Mu Yi'an coaxed her two young sons to play in the water for a while. After the children cooled off, they quietly ate some fruit.

Mu Yi'an went to see Chu Yue again; she was lying in her room.

"Mom, it's so hot!"

"It's been a bit hot lately since it hasn't rained. Stay inside and open all the windows."

Mu Yi'an looked at Chu Yue, a nine-year-old child whose body had not yet developed.

She was wearing a light dress that Mu Yi'an had made for her, similar to a modern dress.

It was made of silk fabric bestowed by the Emperor; it was relatively thin and breathable, and felt cool to the touch.

Because I'm a girl, I can't wear less clothing like boys, and I can't show my arms and legs.

"There are two basins of water in the room, wipe your sweat. When it gets cooler in the evening, get dressed and come out for dinner."

"I know, Mother. You be careful not to get too hot."

Chuyue knew that her mother was doing it for her own good. In her own room, she could dress more casually, less, and cooler.

Chuyue didn't feel bored at all. She could read, play the piano, embroider... there were many things she could do. She just had to wait for the rain to stop.

It was hot, so Mu Yi'an had the kitchen cook a lot of mung bean soup and distributed it so that everyone could have some.

In the evening, Jiang Shuyun and Shao Ming and the others returned. Mu Yi'an called Chu Yue, and everyone ate together.

"Shao Ming, is it hot in your school? Do you have any mung bean soup?"

“Mother, many children have gone home from school. The teacher said it’s too hot and the younger ones might not be able to handle it, so he’s only keeping us, who are preparing for the imperial examinations, to study at school.”

With fewer people, it feels okay.

Jiang Mo and Jiang Yan often used handkerchiefs to wipe our sweat, which helped them stay strong.

Shao Ming was also hot, but the exam was coming up soon, and he had to persevere.

"It's too hot. After you finish eating, take a shower and rest in the yard for a while. Don't rush to read."

Mu Yi'an didn't know how long this high temperature would last; it felt like it was over 30 degrees Celsius. She also didn't know when it would rain.

Because of the unusual weather, Mu Yi'an had transported a lot of grain back from the estate a while ago, and the cellars in the east and west courtyards were already full.

She didn't sell any of this year's grain; she kept it all in the granary on the estate.

If this kind of weather continues for a while, the harvest in the second half of the year will be severely reduced.

The dry land in the village has been planted with corn and sweet potatoes.

However, the rice seedlings in the rented paddy fields are already quite tall, and the tenants carry water themselves to irrigate the fields, as there is water in the ponds on the estate.

Lying in bed, Mu Yi'an felt the heat hitting her face, not much cooler than during the day.

"Have all the children gone back inside?"

“Everyone’s gone back inside. It’s not cool in the yard anyway, so we might as well go back inside. At least we can wear less clothing.”

Jiang Shuyun was also hot. She had just taken a shower with the children and came in wearing shorts and a sleeveless top.

"Your attire doesn't resemble that of a scholar at all."

Mu Yi'an was also wearing the same nightgown as Chu Yue. Hers was a two-piece dress with sleeveless tops and a cardigan-style outer layer.

Mu Yi'an was just worried about any unexpected events, so she could put it on and go out.

"They're almost cooked, so who cares about the image of a scholar?"

I made all the boys change into shorts and go shirtless; it was too hot.

"Shao Rong probably doesn't even want to wear shorts and will just go naked."

Mu Yi'an knew her son all too well; he was someone who didn't care about anything.

"Possibly. That kid, as long as he's comfortable, that's all that matters. Yi'an, this weather's not normal. Will there be a complete crop failure this year?"

Jiang Shuyun had never experienced these things before, and he was also a little panicked. He had read history books, and he knew that during years of famine, life was indeed difficult.

Displacement, refugees, plague... so much uncertainty is frightening.

"It didn't reach that level. Grain production was normal in the first half of the year; the drought only started after June."

It hasn't rained for over a month. If the high temperatures continue, it's uncertain whether the harvest for the second half of the year will be preserved.

Mu Yi'an couldn't say for sure either, as there were no weather forecasts at this time, and it all depended on experience.

"I'll go to the village tomorrow and see. If it doesn't work, let's give up on the paddy fields and plant sweet potatoes instead. Maybe that will fill our stomachs."

"Okay, bring more people. Everyone's panicking right now."

Jiang Shuyun plans to ask the headmaster tomorrow if there have been similar situations before and how they were handled.

The next day, after arranging things at home, Mu Yi'an, along with Sister Fang, Zhao Wu, and two guards, went to the estate.

"Madam, you've come."

When Sister Xu saw the carriage, she quickly came out to greet it.

"Sister Xu, have someone fetch Xu Wu and Steward Jiang."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Sister-in-law Xu called for help, telling them to hurry and find Xu Wu and Steward Jiang, as the madam was waiting.

Before long, Jiang Shuhe and Xu Wu arrived.

"Master."

"Mrs."

"What's the situation on the estate now?"

Mu Yi'an looked at the two of them; they must have come back from the fields.

"Master, the paddy fields are about to be lost. It's too hot, and manually carrying water to irrigate the fields isn't very effective."

The corn and sweet potatoes in the dry fields are doing a little better, barely surviving, but a reduced yield is inevitable.

Jiang Shuhe wasn't sure either; it hadn't been this hot in years.

"Let's go take a look."

Mu Yi'an led the people into the fields. Along the way, everything was withered and droopy, and the grass by the roadside had turned yellow.

Mu Yi'an glanced at the corn. It was planted in mid-June, and after more than a month, it had only grown to half a meter tall.

Although the sweet potato seedlings don't look very healthy, they are still growing well.

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