Chapter 48: Cutting off the Way to Survive
It was during the second year of the drought that the Chen family finally realized they could no longer survive and decided to sell Erya. They used the money they earned to pay the sixth son's salary, and the rest was distributed to the starving second and third wives.
Thinking of this, Feng Lan's throat felt dry, as if she felt the despair of being burned by the scorching sun and having her throat smoking.
"Comber," she raised her head and looked at her husband with burning eyes, "Do you remember that a few days ago, the old well at the east end of the village dried up earlier than in previous years?"
Chen Kangbo was stunned. He was so busy making a living that he hadn't noticed anything. But after Feng Lan reminded him, he thought carefully and nodded. "Yes. When I went to fetch water last month, the water level had dropped quite a bit. I thought it was because there wasn't enough rain this summer."
"It's not just the wells." Feng Lan continued to guide him, "Think about it, aren't those drought-resistant grasses on the mountain also turning yellow faster than in previous years?"
Chen Kangbo's expression gradually changed. He was a true farmer, more sensitive to the changing weather than anyone else. What Feng Lan described were all signs of a coming drought! It's just that normally, no one would connect these scattered signs.
"Lan'er, what you mean is..." There was a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
"What I mean is that the heavens might be changing their ways," Feng Lan said word by word. "Those idiots from the Chen family thought that destroying our rice meant we would be dead. Little did they know that even if they hadn't destroyed the rice, the coming drought wouldn't have guaranteed a good harvest."
Chen Kangbo's breathing suddenly became rapid. He stood up suddenly and paced back and forth in the room, as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his mind.
If it is really as Lan'er said, then...then these fifteen acres of destroyed land are not a desperate situation, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"Lan'er, do you mean that we... should grow crops out of season?" He stopped and his eyes lit up with astonishing light.
"No." Feng Lan shook her head. Her plan was far more daring than this. "We don't grow grain. Grain consumes a lot of water and grows slowly. We want to grow things that grow quickly, consume little water, and can be used as both vegetables and grains."
Her gaze seemed to penetrate the roof and she saw the scene a few months later, where everything was withering and food prices were soaring.
"Comber, we have to keep the water before everyone reacts!" Feng Lan stood up, walked up to him, and lowered her voice. "I remember there's a spring deep in the bamboo forest on the back mountain. It flows all year round. It's just that it's in a remote location and the amount of water isn't huge, so no one usually pays attention to it. If we could quietly dig a canal and divert the spring water to our fields..."
Chen Kangbo's heart began to beat wildly.
Divert water, store water, and rush to plant!
While others thought it was just an ordinary autumn day, they had to make thorough preparations for an impending natural disaster. When everyone was worried about food, they would hold life-saving food in their hands, hard currency that could be exchanged for real money!
"Okay! Let's do it!" Chen Kangbo pounded his fist into his palm. There was no more dejection in his eyes, only a blazing fighting spirit. "Tomorrow, I'll take Daya and the others to the back mountain! Dig a canal to divert water and re-level the land!"
Feng Lan nodded and continued, "Water and land alone aren't enough; we also need seeds. I'm going to town tomorrow to buy some more radishes, cabbages, and... drought-resistant sweet potato seeds. They grow fast, have a high yield, and are easy to store."
Under the dim light, the couple discussed all night long. A huge plan that affected the fate of their entire family quietly took shape amid the curses and wails of others.
The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the Chen family's east courtyard became busy.
Chen Kangbo took Daya and Erya, carrying a hoe and a shovel, and headed straight for the back mountain. Feng Lan, on the other hand, locked the courtyard door and set out for town alone.
When the villagers saw this scene, they all thought that the people from the Chen family's eldest branch were crazy.
"See? Boss Chen and his family, are they possibly stimulated and going insane?"
"That's right! The ground has been trampled into mud, and you're still running up the mountain. Can you dig out gold?"
"I heard that Feng Lan went to town early this morning. I guess she wants to sell all her belongings to buy food."
"Tsk tsk, how pitiful, having to deal with such a poor family, and having such a good life end up like this."
The Chen family in the west courtyard took this as a joke. Chen Kangzhong and Chen Kangshu deliberately carried their farm tools and wandered around the village entrance, pointing and talking at Chen Kangbo's back, their faces full of gloating. In their view, Chen Kangbo's family was already making their last desperate struggle.
However, none of them knew that while they were still gloating over the small profits in front of them, Feng Lan and Chen Kangbo had already set their sights on the coming cold winter that could determine the life and death of countless people.
A huge wave is brewing, sweeping across Pingjiang Village. Feng Lan and her family are braving the storm and building their strongest dam.
Feng Lan had walked the road to town countless times, but never before had she walked with such a light step and such a sense of security as today.
The dozen or so taels of silver she held in her arms were the ones she had snatched back from her mother-in-law. They were the foundation of her family's new life. The autumn breeze brushed across her face, bringing a hint of coolness, but it couldn't blow away the passion in her heart.
Arriving in town, she didn't rush to the seed shop, but instead turned into a quiet alley. Deep inside the alley was an unassuming cloth shop. Its materials weren't the best, but it had a wide selection of colors and reasonable prices.
In her previous life, she had passed by here countless times. Every time, she could only look at the bright fabrics in the window with envy, then look down at the patched old clothes on herself and her daughters, and walk away silently.
Today, she straightened her back and walked in.
"Boss, let me see the cotton cloth you have here."
The shopkeeper, a lean, middle-aged man, looked her over. Seeing that she was dressed simply but had a clear gaze and a composed demeanor, he politely addressed her, "Madam, what color would you like to pick? We've just received some pink and aquamarine fabrics. They'd be perfect for little girls."
Feng Lan's eyes wandered over the fabrics. She remembered Daya's calmness, Erya's competence, Sanya's quietness, and the innocence of her two youngest daughters.
"I don't want anything too flashy." She shook her head. "Pick me something sturdy and hard-wearing. One indigo, one in sable, and one... well, the autumn-scented color, for a calming look."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
