boyutpedia Chapter 221: Drought Relief
Chapter 221: Drought Relief
Ru Yue first cast her gaze towards Huo Qingwan, who was drowsy and listless, and then towards Chu Ningan and the other man, who were discussing the relevant matters seriously and gravely. She couldn't help but have some unusual thoughts in her mind.
After some careful consideration, Ru Yue finally saw an opportunity and quickly interrupted, "Uncle Huo, you two have been discussing disaster relief after a major disaster has occurred, but now the disaster has only just begun to manifest. Shouldn't we find ways to prevent the drought from coming, or at least mitigate the damage it causes?"
Her words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in everyone's ears. In an instant, they were completely awakened and no longer felt sleepy at all.
"Ruyue, this man-made disaster can still be reversed with our own strength. But this natural disaster... How can I, your uncle, fight against the heavens? Do you really want Uncle Huo to find a group of monks and Taoists to perform a ritual to pray for rain?"
Magistrate Huo naturally understood that Ru Yue was kind-hearted, but he also knew very well that he did not have the ability to compete with God!
Chu Ning'an, who was standing by, immediately realized that Ru Yue was a very opinionated person. He quickly asked, "Ru Yue, have you come up with a good solution to the current drought?"
"Ruyue, can you really bring rain?" Huo Tingwan's eyes, which had originally held a hint of sleep, instantly widened to the size of bells upon hearing these words. There was no trace of sleepiness left in them. Her eyes were filled with surprise and confusion, as if the person standing before her wasn't the familiar Ruyue, but an immortal who could summon wind and rain.
The sudden words from the father and daughter made Ru Yue a little at a loss for a moment, and she was simply at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
She opened her mouth and wanted to explain something, but swallowed the words back because she really didn't know how to respond to such an outrageous question.
At this moment, Chu Ning'an asked, "Praying for rain is probably unrealistic. I don't know if those monks and Taoists can really pray for rain, but I don't think you can."
His tone was calm and gentle. Although his words might sound a bit funny, they came out of his mouth with extraordinary seriousness. It was this seriousness that eased the originally heavy atmosphere a little.
"Sister Ruyue, stop keeping us in suspense! Just tell me what good ideas you have!" Huo Tingwan, who was standing aside, had long been fed up with her father's slow and long-winded way of speaking. Now that she saw that Ruyue seemed to have a new idea, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
Although Magistrate Huo and Chu Ning'an did not urge Ru Yue verbally, the eager light in their eyes had clearly conveyed their inner desire to Ru Yue - they were also eager to know what solution Ru Yue had come up with, and hoped that she would stop being mysterious.
"I don't have any good ideas, but I have a small idea that may help slow down the drought." She opened her red lips slightly, picked up the teacup gracefully, took a sip of the fragrant tea, and then spoke slowly and eloquently.
"Ru Yue, tell me about it." When Magistrate Huo, who had been frowning all the time, heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up and he became interested.
The contact over the past six months was not in vain. He knew very well that the seemingly weak girl in front of him was actually a person with great ambitions. Her intelligence and talent were far beyond the reach of ordinary girls who only knew how to play the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting.
"Uncle Huo, think about it, the busy farming season has just passed, and it's time for the crops to be harvested. We might as well hire some people to dredge the channels of the major rivers in Jiaqing Prefecture, clean up the silt and debris, and allow the river water to flow more smoothly. Furthermore, we can send people to explore the source of the larger rivers in Jiaqing Prefecture, and then organize people to dig deep into the source. In this way, perhaps the speed of the water drying up can be slowed down to a certain extent." Having said this, Ru Yue paused for a moment, giving everyone present some time to carefully consider and think it over.
"Well, very good, this method is indeed feasible and should be able to delay the drying up of the river." The more Magistrate Huo listened, the more he thought it made sense. He nodded in agreement repeatedly, and the smile on his face became brighter.
He stroked his gray beard, squinted his eyes, and waited for Ru Yue to continue speaking with anticipation.
"Right now, we must organize farmers to irrigate their fields in a unified and reasonable manner!
Think about it, now is the critical period for crops to bloom and bear fruit. If there is not enough water, it will seriously affect the crop harvest!
We can't just irrigate the fields as we did in previous years when the rain was plentiful. However, there are always more solutions than problems. While we can't use the old methods, we can try pouring water directly onto the roots of the crops, drop by drop. This way, we'll not only greatly save water, but also ensure that every seedling receives adequate moisture and irrigation! As long as we manage it properly, we don't have to end up with a total crop failure this year!
Ru Yue spoke slowly and word by word. She knew in her heart that she had to make her words clear so that everyone could truly understand how these seemingly simple and insignificant operations actually brought huge benefits and help to this drought year.
"We must not only focus on water use in farmland, but also further strengthen the guarantee of water supply for the people. You know, if we can't even ensure everyone's daily water supply, then by then we may really have to flee the famine with our families!" Ru Yue stated this key point with a serious face. At the same time, she keenly caught the sense of urgency revealed on Magistrate Huo's face.
Without further hesitation, she continued, "We should immediately begin searching for experienced well diggers in each town. On the one hand, we can have them dig deeper and clean the wells in each village. This will minimize the rate at which they dry up. On the other hand, we can have them carefully explore suitable locations for wells and begin storing water. This will at least provide some relief if the drought worsens."
For a moment, the entire hall was silent, so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard clearly.
After a long while, Huo Tingwan finally lost control of her temper and asked timidly, "Can this really solve the drought completely?"
However, before Ru Yue could reply, she heard Magistrate Huo slap his thigh hard and excitedly exclaim, "Brilliant! These seemingly insignificant little tricks can really effectively alleviate the impact of the drought!"
I saw Magistrate Huo suddenly stand up from his seat, rubbing his hands together, looking a little uneasy.
Then he began to pace quickly around the hall, his feet moving with the wind. His face was filled with irrepressible excitement, as if he had won the jackpot, and no one present dared to disturb him.
All I could hear was him muttering non-stop: "Ruyue, you are truly a great benefactor to the people of Jiaqing Prefecture! If we can successfully survive this terrible drought thanks to your actions, then your contribution will be immeasurable!"
However, in the face of such high praise from Magistrate Huo, Ru Yue only smiled slightly and responded humbly, "Uncle Huo, you're too kind! I was actually just thinking about saving others and saving myself at the same time. After all, if I don't do this, none of us will survive! And even if my method doesn't work, don't we still have the disaster relief measures carefully planned by you and Brother Chu? The real rescue of us from this dire situation still depends on you!"