Sister Han is good at farming

After returning home, Ruan Qingqing directly asked Ruan Shiping to squat in a horse stance.

"Think carefully about what went wrong today!"

"Big sister, I'm right! You said that learning martial arts is to protect the weak, to make those who bully us afraid!"

Although Ruan Shiping squatted obediently, his face was full of defiance.

Ruan Qingqing, who was about to enter the house, turned around and looked at him expressionlessly when she heard this.

"To protect the weak means to rush out and show off your strength without caring about your own strength?"

Ruan Shiping tilted his head and whispered, "Isn't it that I've practiced better than those powerless people?"

"If you have no confidence in subduing the opponent, rushing into him recklessly will only anger him further. Not only will it not protect the weak, but it may also bring greater disaster to them and yourself! And the strong are never reckless men who only know how to swing their fists!"

Ruan Qingqing emphasized the last sentence, glanced at Ruan Shiping with a serious look, and then turned and left.

"When you figure it out, you can get up!"

Wang came out of the kitchen and saw Ruan Qingqing's unfriendly face, and her heart was beating fast. She glanced at Ruan Wantie behind her.

Ruan Wantie just gave her a silent shaking of his head.

During dinner in the evening, Mr. Ruan, Ruan Wanjin, and Ruan Wangang and his son came over.

"Dad, have the eldest and third brothers eaten? Why don't you eat something here?" Wang called out.

Old Master Ruan frowned, exhaled a puff of cigarette, and said to Wang: "We have already eaten. You eat your own food. I just came to remind you that it may be dry today, so you should prepare in advance. Although there is a small stream in Wudaoling, once the drought comes, I am afraid that this stream will not be of any use. You should find a way to ensure that your newly reclaimed land finds water as soon as possible."

Ruan Wantie's heart sank instantly, "Dad, is this news accurate?"

Old Master Ruan nodded and said, "It's true. I have recently carefully confirmed this with several elderly uncles in the village."

"Is there any unusual sign?" Ruan Wantie's hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly.

"The temperature has been ridiculously high recently, and it hasn't rained for half a month. The water level in the river has also dropped significantly compared to previous years." Old Master Ruan said solemnly, "The last time this happened was forty years ago when I was young."

Ruan Qingqing found it a little unbelievable.

She didn't know much else, but the wharf where their family sold cold noodles was quite large, and the river below the wharf was even more vast and magnificent. With such a big river behind them, how could they still worry about drought?

"Master, don't we have a big river? We can just bring some water here when the time comes."

Ruan Qingqing thought so and asked.

"You are still young and don't understand. The water in the river is the water in the river, and the water used in our farmlands is the water used in our farmlands." Old Master Ruan said as he exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Can't we just draw water from the river to irrigate the crops?"

Ruan Wanjin shook his head. "That's impossible! Although the dam near our Qianlong River has been built forty or fifty years ago, there is absolutely no precedent of digging the dam to release water due to drought!"

“There’s no need to dig a dam, just use a water truck and it will work!”

"What is a waterwheel?" Everyone looked confused.

Ruan Qingqing wanted to explain further, but suddenly stopped. There was no curved plow or waterwheel here, so it was not a rare thing.

Facing everyone's puzzled looks, Ruan Qingqing smiled unnaturally, "I'll think about whether I can ask Carpenter Yan to make a tool that can draw water from rivers to irrigate fields."

"If we can really come up with a solution, it will be a great thing that will benefit the country and the people. The climate in Qingshui County is suitable, with abundant rainfall and very few droughts. It's hard to say about other places."

Mr. Ruan said worriedly.

After everyone chatted for a while, Mr. Ruan and others went back.

The next day, after selling cold noodles and vermicelli, Ruan Qingqing went to the dock to check. Although the water level had dropped, it was not much.

On the way home, she stopped to investigate every stream, river, and field she encountered.

The fields were fine, but cracks had begun to form in some places. The stream had dried up, and the water level in the river had indeed dropped a lot compared to before.

Looking at the cloudless sky and the scorching sun, Ruan Qingqing's heart sank.

"Sister, is there really going to be a severe drought soon?" Ruan Shiping, who was running behind Ruan Qingqing, couldn't help but ask.

Ruan Qingqing nodded carefully, "This time it's not only drought, but it may also be large in scale. We really need to prepare early."

At dinner, Ruan Qingqing ate much slower than usual.

"Daya, are you worried about the drought your grandfather talked about yesterday?" The careful Wang immediately noticed her abnormality.

"Well, Dad and Mom, I think this drought may be quite severe. If we want to maintain the grain production, we must find a way to utilize the water in the Qianlong River. Otherwise, everyone will definitely have a poor harvest."

"We have had good weather for 20 to 30 years, so every household doesn't have much food stored. If there is a severe drought this year, it will be an unimaginable disaster!"

Ruan Wantie said in a deep voice.

"Mom and Dad, we need to adjust our family's arrangements. Starting tomorrow, you and my eldest brother will continue to work on the farm. I would like to ask my eldest aunt and sister Ping to help sell food. How do you think about paying them wages every day?"

"Daya, why do we need to hire someone when our family can do it?" Wang couldn't understand.

"Mom, of course we have more important things to do. What is the most important thing in the face of natural disasters? It must be food, right? You also said that the weather was good for 20 to 30 years before. I am worried that this drought may not be simple. So recently I will find a way to buy some land and plant late rice and wheat. While the disaster is not serious in the first year, I will harvest some food first."

Wang's eyelids jumped, "Is it really that serious?"

"It's not clear yet, but we'd better prepare for the worst."

Everyone felt a little heavy after hearing this.

In a year of disaster, every farmer fears from the bottom of his heart.

Although Ruan Van Tie and Wang had lived a peaceful life for 20 to 30 years, they had not experienced the drought 40 years ago, but they had heard about it from their elders. They found it hard to endure the hardships, let alone experience it themselves.

"Okay, let's listen to Daya. Let's arrange it this way for now!" Ruan Wantie made the final decision.

Early the next morning, Ruan Qingqing went to the old house with Ruan Wantie.

Everyone had just gotten up, and after telling them that Liu and Ruan Ping would help Ruan Qingqing's family, Ruan Qingqing went to Carpenter Yan's house without stopping, seeing that it was still early.

Yan's family is no longer the same as it was before. A large workshop has been built behind their house, and people are already walking around in it this early.

This time, it was still the serious Yan Zechen who opened the door for Ruan Qingqing.

"Brother Yan, is Uncle Yan home? I have something important to discuss with him."

Yan Zechen nodded lightly and opened the door a little.

"Come in! I'll go and call."

Ruan Qingqing had just sat down on the stone bench in the yard when Yan Qufeng and Yan Zechen strode over.

"Little girl from the Ruan family, what urgent matter do you have with me?"

"Uncle Yan, I would like to ask you to build a waterwheel. The faster the better." Ruan Qingqing stood up and went straight to the point.

"Waterwheel? The faster the better?" Yan Qufeng frowned fiercely.

"I can draw a detailed diagram of the waterwheel. It is a tool for irrigation. It can bring water from low places to high places for irrigation, or it can bring water from rivers to fields for irrigation. Now our Zaoziling has begun to show signs of drought. I want to get this waterwheel as soon as possible to irrigate my fields."

Yan Qufeng's eyes gleamed, "Is that waterwheel you mentioned really that powerful?"

"Yeah." Ruan Qingqing was very confident about this. After all, it was something that the Chinese ancestors had used for thousands of years.

"Okay, draw it first and let me see it."

Yan Zechen next to him handed over the charcoal pencil and paper at the right time.

"Thank you, Brother Yan."

Ruan Qingqing thanked him with a smile.

"nothing!"

Ruan Qingqing picked up the charcoal pencil and paper and started drawing immediately.

The charcoal pencil was steady in her hand, and the lines she drew were smooth and flowing. She didn't need any tools to draw straight lines. She drew circles in one go with her bare hands.