The sun was blazing overhead.
It's scorching this land.
Before the autumn harvest, most of the crops in Jiangnan had withered and died.
In no time, talk of drought swept through all the towns and cities, and not only the villagers were panicked, but the people living in the city were also uneasy.
Once a drought strikes, food prices will surely soar.
I'm afraid a lot of people will die then.
Thus, a war for grain began.
The price of grain in all grain shops changes daily.
It wasn't until the price of unpolished rice rose to one tael of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure) that the people realized the drought had truly arrived.
However, by this time, it was already the end of the year.
The weather is turning from hot to cold.
Heavy snow has fallen, and the snow is even deeper than last year.
It's not just Jiashu County.
Many people died throughout Jiangnan.
The people were living in misery.
Wang Jingshui had already given birth, and Yan Xia had gained another grandson.
"Sister Xia, although the county magistrate has ordered a strict ban on grain price increases, those merchants have actually closed their shops and moved away from Jiashu County with their families. Now there isn't a single grain shop open in the entire Jiashu County. I heard that many people have died outside the city, and there are also people fleeing famine from other places. It seems that if it doesn't rain next year, the people won't be able to survive."
Jin Yu arrived at Yan Xia's house.
Although the servants cleaned it every day.
But his trouser legs were still soaked with snow water.
"Jiashu County is in a good location, with several large lakes and rivers that have not yet dried up. This heavy snow should raise the water level considerably. Even if it doesn't rain next year, with frequent watering, we should be able to grow some drought-resistant crops. But forget about rice, it's impossible."
Even with frequent watering, this year's crops will be useless.
because.
The sun is too bright.
Yan Xia suspected that the temperature this summer would be at least 40 degrees Celsius.
How could the crops possibly survive?
Not to mention crops, large areas of wild vegetables and trees on the mountain have withered and died.
The situation in Baihua Village was slightly better. After noticing the abnormal weather, she reminded Bai Lizheng.
Therefore, many villagers in Baihua Village stockpiled food in advance.
Only a few families who didn't get along with Yan Xia sold their grain while prices were high. As a result, before the end of the year, the elderly in the family starved to death because they were saving grain for their grandchildren.
This year, Lunar New Year's Eve falls in early February.
This year's New Year celebrations felt completely devoid of any festive atmosphere.
Many households did not put up red couplets or hang red lanterns; instead, they used white paper and white lanterns with funeral decorations.
It's so cold this year.
That snow fell for a full month and a half.
This is Jiangnan!
Many elderly people couldn't stand the cold and didn't make it through.
The sounds of mourning could be heard from time to time in Shuangqiao Town.
Yan Xia also lost the idea of ​​returning to the village for the Spring Festival.
Restaurants, hot pot shops, and pastry shops all closed down after selling out their stock.
None of the food shops on the street were open; the price of grain had gone up.
What's the point of selling a hammer?
Everyone is looking forward to the arrival of spring. If the spring rain comes and the temperature rises, then the people will have a chance to survive.
But they'll only be disappointed.
The following July, not a drop of rain fell.
Many shallow rivers have dried up completely, while the lakes are still half full. Mountain springs can be found deep in the mountains, and those who have dug wells at home have no shortage of water. However, not being thirsty does not mean not being starving.
The crops simply cannot survive.
The same goes for roses.
The shop has been closed for a long time.
The Yan family stayed at home and hardly went out, as the world outside was in chaos.
I heard that the bandits have all come down from the mountain.
Almost half of the trees on the low hill in Baihua Village have withered and died.
The plants at the foot of the mountain are not much better off.
In some villages, large insects even came down from the mountains in search of food.
Mid-July.
Yan Xia led Tuanzi, who could already walk, to the front door of her house.
She frowned as she looked at the bluestone slabs that were smoking from the sun.
"The sun is so scorching. What are we going to do? If it doesn't cool down or rain soon, autumn will come, and even more people will freeze to death this winter," she muttered to herself.
"Grandma, hug me! Little dumpling wants a hug!"
Tuanzi is already two years old.
She speaks early.
Unlike other children with developmental delays who speak unclearly.
Tuanzi speaks very clearly and is exceptionally intelligent. She loves being with Yanxia the most, so since the beginning of this year, Tuanzi has been sleeping with Yanxia.
Yan Xia's attention was drawn to Tuanzi, so she picked Tuanzi up and had the gatekeeper close the gate.
"Shall we go see our little brother? He should be awake by now," Yan Xia said, pinching the little boy's chubby cheeks.
"Look at my little brother, look at my little brother!" Tuanzi really likes her little brother Baozi.
At the beginning of the month, Baozi had just celebrated his first birthday.
Just like his nickname.
Baozi loves to eat, and she even grabbed a spatula and wouldn't let go.
It made everyone in the family laugh.
Everyone said he would definitely become a chef in the future.
But it's alright, anyway, we're not short of money at home.
If the child wants to be a parent, then let them be.
With the shop closed, Chang Yu and her sister spent their days playing at home, while Zuo Li visited more and more frequently. The two developed feelings for each other, and Yan Xia did not object.
They got married this June.
Yan Xia bought a house for her daughters to live in, and also gave them a dowry of five thousand taels of silver and a number of pieces of jewelry.
Of course, it was secretly included in the dowry.
There's chaos outside; if the Yan residence is this luxurious, it will attract unnecessary trouble.
As for the school, classes were not suspended, and Yan Xia provided supplies, so all the students and female teachers in the school were well-fed and watered.
Soon, winter arrived as scheduled.
Not a single drop of rain fell.
In mid-January, in the study of the county government office, Zuo Li reported the people's situation to Magistrate Lu. "Your Excellency, a large number of refugees have gathered outside the city, about 50,000 in total, most of whom have fled from various places."
Jiashu County has a good geographical location.
There are many large rivers and lakes around the area, so even if there is a long drought, the people will not lack water. Unlike the surrounding counties, which rely on mountains for their livelihood, the few small rivers they have all dried up.
The river connecting the three counties to the south was so murky that it was undrinkable. Coupled with food shortages and poor digestion, several people died from diarrhea after drinking it.
"What? Fifty thousand people? What are we going to do?"
Lu Cunshan paced back and forth.
His face was scrunched up in worry.
His county government office only had fifty people at most.
If these 50,000 refugees were to rebel, the lives of the people of Shuangqiao Town would be in danger.
Lu Cunshan had just returned from Jiangnan County not long ago.
Unlike him, whose cheeks were sunken and body was thin, Xu Wenyan, the magistrate of Jiangnan, and Ye Shaoyun, the governor of Jiangnan, were fat and chubby.
Compared to Jiashu County, the situation outside is much worse; I heard that drought has started in the north as well.
Many refugees, unaware of the truth, headed south.
If they really manage to make it to Jiangnan, they'll probably collapse on the spot.
"I'm afraid half of these 50,000 people were forced into this situation by the Meng family!" Lu Cunshan cursed.
The Meng family was the richest family in Jiangnan.
At the very beginning of the drought, it was he who orchestrated the surge in grain prices. He bought up all the grain in various counties, hoarding millions of kilograms. He was also the first person to increase grain prices tenfold. Since he raised prices, other grain shops naturally followed suit.
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