In the twenty-second year of Dading, in the summer of June 19, three acres of rice, two acres of millet, and one acre of millet in Situ Yan's backyard had matured because of Situ Yan's proper care, and the five of them also spent five days draining the fish, cutting rice, and drying grain.

In the summer, not a single rain fell, the water source on the mountain was almost exhausted, and the five water cellars in Guantian had long been empty, and all the water discharged was now stored in the water cellars over there. As for the fish that came out, Situ Yan didn't keep any of them this time and sold them all. She took into account that this year's drought was worse than last year's, that the river had become a creek in early June and was about to dry up, and that the price of fish was higher than last year.

In order to sell the fish at a better price, Situ Yan also deliberately asked Li Dalang to drive the car to sell the fish, and in the restaurant in Xiangping County, Liaodong County, a fish of nearly 3 catties was sold for 80 Wen, and 155 fish were sold in total, 12 taels and 400 Wen.

Not only the price of fish is high, because of last year's deep ploughing of fertile land, this year's backyard grain yield is also higher than last year, three acres of rice is harvested nearly 9 stone rice, after drying and grinding, 720 kg of japonica rice, 180 kg of rice husk, 1080 kg of rice stalks.

Two acres of millet and one acre of millet harvested 5 stones, and 2 and a half stones of millet (sorghum). 400 kilograms of corn and 100 kilograms of bran; 200 kilograms of millet and 50 kilograms of chaff; Orange pole 780 pounds.

All the harvest in the backyard was put into the ring, but the explanation to Li Dalang claimed that she went to the county to find a grain store, and the people who took it away and exchanged it for money.

I didn't think much about this Li Dalang, they were reluctant to eat the japonica rice and corn, and they were very happy to be able to exchange the silver money for many items in the family.

In late June, the weather was sunny, and Li Dalang discussed with Situ Yan worriedly, "Xiao Wu, if it doesn't rain again this day, I'm afraid that the land in my family's official field will not be saved, the wheat in the field has begun to be filled, and three of the five water cellars are empty." I'm afraid that this year will be another year of famine, so should I save some food at home as soon as possible? "Li Dalang wants to go to the county seat to buy more black noodles.

"Okay, then we will go into the city early tomorrow morning, and by the way, we will send the third and fourth brothers to the county school." Although Situ Yan has stored a lot of food in her ring, but because of the drought this day, Situ Yan still has an inexplicable uneasiness, and she also wants to save more food, and because she has sorted it out properly, there are still a lot of places in the space ring, and she can store more food, so she can be more down-to-earth.

The two chatted a few more words, and then went their separate ways. I also went to inform the village Zhengjia that I won't go into the city with the little sheep tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Li Dalang drove his younger siblings into the city. Many victims can already be seen outside the county. In the dozen or so villages around Xinchang County, there are at least four or five villages that have no rivers like Lijia Village, and they also rely on the sky for food.

After entering the city, San Lang and Shiro went to the county school, and Situ Yan, Da Lang and Erlang went to the grain store. "Big brother, how much do you think you want to buy this black noodles?"

"I think it's enough to buy two stones, and I still have what I saved at home."

"Little Five, there are more buds in the valley." Erlang still remembered that the little sister didn't like to eat black noodles, so he thought about saving more food for the little sister.

"Then let's buy two stones of black noodles and one stone of bud noodles." Of course, this is all on the surface, but Situ Yan plans to buy 10 stone of black noodles, 5 stone of bud grain noodles, and 5 stones of bud grain slag.

Li Dalang also set up a stall for a year, and sold fish a few times and dealt with these businessmen, so as soon as he entered the grain shop, he bargained with the shopkeeper, but although this year's grain is not as high as in winter, a pound of black noodles costs 10 Wen, and a pound of bud grain noodles is 20 Wen, which is a price of white wheat noodles in previous years.

Situ Yan paid 4 taels of silver, and the grain store found a donkey cart and began to load it to help transport it to the outside of the city. Situ Yan's mule cart did not enter the city, and the people of this county did not need money to enter the city, but if they entered the city for "carriages" (horse-drawn carriages), they had to pay 10 to 20 yuan. And this is still the price of empty cars entering the city, and if the goods are transported, they have to be "taxed".

Li Dalang and Erlang helped the guys load the car, Situ Yan said hello and went to another grain store, according to the previous plan, bought grain, because they bought a lot, so the black noodles were cheaper by 2 wen per catty, and the bud grain noodles were 18 wen, and the bud grain slag was 15 wen. The purchased grain was transported to the back door of the grain store as before, and Situ Yan put the grain into the ring when there was no one. rushed back to the previous grain shop to meet Li Dalang.

As soon as the person entered the grain store, he saw the shopkeeper bowing down and talking to a middle-aged man, "Boss, why did you come back after less than half a day?" Is it that Xiangping can't buy goods over there? ”

"Lao Quan, go and close the door of the store, put all the grain on the cabinet into the warehouse, and it will not be sold for this time."

"Boss, but what's going on?" Those who can be the shopkeeper are all human spirits, and they know how to do things urgently just by listening and watching. Situ Yan was also shocked when she stood aside and listened, her heart tightened, could it be that what she was worried about still happened, so she heard the owner say to the shopkeeper called Lao Quan in a suppressed voice, "I haven't arrived in Xiangping yet, I heard people talk about the insect plague in western Liaoxi, do you remember the insect plague five years ago, you can't even find a green leaf in the field, how many people have starved to death, this grain will be sold at that time, at least ten or twenty times." ”

The shopkeeper had also experienced the insect plague, so he naturally knew the stakes, so he hurriedly invited all the customers out and closed the store.

Because the grain bought by Li Dalang had already been loaded into the car, the shopkeeper did not forcibly take it back, and helped transport it to the outside of the city. Situ Yan was only worried at this time, and after talking to Li Dalang, she went to the county school to pick up San Lang and Shiro.

The county school was still teaching at this time, Situ Yan begged the king steward to invite Jiang Fuzi, and told the master that he had heard about the insect plague, and then directly picked up San Lang and Shiro to rush to the city gate and drove home with Da Lang.

When she got home, Situ Yan didn't even go home and went to the village house, "Aunt Fu, I'm Xiaowu, open the door quickly, is Uncle Wangfu at home?" Situ Yan was anxious and shouted while knocking on the door.

"It's Xiao Wu, why are you sweating all over your head, don't be in a hurry to say, your Uncle Wangfu and your aunt are not at home at this time, if you have anything, tell the fifth grandfather, grandpa will call the shots for you?" The courtyard gate that the old village was coming to open led people into the house, looking at Situ Yan's anxious sweat, knowing that something big must have happened to this girl.

Situ Yan knew that this old village was the pillar of the family, and she didn't delay telling everything about the city. "Fifth grandfather, I have heard of this insect plague before, it swept away the sky, and I couldn't even see the sky, not only was it scary, but there was nothing left in the ground."

"Girl, do you hear me? This is a big deal, if there is really an insect plague, I am afraid that this day will not be able to go on? Lao Cunzheng's heart trembled when he heard it at this time, his hands trembled a little, he was still a little afraid of the insect plague five years ago, if this was true, he couldn't live a day on this day.

"Fifth grandfather, now all the shops in the county are closed, although I don't know if this is true or not, but let the aunts and sisters-in-law get the letter, and it is good to make some preparations. Of course, it would be best if there was no such thing, and it would be time for the autumn harvest in just over a month. ”

"It's not like that, this year everyone in the village has followed your family to learn to dig pits and store water, fortunately, these days have come over, if there is really a plague of insects, hey, I'm afraid there will be no one left in this village." Okay, girl, go back first, I'll go to your Uncle Village. ”

Situ Yan didn't want to stay longer, and the family still had to make some preparations, although the grain in the backyard had been harvested, and the new seedlings had not yet been planted, but there were still ten days to harvest on the Guantian side, although the family did not point to the Guantian to eat, but it had been so hard for so long, if the crops were all gone, Situ Yan would also feel distressed.

When I got home, I called Li Dalang into the hall, "I'm in a hurry to call the third and fourth brothers back today, I heard a letter in the city, Liaoxi County has been plagued by insects, as for whether it will come to us, it's hard to say, if it will, I'm afraid it's a matter of the next two days." ”

"Little Five, what did you say?" Li Dalang still remembers five years ago, when he was so frightened that he hugged his younger brothers and cried.

"Big brother, don't be afraid, this insect plague doesn't eat people, but the crops in the field can't be saved."

"Little Wu, how can this be? This year, there was a drought, and this year it was pested, and it was over, it was all over. Li Dalang cried anxiously, and Erlang also had some impressions, and cried with his eldest brother. Saburo and Shiro couldn't remember clearly when they were young, but seeing their brothers crying urgently, they felt uncomfortable.

"Big brother, second brother, don't cry yet, I still have some methods, but I don't know if it works?"

"Xiao Wu, you really have a way, that insect plague is very evil, all over the sky, not to mention catching, you can't even get out of the house?"

"This insect is called a locust, and I have heard it said before, 'There will be locusts after a long drought,' which is what I mean." Situ Yan's words made Li Dalang forget his sadness and think back to the past, "It's true, Xiao Wu, I remember the insect plague five years ago, and it happened to be a big drought year before. ”

"Yes, that's not wrong. Don't be sad at this time, brothers, there is still a lot to do. ”

"We work together as a family, and I can't guarantee whether we can keep the food in the field, but if we don't do anything, we won't even have any hope."

"Okay, Xiao Wu, you say, what do you want us to do?" Li Erlang also collected his tears, wiped his face with his sleeve, and the four of them looked at Situ Yan together, with an unprecedentedly heavy expression on their faces.

Situ Yan no longer wasted time, and said his plan, "The brothers loaded the firewood in the firewood house onto the mule cart and transported it to the edge of the field, and piled up a pile on the edge of each acre of field, and if it was not enough, they went into the mountains to cut down trees, and the piled firewood was also poured with oil, and I prepared some herbs to burn with firewood when they arrived. The eldest brother then uses all the water from the cellar to water the ground, this insect likes dry places, and the ground can also start to work if it is more or less wet. It's just this method, I just heard what people said, but I don't know if it's good or not? ”

"It doesn't matter if it's useful or not, Xiao Wu, didn't you say that if you try it, there will be hope, and if you don't try, you won't even have hope." Saburo felt that this idea might come true, and he was not so nervous in his heart.

"Xiao San is right, let's do it." Li Dalang also calmed down and took the lead in running into the firewood room.

Situ Yan entered the east room, forked the door and began to look for grass medicine in the ring, found all the herbs that repellent insects, and found some realgar, barely wrapped 110 copies, wrapped them in paper and handed them to Li Dalang 100 copies. He also found all the tattered gauze in the ring, and sewed up some yarn covers, so that he could cover all the livestock shacks in the backyard. Although the locusts do not eat livestock, the insects in the sky will frighten the pigs not to eat, and the chickens not to lay eggs.

Situ Yan's family was busy, and the village was taking Li Aniu to the door.