MTLNOVEL Chapter 387: 387. Harvest
Watching his future second sister-in-law carrying firewood as tall as a person, Hua Jin silently lit a candle for his second brother.
He only hoped that after the wedding, his second brother would know better than to provoke her, otherwise, the outcome of being tormented would be disastrous.
What to do? Just thinking of this scene made Hua Jin a little excited.
This mountain trip was very satisfying for the future second sister-in-law. As they parted, she invited Zhao Xiaoyun to visit her whenever she was free and also signaled her approval and liking for her future sister-in-law.
This made Zhao Xiaoyun blush, and she nodded shyly, her eyes shimmering with anticipation.
The two days passed quickly. Despite a rain shower, it did not affect the harvest. The sun dried the field thoroughly in just one day, and then everyone—except children under four years old—went out to work... The harvest began.
For ten full days, from mountain to valley, everyone worked in high spirits, gathering, drying, and bringing the grain back to the barn. Whether inside or outside, everyone was so excited and exhausted that they couldn't stop smiling.
Seeing the house full of grain, especially those who had experienced hunger like those from Li Village and Sun families, they were overwhelmed with joy, unable to calm down for a long time. If not for the next round of planting, needing to plant sweet potatoes and potatoes, they would still be lost in disbelief.
Although there was some confusion about why only sweet potatoes, potatoes, and millet were planted...due to their absolute trust in Old Man Hua, they did as the village chief instructed, filling all the fields, which took several more days.
After a busy month, they finally caught a breather, and the grain planted dearly everywhere reached harvest time.
Early in the morning, the Qin family was also working hard in the fields, harvesting the fruits of their labor. Amid their happiness, there was a trace of sadness.
In the fields of Upper Qin Village, there was only their family. In dozens of acres of crop-filled fields around them, they were the only household present.
This was the case after working all day, on the second day, and again on the third day. The Qin family understood what this meant.
The grain is the life of farmers; now, with the golden crop ready for harvest and no one around, there could only be one conclusion: besides their family, there were no living people left in Upper Qin Village.
"Husband," said Mrs. Li, looking at her husband after finishing their last batch of grain in the evening on the fifth day, "it's been five days without seeing a soul. We can't let these crops rot in the ground uselessly; it's a terrible waste."
Qin Dagen frowned deeply, looking at the crop fields around them, which were overgrown with weeds and clearly mismanaged.
He thought about how taking grain that wasn't theirs without permission was stealing, but could he really let it rot in the fields?
"Father... There's no need to hesitate. Let's gather it. If anyone from the village is still alive, they'll come for it, and we can give it to them, even if it means more work for us. But if we let it grow in the fields and a rain comes, the grain will truly go to waste."
After staring silently at the fields, Qin Shu spoke up, persuading his father. He understood what was on his father's mind, as he shared the same concerns.
But... with no one showing up for days, it was likely... Upper Qin Village no longer had living people, or else the crop fields wouldn't be left to be overgrown with weeds, even more than the crops. Moreover, the grain couldn't wait.
"Husband," Mrs. Li said, waiting for her husband to decide. If they really wasted so much grain, she'd die of heartache.
Qin Dagen's hesitations were finally resolved by his son's words. Glancing at his wife's urging gaze, he said nothing but picked up a sickle and walked directly to the neighboring field. Mrs. Li, overjoyed, hurriedly followed.
Qin Shu and his brothers also quickly followed, worried that their father might stubbornly decide to let the grain rot in the fields.
During the day, they worked in the fields, and at night, they threshed and dried the grain, keeping busy for half a month.
Fortunately, the weather was supportive, with the sun shining high every day, but it was also very hot, which was good for drying the grain.
Harvesting during the day and drying in the evening, after a day or two of sunlight, the grains were ready to be stored. The process was hard, but for the Qin family, hard work had become a habit over the past few months, especially after working from dawn till dusk on the walls.
Yet the results were gratifying. Looking at the massive amount of grain, the Qin family finally felt fully assured.
Until the last moment of the grain harvest, there wasn't a single person in sight in Upper Qin Village, which gave Qin Dagen peace of mind.
During this time, none of them returned to Upper Qin Village; knowing the outcome, there was no need to put themselves in danger again. Besides, they'd decided to settle in Hua Village, or else the months spent building the walls wouldn't have been worth it; only they knew the difficulty experienced during this time.
Now that the grain was completely harvested, the few rooms in the Hua family he had prepared were filled to the brim, and the cellar was full of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other crops; what couldn't be fitted was sliced and dried for storage.
Of course, the sense of satisfaction was full, and there was finally no worry about going hungry. After just two days of rest, the Qin family busied themselves again.
They were busy with the most important task: building their own house.
Living with the Hua family was only a temporary measure. Now that the walls were nearing completion, with abundant bricks, they'd even surrounded more than half of the forest behind the village. Qinggu Mountain behind the village seemed just within reach.
They only needed to gradually increase the height, a long-term process, and the nearly ten-foot-high wall was enough for now. The priority was to move forward with their house plans.
Without their own home, they would always feel uneasy.
As Miss Hua Jin suggested, they chose a vacant plot behind the village and got started. As for the materials needed for building, they were everywhere in Hua Village; when Miss Hua Jin came by, they'd pay her with silver coins, but for now, they could only borrow them.
Meanwhile, in Shanggu Town, the epidemic had been completely controlled after a few months because of Hua Jin's quiet contributions, which saved many lives.
Not only Shanggu Town but also New Moon City shared a similar fortune. However, not everywhere was as lucky. Due to Hua Jin's intervention, the epidemic was controlled, but many places suffered heavy losses, with entire cities and towns perishing.
At the end of the new month, the terrifying epidemic finally passed. It could be said that almost everyone who survived overcame it, with very few remaining uninfected, but ultimately it brought hope.
The grain seeds freely distributed by the New Moon County Magistrate gave the survivors greater hope. Although some people's grains were nearly mature, as long as there were seeds, and the ability to plant, there was a head of hope.
As for the seeds distributed by the imperial court, they never made it to the small county of New Moon, having already been taken by various state cities, leaving only medicinal herbs to scavenge for.