Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

When Tian Guilan and Hongmei heard everyone's discussion, their faces turned red and white, but they couldn't get angry, so they could only stand aside with their heads down.

Tian Guilan glanced at Xiuying and asked sarcastically, "Xiuying, how much did you donate? Don't just let everyone donate while you yourself are so stingy!"

Everyone's eyes instantly focused on Xiuying.

Li Shenghui raised his head and announced loudly to everyone: "Xiuying donated ten taels of silver!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was silence at the scene, followed by a burst of exclamations.

"Ten taels of silver! Xiuying is so generous!"

"Xiuying is truly doing this for the good of the village."

Tian Guilan's face turned red instantly, and she felt embarrassed.

Hongmei also lowered her head, not daring to look everyone in the eye.

Xiuying looked calm and said calmly, "I just hope I can do my part for the village so that we can get through this difficult time together."

The fundraising activity continues under the old locust tree.

After the fundraising was over, the village chief selected a team of ten men from the village to go into the city to buy lime. When they were about to set off, Tian Guilan hurried over with Guangzong.

She said to the village chief with a flattering look on her face: "Village chief, let Guangzong go too. He is young and strong and can contribute more to the village." She said that she wanted Guangzong to contribute to the village, but in fact she wanted Guangzong to go with her so that she could get more benefits.

The village chief looked at Guangzong and hesitated.

Seeing this, Tian Guilan hurriedly said, "Village Chief, please agree. Guangzong is a smart kid and will definitely be able to help."

Guangzong stood aside with his head down, but he understood what his mother was thinking.

The village chief pondered for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay, Guangzong will go with you, but you must obey orders and not make trouble."

Tian Guilan smiled happily: "Of course, of course."

Guangzong reluctantly followed the team, but he was nervous, not knowing what this trip would turn out like.

On the way into the city, the sun shone on the loess road, raising wisps of light dust.

The money for buying lime in the city was managed by Li Shenghui, the only educated person in the village. He was upright and cautious, and everyone was convinced of his accounting skills.

The ten people were divided into three groups, each with three people, plus Li Shenghui, the accountant.

Xiuying's ox cart was ahead, the old ox plowing slowly, the cart loaded with dry food and water. Two donkey carts followed behind, the donkeys snorting from time to time.

Li Shenghui sat on the ox cart, holding the cloth bag filled with money tightly in his hand, looking ahead with a firm gaze.

Three men in one group were talking in low voices as they walked.

"When you go to the city this time, you must buy some lime."

"Yes, the village is counting on us."

"The entrance to the village and the barns at home need to be limed."

A strong man from the other group wiped the sweat from his forehead and shouted to the front: "Walk faster, get into the city earlier, and go back earlier."

Although the entire team looked a little tired, everyone's eyes were full of a sense of mission.

……

As the sun sets, the team that bought lime finally returned. Their ox carts and donkey carts were loaded with lime, raising white dust all the way.

Before the car stopped, the news spread throughout the village. Villagers rushed from their homes and lined up in an orderly manner under the old locust tree to receive lime.

The village chief stood aside to maintain order and shouted, "Don't push, everyone! Everyone gets a share!"

Li Shenghui and several other men were busy carrying lime down from the truck, their clothes soaked with sweat.

"Ma Ergun, this is your share." Li Shenghui handed the lime to the villager while calling his name.

"Thank you!" Ma Ergun took the lime with a look of joy on his face.

The team moved forward in an orderly manner, and everyone received lime and prepared to go home for disinfection.

The children watched curiously from the side and were scolded by the adults to stay away.

Xiuying was also in the team, helping to distribute lime and reminding everyone of the precautions for use from time to time.

Amid the hustle and bustle, the whole village was filled with vitality and hope, as if the shadow of the plague had been dispelled a little.

……

After the hailstorm, the villagers of Futian Village became even busier.

The village's two water sources needed to be guarded to ensure their safety and cleanliness. When the village needed to spread lime for disinfection, men, women, and children joined in, carrying bamboo baskets and tools, meticulously spreading lime in every nook and cranny.

The livestock also needed careful care. Those cows and sheep frightened by the hailstorm needed patient soothing. The chicken and duck sheds needed repairs to protect them from further severe weather.

As the daughter-in-law of the old Li family bandaged the wound of the injured lamb, she kept saying, "Don't be afraid, dear, it will be healed soon."

Yang's father squatted in the cowshed, repairing the fence damaged by hail, muttering, "This damn weather is killing us."

The children were not idle either. They followed the adults and helped pass things. Although their faces were red from tiredness, their eyes showed a serious look.

Aunt Wu used her special skills to prepare medicine to prevent the plague for everyone.

Her wrinkled face was filled with concentration and seriousness as she carefully selected the herbs in the dim room. Each herb was like a precious treasure in her hands, being gently manipulated by her.

"We need to put more Scutellaria baicalensis in it, as it can clear away heat and detoxify." Aunt Wu said to Wu Yingying, skillfully grabbing the medicinal herbs with her dry hands.

She was surrounded by various large and small medicine jars and dried herbs, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of medicine.

Occasionally, when villagers came in to ask about it, Aunt Wu would look up and patiently explain: "Don't worry, this medicine has to be carefully prepared to be effective."

Sweat dripped from her forehead, but she didn't bother to wipe it off, as she was completely immersed in the work of dispensing medicine.

After preparing the medicine, he and Wu Yingying distributed the herbs to the villagers.

The entire Futian Village is filled with a busy and hopeful atmosphere.

Xiuying was in trouble. There were too many livestock at home and they could not eat all the food. It took a lot of manpower just to take care of these livestock.

The two piglets she raised had grown to over 600 kilograms, and there were eight more piglets in the pen. Looking at the full pen of animals, Xiuying frowned, thought about it, and finally decided to kill one.

She stood beside the pigpen, her eyes determined yet a little reluctant, and murmured to herself: "There's no other way. I have to kill one, keep some for myself, and sell some. Then I can have a better life at home."

Xiuying rolled up her sleeves and prepared to ask the village butcher Li for help.

……

Butcher Li was cleaning the yard at home, and the dust raised by the broom was flying in the sunlight.

Xiuying hurried over and said before she even stood still: "Brother Li, I want you to come to my house to slaughter a pig tomorrow."

Butcher Li stopped what he was doing, straightened up, and looked surprised.

Ever since he married into Futian Village, he has never slaughtered a pig, simply because Futian Village is too poor and few families can afford to raise pigs.