Sister Han is good at farming

"Sir, these are just experiences passed down by word of mouth. Where is the evidence?"

Ruan Qingqing was speechless. Even if she had the idea, she couldn't say it!

Zhou Zheng looked very embarrassed. "You can't produce strong evidence. I can't mobilize everyone to raise ducks just because of your few words, right? The construction of water conservancy projects, forced quick harvesting and planting, and river mud have already caused constant complaints from the people below, and this is when there is a natural disaster clearly in front of us.

Let’s not talk about whether the locust plague will occur. Even if it does, it is not feasible for me to force everyone to raise ducks! After all, the fields are still dry! Not to mention that the range of ducks is limited, the most important thing is what do ducks eat? At this time, the people’s own food rations are just enough! I know your idea is good, but it is impractical to implement it now. "

Ruan Qingqing wanted to say that they could raise a landlubber, but when she saw Zhou Zheng’s tired face, she swallowed the words.

There is no such thing as a perfect plan. As the county magistrate, he must be under great pressure to implement it, and face even more resistance.

However, when faced with emergencies such as natural disasters, how can there be any absolute certainty?

The only question is whether you seize the best opportunity to solve the problem!

The proposal to raise ducks to kill locusts in the entire county did not get the approval of the county magistrate. Ruan Qingqing was a little disappointed, but she could understand it.

But the crops in the fields can’t wait. Once the locusts gather into a disaster, even the ducks won’t eat them.

Because gregarious locusts release a large amount of the volatile compound benzyl cyanide, and when they are attacked, they immediately convert benzyl cyanide into the highly toxic compound hydrocyanic acid. Their natural enemies do not like to eat such locusts.

Ruan Qingqing returned to the village with a heavy heart.

"Daya, did the adults not agree to let everyone raise ducks?"

When Ruan Wantie saw that Ruan Qingqing looked worried, he knew what was going on.

"Don't worry, Daya. If the county magistrate doesn't want to mobilize people to raise ducks, we can mobilize people to raise them ourselves. I don't believe that we can really watch the crops being destroyed by locusts!"

"Okay, Dad!"

Ruan Qingqing was very touched to see her father defending her like this.

"Oh, Dad, I'm going to ask where I can buy some landlubber ducklings or eggs. If I want to raise landlubbers, I'd better raise landlubbers. There's less and less water in the future, so I'm afraid ordinary water ducks won't work."

"You don't have to look for it. I've taken care of it for you. The two hundred duck eggs I brought were all laid by landlubbers."

"Ga Po!"

This surprise came just in time, and Ruan Qingqing was overjoyed.

Ma glanced at her calmly and said, "It is true that ducks eat locusts, but ducks do not eat locusts that fly around in groups. Otherwise, in the locust plague forty years ago, not only people would have starved to death, but also my family's two hundred ducks."

"Gaga, you also know that ducks don't eat locusts?"

"Well, actually, a locust plague doesn't necessarily have to be severe when there are a large number of locusts. A few locusts on an acre of land only need to bite each plant, which is enough to make everyone lose all their crops that year. So it's right for you to take precautions in advance."

"Thank you Gapo!"

"It's dry now, and there's not much grass and water. Most people can't afford to raise too many ducks. One or two should be fine. When you encourage everyone to raise ducks, you can talk about this. In addition, ducks not only eat fish, shrimp, vegetables, rice and corn, but also snails and clams in the river, earthworms and frogs on the ground. They eat all of these, and they grow meatier."

Looking at her granddaughter with sparkling eyes, Ma couldn't help but say a few more words.

Ruan Qingqing nodded heavily, "Ga Po, I remember it!"

After finishing the work in the fields, Ruan Qingqing went to places with water to look for snails and clams to save as food for the ducks to be brought out.

When digging mud in the river before, many snails would always emerge in the mud pond in the early morning. Ruan Qingqing picked them up and took them home, picked out the snail meat, dried it, and mixed it with bran to feed the ducks.

The ducks love to eat and lay eggs more frequently.

By mid-April, most of the ducklings in Ma's kang had hatched. In addition to the 200 eggs she brought with her and the 100 eggs from Ruan Qingqing's home, 260 ducklings had hatched, and the other 40 eggs turned out to be bad eggs, and the ducklings were unable to get out.

The children were all captivated by the fluffy ducklings, especially Nguyen Sai An, who, in addition to feeding them, would visit them next door six times a day.

The youngest twins, Ruan Shikang and Ruan Susu, could also walk shakily. Without noticing, they would go to the next door to look at the ducks. Not only did they look, they would also catch them with their hands. Ruan Qingqing and the others were terrified. These ducks were going to kill the locusts, and they couldn't let them die in the hands of two ignorant children.

In the end, Ruan Qingqing ordered Ruan Shian not to take his younger brothers and sisters to see the ducks unless necessary.

When the duck's down was fluffy, Ruan Qingqing's uncle Wang Chunshu came to take Ma home. To thank Ma for her help, Ruan Wantie gave her a stone of late rice as a thank you.

But half a month later, my uncle Wang Chunshu came again and said that there was no food at home.

Wang was coaxed by him and gave him another two stone of rice.

When Ruan Qingqing heard the news, she felt that something bad was going to happen.

"His father, Daya, I know I shouldn't give him these two stones of rice, but he is my brother after all, and I can't just watch his family and my mother starve to death!"

Wang said while wiping her tears.

"Mom, if my uncle's family is really so poor that they can't even afford to eat, it wouldn't be a big deal to send some food. But when this woman went back, we sent her a stone of rice, and it was all eaten up in less than half a month? Are they eating white rice every day? If they really have no food, will they eat white rice every day?"

Ruan Qingqing said in a calm tone.

Ruan Shiping was unhappy, "We don't even have enough white rice for every meal even with the food we grow ourselves!"

Ruan Wantie was silent for a long time. "Mother, this is the last time we will give you food. It is a disaster year and we don't know how long the drought will last. We don't know what the future will be like. We may not even have enough food. You are so brazen to give out three stone of rice in half a month. What will others think? Are you afraid that others don't know that we have food?"

Wang lowered her head in hesitation, "I understand."

In the countryside, people do things out of habit. Unless there are guests at home or the family conditions have really improved, no one would be willing to eat white rice every day.

As the saying goes, when something is out of the ordinary, there must be something wrong! Ruan Qingqing was worried and wanted to find out.

This is exactly what Ruan Shiping thought.

After taking care of the affairs in the fields, the brother and sister went straight to Wanghewan.

At first, Ruan Qingqing thought that her uncle Wang Chunshu ate a lot at home because he felt that her family had food and no worries.

After asking around, she realized that she had been too narrow-minded and had underestimated her uncle's shamelessness.

They didn't eat the grain themselves at all, but sold it directly to grain dealers in the county.

"My sister has been married for more than ten years, and she has never brought anything back home. In recent years, she has not even entered the house. I asked her for some food because I respect her! If it were another family, I'm afraid they would have cut off all ties long ago."