"Oh." Shen Jialuo seemed to understand but not quite.
Lili pondered how she could find groundwater.
Shallow groundwater is more likely to exist in large quantities in valleys than in hills because groundwater obeys the law of gravity and flows downwards.
In arid regions, the presence of water-loving plants may also indicate the presence of shallow groundwater.
Although Southland County used to be the wettest region in the country, it has now joined the ranks of drought-stricken areas.
Nevertheless, the abundant rainfall in the past was enough to accumulate groundwater underground.
The drought will only last a few years, and digging underground channels is not difficult.
Forget it, the old folks in the village probably know more about this than she does. She should worry about what to eat for dinner instead.
"Li Bao!"
Just as Lili was slumped in Yang's arms, wanting to take a nap, Old Man Shen rushed in again.
Lili propped herself up: "What's wrong with Grandpa?"
Old Mrs. Shen asked, "Didn't you just go out? How come you're back so soon?"
Old Man Shen waved his hand: "I'll take Li Bao with me."
Why?
"Well, the chances of success are a bit higher." Without saying another word, Old Man Shen picked up Lili and left.
Lili: "…….."
After thinking about it, Old Lady Shen was right. With Lili around, it might be easier to persuade Village Chief Ma.
Lili was brought to Village Chief Ma's house. Village Chief Ma's parents had passed away early, leaving only him, his wife Tang, and a son about the same age as Shen Jiahao.
The person who opened the door was Tang, the wife of Village Chief Ma. When Tang saw that it was Old Man Shen and Second Brother Shen, she hurriedly asked, "Uncle Shen, why are you here at this hour? Is it something urgent that you need to see my husband?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
The group was led into the house, where Mrs. Tang poured them a cup of tea and gave Lili a piece of cake.
"Oh my, Lili has gained a lot of weight since I last saw her, and she's become even cuter."
When Lili's household registration was first processed, Tang, as the village chief's wife, naturally had to visit the Shen family.
At the time, she only thought that Lili was delicate-looking, but now that she's plumper, she looks even more charming and innocent.
Lili smiled at her, and Tang pinched her cheek, then called her son Xiaowei over: "Take your sister to the backyard to see the chicks."
When adults are talking, it's easy for children to find it boring.
Old Man Shen stopped him, saying, "Oh, no need. Li Bao can listen here too."
Tang was puzzled. Just then, Village Chief Ma came over. When he saw that it was the Shen family who had just passed by, he thought there was some follow-up issue with the Li family.
He hurriedly asked, "Uncle, is this about the Li family?"
Old Man Shen waved his hand: "No."
Shen Lao Er briefly explained the Shen family's plans, and then said, "Village Chief, didn't you say a few days ago that our rice was growing well? It was Li Li who suggested that we plant soybeans."
Sure enough, as soon as this was mentioned, the village chief looked at Lili with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Did Lili give it to you?"
Mrs. Tang was equally surprised; she had personally witnessed the growth of the rice in the Shen family's fields.
It's fat and strong, and even has fewer insects than other animals.
It was all thanks to one child?
She didn't believe it.
Village Chief Ma didn't believe it either.
"Brother Shen, don't tease me. How old is Lili? A little over two years old, right? My Xiaowei is still just catching ants with his bare bottom at that age!"
Although farmers' children are exposed to these agricultural practices from a young age, surely they don't understand them at such a young age?
Furthermore, this was the first time he had ever heard of using soybeans separately as fertilizer.
“None of that matters,” Lili, who had been quietly drinking water, said. “What matters is what happens next. What if it doesn’t rain? I heard that last year’s rice yield was only one-third of the previous years. It’s better this year because it rained, but if it doesn’t rain and there’s no human intervention, it won’t be much better than last year.”
Last year the river almost dried up, and there was no way to interfere with it. If there's no way to interfere with it this year either, the outcome will be the same.
If the river outside dries up, just dig an underground river.
How simple.
"We've made it through this year, but what about next year? So many places in Nanlin County that receive so much rainfall are experiencing drought. We're all dependent on the weather; what if we don't even have enough to eat for a day?"
Old Man Shen nodded: "That's right. The previous dark eye has long been dry, and we haven't thought about digging a new one all these years. But now that there's a severe drought, we have to do it no matter how time and effort it takes."
Village Chief Ma fell silent.
He did consider going into the mountains to find groundwater.
But digging a culvert isn't something you can just do on a whim.
Tang stood by without saying anything. These matters should be decided by the men; she only needed to support him.
After thinking for a long time, Village Chief Ma looked at Lili with a complicated expression: "Before, when your family's rice grew well, the villagers only thought it was because the rice seeds you bought were good. Now it seems that there was another reason behind it."
Lili didn't hide anything: "There is a nutrient in beans that can supplement the nutrients that rice lacks. It's already May, and the rice has started to head. We need to hurry if we want to improve the situation."
Village Chief Ma hesitated for a long time, secretly observing the expressions of Old Man Shen and Second Brother Shen beside him. Seeing that their expressions were normal and without any fluctuation, he knew that what the little girl said was probably true.
Whether it's true or not, you can tell by looking into the fields.
"become!"
Village Chief Ma said, "This matter is of great importance. I need to consult with some respected elders first."
"OK."
When Old Man Shen heard him say that, he guessed that the matter was probably a done deal.
Village Chief Ma's expression was somewhat solemn as he personally saw them out the door: "Uncle, don't worry, I will discuss this with everyone properly."
Old Man Shen nodded, picked up Lili, and left.
After turning two corners, Old Man Shen chuckled and patted Lili's head, praising her: "Our Lili is so good with words. With you here, there's nothing we can't do!"
Lili smiled shyly.
Actually, this thing is definitely going to work out.
It was originally a good thing that would benefit the whole village. Given the current severe drought, anyone who thinks about it carefully will know that this is something that had to be done sooner or later.
Village Chief Ma must know this too.
This morning when she went to the fields, she saw that almost every household was in the same situation—the water was too low.
Anyone who has ever farmed knows the problem.
It's just that they brought it up first.
Prefectural Governor's Office.
In the best of the guest rooms, Madam Bai sat demurely, sipping her meal in small bites, accompanied by her maid, Cuihong.
"Cuihong, go and buy some more hawthorns. I haven't had a good appetite these past few days."
Madam Bai frowned, forcing herself to swallow the steamed egg custard in her mouth despite the discomfort.
Ever since she finished the hawthorns that the little dumpling gave her a few days ago, she has gradually returned to the uncomfortable days when she had no appetite.
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