Chapter 003: Drought

Jiang Aihua said expressionlessly: "You better take this seriously; listening to your mother is always right, and besides, I have a bad feeling about this."

Jiang Xinguo swallowed the orange and said, "This green orange is an early-maturing variety. In previous years, although it could be eaten at this time, it was nowhere near as sweet as it is now. I was actually going to say that this is something pregnant women love to eat"

"Oh, this orange is indeed a bit sweet," Jiang Gang exclaimed. "Grandma, you should try it too; it really isn't sour." Jiang Gang pounced on Chang Jiejun, stuffing a segment of orange into her mouth. The orange, offered by her nephew, tasted sweet in her mouth and warmed her heart.

"It is indeed a bit strange, I feel a bit anxious, and I always have a sense of foreboding." Jiang Xinhua furrowed his brow

Wang Weidong started the motorcycle and turned to Jiang Aihua, saying: "Don't you think your mother is overreacting? Every year, there are droughts in this province or that province; nothing significant ever happens!"

Originally, the two elderly individuals lived with Jiang Xinhua. Jiang Xinhua's old house was somewhat damp, raising concerns for the health of the elderly. In the past, conditions were not suitable, but after Jiang Xinguo renovated the house, everyone encouraged the elderly to move into the new house. Now that Jiang Xinhua's house has also been completed, Liu Xiulan urged Jiang Xinhua to bring the elderly over to show filial piety. Jiang Xinguo and Li Meihua advised against it, stating that they were just next door, and the two yards were still connected; it was not far away, so there was no need to move the elderly back and forth.

Chang Jiejun stood up and said, "Alright, it's getting late. Ailin and Weidong have to head back early tomorrow to open the store, and Xiaozhi has been on the road all day and must be exhausted. Let's all go back and get some rest. Boss, Third, you two help me get this old man to bed. Everyone else, you can disperse now."

By the way, Dad, have you noticed that the weather this year seems a bit strange?" As the conversation shifted from Jiang Zhi to the weather, Jiang Xinhua spoke with a hint of concern

Liu Xu does not understand and asks: "What’s wrong?"

Indeed, my family is quite capable as well. My brother's family used to cultivate a lot of land in previous years, but this year, due to helping my nephew take care of his child, they happened not to plant anything. Otherwise, in such a year, they would be in a state of panic.

Jiang Zhi took a taste and found it not very sour; the sweetness was mingled with a hint of mild acidity, which was quite appetizing. Upon seeing that they all said it was not sour, everyone gradually began to eat.

Weidong and Ailin should pay attention to safety while running their store in the county. After returning home tomorrow, they should buy more rice to keep at home. The drought is severe, and rice prices are sure to rise after a while, so buying early can save some money. Chang Jiejun paused for a moment before continuing: "Don't buy too much rice, lest it arouses ill intentions in others. Also, remind your brother and the young lady not to rush to sell their grain; let's wait and see how the situation develops before making any decisions."

Chang Jiejun said, "Could it be that due to the reduced rainfall this year and sufficient sunlight, the green oranges are sweeter?"

"Mm, understood, Mom." Jiang Xinhua and Jiang Xinguo both nodded one by one

Jiang Zhi took out her phone and saw several missed calls, some from Liu Xu and some from Cui Jun Cai. Jiang Zhi called Liu Xu back, and as soon as it rang once, Liu Xu answered the phone. Jiang Zhi quickly apologized: "Liu Xu, I’m so sorry. I was downstairs in the library and left my phone in my bag, so I didn’t hear the ringtone."

Wang Weidong graduated from junior high school and went out to work. After being introduced by someone, he married Jiang Aihua. The couple worked together for a few years, and after saving some money, they opened a store in the county town and bought a house. They do not often return home, so he did not have much contact with Chang Jiejun. His impression was that his mother-in-law was not a meddlesome person, but also not very involved in matters. What Chang Jiejun said today seemed to him a bit of an overreaction.

"Alright, alright, I understand. Don't be so serious; your son is so scared he's not saying a word. After I go back home tomorrow, I'll prepare more food at home." Wang Weidong noticed that his wife looked uneasy and responded to her remarks.

After taking a shower, Jiang Zhi returned to her room. Jiang Xinguo, Li Meihua, and their grandparents all lived on the first floor, while Jiang Zhi and Jiang Che's rooms were on the second floor. Li Meihua had cleaned the room thoroughly, and the bed sheets and covers had already been laid out. Originally, there was no internet connection at home, but upon seeing that Jiang Zhi agreed to return home for work, Jiang Xinguo had someone set up the internet in advance. The internet fees in the countryside were also inexpensive; Jiang Xinguo had chosen China Unicom, which only cost a little over 600 a year. Jiang Zhi took out her computer and placed it on the desk, connected to the internet, and began browsing. As soon as she went online, a message from Liu Xu arrived: "Jiang Zhi, why didn't you answer my call? Have you arrived home?"

I will feel at ease once you are home. I will inform Cui Junzai later, so that he won't worry either

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Zhi browsed a forum for a while but found it uninteresting. She thought for a moment and searched for this year's drought situation on Baidu. The official government websites all reported a sense of calm, while some scattered posts mentioned that in certain areas, even drinking water had become a problem. Some users uploaded pictures showing cracked dry land and withered wild grass. There were users from both the south and the north, and Jiang Zhi even found a couple of posts supposedly from overseas Chinese, stating that the drought was severe in their locations as well. The more she read, the more anxious she became; it seemed that this was not just a nationwide drought. Could it really be the end of days? The thought made her dizzy. She hoped the apocalypse would not come, as it would mean no food to eat and no clothes to wear, which was a truly tragic thought.

After everyone mentioned it, Jiang Zhi also recalled that she had not changed her residence because the rent was low and the landlord was nice at the place she used to rent. The community rarely experienced water outages, but for some reason, there have been frequent water stoppages this month. Sometimes the water is off for one or two hours, and other times it can be off for most of the day.

Chang Jiejun said with confusion: "Last year, the news was overwhelmingly reporting that Province X was facing a water shortage. This year, logically speaking, our province should also be in the news for such a severe water shortage, but I haven't seen it mentioned even once. I don't know if it's just our province experiencing this or if it's a nationwide issue. If it's nationwide, then that would be a serious problem"

At this moment, snoring could be heard. Turning to look, it turned out to be Jiang Zhe who was snoring. When he was eating an orange, he said he wouldn't eat the sour ones, so everyone just ignored him. As a result, in the blink of an eye, he was sitting in the armchair, with his head lowered, dozing off.

Seeing that everyone was engaged, Chang Jiejun finally breathed a sigh of relief. As one ages, energy is not what it used to be; when the time comes, one feels sleepy and must rest, otherwise one cannot sit still. After everyone left, Chang Jiejun wiped Jiang Zhezh's body, and after soaking her feet in hot water with a book, she also went to sleep

Jiang Zhi had overeaten in the evening and was feeling quite uncomfortable. Seeing that the elders had not started eating, she felt embarrassed to go get some first, so she gazed longingly at the oranges. Chang Jiejun stood up and took two oranges, giving one to Jiang Zhi and the other to Wang Gang. Jiang Zhi, with a cheerful smile, rubbed against Chang Jiejun before she began to peel the orange

After chatting for a while and exchanging good nights with Liu Xu, Jiang Zhi remembered what had happened earlier that evening and called out to Liu Xu: "Wait, don't hang up yet, there's still something to discuss."

Everyone helped to assist the old gentleman to bed, covered him with a blanket, and then walked out, exchanging farewells as they prepared to leave. Just then, Chang Jiejun came out again, her face full of concern. After hesitating for a moment, she spoke: "The weather is quite unusual; I feel something is off, just like the boss. You haven't sold this year's early rice yet, have you?" After seeing Jiang Xinhua shake his head in response, she continued: "The late rice can be harvested in a few days. After harvesting the late rice, it must not be sold either. If you need to sell something, sell the old grain instead. I don't know what kind of trick the heavens are playing, but it's better to stock up on food at home to avoid panic. If it turns out to be unnecessary, you can still sell it later."

Chang Jiejun's words silenced everyone. Li Meihua brought in a盆 of green oranges, saying, "Everyone, please have some oranges. Although these oranges are green, they are not very sour."

Jiang Xinhua repeatedly advised Wang Weidong to be careful while riding the motorcycle before allowing them to return

My mother often experiences water outages as well. I will call her later. Thank you for the reminder!" said Liu Xu.

"Grandfather, the house I rented before never had water interruptions, but in the past month or two, there have been frequent water outages, although the duration is not very long," Jiang Zhi said

This and the *picture* book have been without water for several months, I thought it was just the provincial capital that was short on water. It was only after returning home that I realized it hasn't rained here for several months either, and many places' rice has dried up. So I tell you, you and that kid Cui Jun Cai should store more water at home, as there might be prolonged water outages. You should also mention this to your family.

Jiang Aihua knows that he is just being perfunctory with himself, but at this point, there is not even a hint of progress. When talking to others, they might just take it as a joke. Moreover, if Wang Weidong says too much, it could lead to an argument, so one can only be more cautious.

Jiang Xinhua also interjected: "A while ago, I contracted the pond behind our house, didn't I? I couldn't decide whether it would be better to raise fish or grow something else. Li Mazi introduced me to a relative of his, who has a large lotus flower plantation. They earn quite a bit of money selling lotus seeds and lotus roots every year, so I was tempted to try growing some lotus roots myself. This morning, I went to Li Mazi's relative's place to gather some information. When I arrived, I saw that the water in his lotus pond was almost dried up, and his relative was so anxious that his voice had become hoarse. I asked him a few questions, and he mentioned that the planting season for lotus roots is from March to April, so I can only wait until next year to consider it."

Jiang Zhezhi released Jiang Zhi, and beside them, Chang Jiejun pulled Jiang Zhi down to sit. "I also find it a bit strange. In previous years, there would have already been a few rains by this time. This year, it has been over three months without a single drop of rain. We are relatively fortunate here, with Xianren Lake, Sanshan River, and several large ponds, so we have never lacked water. I heard from the brother-in-law of Jiang Mengzi next door that their village's late rice harvest is basically a complete failure. Sigh!" Jiang Zhezhi said, sighing as he spoke.