Lu Qing frowned slightly, "There seems to be a crack in the canal."

Shen Qiqi nodded, her eyes full of determination: "Let's go and take a look first. We can't let this problem affect the subsequent water conservancy repair work." After that, the two of them walked quickly towards the direction of the canal, their steps firm, as if they were carrying a heavy burden.

As the night deepens, the chirping of crickets rises and falls like a lullaby.

But Shen Qiqi and Lu Qing were not sleepy at all. They came to the canal and carefully examined every detail in the dim moonlight.

The cracks in the canal were more serious than they had imagined, and there were even obvious collapses in several places.

Shen Qiqi squatted down and gently touched the crack with her hand, feeling the rough texture at her fingertips.

Her brows were furrowed and her expression was serious, as if she was thinking about something.

Lu Qing stood beside her, watching her silently

"This is no small problem," Shen Qiqi stood up and patted the dust off her hands. "We have to find a way to repair it quickly, otherwise the whole village will suffer when the flood season comes.

"

The next morning, Shen Qiqi set off for the town's Water Conservancy Bureau to seek financial and technical support.

She found an official from the Zhao Water Conservancy Bureau, explained the situation in the village, and hoped to get help.

After listening to Shen Qiqi's story, Officer Zhao showed a helpless expression on his face. He sighed and said, "Qiqi, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's really hard for a good cook to cook without rice. Funds are already tight this year, and now this kind of thing has happened. It's really stretched to the limit."

Shen Qiqi frowned, a feeling of disappointment welling up in her heart.

But she didn't give up and continued to argue, "Officer Zhao, I know the current situation is difficult, but water conservancy repairs are a matter of great importance to people's livelihood and cannot be delayed!"

Officer Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "How about this? I can approve some funding for you, but as for technical support, I can only do my best. After all, we don't have enough staff in the bureau."

Although Shen Qiqi was not very satisfied with the result, she had no choice but to accept it.

She thanked Officer Zhao and turned to leave the Water Conservancy Bureau.

Walking on the way back to the village, Shen Qiqi felt a little heavy.

The lack of financial and technical support made her feel more stressed.

But she was not discouraged, instead she became more determined.

"It seems that I have to find another way..." Shen Qiqi muttered to herself.

Back in the village, Shen Qiqi gathered everyone at the threshing ground. A torn bed sheet was hung on a bamboo pole as a projection screen, with the words "Water conservancy repairs are everyone's responsibility" written crookedly on it, giving it a sense of performance art.

She cleared her throat and told everyone about the situation in the town. She thought she would get a positive response, but it turned out to be like stirring up a hornet's nest.

Uncle Li, the village's famous "argumentative person", was the first to jump out, pointing at Shen Qiqi's nose and started to rant: "Building the canal is the government's business, it's none of our business! We just pay the agricultural tax and it's over, why do we have to contribute money and effort?"

As Uncle Li took the lead, other villagers also began to talk about it, like ants in a boiling pot.

"That's right, who's going to pay for this?" "My family only has a few acres of thin land, how can we spare the money for this?" "What if it can't be repaired, won't all our work be in vain?" Questions came one after another, like sharp thorns piercing Shen Qiqi's heart.

There was an oppressive atmosphere in the threshing ground. Shen Qiqi felt like a huge rock was pressing on her chest, making it difficult to breathe.

This scene was worse than she had imagined.

She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. She was about to explain, but found her throat dry and couldn't say a word.

After returning home, Shen Qiqi rushed into the house and rummaged through the boxes and cabinets to find several books on water conservancy.

Under the dim kerosene lamp, she flipped through the pages one by one. The densely packed words danced in front of her eyes like tadpoles swimming around.

Sometimes she frowned in thought, and sometimes she wrote furiously. Her serious attitude seemed to dispel the darkness around her and light a glimmer of hope.

Lu Qing walked into the room carrying a cup of hot tea and gently placed it next to Shen Qiqi.

The aroma of tea permeated the air, dispelling the chill in the house.

He looked at Shen Qiqi distressedly,

"Don't be too tired," Lu Qing said softly, "rest early."

Shen Qiqi raised her head and looked at Lu Qing.

"I'm fine," she shook her head. "I must find a solution."

Lu Qing gently held Shen Qiqi's hand, and a warm current instantly spread throughout her body, as if injected with a shot of cardiotonic.

"Don't worry, Qiqi, let's find a way together." Lu Qing's voice was gentle and firm, like a reassurance pill, which gradually calmed Shen Qiqi's originally anxious heart.

Shen Qiqi looked up at him, her eyes full of gratitude and love. At this moment, she felt like she owned the whole world.

The air was filled with pink bubbles, so sweet that it was almost sweeter than honey.

Shen Qiqi did not argue with the villagers anymore. She decided to calm down and organize her thoughts.

Instead of venting your anger on people who like to argue, it is better to first understand your financial situation and see what resources you can use.

She got up and went to the village warehouse to take a good inventory of the existing materials.

The warehouse was dimly lit and the air was filled with a musty smell. Shen Qiqi skillfully lit the kerosene lamp. The dim light illuminated the corners of the warehouse, where various sundries were piled up like small hills.

Shen Qiqi rolled up her sleeves and began to count carefully. Like an experienced detective, she scanned every corner with sharp eyes, not missing any details.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!