After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

After Tang Wenshu boarded the donkey cart, Ah Da skillfully drove on, heading toward the next village, Yangjia Village, located at the northernmost tip of Liu County.

Unlike other villages, the great river that runs through Yangzhou doesn't flow through Yangjia Village. Therefore, the village relies entirely on a well at the entrance for daily water, while irrigation comes from a small river two miles away. However, the water in this river is murky and unsuitable for drinking.

As the donkey cart slowly approached the entrance to Yangjia Village, the scene before us was completely different from that of Huangjia Village. In Huangjia Village, there was a large tree at the entrance, a landmark where people gathered to enjoy the shade and chat; in Yangjia Village, the landmark at the entrance was a well.

Villagers busily came and went, fetching water. Some stood guard by the well, preventing anyone from falling in. When women came to fetch water, they enthusiastically helped, ensuring they could bring it home safely.

Tang Wenshu observed all this with curiosity. He discovered that this well was being dug using the most traditional method: first, a bucket was dropped into the well, and then the filled bucket was pulled up using a twisting wood. In this way, a bucketful of cool well water was successfully drawn out.

This well is really deep! After waiting for a long time, the bucket was slowly lifted up. Tang Wenshu was secretly amazed, and he had to admire the wisdom of the ancients, who were able to dig such a deep well.

Where women gather is often the source of gossip. Because drawing water takes time, women line up in long queues, waiting to get their fill. As they wait, they chat about all sorts of gossip, focusing on the merits and shortcomings of the neighbors.

When they saw Tang Wenshu and the others standing by the well, the women did not stop gossiping, but continued to talk about them, as if small talk had become a part of their daily lives.

At this time, a yamen runner cautiously approached Tang Wenshu and asked in a low voice: "Young Master, should we go find the village chief first?"

However, Tang Wenshu smiled slightly and said softly, "It's okay, let's listen to these gossips first." She thought to herself that perhaps she could learn something about the lives of the local people from these women's idle chatter. After all, sometimes the most real information is often hidden in these seemingly trivial conversations.

"Hey, have you heard? Yang Laosi sold Erya yesterday." A woman said with a hint of regret and dissatisfaction in her tone.

"Oh, damn it! They sold their children over a little disaster!" Another woman spat on the ground angrily, expressing her anger.

"He was the one who caused the insect plague this year. Everything was fine in May, but he insisted that there was an insect plague. What happened? The insects became rampant in the summer and ate up a lot of crops! Now how can we farmers survive?" A middle-aged man said with a frown, a hint of dissatisfaction and complaint in his tone.

"That's right. Every family lives a frugal life. But he curses that the harvest will be bad next year. In my opinion, he should be expelled from the village." Another woman took over the conversation, her voice full of disgust and accusations towards Yang Laosi.

"Yes, yes, this kind of person shouldn't stay in the village. He spreads rumors and misleads people all day long, causing so much trouble for everyone!" Everyone echoed and expressed their agreement.

For a moment, the crowd was filled with discussion, expressing indignation and condemnation of Yang Laosi's behavior. Some even suggested that Yang Laosi be driven out of the village to prevent him from bringing more misfortune and disaster to everyone.

Others who were close to Yang Lao Si thought that what he said might be true, a warning from heaven. They began to discuss next year's harvest.

At this time, Tang Wenshu came over and politely interrupted their conversation: "Excuse me, why did Yang Laosi talk about the problem of next year's harvest? What did he say at that time?" Tang Wenshu asked curiously, trying to understand more about the background and reasons for Yang Laosi's remarks.

The woman looked at the yamen runner behind Tang Wenshu and felt a little afraid, but when she saw that the water carrier was also respectful to Tang Wenshu, she felt relieved and replied, "He said there will be locusts next year." Her expression seemed a little worried, as if she was uneasy about the future agricultural harvest.

"Locusts! How can a farmer like him say such nonsense? Be careful that the yamen runners hear it and arrest and lock him up." Someone said.

"Yeah, when the locusts pass through, not a single blade of grass grows. I've never seen anything like that in my life," another person echoed.

The woman looked at the yamen runner behind Tang Wenshu and felt frightened for a moment. She didn't dare to say much and just said that she didn't know. She didn't queue up and hurried home with the empty bucket.

"Young Master, do you want to go find that Yang Lao Si? Or do you want to question the village chief?" asked a yamen runner.

"Yes, let's ask about Yang Lao Si's situation first. The farmers' harvest is a big deal." Tang Wenshu said. Zhao State is a big agricultural country, and Yangzhou is an important agricultural area. If there is a problem with Yangzhou's harvest, it will affect the entire Zhao State. At that time, the Crown Princess will be very busy, and she also wants to reduce some of her burden.

Tang Wenshu brought two yamen runners to the door of Yang Laosi's house and knocked. An old voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"We are from the yamen to inquire about the situation. Please open the door." A yamen runner replied.

After a while, the door opened a crack, and a middle-aged man with gray hair stuck his head out and looked at them warily: "What do you want?"

"Old man, you are Yang Laosi, right? I heard that you guessed there were locusts before?" Tang Wenshu stepped forward and asked gently.

Yang Lao Si nodded, a look of fear on his face: "Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. There were a lot of locust eggs in the fields. I told them, but they didn't listen..."

"Insect eggs?" Tang Wenshu pressed. "In the paddy field?"

"I have a lot in my own fields, and I think everyone has the same. I couldn't catch them all even if I tried for several days," Yang Lao Si said in a trembling voice. His body was trembling slightly, as if he was still immersed in great fear.

"I heard you sold your daughter. Is that related to this?" a yamen runner asked. As an official, Tang Wenshu naturally couldn't ask about this directly, but this was an important clue.

After a moment's silence, Yang Lao Si slowly spoke, "Selling Erya to the city might be a way to survive if the locust plague strikes." His face turned unusually pale, as if he had aged instantly. Tang Wenshu noticed that the skin on his face wasn't as aged as he'd imagined.

At this time, a woman came out of the house with a bowl of sugar water in her hand. She enthusiastically handed the sugar water to everyone and explained, "I sold Erya yesterday, and his hair turned white overnight!" In this poor village, a bowl of sugar water was considered the highest level of hospitality.

Tang Wenshu accepted the sweet soup, but her heart was filled with worry. If what Yang Laosi said was true, then this locust plague would be a devastating blow to the villagers. Locusts are extremely destructive to crops, and if a locust plague spreads, the consequences will be unimaginable. She knew she had to come up with a solution quickly, otherwise the entire village would face the threat of famine.

Tang Wenshu fell into deep thought, carefully recalling her conversation with Yang Laosi, trying to find some clues or revelations. She knew that time was running out, and every second could determine the fate of the village. She secretly resolved to do her utmost to protect these innocent people.