CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 180: AS EXPECTED, NO RAIN FELL

After lunch, Jiang Hu went to the village chief’s house. The last time he visited was two years ago, for the matter of using the manure from his family’s privy.

However, this time Jiang Hu didn’t bring Xiaomi. It was enough for him to go alone.

The village chief had just finished his meal and was sitting under the eaves, smoking a dry tobacco. It was a cheap tobacco leaf, cut into pieces, clumped together, and smoked in the pipe.

Seeing Jiang Hu coming, he was a bit stunned, then said in surprise: "Xiao Jiang? Why are you here? Come, sit down, have you eaten?"

"I’ve eaten, village chief, I came to see you for a matter." Jiang Hu got straight to the point and sat down next to the village chief.

The village chief called out to his wife inside the house to bring some hot water.

"What’s up, what’s the matter?"

Jiang Hu recounted the issue of the water level dropping: "I hope I’m just being overly worried, but if it turns out to be true, the consequences could be severe."

The village chief furrowed his brows tightly: "Why would you think of a drought, didn’t it rain recently?"

Jiang Hu gave a bitter smile: "I hope it’s just me worrying too much, but better safe than sorry."

The village chief took a puff of dry tobacco, his brows still furrowed, after a long pause, he exhaled a cloud of white smoke.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll go to the river this afternoon and take a look."

Because of just a casual remark from Jiang Hu, he didn’t dare to assume anything, and it’s even more important not to spread such news carelessly.

If not handled properly, it could easily lead to public panic, and if someone with ulterior motives stirs things up, the consequences could be disastrous.

Jiang Hu understood this reasoning too, so he dared not speak carelessly, only coming to the village chief for a discussion.

"Village chief, I think, regardless of whether it’s true or not, it’s always good to prepare early. Go take a look at the river this afternoon, and also pay more attention to the matters with the winter sorghum, it’s better to be proactive than reactive."

In recent years, Fu’an Village has maintained a good relationship with the surrounding villages. If Fu’an Village takes the lead in planting sorghum, it would likely encourage the other villages to follow.

Sorghum is relatively drought-resistant, if our concerns are true, this season’s sorghum may still yield a bit, but if it’s the next season...

The village chief also thought of this: "Alright, leave this matter to me, and don’t spread this around either?"

Jiang Hu returned quickly, and as he neared home, he saw Uncle Liu and a few children also coming from the riverbank.

"What’s going on, Uncle Liu, you went to the riverbank, huh?"

Uncle Liu, Liu Ze, Xiaomi, and Xiaoxue were there, Tiedan was nowhere to be seen, probably with his mother.

Uncle Liu, leaning on a cane, was walking steadily: "Yes, you said the water level was dropping significantly, so I went to check it out."

"There really isn’t much water left in the river, it’s quite unusual."

Uncle Liu sighed lightly, according to reason, it had rained heavily half a month ago, there shouldn’t be this little water in the river.

Jiang Hu’s eyebrows twitched: "Uncle Liu, you think so too?"

Previously, he was the only one who thought the river water seemed too low, now that Uncle Liu agreed, things seemed increasingly amiss.

Uncle Liu nodded: "Jiang Hu, I’ll write a letter later, and you can send it to the Liu House for me tomorrow, give it to the steward."

Uncle Liu traveled light, coming directly to the Jiang family, while everyone else was still at the Liu House in the town.

Upon returning home, Auntie was still leading Tiedan, feeding the chickens over at the old house.

Recently, she had hatched two broods of chicks, the palm-sized chicks were afraid of the cold in winter and needed careful attention.

The few bamboo rats they caught earlier, Auntie fed them fresh grass roots and bamboo daily, secretly watered by Xiaomi with Spiritual Spring water, and they quietly settled down at the Jiang’s.

The bamboo rats’ dwelling hadn’t changed, right under the eaves of the old house, a small nest encircled with stones, with plenty of hay thrown inside, keeping it nice and warm.

Xiaomi’s little turtle was also hibernating, burrowed into the soil, completely still, which left Xiaomi without the chance to swap the turtles from her space with the outside ones as she had wanted.

Driving the ducks and geese to the canal was still the task for Xiaomi and Tiedan, sometimes when they reached the canal, Xiaomi would let Tiedan go back alone and then head to the riverbank by herself.

As long as it doesn’t rain, Xiaomi wouldn’t feel assured.

With the river’s water level continuously dropping, Xiaomi used the opportunity when no one was paying attention to secretly store a lot of water in her space.

In her space, she cleared an area, similar to raising chickens and ducks, demarcating an area mentally, and continuously stored water there.

And guess what, what started as just a thought turned out to be achievable!

Now Xiaomi’s space has a cylindrical section, filled with river water, defying gravity!

It’s as if defying Newton, not respecting gravity one bit!

But, this space is Xiaomi’s territory, and she decides how it’s used, she can do whatever she wants!

Jiang Hu found Zhang Hu and told him his concerns, asking him to inform Master Xie, that if conditions allowed, they could try planting a season of sorghum first.

As for whether Zhang Hu would inform Master Xie, Jiang Hu couldn’t guarantee that.

After returning from town, Jiang Hu began looking for people to dig a lotus pond. Regardless of other matters, this lotus pond could be dug first.

An acre-lotus pond, hiring four people, was dug out in a few days, saving time and effort without much cost.

After a few days of sun-drying and adding cow manure, by next spring, they could plant lotus once water was available, provided Jiang Hu’s worst fears don’t come true.

Unfortunately, until the end of November, not a drop of rain fell, what was initially a guess now truly started to become a concern.

Jiang Hu and the village chief were not the only ones worried, other experienced elderly farmers began advising their younger generations to prepare early as well.

The water level in the river dropped lower, and the usual baskets of fish weren’t seen anymore; who knows where they went.

Everyone started storing water and used up the last bit of water to irrigate the sorghum and wheat.

The Jiang family was no exception, Jiang Hu and Qixi carried water, Auntie irrigated, watering all the crops once, then hoping the heavens would send rain.

Unfortunately, the heavens seemed not to listen.

Worrying was futile, Jiang Hu began to think about the lotus roots and seeds on the mountain.

"We’ll go up the mountain to dig lotus roots this afternoon. Who wants to come?" At the dining table, Jiang Hu actually had a rare smile on his face.

Jiang Yu still had school, which would go on until the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, the day before Little New Year.

Xiaomi was the first to raise her hand: "Daddy, I want to go!"

Tiedan quickly followed: "I want to go too!"

Xiaoxue also said: "Me too, how about you, Brother Ze?"

Liu Ze nodded: "I’ll go too, I haven’t seen how lotus roots are dug up."

Uncle Liu was sipping fish soup: "I won’t go, old folks like me aren’t so good at mountain climbing, you all go ahead, I’ll watch the house."

Jiang Hu laughed: "Uncle Liu, you’re being modest, you’re still strong and capable."

Uncle Liu appreciated this: "Indeed, I think staying at your place this month, my body feels much better."

No wonder Ze’er didn’t want to return home after staying two months with you.