Chapter 10: Disbelief
The threshing ground of Xiangfu Village was paved neatly and smoothly with stone slabs.
In the past, during the agricultural off-season, many villagers liked to rest beside the threshing ground; adults would brag and chat while children laughed and played.
Especially during harvest time, the entire threshing ground would be filled with the sound of joy.
But this time, the atmosphere on the threshing ground was heavier than ever before.
The villagers of Xiangfu had all arrived, over two hundred households and more than a thousand people, standing in a dark mass on the threshing ground, silently gazing at Song Deling on the high platform.
Song Baozhu was perched on the shoulders of her second brother, Song Zhinan, standing at the back of the crowd.
She had asked her family back in the courtyard to help her find materials, but since the village chief called a meeting, the Song family could not be absent from the village assembly no matter how much they doted on her.
Song Baozhu was too small; without her family's help, she had no way to prepare enough materials or the production instruments, so she had to nag them to help her as soon as the meeting was over.
Wang Guifang and Song Dezhu, who adored their child, agreed without hesitation, and the brothers also nodded their assent.
With so many people on the threshing ground, it was terrifyingly quiet; even the children who usually fooled around stood silently by their parents' side today.
They had a premonition that the village chief was likely about to make a decision of immense importance to the entire village.
Sure enough, Song Deling spoke from above, his voice incredibly hoarse: "Everyone has seen it. The bugs are increasing every day. For every one we catch, two or more grow back. In a few more days, the crops will be stripped bare, and there is still no news from the county. I called everyone here today because I want us to make a decision together."
In just a few days, Song Deling's hair had turned half-white from the stress, and his eyes, once sharp and shrewd, had become cloudy and weary.
"Should we wait for the county experts to develop a pesticide, or should we harvest the crops now?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd below erupted into an uproar.
"How can we harvest now? The crops have only just started growing! The sweet potatoes are only as thick as a pinky finger, the corn has just begun to fruit, and the wheat hasn't even headed yet. What do we do if we harvest now?!"
"Then are we just going to wait for the bugs to eat everything? If we harvest now, at least we can salvage something. If we wait a few more days, there won't even be leaves left!"
Someone else held onto hope: "Aren't the county leaders and experts researching a pesticide? Maybe they'll figure it out any moment now."
His voice grew weaker and weaker; clearly, even he felt the hope was slim.
In fact, the reason Song Deling proposed this choice was twofold: first, looking at the current situation, harvesting now was indeed the best choice; second, the county leaders were under pressure from many sides.
The surrounding neighboring counties were terrified that the insects would spread into their territories.
Seeing no progress in the research of a pesticide, those leaders couldn't sit still and were urging the leaders of Yun County to make a decision quickly, to harvest the crops within their borders and then use fire to burn these insects to a crisp.
This way, even if Yun County had a total crop failure, at least the surrounding counties wouldn't suffer losses.
When the time came, they would naturally accept the government's allocations to aid Yun County; everyone would just have to tighten their belts and endure a year of hardship.
If the insects were allowed to spread and the entire city suffered, what then?
Furthermore, the terrifying thing was that according to the insects' reproduction rate, if they weren't stopped, it might not just be one city; the insects would grow at a geometric rate and soon spread across the entire country.
The village is facing a truly impossible choice.
The leaders of Yun County could not bear such a massive responsibility. Even knowing that the city would likely have no extra grain to aid Yun County when the time came, they had no other choice.
To continue waiting meant death, and perhaps dragging down other districts, counties, or even the entire province.
If they didn't wait, at least the disaster could be contained within Yun County.
It seemed like a decision that shouldn't be difficult to make.
But the people within Yun County would have to personally endure the consequences of the disaster.
For the coming year, they would have to survive on this meager harvest; the tragic scenes of several years ago resurfaced in everyone's minds.
Predictably, when the final vote was taken, everyone except a very few chose to harvest the crops now.
"In that case, don't sleep tonight, everyone. Every day we delay, the bugs eat a huge portion. We start harvesting tonight. Once we're done, we'll light a fire and burn all those bugs to a crisp!" Song Deling said fiercely, his hands trembling.
Sitting on Song Zhinan's shoulders, Song Baozhu grew anxious when she saw everyone agreeing to harvest immediately.
Her crisp voice rang out through the oppressive atmosphere:
"No! You can't harvest the crops! I have a way to kill the bugs!"
In the middle of the desperate, stagnant air, Song Baozhu's tender voice was exceptionally loud.
Everyone turned to look at her at once.
At this moment, everyone's mood was both suppressed and desperate.
When she shouted this out, someone’s emotions immediately exploded, as if they had found an outlet for their frustration: "Wang Guifang, what time do you think it is that you're still letting a child mess around? Take her back quickly! What is a little girl blabbering about such a huge matter? If the crops can't be harvested, can this girl take responsibility!"
Wang Guifang wasn't about to let anyone talk about Song Baozhu like that.
"What do you mean? My Zhuzhu said that because she's sensible! Did the bugs appear because of my Zhuzhu? Is it my Zhuzhu’s fault the crops can't be harvested?"
"Who knows? Your Song family dotes on a little girl so much, maybe even the Heavens couldn't stand it, and that’s why everyone else is being dragged down!"
The few people speaking out had never gotten along with Wang Guifang, and they were even more annoyed by how her family treated a daughter like a treasure, which made them, who favored boys over girls, look like wicked stepmothers.
Zheng Ying stood in the crowd, and hearing someone say this, she nodded secretly in deep agreement.
The more she pondered, the more she felt it was the case, muttering in a low voice, "I said doting on a girl too much would ruin one's fortune. Maybe the pest infestation really was caused by the Second Brother’s family doting on that girl Baozhu too much."
Ma Xianglan was standing not far from her. Upon hearing this, she rolled her eyes hard.
Zheng Ying could say whatever she wanted about Wang Guifang, but she couldn't dump that bucket of filth on Song Baozhu.
Wasn't that calling Song Baozhu a jinx?
"Eldest Sister-in-law, stop your nonsense. One look at Baozhu and you can tell she's blessed. You know how much Second Sister-in-law's family loves her; if they hear you later, see if they don't tear you to pieces!"
Old Mrs. Song, standing nearby, also glared at her: "If you don't know how to speak, keep your mouth shut!"
Remembering how she had been kicked out by Wang Guifang on the third-day bath ceremony just for commenting on Song Baozhu's name, Zheng Ying shrank her head in fear and pursed her lips tight.
With a sudden howl, Wang Guifang lunged forward and grabbed the hair of the woman who had just spoken: "Ma Daya, I'll teach you to have a foul mouth and talk nonsense! See if I don't rip your mouth apart!"
The woman's family stepped forward to block Wang Guifang, but the five Song brothers and Song Dezhu instantly surrounded them.
"Everyone stop!" Song Deling roared, and everyone came to a halt.
"What time is it that you're still here brawling? Ma Daya, apologize to Baozhu! Why are you saying such things about a perfectly good child?"
Ma Daya was indignant and wanted to argue further.
Song Deling glared at her: "Do you realize this is feudal superstition!"
Most of the other villagers liked Song Baozhu very much.
Ma Daya’s words were indeed too much; a little girl like Baozhu couldn't be burdened with such a reputation, so they also began speaking up and pointing fingers at her.
Only then did Ma Daya apologize reluctantly.
Song Baozhu didn't understand the gravity of the situation; she only knew that this Auntie Ma had never liked her.
But it didn't matter; there were so many people who did like her.
She strained her tender voice and stamped her feet, shouting: "Cousin! Uncles and Aunties! What I said is true! I really can kill those bugs! Just wait one more night, wait just one more night and I can make the pesticide!"
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