Chapter 313 - 313: Heavy Rain

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Zhou Jia nodded. “That’s right. We can’t raise children into hedonistic sons. When the autumn harvest comes, we’ll bring them to the fields to help and let them know the hardship of farming.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Li Yu couldn’t help but smile when she thought of Yangyang carrying a small backpack and picking up rice ears in the field with a straw hat.

Yangyang still did not know that his parents were preparing to put a tight circlet on him because of the Wang family.

The group of children found it was almost dark on the mountain before returning home. Little Yezi and Yanzi went to the backyard to find Li Yu. Yanzi bowed shyly to Li Yu and said, “Madam, we found two more yellow peach trees and a pear tree. The pears on the pear tree are only half the size of a fist.”

Li Yu looked at the two sweating children and smiled. “Look at how sweaty you are. Hurry up and go back to take a bath to cool down so that you can eat.”

“Aye!” The two children agreed and turned around to run two steps. They returned and bowed to Li Yu before running.

Mr. Wen returned with a bamboo basket of medicinal herbs and said to the two of them, “It’s going to rain. The top of the mountain is already covered by dark clouds. A few people in the farmstead and the village are also starting to fall ill from rheumatic pain.”

“Is that so? I’ll take a look too.” Li Yu stood in the courtyard and looked at the back mountain. Seeing that the top of the back mountain was indeed covered in dark clouds, she said to Gu Yu, “Go and find Ruyi to get some raincoats and send them to the outer courtyard. If it rains, they have to dig up the water in the field and make the ditch wider.”

After Gu Yu agreed, she went to look for Ruyi. Soon, the wind blew, and the hot weather became cool.

Old Madam Yun came over and reported, “Madam, dinner is ready.”

“Okay, go set it up and we’ll come.”

“Yes, Madam.” After Old Madam Yun and Old Madam Liu set up the food, they saw Li Yu and the others at the table. They knew that Li Yu and the others didn’t like to be served, so they left.

Li Yu saw that there was vegetable stir-fried cabbage on the table, cold peas, lotus root pork rib soup, green pepper shredded pork, and stir-fried egg pancakes.

Mr. Wen smiled and said to Li Yu, “Our lives are too good. The people in the village eat rough. Are the commoners having a hard time?”

Zhou Jia nodded and said, “Those who can eat their fill with coarse rice are all passable families. The people have always suffered the most.”

Li Yu thought to herself, “The rice seeds I cultivated have already been sold in

Yunzhou City. Why don’t the people outside the city have food to eat?”

“Sir, do you think the rice seeds planted by those people in the village are the same as those on the farm?”

Mr. Wen shook his head. “Ah Wei said their rice seeds are different from ours.”

Li Yu sighed when she heard that. “I don’t Imow if they don’t trust the new rice seeds or if the rice seeds haven’t been sold to them at all. I’ll go to the village with you tomorrow.”

Mr. Wen smiled. “It would be good for you to take a look.”

Zhou Jia looked at Yangyang, who was eating at the table that was filled with food. He thought of how other children were already three years old and still asked the nanny to feed them. He felt that his son was already very sensible.

Seeing Zhou Jia looking at him, Yangyang obediently scooped a spoonful of rice from the bowl and fed it to his mouth. “Daddy Yangyang’s rice is delicious.”

“Thank you, Yang’er.” Zhou Jia could only open his mouth and eat. Mr. Wen smiled and said, “The rice in Yang’er’s bowl is very fragrant, right?”

Yangyang put down the spoon and waved his small fist. “Yes! Mother said that

Yangyang needs to eat more. When I grow up, I’ll beat up bad people.”

After dinner, Li Yu and Zhou Jia held Yangyang’s hand and walked in circles in the courtyard to digest their food. After walking for a while, a strong wind suddenly blew. A strong light streaked across the sky, and muffled thunder rumbled from the horizon. With a crack, a bolt of lightning seemed to have exploded above their heads. Yangyang was so frightened that he cried. Zhou Jia hurriedly picked Yangyang up. Li Yu gently patted Yangyang’s back and comforted him. She whispered to Zhou Jia, “Such a strong wind. Fortunately, the corn hasn’t grown tall. Otherwise, the wind would have broken a lot of them.”

“That’s right!” Zhou Jia looked at the dark clouds above his head and was a little worried. Mr. Wen looked at the sky. “I’m afraid this rain will be terrible. It won’t stop for a while.”

Before he could finish speaking, bean-sized raindrops pattered on the tiles. Yangyang reached out to catch the rain. Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, “Sir, how long will this rain last?”

Mr. Wen shook his head. “As the saying goes, when there’s rain, the sky is bright. When there’s no rain, it tops the light. Look at the sky above us. It’s filled with dark clouds. I’m afraid it won’t stop tonight.”

Li Yu recalled that she had heard this from her grandmother in her previous life. She didn’t expect there to be such a saying in this alternate world.

The rain was getting heavier. Ah Wei, Old Zou, and Dashui, as well as a dozen others, put on the raincoat Ruyi had sent over and rushed to the field with hoes. The rain seemed to be pouring water from the sky, and the water in the field quickly filled up.

Under the rain and wind, they couldn’t even hold their straw hats steady. When they lowered their heads, water flowed down their necks. Everyone couldn’t care less. They silently waved their hoes and dug open the drainage hole left on the field.

One by one, the ditches were dug open. The group of people worked until it was dark before they were all done.

Ah Wei watched as the stream on the mountain flowed straight down. The water in the ditch rose at a visible rate. Fortunately, the fields on both sides of the ditch had been heightened and widened. Otherwise, it wouldn’t take long for them to flood the fields.

Everyone ran back to the courtyard barefoot and washed the mud off their feet with the rain in the wooden bucket. Old Madam Yun and Aunt Xue each carried a jar of brown sugar ginger tea to the courtyard.

Old Madam Yun smiled at them and said, ‘Madam instructed me to boil brown sugar ginger tea for you. Everyone, drink some to get rid of the cold.”

Old Zou smiled politely and said, “Thank you for sending it over.”

Old Madam Yun took a bowl and poured the tea. She smiled brightly and said, “You’ve worked hard. We should do some work. The hot water in the bathroom is ready. Take a hot shower after drinking the ginger tea.”

Yang Wei wiped the rain off his face and finished the ginger tea in one gulp. He said to Dashui, “Uncle Shui, the rain is too heavy. The stream is almost over the field. If it keeps raining so heavily, I’m afraid it will pour into the field.”

Dashui wiped his mouth and said, “I’m afraid the rain won’t stop for a while, but we’ve cleared the ditch. You don’t have to worry. It won’t flood the fields.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“That’s right! Young steward, we’ve long cleared the ditch. We’re not afraid of another two days of rain.”

“Pfft, pfft, pfft.” Auntie Xue spat twice. “Ah Cai, you jinxed it. Didn’t you think that the Ning River would surge if it rains for two days? We’re fine, but everyone along the river will suffer.”

Ah Cai blushed and slapped himself twice. “You deserve it. Who asked you to spout nonsense?”

Ah Wei smiled and said, “Alright, go back and rest. When the rain stops, we still have to see the corn seedlings. We don’t want them to get blown down by the wind.”

Dashui patted Ah Wei. “That’s right. Although we’re young, we’re much better at the work in the field.”

Ah Wei smiled proudly. “Of course. I was brought up by Madam. I can’t embarrass our Madam..”