Chapter 74: Praying to the Mountain God for Rain?

Because high temperature, drought and other weather conditions cause the ground temperature to be relatively high, it is easy to ignite spontaneous combustion of flammable materials in the forest or on the ground, thus causing forest fires.

Once a mountain fire ignites, the entire mountaintop will likely not be spared, including the creatures in these mountains, and Ye Qin will also be affected.

Although he is fully capable of escaping the mountain fire and moving elsewhere to cultivate, he has already become accustomed to staying here.

Moreover, when he opens his eyes, what he sees is this mountain; he has long regarded this place as home, and because of the white bones in the cave, he stumbled into cultivation by a twist of fate.

He can run, but he cannot take the white bones with him.

Ye Qin's Origin Contemplation Object originates from the white bones; if the white bones are burned in a fire, it is very likely to also affect him to some extent.

Perhaps I am overthinking things; the situation hasn't yet reached the worst point.

Ye Qin comforted himself: although the temperature is high now, it is not that extreme; although it hasn't rained yet, it might rain in a few days.

The situation on the mountain is the same, let alone the villagers living at the mountain's base.

As noon approached, there were few people in the fields—not because they had gone to eat, but because the temperature was too high for them to endure.

Wu Yuan was drying medicinal herbs; with this temperature, what used to take several days to dry now only needs one day.

Bang!

The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open; a villager came running in a panic, shouting, 'Uncle Wu, it's terrible—my father collapsed while working in the fields; please hurry over and take a look.'

Wu Yuan glanced at the sun—it was high noon—and already knew the answer; rushing over, he found it to be exactly so.

The man lying on the bed had a flushed face; when he felt his forehead, the temperature was somewhat high, and beads of sweat appeared all over his body.

Your father has heatstroke; later go to my place to get some honeysuckle, forsythia, and coptis, decoct them into medicine, and give it to him to drink.

Li Shenzi quickly thanked him, saying, 'Thank you, Uncle Wu, for going out in this scorching sun.'

Wu Yuan wiped the sweat from his forehead; the man's home was not far, yet after walking such a short distance, his clothes were soaked through with sweat, making him look as if he had been fished out of water.

Li Shenzi also brought over a watermelon from the side, greeting Wu Yuan, 'Have a slice of watermelon to cool off the heat.'

She had originally wanted to chill it in the well water, but the temperature was too high—the well water was hot as well—so she simply gave up.

Wu Yuan took it; without exception, the freshly picked watermelon was also hot.

The village head said a few days ago, 'Don't go out to the fields at midday; it's too easy to get heatstroke.'

Li Shenzi's expression was embarrassed; she felt a bit ashamed.

He insisted his body was strong enough to endure, but fortunately Zhuzi saw him when bringing food; otherwise, who knows what would have happened.

He endured it all the way to the bed.

Wu Yuan turned serious: 'Fortunately we noticed it in time; it's not especially serious, but this is no laughing matter.'

Li Shenzi nodded repeatedly, her face full of lingering fear; looking out the window at the high temperature and visible heat waves, they continually ravaged the farmland crops.

The water in the rice paddies is almost gone; if this continues, drying out is only a matter of time.

Li Shenzi worriedly said, 'If it doesn't rain again, what will we do with these rice grains?'

Wu Yuan also let out a heavy sigh, 'Maybe it will rain after waiting a few more days.'

Let's hope so.

Outside, the sunshine was brilliant and the sky cloudless, yet such fine weather had become a shadow looming over every villager's head.

After several days passed, they did not wait for rain; instead they waited for the heat.

Recently, with the hot and sweltering weather, please all villagers pay attention, take measures, prevent heatstroke; when working in the fields, try to avoid the times of highest ground temperature; keep cooling tea at home; also, in hot weather, beware of fires—everyone please remember.

The village's loudspeaker broadcasts similar content every day.

It reminds villagers to be careful of heatstroke.

Before, at midday one could still see many people working in the fields, but now there is not a single one.

The temperature is truly too high; even these peasants who face the loess and back to the sky can barely endure it, so everyone either works in the morning or the afternoon to avoid the heat.

Even so, as soon as they go out to the fields, they are drenched in sweat.

They can change their work schedule, but the crops cannot be changed.

As days without rain continue, the field crops gradually wither and turn yellow; the rice paddies now hardly have any water, and if this goes on, they may end up with no harvest at all.

The villagers have no choice but to bring water over; even so, distant water cannot relieve immediate thirst, and it consumes too much manpower—it is utterly futile.

Every evening after dinner, many people come out for a stroll, gathering under the village's big tree to chat about everyday matters; nowadays, however, their talk is all about drought, heat, and crops.

Everyone wears a worried frown, with an unshakable gloom between their brows.

'Village head, think of a solution—if this continues, people won't be able to bear it, let alone the crops; the rice grains will be baked to death.'

'That's right—our paddy fields are already dry; such a large field, even pumping water in won't help, and several of the village's large ponds have been scorched down to just a shallow bottom.'

'Don't mention the ponds—my family raises fish; the fish cannot withstand the heat, countless have died, and the loss is severe.'

'Our crop situation is no better; if this continues, what will we do at autumn harvest?'

A crowd gathered around the village head to voice their grievances.

The village head puffed on his dry tobacco, the wrinkles between his brows so deep they could pinch a mosquito to death.

'Sigh, I know all that you're saying, but I can't do anything about it.'

'Didn't the TV say artificial rainmaking is possible? Village head, think of a way and apply to the authorities.'

The village chief let out a heavy sigh, 'You're thinking too simply, as if only our village suffers from heat and drought.'

This heatwave and drought swept across the entire Wu Du; other cities also suffered, and besides, artificial rainmaking has conditions, high cost, and is not something you can just make happen.

Even if there were money, it's impossible to have a rainmaking operation everywhere; let alone their remote, tiny village far from town.

Upon understanding the village chief's implied meaning, everyone was momentarily dumbfounded.

'So what should we do now? We can't just watch our crops wither away—everyone relies on the land for food; if next year's harvest is poor, we'll suffer huge losses.'

Although nowadays even the poorest won't go without food, farmland yields a year's labor that can be turned into money; if it all suffers loss, the deficit would be huge.

The village head glanced at the outside sunset; even at dusk, he could still feel the relentless heat.

'What can we do? For now we can only pray to Heaven to hurry and send rain, giving us a way to survive.'

「The reservoir is completely dried up, even the water in the diversion canals is gone—what are we to do? 」

Speaking of praying, suddenly someone had a flash of inspiration, as if they had thought of something.

「We can pray to the Mountain God, sir—it can even revive Mother Grass, bring the dead back to life, its magic is boundless; surely summoning wind and rain is no problem. 」

「Exactly, that's actually not a bad idea. 」

This proposal quickly gained everyone's approval.

(End of chapter)