Chapter 216: with translation of chapter title

In these troubled times, no one knows when the dust will settle; how long can the current peace in the Northwest last?

The wealthy households in the city have quietly stockpiled grain.

Although the various prefectures and county offices have stepped in to maintain stability, grain prices have not risen significantly for the time being.

But sensible people all understand that, once the Northwest Army and the imperial court formally go to war, peace within the Northwest will still hold; however, if the Northwest Army suffers successive defeats, the flames of war will spread inward.

By then, even a Great Luo deity could not control the grain prices that keep rising layer upon layer in the Northwest.

Recently, the areas around Huachi Du Village have been harvesting wheat one after another.

I heard that a village two days ahead in the east, where wheat was harvested early, was attacked by bandits; the villagers' freshly cut wheat, not yet dried and threshed, had more than half of it stolen.

The wheat harvested locally in summer is the most important source of food for the farming households.

Especially for families with little land, no grain surplus, and many mouths to feed.

The main hope for the family's grain supply lies in this season; the harvested wheat is stored in the granary to last through the long winter and the lean period before next year's harvest.

Having more than half of it stolen by bandits means that someone may starve to death this winter.

The villagers wailed and lamented, but it was already too late to help.

After all, even if they reported it to the authorities, the office still has troops guarding the city, and sending detachments to pursue and suppress the bandits would still take time.

If the bandits eat, sell, or hide the grain in a remote mountain recess, recovering it becomes doubly difficult.

When this incident came to light, it instead raised vigilance in other villages.

Those who originally disapproved of Huachi Du Village's approach have now taken it up, implementing rotating patrols in the village.

Before dawn today, Gu Xixi set out on patrol.

She took a bite of the soft pancake with pickled vegetables and fried cured meat that Zhang Shen had given her, then turned her head and wore a helpless expression.

"I'm just on routine patrol, not leaving the village; why are you all following me?"

In Gu Xixi's line of sight, a row formed: Jing Lan, An Qinghe, Shitou, and Qinger.

Two adults and two children, each holding the same kind of rolled pancake, ate with relish while staring fixedly at Gu Xixi.

Jing Lan swallowed a bite and said, "It's not yet fully light; they're all worried about your safety and insist on coming along."

An Qinghe said solemnly, "Didn't the village chief say that a village has already had an incident? I need to patrol together with you."

Gu Xixi was speechless: "Didn't you say you'd be staying home these days to keep an eye on those tea bricks?"

An Qinghe earnestly replied, "I just went to check early this morning; anyway, I only need to accompany you until dawn and then head home, so it won't interfere with our tea-making business."

The day before yesterday, those tea leaves had already completed twelve processing steps; An Qinghe shaped them by hand, pressing them into tea bricks, tea cakes, and other forms, then they were bundled, sealed with awls, and pierced.

During that period, Gu Xixi personally nailed together a frame from the leftover wood of the home-made horse shed, placed it in the herb room at the rear courtyard, and waited for the tea leaves' final fermentation and drying.

This final process requires close monitoring of indoor temperature, air flow, and humidity.

Gu Xixi only has theoretical knowledge of this; she has summarized the conditions suitable for producing golden flowers, but the actual operation still needs to be carried out by An Qinghe.

For example, if the temperature is insufficient, one must tightly close doors and windows to raise it appropriately; if the humidity is too high, one must open doors and windows for ventilation and light a small stove to dry the air, and so on.

Although this work is not overly strenuous, it requires someone to be constantly attentive and mindful everywhere; whether the golden-flower dark tea can be made successfully hinges on this.

An Qinghe minds no trouble at all; in fact, he is happily busy every day, like an old father eagerly awaiting the birth of a child.

At this moment, seeing that Gu Xixi could not persuade An Qinghe, she turned to Jing Lan and said, "How safe am I in this village? They have no idea; don't you have any idea either?"

"Besides, you're a schoolteacher; dragging two kids around like this, how will you have the energy to teach when you get to the school?"

Jing Lan chewed her pancake to indicate it was none of her business, then blatantly lifted her chin at Shitou, prompting him to speak.

Shitou raised his head and said, "Sister Xixi forgot; the village school is on break for the wheat harvest, five days."

Qinger puffed her cheeks, chewing hard, while blinking her eyes at everyone.

In the stalemate, Shitou kindly reminded again, "Sister Xixi, if you don't go, the shift change will be late."

Thus, when Gu Xixi rushed to the eastern shift-change point of the village, she had a train of followers behind her.

The two people from the previous shift, looking at Gu Xixi's group, could not help but chuckle.

"Gu Xixi arrived early; it's already this lively first thing in the morning."

Gu Xixi replied embarrassedly, glanced around, saw that her partner Qin Dasao had not yet arrived, and said, "Since I have plenty of people here, you two go back and rest first."

These two had stayed up half the night and were just waiting for that remark.

"Alright, then we won't stand on ceremony; you've worked hard."

"Thank you, thank you; other people's families have already started reaping wheat, so I'll go back to catch some sleep, then I still need to go out to the fields and work together with my family."

After Qin Dasao arrived, the group began their patrol; this area has the most fields, and not far in they saw people who had risen early to work.

Gu Xixi glanced sideways at the entourage and said, "You see? With so many people out here, are you still worried about my safety?"

Wheat harvesting differs from other farm work; it's a race against time.

Seizing the optimal moment when the wheat ears are ripe, seizing clear, good weather.

Farmers most fear rain at this time; once it rains, not only are the fields filled with mud that makes footing difficult, but wheat ears soaked in rain are prone to sprouting and molding.

And everyone starts working before dawn, which is even cooler than daytime.

Nevertheless, An Qinghe insisted on tagging along, saying, "Since we're already up this early, we've eaten, there's nothing to do at home, and we can't sleep anyway, we might as well walk a bit farther with you—just take it as a stroll."

Jing Lan nodded and said, "Indeed, when a man truly wants to do something, he always finds a reason; when he doesn't want to do something, he also always finds a reason."

She gave Gu Xixi a meaningful glance and smiled, "Xixi, you'd agree, wouldn't you?"

Gu Xixi gave Jing Lan a dark, furtive glare.

Jing Lan leisurely turned her gaze away and said, "Occasionally taking an early morning walk makes one feel refreshed and clear-headed."

As for Shitou and Qinger, needless to say, they ran and jumped about, catching grass insects and plucking wild flowers—endless fun.

Gu Xixi's wheat field is also in this area; seeing Chen Dafu and the other hired workers vigorously reaping their respective contracted plots, Gu Xixi did not speak to disturb them, continued forward on patrol, and said, "Jing Lan, later tell Zhang Shen to boil a big pot of mung bean soup, add extra rock sugar, no need to chill it with well water; just let it cool and send it over."

Although it had been agreed beforehand that the contract system would provide no meals, with payment divided proportionally after the harvest,

but Gu Xixi has repeatedly shared weal and woe with these hired workers, and a bond has already formed; laboring under the scorching heat is doubly arduous, so it is still necessary to replenish strength and prevent heatstroke.

He Jinglan understood, responding aloud, "All right, when I go back I'll also help pick the beans; once it's done, I'll bring a piece of Shitou over."

As the eastern sky began to lighten, a rooster's crow came from afar.

Gu Xixi immediately put on a stern face and told her own people to hurry back.

Who would have thought that as soon as her words fell, a bronze bell rang once—not very clear, nor very strong.