割稻… …，夏天汗血交融，冬天皮膚乾裂，泡在田裡的滋味，使他對農民生活的辛酸，有深刻的體會。