Always distracted.
He quickly stepped forward and felt his forehead, "If you're not feeling well, go rest. I'll handle the cooking myself."
"I'm fine."
Being seen through, Shen Qingzhou felt quite guilty. Unable to honestly admit that he wanted to do something bad, he casually brushed it off, "It's nothing, I'm just a bit worried about the fields. It hasn't rained for a while, and the soil might be drying out."
"Didn't it just snow a few days ago?"
"Not enough, not enough."
Because it's a sloped area, fearing that the rainwater would drain away too quickly, he and Yao Daocheng had previously used soil to block the ditches and ridges to retain more moisture.
"Then you can check your phone before going to bed tonight. If it hasn't rained recently, we can start carrying water to irrigate the fields tomorrow. Just focus on the fields on the slope."
"Mm! Got it.”
Shen Qingzhou was scheming with a sly grin, ‘still thinking about fetching water! Whether you'll be able to get up tomorrow is uncertain.’
He thinks it sounds great, but plans change much faster than he realizes.
A few people had just started eating dinner when suddenly the wind picked up outside. The sun, which had not yet set, quickly disappeared, and the sky darkened significantly, indicating that a heavy rain was about to come.
Yao Daocheng quickly put down his wine bowl: "No more drinking! You all eat first. I'll go dig the ditch in the field while it's still light. If it rains heavily, the seedlings might get flooded.”
June weather changes just like that.
Meng Xiaoxi put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll go too! The more people, the faster we can dig!"
"Don't even think about it, Young master!" Yao Daocheng stood up, "It's your birthday today, you need to stay at home and hide, you can't go anywhere!"
"It might not even rain heavily. Wait a moment, I'll go check inside." Shen Qingzhou hurriedly ran to check his phone.
"Why are you going inside the house?" Yao Daocheng asked curiously.
"Uh, probably just going to see if there are any suitable shoes!" Meng Xiaoxi was explaining for him.
Lying is really hard.
"Oh, I see."
Yao Daocheng was anxious and planned to go get the iron shovel first. Shen Qingzhou hurriedly returned, looking serious, "Let's go, Uncle Yao! I'll go with you!"
These past two days, he has been negligent and didn't pay attention to this matter. Just now, he opened his phone and saw that there had been four days' worth of rainfall. If the ditch isn't cleared, the fields will definitely be flooded.
"Dad! Brother Shen! I'm going too!" Yao Kang was both worried and anxious.
"Stay at home and help tidy up the things in the yard. We won't be back until after dark, and I'm not comfortable leaving Xiaoxi home alone." Shen Qingzhou instructed.
"Then you all put on your hats; at least they can provide some shade. If it rains too heavily and you can't finish digging, come back first!" Meng Xiaoxi was full of concern.
"Mm! I have it all figured out." Shen Qingzhou looked at him deeply, having daydreamed for half a day, only to be played by fate at the last moment, leaving him with no choice but to wait for the next opportunity.
But rain is always a good thing, at least for the crops.
Meng Xiaoxi was completely unaware of his inner turmoil. Together with Yao Kang, he ran out to tidy up, securing the chicken coop and cow pen.
Sure enough, it started pouring, and it wasn't until after the hour of the dog that the two of them returned, covered in mud. Meng Xiaoxi had been waiting by the table the whole time. Seeing this, he quickly told them to go take a shower and change clothes while he reheated the food.
Exhausted and hungry, Shen Qingzhou wolfed down his food, with no strange thoughts in his mind.
Heavy rain and light rain have been coming one after another for several days. It only cleared up on the morning of the seventh day. They still need to clean the house thoroughly and take the washed clothes out to dry.
Meng Xiaoxi originally wanted to carefully choose a birthday gift for him, but it wasn't until the eighth day of the month that he found time to go to the town. There weren't many people on the street; the rain had lasted too long, and most families were still busy digging ditches and draining water in the fields to save the flooded crops.
His family members also went to patrol and inspect the fields, checking to see if there were any oversights. After all, they were farmers, not butchers or hunters who could engage in other trades. They relied on these fields all year round, so how could they not be attentive?
Meng Xiaoxi wandered around for a while, and suddenly had a thought. He remembered the mountain chickens they caught last year. At that time, he said he would give him a bow, but he still hadn't bought it. He didn't even know if Brother Shen still remembered this matter.
Sigh! This brain of mine, it seems I shouldn't make promises so easily.
On the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, Meng Xiaoxi got up early and specially made a bowl of longevity noodles, adding a fried egg and a handful of tender greens. Others were eating porridge with pickled vegetables and dried tofu.
After finishing breakfast, while those two returned to the side courtyard, he took out the gift, looking quite embarrassed.
"I remember you saying before that you know how to shoot arrows, so I had planned to buy one for you to keep at home. But then I ended up giving it to you as a birthday gift. I didn't expect it to be something else, it was a last-minute decision. If you don't like it, I can pick something else for you in a few days. I'll make you some extra delicious food tonight."
What was handed over was a brand new yew wood bow, a sinew bowstring, and a leather quiver filled with arrows.
Shen Qingzhou took it over, reluctant to part with it, and sincerely exclaimed, "It's really beautiful!"
Meng Xiaoxi felt relieved and, as if seeking credit, shook his arm, "So, do you like it?"
With bright, shining eyes, she looked at him with a face full of anticipation.
"I really like it, no need to buy anything else." Shen Qingzhou, with a smile, held his hand down, "But I want to eat something else."
(T/N: So relatable. The June weather gets so crazy in the Philippines, sunny in the morning and rainy in the afternoon. By sunny, I mean scorching hot.)
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