Yun Erman had just finished loading a cart with water and was rushing it to the fields.
Inside the cart were more than ten buckets.
The road was rough and uneven, and the cart swayed precariously. Much of the water splashed out, spilling onto the ground.
The dry earth was desperately thirsty for rain. The moment the spilled water hit the ground, it was instantly absorbed.
The diligent families in the village could still manage to keep their crops growing.
But some of the lazy ones had already given up on themselves.
Take Yun Wangcai's family, for example. They only cultivated a few acres of land to begin with, and they didn't even bother to water them...
The village chief had inquired, and Yun Wangcai claimed they didn't have a cart.
As for Goudan, he was always fooling around in the county town. How could an old man like him carry water?
Lu Jinping was not the kind of daughter-in-law who managed the household.
She idled around every day, flitting from place to place, gossiping about other people's affairs.
"Erman, take a break. Once we finish watering this ridge, we'll head home for a meal!~"
Old Man Yun refilled his pipe and sat down under the dense corn stalks, puffing on his tobacco pouch.
Yun Daman also took out his tobacco pouch from his waist and took a few puffs, 'pa da pa da'.
He rarely smoked at home, fearing he would affect Guihua and Jinshan.
Now, exhausted, he took a few puffs to relieve his fatigue...
"Dad, why do you think the heavens suddenly stopped raining?"
Yun Daman exhaled a smoke ring and said, puzzled, "In the past, when our village suffered from a rat plague, my sister waved her hand and drove them away."
"I wonder if my sister can bring rain now."
Old Man Yun glared at him upon hearing this, "Useless fellow, expecting everything from your sister."
"Isn't that waterwheel designed to save the crops? Aren't you satisfied?"
"In this entire Daliang Kingdom, who else could design such an ingenious and useful item?"
Yun Daman grinned foolishly, "Dad, I was just saying it casually, why are you getting so worked up?"
"Even if my sister hadn't designed the waterwheel, I would still take good care of the crops, even if I didn't sleep or eat."
"It's just transporting water back and forth, I can handle it..."
Yun Erman sat down on the ground and smiled, "Big Brother, it's fine if you can handle it, but our Red Date horse can't!"
"Look, how tired it is?"
The three of them turned to look at the Red Date horse.
The once tall and mighty steed was now as thin as a mule.
It hunched its body, searching for grass at the edge of the furrow.
At this moment, Governor Qin and Prefect Chen, accompanied by two guards, hurried to Yun's land.
"Old Brother Yun, busy!~" Prefect Chen called out, greeting Old Man Yun with a smile.
This old man's daughter had a close relationship with the young prince.
Let alone Prefect Chen, even Governor Qin dared not offend him...
Old Man Yun put away his tobacco pouch and stood up, "Your Excellencies have arrived!~"
The only village that could attract two high officials simultaneously was Dashui Village.
But the only family that could be visited by both the governor and the prefect was Old Man Yun's family.
"Old Brother, it's hot outside, let's go back to cool off!~" Governor Qin wiped away sweat and urged.
On his way here, he had seen the crops in Dashui Village dry and dead, scorched yellow...
In the area of Heyang County, Dashui Village was not the only one suffering from drought.
Too many common people in the surrounding villages were facing the danger of a complete crop failure.
Old Man Yun pointed to the cornfield behind him and sighed, "Your Excellency, as you can see, the land is cracked from dryness. How dare I go back to rest, alas..."
When their family first moved to the village, they frequently encountered good fortune because of their youngest daughter.
There were brown monkeys, large-antlered deer, and wild boars.
They earned a lot of money from these encounters.
However, as the Yun family established themselves in Dashui Village, it seemed that all this good luck had vanished...
The Old Yun family were farmers who worked the land with their faces to the soil and their backs to the sky. Farming was their primary occupation.
Even without Little Xi Tian, they had to survive.
"Old Brother, there's no need to worry. I will raise funds as quickly as possible to build waterwheels for your village."
Governor Qin felt a chill down his spine when he thought of the strict and demanding demeanor of a certain prince.
If he failed to handle this matter properly, his official position might be in jeopardy.
Even though the young prince was in such a sorry state now, he had strong backing and support in the imperial court.
Old Man Yun said earnestly, "Your Excellency's consideration for the people is truly admirable and praised by the populace, a good official beloved by millions of citizens!~"
Prefect Chen: "..."
How did he feel that Old Man Yun had said this to him before?
Governor Qin waved his hand and looked at Yun Erman, "Erman, shall we go for a walk on Camel Peak Mountain?"
He didn't directly mention the Agarwood Forest, fearing that someone with ulterior motives might overhear.
Yun Erman glanced at his father.
"Go ahead. There's only one ridge left, you don't need to worry about it," Old Man Yun said.
Erman was now an officer of the county yamen, and he couldn't be kept by his side all the time.
"Okay!~" Erman nodded.
Old Man Yun cupped his hands again towards the two officials, "After you come down the mountain, come to my home. This humble subject will prepare a banquet for Your Excellencies..."
"Oh, that won't do!~" Prefect Chen repeatedly waved his hands.
He had just been severely reprimanded by the young prince for his gluttony.
He dared not feast at the Old Yun family's home again.
Seeing this, Yun Daman chuckled foolishly, "Prefect, if you don't go, don't regret it!"
"Yesterday, I caught two wild rabbits at the foot of the mountain. Ho! They were so plump and fatty, so heavy!~"
"If they were stir-fried with green onions, the taste would be absolutely amazing."
Prefect Chen: "..."
He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing twice.
As a seasoned foodie, how could he maintain his composure in the face of such temptation?
"Alright, add plenty of dried chili!~" Prefect Chen said seriously.
Governor Qin glared at him, inwardly scoffing.
At a time like this, he was still thinking about food?
His heart was unusually large!~
Yun Erman followed the two officials up the mountain.
Old Man Yun, with Daman, continued watering for a while longer before returning to rest.
The sun was too fierce. If they suffered heatstroke, they wouldn't be able to do anything...
Camel Peak Mountain.
Prefect Chen, supported by a guard, was panting and sweating profusely, exhausted.
"Rest... let's rest for a while, I can't walk anymore, huff, huff!~"
Prefect Chen sat on a large rock, gasping for breath.
This mountain was too steep.
Yun Erman smiled and said, "Prefect, once we cross this ridge, it's the Agarwood Forest. Keep going a little longer!"
These officials had such poor physical condition!
Governor Qin was slightly better, but he was also out of breath.
It was simply suffering!
Governor Qin thought to himself.
Now the Agarwood Forest was protected by constables, so there was no fear of it being arbitrarily felled.
But why did he feel that this forest was a bit unsafe?
Especially from the direction they came, it felt as if someone was following them, making his back tingle...
"How many of us are there?" Governor Qin narrowed his eyes and asked the guard beside him.
The guard replied, "Only two!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around and saw a masked man holding a bow and arrow, aiming at Governor Qin and shooting.
With a 'swoosh'.
The sharp arrowhead cut through the heatwaves and pierced directly into Governor Qin's chest...