Sunlight filtered through thin clouds, bathing every corner of the village and bringing warmth and hope to the land. On the southern slope of the village, newly introduced sorghum and soybean seedlings swayed gently in the breeze, like a group of vibrant children dancing joyfully. However, behind this seemingly beautiful scene lay a series of problems that worried Lin Yue and the villagers.
Lin Yue was wearing a faded work uniform, stained with a little mud—the marks of her hard work in the fields. Her brow furrowed slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes, as she squatted beside the sorghum field, carefully examining the roots of the sorghum seedlings. Her slender fingers gently brushed away the surrounding soil, her movements delicate, as if afraid of disturbing these fragile lives.
"Chen Yu, look, the roots of these sorghum seedlings are turning yellow and they're growing very thin and weak. It's probably a problem with the soil," Lin Yue stood up, patted the dirt off her hands, and called out to Chen Yu, who was inspecting soybean seedlings not far away. Her voice was urgent, and her eyes were full of worry.
Hearing Lin Yue's call, Chen Yu quickly came over. Tall and with a steady gait, his skin was dark and rough from years of hard labor. He squatted down, carefully examining the roots of the sorghum seedlings, his brow furrowing. "The soil looks rather compacted, with poor aeration, which may be affecting root growth," Chen Yu said gravely, knowing full well the seriousness of soil problems for crop growth.
Captain Li, who was standing nearby, also came over. He squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and then shook his head. "This land is already quite barren. It was already a bit difficult to grow the old crops before. Now that we're planting these new crops, we'll have to really think about how to improve the soil." Captain Li's face was full of wrinkles, each wrinkle revealing the vicissitudes of time and rich farming experience. A hint of helplessness was revealed in his eyes, after all, improving the soil was no easy task.
Lin Yue bit her lip, a determined glint in her eyes: "We can't just give up like this, we have to find a solution. I've heard of some methods for improving the soil, such as adding organic fertilizer, deep plowing, and crop rotation." She looked at Chen Yu and Captain Li, hoping to get their support.
Chen Yu nodded: "Yes, we can try adding organic fertilizer first. I'll organize the villagers to collect some farmyard manure and green manure to see if we can improve the soil's fertility and structure." Hope rekindled in his eyes. He stood up, dusted himself off, and prepared to take action.
During the fertilizer collection process, the villagers responded enthusiastically. Some villagers transported their accumulated farmyard manure to the hillside in carts. An old man, while pushing the cart with difficulty, shouted, "This fertilizer is all good stuff. I hope it will help these new seedlings grow strong." His face was covered in sweat, but his eyes revealed a simple and honest enthusiasm. He was willing to give his all for the growth of the new crops.
The young villagers were harvesting green manure on the hillsides near the village. Tender green grass fell under their sickles, piling up into small mounds. A young man smiled and said to his companion, "This green manure, combined with farmyard manure, will surely feed the new crops well and help them grow strong." His smile was full of energy, and his eyes sparkled with anticipation for the harvest.
Lin Yue wasn't idle either; she directed everyone on how to apply fertilizer properly. "Everyone, spread the farmyard manure evenly on the ground, and then cover it with green manure. This way, it can decompose slowly and provide nutrients to the soil," her voice echoed through the fields, clear and loud. As she spoke, she demonstrated herself, her movements skilled and earnest.
However, new problems arose one after another. In the days following the fertilization, the previously sunny weather suddenly turned into continuous rain. The rainwater constantly washed away the slope, not only taking away some of the fertilizer but also causing slight soil erosion.
Lin Yue stood in the rain, gazing anxiously at the newly planted field eroded by the rain. Rain streamed down her face, indistinguishable from tears. "What can I do? All the fertilizer I applied has been washed away, and if the soil continues to erode like this, the new crops will be even more severely affected." Her voice trembled, her eyes filled with helplessness.
Chen Yu ran over and held an umbrella over Lin Yue. His eyes also showed worry, but he still comforted her, "Yue'er, don't worry too much. Let's figure out how to solve the soil erosion problem first. After the rain stops, we'll see how to add fertilizer." He pulled Lin Yue under a makeshift awning nearby so she could take shelter from the rain.
Inside the shelter, everyone began discussing solutions. One villager suggested, "We can dig some drainage ditches around the slope so that rainwater can flow away in an orderly manner, reducing soil erosion."
Another villager added, "You can also plant some slope-protecting grass in the field to help stabilize the soil."
Lin Yue listened to everyone's suggestions and nodded: "Okay, we'll move out when the rain subsides a bit. Everyone be careful, the roads are slippery in the rain." Her eyes rekindled with fighting spirit; although there were many difficulties ahead, she knew she couldn't give up.
The rain finally subsided, and the villagers gathered on the slope with their tools. Following their plan, they dug drainage ditches around the slope, allowing the murky rainwater to flow away and stop eroding the land. Then, they sowed seeds of slope-protecting grass on the slope, hoping these small plants would quickly take root and sprout, protecting this fragile land.
After solving the soil erosion problem, replenishing fertilizer became another challenge. Because some of the previous fertilizer had been washed away, the soil's fertility remained insufficient. Lin Yue and Chen Yu decided to search for fertilizer sources again.
Lin Yue remembered reading about making compost from discarded crop straw in a book, and she immediately discussed it with Chen Yu. "We can collect the straw from the village and make compost. This way, we can solve the fertilizer problem and also make use of waste." Lin Yue's eyes shone with excitement, as if she had seen a new hope.
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