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Niu Lili was also very happy to hear that Qi Xiaoyan had passed the exam!
Before Secretary Qi could come to pick them up, Niu Dajun had already found an oxcart to take Qi Xiaoyan and He Tiantian home.
The grain that He Tiantian asked Niu Lili to buy was also loaded onto the oxcart.
"Not bad, not bad." Secretary Qi was very happy to hear that his daughter had passed the exam, which eased the worry on his face.
Seeing that her father hadn't been in good spirits these past few days, Qi Xiaoyan assumed he was worried about her and comforted him with a smile, "Dad, my exam went very well. I'm sorry to have worried you these past few days."
“My daughter is so wonderful, I have no worries,” Secretary Qi said proudly, driving the oxcart back home.
"Why do you look so tired these past few days?" Qi Xiaoyan asked with concern, wiping the sweat from her brow as the weather was hot.
Secretary Qi didn't want to spoil the mood, but seeing his daughter's concerned eyes, he sighed and said, "Alas, not a single drop of rain has fallen in Taoyuan County since the Lunar New Year!"
He Tiantian was taken aback, only then remembering this incident.
Although Huai City is experiencing drought, it is much better than Taoyuan County.
Something big is about to happen in Taoyuan County!
He Tiantian felt a headache coming on when she thought of the neurotic little spinning turtle in the barrier! Because of Qi Xiaoyan's exam, she was also anxious and nervous, and forgot about the little spinning turtle in the barrier that kept saying it was hungry.
"Is this really going to bring disaster?" Qi Xiaoyan frowned and looked around. The river was dry, and the trees looked listless and dying.
“Our village is alright; we have snowmelt from the mountains, which provides some water for irrigation. But the snowmelt from the back mountain is almost gone, and there will be many more places where we need water in the future. What are we going to do?” This is what Secretary Qi is worried about!
He Tiantian remained silent, thinking about how to comfort the little turtle when she got back.
She always felt that the little tortoise was faking its madness; perhaps it had a way to deal with the drought, but it just didn't say it!
When I get back tonight, I'll even go with the Snake King to interrogate the neurotic Little Turtle.
The drought dampened everyone's good mood somewhat.
"Alright, there's always a way out. Xiaoyan, don't worry about home, just go and join the army with peace of mind," Secretary Qi comforted her. It was a rare opportunity for his daughter to get what she wanted, and he couldn't let her be unhappy.
Qi Xiaoyan knew she couldn't help, so she could only comfort her father, saying, "Dad, I get a stipend when I'm in the army. I'll send it all to you, and maybe things will be a little better for the family."
“These are not things you should worry about. Just do your best in your military service, and that will be the greatest comfort to your father,” Secretary Qi said with a smile. His simple face was full of love, which made He Tiantian very envious.
It's so good to have mom and dad!
It's even better if Mom and Dad are around!
By the time we arrived at Qijia Village, it was already 3 p.m.!
In contrast to other places, the crops in Qijia Village have sprouted, but they are dry and barren due to lack of water.
First, take He Tiantian back to Grandma Qi's house, where He Tiantian carries down two bags of grain.
Seeing He Tiantian's foresight, Secretary Qi thought about going back to organize the ration coupons and money at home and going to buy grain.
Grandma Qi was very happy to see He Tiantian return and made her brown sugar eggs.
After He Tiantian ate the eggs, Grandma Qi whispered, "Tiantian, put these bags of grain in the cellar."
"Okay." He Tiantian agreed. In times of famine, food was life!
He Tiantian picked up a bag and was about to take it to the cellar, which was not far from the kitchen and was usually used.
"Not that cellar," Grandma Qi whispered, "Come with me."
Grandma Qi led He Tiantian around to the cowshed in the backyard and whispered, "Push the cow trough to the left; the cellar is under the cowshed."
He Tiantian was taken aback and asked, "You have two cellars in your house?"
“Yes, we usually use the cellar in the front yard. This one in the back is for hiding things,” said Grandma Qi. “We put some of the grain we received from the team in the cellar in the front yard, but we can’t put the grain you bought there. In a critical moment, these two bags of grain will be our life-saving food!”
He Tiantian went into the cowshed and tried to push the feeding trough, but found that she couldn't move it!
"What's the rush?" Grandma Qi said with a smile. Then she came in, leaning on her cane. Her bound feet kicked an inconspicuous stone in the corner, and the stone shrank a little. "Now it's ready!"
"Oh my, Grandma, you have a secret mechanism in your house!" He Tiantian exclaimed in surprise, having learned something new.
“This was originally my family’s old house. I knew there was a cellar in the house, but I didn’t know where it was. All my brothers and sisters left to seek their fortunes in the city, but I stayed to take care of our parents. My father only told me about this cellar before he died,” Grandma Qi explained. “Only my husband and I knew about this place. Now that you are my granddaughter, I’m telling you this so that no one will know about this place when I’m no longer useful.”
He Tiantian hesitated. Such a grand cellar, and the one that used to be the most luxurious cellar in Taoyuan County, must not be empty.
"Grandma, this is a secret place of your ancestors. Isn't it inappropriate for you to bring me here?" He Tiantian hesitated, after all, Grandma Qi San still had descendants.
"Alright, you're my granddaughter, how can you say you're not alright?" Grandma Qi said. "Hurry up and push that feeding trough again, it's broad daylight now, we need to hurry!"
Seeing that Grandma Qi was insistent, and since she didn't want to take anything from inside anyway, He Tiantian pushed the feeding trough with a clear conscience. Sure enough, it could be moved. There was a dark hole about three feet long and a little over one foot wide, with stone steps inside.
Grandma Qi carefully went downstairs, took a match, and lit the oil lamp on the cellar wall.
This isn't a cellar anymore; it's more like a secret room!
He Tiantian carried the two bags of grain downstairs before carefully examining the secret room.
There are more than thirty steps on the stairs, indicating that the secret chamber is ten meters high from the ground. If you don't know where the mechanism is, you can dig three feet into the ground and still not find it.
Under the dim light of a few oil lamps, He Tiantian discovered that there were actually two secret rooms.
One side was filled with household items, pots and pans, as if it were for everyday living; the other side was tightly closed, presumably for storing some valuables.
He Tiantian was very curious, but she didn't ask.
"Grandma, the food is ready, let's go upstairs," He Tiantian said. The sealed room hadn't been ventilated for a long time, and the smell wasn't pleasant.
Seeing that there was no greed in He Tiantian's eyes, Grandma Qi was even more relieved and said, "Tiantian, I'll take you to that room to have a look."
He Tiantian was taken aback, then quickly shook her head and refused, saying, "Grandma, although I'm curious, these are your family's ancestral belongings, it's not appropriate for me to go and see them." (To be continued.)
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