Chapter 33: Protection and Turning Point in the Storm
# Chapter 33: Protection and Turning Point in the Storm
The strong wind whipped gravel against the sunshade with a harsh clattering sound. Chen Wang had just pressed the last piece of plastic wrap against the base of the tomato vines with a rock when raindrops as big as beans began to pound down, instantly creating a dense network of small pits in the soil and splashing mud all over his trouser legs. Lin Xiaoman ran to the research lab, carrying a clay pot filled with pine needle and wormwood juice. The wind blew her skirt against her legs, and rain dripped down her hair into her collar, the cold touch making her shiver.
"Hurry, pour the juice down the ditch! Slow down, don't spill it!" Chen Wang caught up to her and snatched the pot. Steam from the jar's mouth, mixed with rainwater, carried a faint herbal fragrance. The two of them squatted in a corner of the lab, slowly pouring the juice along the shallow trench they had dug. They watched as the brown liquid seeped into the hardened soil, tiny bubbles gradually forming on the surface. This was the "organic acid neutralizing toxin" reaction described in Grandpa's notes, and it was working faster than expected.
"Xiao Wang! The old pear tree's about to collapse!" Uncle Li's anxious roar pierced the rain. Looking up, they saw the tree's thick branches swaying in the strong wind. Newly sprouted buds were falling in the wind and rain, and the plastic film covering the roots had long since shattered, revealing the hardened soil beneath.
Chen Wang immediately grabbed the thick hemp rope nearby and rushed over, followed closely by Lin Xiaoman. The ridge of the field was muddy and slippery, and the two of them ran with one foot deep and one foot shallow, almost falling several times. When they reached the tree, Chen Wang first tied one end of the hemp rope to the trunk, while Lin Xiaoman pulled the other end around the bamboo frame nearby, tightening it and tying a knot. "Wrap it around again! Secure the branch too!" She stood on tiptoe and reached out to support the branch that was shaking the most. When her fingertips touched the bark, she suddenly found dense new buds emerging from the inside of the branch—the old pear tree was struggling hard.
"It's sprouting new buds!" Lin Xiaoman exclaimed in surprise, "If we work harder, we can save it!"
Chen Wang gritted his teeth as he tightened the hemp rope, his palms rubbing red from the roughness, but he didn't dare let go. Rain blurred their vision, and the two could only rely on each other's voices to confirm their position. "Pull a little more to the left," "The stone is under the knot," their simple conversation was filled with tacit understanding.
Not far away, villagers bustled about in the rain. Aunt Wang and a few other women unrolled their old tarpaulin and spread it over the strawberry patch. Hand in hand, they held down the edges, letting the rain soak their clothes. Grandma Zhang cradled Xiaochen in her arms, sheltering under a makeshift straw shed, yet still directed the children to gather rocks and re-tighten the plastic film that had been loosened by the wind. Wangfu ran back and forth along the ridge, barking at the windblown edges of the tarpaulin, as if warning everyone to be careful.
Suddenly, the rain was punctuated by a crackling sound—hail was coming. Bean-sized ice particles thudded against the tarpaulin, sending the fabric slumping. Chen Wang instinctively shielded Lin Xiaoman behind him. His own back ached from the ice, but he didn't dare move. "Don't panic! The tarpaulin is thick enough to hold up!"
Lin Xiaoman peeked out from behind him and saw Aunt Wang and the others in the strawberry patch, clinging to the edge of the cloth tightly, not letting go even when ice particles hit their hands. Her heart warmed, and she turned and rushed into the straw shed, grabbing the spare waterproof sheet in the corner. "Grandma Zhang, hand me the scissors! Let's put on another layer!"
Xiaochen also came to help, standing on tiptoe to hand over the scissors, his chubby hands not forgetting to hold the corner of the cloth: "Mom, I can help too!"
At this moment, Uncle Li came running over carrying a few bamboo poles: "Use the bamboo poles to hold up the cloth! Don't let the ice particles collapse!" The villagers took action immediately, inserted the bamboo poles into the soil, and held up the waterproof cloth to form a simple shed. The ice particles fell on the roof of the shed and slid into the soil along the edge, and finally did not damage the strawberry seedlings.
The hailstorm lasted a full hour. When it finally stopped, the farm was a mess—broken branches, scattered plastic, muddy ridges. Yet, no one complained. Without even bothering to wipe the rain from their faces, they rushed to check on the crops. The tomato vines, though slightly tilted, were intact. The strawberry patch's tarp had a few tears in the patches, but the seedlings were all fine. The old pear tree, secured with overlapping hemp rope, held its trunk steady, save for a few fallen new shoots.
"It's saved! Our old variety is saved!" Aunt Wang sat on the edge of the field, wiped the rain off her face, and smiled until her eyes were red. Xiaochen ran over, hugged her legs and shouted: "Grandma Wang, Miaomiao is fine!"
In the evening, the agricultural expert finally arrived. Crouching in a corner of the lab, he scooped up some soil with a small shovel and placed it on the tester. His frown quickly relaxed. "Great! The organic acids in the pine needle and wormwood juice have neutralized most of the inhibitors. Two more waterings and the soil should be back to normal. The old pear tree's roots haven't been damaged either. With continued care, it'll soon sprout new branches."
Even more reassuring was the call from the police station. During her detention, Su Qing, faced with a complete chain of evidence, finally confessed to all her crimes: pre-purchased soil inhibitors and hidden them in a document bag, forged her identity at the Agricultural Science Institute to recommend the wrong solution, and edited videos to fabricate rumors. Every move was calculated with precision. Due to the severity of her actions, she faces a long prison sentence and will never again trouble Qingxi Village.
"I can finally breathe a sigh of relief," Lin Xiaoman said, leaning on Chen Wang's shoulder. As they gazed at the base in the sunset, their hearts finally relaxed. Beneath the old pear tree, Uncle Li was leading a team in clearing broken branches. Beside the strawberry patch, Aunt Wang was checking the growth of the runners. Grandma Zhang was brewing a large pot of ginger soup, serving a bowl to everyone. The steaming hot soup dispelled the chill and warmed everyone's hearts.
Chen Wang pulled out his phone. The base in his camera, though in disarray, shone with tenacious vitality—new green sprouts sprouted from the broken branches of the old pear tree, strawberry runners reattached to the soil, and Xiaochen's tomato seedlings, still adorned with water droplets, grew ever brighter. He edited an "Orchard Diary": "No matter how strong the storm, as long as we stand together, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. The land will not let down those who work hard, and neither will we."
As night deepened, the lights at the base came on. The villagers were still busy in the fields, some reinforcing bamboo trusses, others clearing ditches. Their figures, illuminated by the lights, were busy yet steady. Lin Xiaoman held Chen Wang's hand, Xiaochen walked in the middle, and Wangfu trailed behind, as the family slowly made their way home. The wind carried the freshness of rain and the fragrance of earth. The lights of the village in the distance twinkled, warmer than ever.
Chen Wang knew that this long-running crisis had finally seen a turning point. The recovery of the old varieties would take some time, but he was no longer anxious. Having weathered storms, he understood that true hope wasn't achieved overnight. Instead, it grew slowly, like roots in the soil or seedlings in the fields, relying on patience and care to slowly grow and take root, eventually blossoming into a thriving field.
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