Chapter 20: Stemming the Torrent to Put Out the Fire

Using water to extinguish the fire is too difficult; the crops already burning can only be abandoned, and we should try to minimize other losses as much as possible.

Gu Xixi has gone into the mountains many times and is very familiar with the surrounding environment.

The back hillside facing the village is a windward slope, and the sandy soil at its foot is relatively moist.

Using these sands to bury, cut off oxygen, moist and cool, will surely be effective in stopping the fire from spreading further.

At first, people still refused to believe Gu Xixi's words.

Gu Daye said in a trembling voice, "Don't listen to her; what does she know? Water and fire are opposites, and earth also overcomes water! To put out a fire without water, using sand—isn't that just nonsense?"

Gu Lao San chimed in beside him, "These are all experienced elders; how could we put out a fire based on a little girl's words?"

He and Liu Shi also came to help put out the fire.

However, they didn't seem that urgent, occasionally splashing a few basins of water, and their movements were still slow.

It's easy to guess that they planted wheat this year; even if the field is completely scorched, only the wheat stalks have been burned.

Moreover, the owner of several mu of that land is Gu Xixi, who has already returned it after planting this year, so it has nothing to do with them at all.

Gu Daye grew increasingly agitated, "My own vegetables, I will protect them myself—quickly pour water on them, don't just stand there!"

He said that, then snatched a wooden bucket from a grandchild's hand and rushed straight into the fire.

Gu Xixi looked at him coldly and said, "You're already old and still looking for death."

"If you don't want to see him collapse in there, hold him down and tell him to stop causing trouble."

The descendants of Gu Daye's family are generally filial, and this time they actually listened to Gu Xixi's words.

Several people chased after him, grabbed Gu Daye back, and, with many hands and feet, brought him away from the fire scene.

Gu Daye's face was blackened with smoke, his white-and-gray beard had sparks catching fire, and he was still kicking and struggling.

"Let me go!"

"Rather than watch my vegetables burn to ashes, I'd rather die together in there."

Gu Xixi rolled her eyes, "Really, pointless."

She had the workers dump all the sand from the cart onto the ground, left one worker there to demonstrate sand firefighting, and she herself, together with three others, pushed the cart back to continue hauling sand.

She had said what she needed to say; she just did her best, saving what could be saved.

As for whether the villagers will follow suit, good advice can't persuade a ghost bent on death—let them do as they please!

Watching Gu Xixi leave without looking back, the villagers stared at each other.

Someone wavered first, "My family has an ox cart; anyway, watering has already been going on for less than half an hour and is useless, so we might as well listen to her and give it a try."

"My family has a mule, I'm going too."

"At this rate, my two mu of land will soon catch fire too—I might as well try a desperate remedy."

In twos and threes, people gradually followed Gu Xixi's steps.

Most people still refused to believe, persistently carrying water back and forth in anxious haste.

Yet the fire grew stronger and stronger, and Gu Daye's cabbage had already been burnt in many places.

Gu Daye was stopped by his children and grandchildren, watched this scene helplessly, and fainted from fury.

The whole family rushed to give him water and press his philtrum, resulting in another frantic scramble.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Hey, you all look over there—isn't the fire over there not as fierce as it was spreading forward?"

Everyone craned their necks to look.

Where the flames had weakened, Gu Xixi's hired worker Xiao Liu was standing nearby.

He dumped a basin of sand, and the originally roaring flames, like they hadn't eaten enough, became flickering and feeble.

Basin after basin, the flames struggled and sank, gradually disappearing beneath the buried sand.

"It works!"

"It really works!"

The exhausted people finally saw hope, and their shouts quickly merged into one: "Our village is saved!!"

"Go, go, go, everyone hurry to transport the sand!"

"Whoever has livestock, don't hold back—bring them out quickly!"

Gu Xixi and the others dug another cartload of sand, and on their way back they encountered a large force coming forward in great numbers.

Even Gu Daye and Gu Erye, as upstanding citizens, took action.

Seeing Gu Xixi, they felt embarrassed and darted their eyes away.

However, they overthought it; Gu Xixi was busy and had no time to look at others.

And the fact also proved that this method is effective.

After less than half an hour, both the visible and hidden flames were extinguished, and more than half of the village's fields were preserved.

While everyone relaxed, some began to reckon the fire's source, and many felt they should thank Gu Xixi, this "great meritorious contributor".

But when they looked left and right for her, Gu Xixi had already gone home.

"Zhang Shen, Zhang Shen, it's me; I can open the door now."

After a moment, the gate creaked open a crack.

Zhang Shen glanced warily, confirmed it was Xixi, and hastily opened the door to pull her inside.

"I clearly heard your voice, but I didn't dare open the door, fearing thieves might come again."

"Again?" Gu Xixi blinked in surprise.

Her gaze swept past Zhang Shen and fell on the eaves of the main house, and for a moment she thought she was seeing things.

Several people sat with their heads drooping, leaning against the wall on the ground.

Old Doctor Langzhong squatted before them, fumbling to tie a knot in a hemp rope.

After a moment of silence, Gu Xixi exclaimed in disbelief, "Did thieves really break into our home? And so many of them?"

Zhang Shen nodded, her eyes red-rimmed.

"Just this short while, three batches of people came one after another; they climbed over the wall to get in, and it's all thanks to Old Doctor being here—otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."

Lao Langzhong turned his head, "Don't pretend to be a weak woman."

"If I don't come out, your firewood axe would really dare to chop—I just feel sorry for my medicine..."

The bandits were all beardless youths, carrying half-worn farm tools.

They seem to be idle loiterers from nearby villages.

Having heard that Flower Pool Ford Village was on fire, they wanted to loot during the blaze; naturally their first choice was the rumored wealthiest Gu family in Flower Pool Ford.

Thanks to Lao Langzhong scattering two handfuls of pain-relieving powder, these people all fell into a deep sleep.

All that's needed is to tie them up and wait to hand them over to the Government Office.

In the midsummer heat, the three of them worked so hard they felt their mouths were about to smoke.

Zhang Shen hurriedly served three big bowls full of mung bean soup.

The cool, sweet soup slid down their throats, and the three of them couldn't help letting out a satisfied sigh.

Lao Langzhong said, "If we don't go back home after eating and drinking so well, my spleen and stomach will be spoiled."

Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen were both startled.

Lao Langzhong chuckled, "Don't worry, girl; that lad will surely wake up by the latest half a day."

"It's just that I'm incapable; his old ailment still needs to be left alone for a while."

Zhang Shen felt a bit disappointed, murmuring, "The congenital weakness really can't be cured, can it?"

"Our Xixi has such a hard life—how did we end up buying such a man?"

"Everyone thinks he's strong-bodied, but they don't realize that when he's not ill he's just like a healthy person."

Gu Xixi and Lao Langzhong, the only ones who knew the truth, could only silently sip their mung bean soup.

In the evening, after eating, Lao Langzhong returned to his own home.

Xixi saw him out of the village, and along the way she heard him nagging nonstop.

"Don't let that lad court death; the poison in his body is a death talisman that could bring him before Yama at any moment."

"Wait until he wakes up, then you'll properly persuade him to treat me."