FTS Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Miracle

That night, the villagers of Xiangfu Village carried torches and searched all over the mountains and fields for various flowers and grasses. 

Early the next morning, every one of them gazed with bloodshot eyes at Song Baozhu, who was being led by the hand by Song Deling.

"Baozhu, will you teach the uncles and aunties how to make the pesticide?" 

At this moment, Song Deling wished he could offer Song Baozhu up on an altar. He knelt down to be at eye level with her and asked in a soft, gentle voice.

Song Baozhu nodded: "Okay." 

She had intended to teach everyone all along.

Song Deling was so joyful he nearly shed tears: "Good, good child."

The moment he turned to face the entire village, he became stern: "Do exactly as Baozhu says. If you mess up and delay saving the crops, don't blame me for not recording your work points."

The villagers knew the gravity of the situation and responded in unison, "Don't worry, Village Chief, we will definitely listen to Baozhu."

Song Zhizhong stood before the crowd holding Song Baozhu. Hearing everyone's praise for her, he felt incredibly proud, this was his sister, after all, and he was the one who had physically produced that pesticide with his own hands.

In the crowd, the entire Song family gazed at Song Baozhu with silly grins. Wang Guifang was the most triumphant; she specifically spoke to the person who had previously mocked Song Baozhu: "Our Baozhu is smart, isn't she? Who was it that said my doting on her would ruin our fortune?"

The person didn't dare respond loudly, only grumbling, "Don't get ahead of yourself. What if it doesn't work this time?"

"Then you just wait and see!" Wang Guifang had absolute confidence in Song Baozhu. Her daughter could teach herself so many words; such a smart child was extraordinary even when playing.

Look, hadn't Baozhu 'played' her way into a pesticide?

"Even... even if it works, it's just a kid playing around and stumbling into it by luck. What does that have to do with being smart?" Deep down, this person wished Song Baozhu were her own child. 

If the bugs were successfully killed and the crops saved, what a boastful achievement that would be! 

But she had never gotten along with Wang Guifang and didn't want to slap her own face by praising Baozhu now, so she could only stubbornly hold her ground.

Wang Guifang didn't mind; she laughed loudly: "If playing around can produce a pesticide, it's either because my Baozhu is smart or because she's incredibly blessed. Take your pick!"

"..." 

The person had no words left and squatted down in frustration.

Also silent in the crowd were Zheng Ying and Qian Xiaoe.

Up front, Song Baozhu had already begun instructing everyone on how to make the pesticide. The steps for this pesticide were simple. 

Since Ground-black fruit couldn't be found, after thoroughly researching the habits of the Five-Footed Bugs, Song Baozhu had taken an alternative path by blending the juices of over a dozen plants. 

This liquid couldn't kill the Five-Footed Bugs directly, but its scent held a fatal attraction for them. 

By luring the insects to one spot and burning them, the goal of extermination was achieved without fearing that chemicals would harm the crops.

When Song Baozhu first came up with this method, the Learning System was so happy it set off virtual fireworks in the space, praising her non-stop for her brilliance and awarding her 2,000 points as a reward.

Song Baozhu had worked hard on her basic courses, and completing a single course only earned her fifty points.

The system explained, "The Learning System specifically encourages the host to engage in independent invention and creation."

Song Baozhu flipped through the study courses and saw that most did not exceed a hundred points. She clenched her small fists and cheered herself on, deciding that she must invent much more in the future.

The villagers all strained their ears to listen to Song Baozhu's crisp voice, terrified of missing a single word. 

With many hands making light work, the first batch of medicinal liquid was quickly produced, and Song Deling led the entire village to the fields.

Song Baozhu hadn't slept much last night, and now, perched on Song Zhizhong's shoulders, she was nodding off.

"Baozhu, Mama will hold you while you sleep." Seeing Song Baozhu yawning repeatedly until tears came to her eyes, Wang Guifang was heartbroken. She took Song Baozhu in her arms and gently patted her back, coaxing her to sleep.

Song Baozhu forced her eyes open and mumbled, "No, I want to watch those bugs get burned to death." After all, she had studied for so long.

Compared to her relaxed state, the villagers of Xiangfu Village were incredibly tense. After sprinkling the liquid on the open ground, everyone felt like a tightly wound string, fearing that the medicine wouldn't work this time.

The thing they feared did not happen.

When the liquid was sprinkled on the clearing, an unprecedented scene shocked every villager. 

Previously, the liquid Song Baozhu and Song Zhizhong had tinkered with was a small amount, so only the bugs in a small nearby radius could smell it. This time, the villagers had sprinkled a ring of liquid around the perimeter of almost all the fields.

In an instant, every insect in the fields was jolted. They crawled toward the clearing like they were possessed; some even took flight. For a moment, the fields and the sky were a dense, black mass, as if the sun were being blotted out.

"Oh my mother!" The villagers of Xiangfu Village had never seen such a scene. They never knew there were actually so many insects in the fields; when they swarmed over all at once, it felt as if the people themselves were about to be devoured.

Scared out of their wits, the crowd retreated several steps.

"Don't panic!" 

Song Deling’s pupils also contracted. He hadn't expected that a larger amount of the liquid would cause such a massive spectacle. 

Seeing the villagers running around in a panicked frenzy, he immediately spoke up.

"These bugs don't eat people, what are you panicking for!"

Song Baozhu nodded. Five-Footed Bugs only gnaw on crops; they indeed don't eat people. Second Cousin was right.

"Look at you all, you’re not even as calm as Baozhu, a child!" Song Deling looked upon the villagers with disdain. Seeing Song Baozhu smiling in Wang Guifang’s arms, the villagers felt a bit sheepish.

One villager whispered, "How can we compare to Baozhu? Baozhu was specifically born to conquer these bugs."

Fortunately, just as Song Deling said, these insects stopped moving once they reached the clearing where the medicine was sprinkled. Soon, every bug in the fields had been lured to the open ground.

"Village Chief, there really are none left! There really aren't any bugs in the fields anymore!" 

One villager couldn't wait and ran into the field to check, finding not a single insect left on the crops. 

Not feeling reassured, he dug up a plant and found that even the bugs on the roots had vanished completely.

"Are they really gone? Can we actually kill these insects now?!" Upon hearing this, everyone burst into tears and laughter at the same time.

With trembling hands, Song Deling ordered the villagers to light the fire, burning the insects until they were completely gone.

Song Baozhu beckoned to Song Deling, and he immediately bent down. "Second Cousin, the ashes from these insects can be scattered in the fields; they can be used as fertilizer."

Song Deling had been terrified by these pests; even though they were burnt to ash, he was afraid they might come back to life in the soil. Besides, it was just a bit of insect ash—it surely wouldn't have any significant effect. 

However, seeing Song Baozhu’s bright, sparkling eyes looking at him, he couldn't bear to let the child down, so he had everyone scatter just a portion of the ash over a small plot of land.

Seeing the insects burned away entirely by the fire, the villagers of Xiangfu Village felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted. Some laughed out loud, while others knelt to thank the Heavens.

"Baozhu, Baozhu, thank you! You've saved our whole family's lives!" Someone actually rushed in front of Song Baozhu, intending to kneel and thank her.

Song Dezhu quickly stepped in to stop them. "Auntie, please don't do this. Baozhu is a junior; she can't possibly accept such a gesture from you!"

"She can accept it, she certainly can! Baozhu killed these insects; she saved our entire family's lives. No matter how much we thank her for such a great kindness, it wouldn't be enough. Da Zhuang, Er Zhuang..." Grandma Wang called out a string of names, and over a dozen young girls and boys lined up neatly behind her.

"Remember this: Baozhu is your savior. You must keep this in your hearts for the rest of your lives, do you understand?"

"We understand."

With Grandma Wang leading the way, many villagers snapped out of their daze and came forward one after another to express their gratitude to Song Baozhu.