"I told you long ago that this fruit tree is not a good thing. Look, it's in trouble now, isn't it?", "That's right, why plant something else but this thing? Isn't this harming people?", "I think it's completely ruined this time. Not only are there no fruits, but it's also full of bugs!" These harsh words were like sharp needles, piercing Shen Qiqi's heart and causing a dull pain.
She was already worried about the pest infestation, and now she was subjected to these groundless accusations, which doubled her pressure.
She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. She forced herself to calm down and not panic. The most important thing now was to solve the problem.
She tried hard to recall the books she had read before, and the knowledge about agricultural planting and pest control flashed through her mind quickly like a movie film.
Suddenly, a vague picture froze in her mind. She remembered that there seemed to be a plant whose smell could repel pests.
"Got it!" Shen Qiqi's eyes lit up. She seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw. Her tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and a long-lost smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
She turned and looked at Lu Qing beside her, "Lu Qing, I have an idea!" There was a hint of excitement in her voice, but also some uncertainty.
Lu Qing looked at the hope that rekindled in Shen Qiqi's eyes, and his heart warmed. He knew that she was never someone who gave up easily, and she must have her own ideas.
Just then, a sharp voice rang out from outside the orchard, breaking the brief peace: "What are you still standing there for? Why don't you quickly cut down these rotten fruit trees and save them for the New Year?!"
Shen Qiqi's eyes turned cold. She ignored the noisy voices, looked at Lu Qing, and said softly, "Let's go and try it first."
Shen Qiqi raised the corners of her mouth slightly, revealing a confident smile, which made Lu Qing's heart move. Shen Qiqi directed Lu Qing to pick handfuls of mugwort from the edge of the field and find a few broken clay pots.
She skillfully stuffed the mugwort into the earthenware jar, added some dry firewood, and after lighting it, a thick smoke instantly filled the air.
The smoke from the mugwort has a special fragrance, but it is the smell that insects hate the most.
As the smoke spread, the insects on the fruit trees began to become restless. They crawled down from the leaves and fled in panic, as if they had encountered their natural enemies.
The originally dense swarm of insects became visibly sparse. They were like ants on a hot pan, crawling around everywhere, trying to escape from this "poisonous fog area."
Shen Qiqi looked at this scene and was secretly happy. It seemed that this "smoke and fire" trick was indeed effective!
"Hurry, Lu Qing, give it some more!" Shen Qiqi directed Lu Qing, and the two of them cooperated tacitly, lighting mugwort smoke in every corner of the orchard.
The air was filled with smoke, like a fairyland. The strong smell of mugwort made people cough, but Shen Qiqi felt that this smell was the most wonderful smell in the world because it represented hope.
The insect pests in the orchard were gradually brought under control as the smoke spread.
The insects that were originally rampant were either dazed by the smoke or fell to the ground, completely losing their fighting power.
Shen Qiqi wiped the sweat from her forehead, looked at the fruit trees that had finally calmed down, and breathed a sigh of relief. This "homemade method" was really powerful!
When the villagers saw this scene, their original ridicule and doubts turned into amazement and admiration.
They gathered around, exclaiming in amazement, "Oh my, this girl is really good!" "This method is amazing, I think those insects are almost fainted by the smoke!" "That's right, I see those little black insects are almost turned into 'black charcoal' by the smoke!"
Seeing the change in the villagers' attitude, Shen Qiqi felt a surge of pride in her heart. She raised the corners of her mouth and revealed a brilliant smile. This was more refreshing than directly slapping those gossipers in the face.
Although the insect pests were temporarily under control, Shen Qiqi knew that this was only a temporary solution and that the insects that were stunned by the smoke would come back again soon.
The fruit trees have been severely damaged by insect pests and need more maintenance measures.
Shen Qiqi looked at the sky. It was already evening. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, stretching her figure out long. She turned to Lu Qing and said, "Let's go home first. We still have to be busy tomorrow."
Lu Qing nodded and held her hand tightly. The two walked side by side. The setting sun blended their figures into one, making it look particularly warm.
"Tomorrow, we need..." Shen Qiqi's words were interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps before they finished speaking. They looked back and saw that it was the village chief running towards them with an anxious look on his face.
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