The sandstorm finally subsided by the afternoon. Qin Junyao thought it was good enough, considering the strong winds, she had expected it to last a day and a night.
The sandstorm, which Qin Junyao considered quite manageable, had a significant impact on more than a dozen nearby villages. Besides overturned roofs and blown-away poultry, there were also sheep lost in the storm.
And sadly, there were people who went missing or died in the gale.
"Big sister, can these dug-out vegetables still live?" Qin Erniu helped Qin Junyao dig out the vegetable seedlings buried by sand in the yard and re-water them.
Everyone else had gone to the wheat fields. For some reason, there was a lot of sand in the vegetable garden.
Logically, the fence should have blocked some of the sand, but now it seemed to have trapped the sand within the yard.
Qin Junyao, sifting through the sand which was neither sand nor soil, fine as ash, replied to Qin Erniu.
"I don't know if they can live, but let's try." Qin Junyao dug while collecting the sand into her spatial dimension, where it was automatically absorbed by the land, rendering it useless.
"Big sister, will these storms happen often?"
Qin Junyao looked towards the desert. "You'd have to ask the villagers. Generally, the spring winds are strong and can cause sandstorms, varying in scale."
She paused, her hands still, thinking that if they planted several rows of trees as a buffer zone on the edge of the desert, closer to the village, sandstorms wouldn't be so devastating.
Before half of the vegetables in the yard were dug out, Qin Father returned in a hurry.
"Dad, are you done with the fields?" Qin Junyao had been thinking of using her spatial dimension to clear the sand from the yard and then go to the fields, not expecting Qin Father to return so soon.
"No, Village Chief Hao asked everyone to go to the big poplar tree. I came back to change into old clothes," Qin Father said and went into the house.
Qin Junyao wanted to ask more but saw Qin Grandmother also return, also with hurried steps into the house.
When mother and son came out again, they were both in ragged clothes. Qin Junyao noticed that what Qin Father was wearing seemed to be the same set his third uncle had worn before.
"Grandma, Dad, aren't you two being a bit dramatic?" Qin Junyao couldn't help but say.
"Mind your work. If your mother and the others come back early, don't let them call Xiao Yu. She was scared. We'll call her later tonight," Qin Grandmother said, then walked with Qin Father towards the village.
Qin Junyao watched Qin Grandmother put on her fleeing-famine headscarf again. She wondered why they would call Xiao Yu when she was sleeping.
After tidying up the vegetable patch, Qin Junyao and Qin Erniu locked the door and went to the wheat fields.
The wheat fields were not too badly affected. The wheat planted last autumn had not fallen, and the wheat planted recently was not completely buried. However, the land prepared for planting potatoes needed to be re-organized.
Uncle Hou Si said the soil that fell from the sky wouldn't nourish crops and needed to be cleared, or more fertilizer would be needed.
Qin Junyao listened attentively. This was all practical knowledge.
With the help of neighbors who came to inquire about the news, the wheat fields were cleared quickly.
Qin Sen told the surrounding neighbors that the sandstorm was not divine punishment and that those who were scared at home would be called upon when his mother returned.
While the neighbors' attention was not on the wheat fields, Qin Junyao helped Qin Da Niu and Uncle Hou Si by watering the roots of their wheat a little less.
The well water from her spatial dimension could keep moisture for three days. Even if strong winds blew again at night, they would be safe. However, Qin Junyao's spatial well water was running low.
By the time it was completely dark, Qin Grandmother and Qin Father returned, both with grim expressions.
Qin Grandmother seemed a little feverish, and seeing Qin Xiao Yu frowning in her sleep, she decided to have Qin Father find wooden sticks first.
Hearing that quite a few neighbors were also frightened, she asked Qin Da Niu and Qin Er Niu to accompany Qin Mother and Qin Er Sao to inform the neighbors.
"Third Elder, San Niu, and Yao Yao stay home. Everyone else, follow me." Qin Grandmother instructed, holding several sheets of yellow paper and a fire starter, about to go out.
"Grandma, why can't I go?" Qin Junyao still didn't know what this "calling" was.
"It's to call back souls. What are you, a girl, going there for? Lock the door and stay home."
"For the meal... Wash the vegetables and wait for your mother to cook. Third Elder, watch her, don't let her cook. Let's go."
Qin Grandmother turned and left with the others briskly. Qin Junyao looked at her third uncle and third brother, using a smile to ease the awkwardness.
"Don't worry, I don't know how to cook."
Qin Junyao was washing potatoes when she heard sounds outside the house. There were gong sounds, the clanging of sticks, and people shouting various names, calling them home.
"Don't go out. They will circle this area three times and will be back after shouting," Qin Sen stopped Qin Junyao from pushing the door open.
"This way Xiao Yu will wake up and the fever will subside?" Qin Junyao sounded doubtful.
She had discovered that Qin Xiao Yu was still asleep and had a fever after returning from the fields. She had given Xiao Yu well water from her spatial dimension, but it didn't help. She wanted to find the village's barefoot doctor, but Qin Grandmother didn't allow it.
"You'll know when they return. Aren't there many things in this world that can't be explained?" Qin Sen said, looking into Qin Junyao's eyes.
"Third Uncle, you're at it again." Qin Junyao turned and continued washing potatoes, ignoring Qin Sen and no longer thinking of going out. Sudans.com
Qin Sen smiled slightly and looked at the door. This niece's personality had changed somewhat; she was a bit like the Qin Junyao of the past.
Dinner was pancakes with potato soup. Qin Junyao greatly admired Qin Mother's ability to make pancakes on a cast-iron pot.
Qin Junyao stood in the kitchen, watching Qin Mother make pancakes. "Mom, these pancakes could also be sold."
"There are pancakes in the northwest, but they are different from these."
"The pancakes from our hometown are thin and crispy, eaten rolled with scallions. Here, they are soft and chewy, eaten rolled with vegetables or dipped in vinegar. There's also 'lao mian', which is made on a 'aozi' and is also very similar to pancakes."
Qin Mother was about to discuss the method of making 'lao mian' with Qin Junyao when Qin Da Niu came into the kitchen. "Mom, Xiao Yu is awake and says she's hungry."
"Alright, dinner is almost ready. Da Niu, help your second aunt carry the potato soup into the house." Qin Mother said with a smile, speeding up her actions as pancakes were stacked one by one.
Qin Junyao was surprised: "It really worked?!"
At the dinner table, Qin Junyao curiously ate the pancakes rolled with scallion leaves. They were quite delicious.
Qin Sen drank potato soup and asked Qin Grandmother, "Mom, what was the matter with the village chief earlier?"
"Nonsense."
Seeing that Qin Grandmother didn't want to talk, Qin Father chimed in. "Village Chief Hao said that this rain was 'yellow sand'. Here, they call sandstorms 'yellow sand rain', and I heard there's also 'black sand rain' and 'red sand rain'."
"This 'yellow sand rain' is said to be divine punishment from heaven because the 'shehuo' ritual was not performed at New Year's. The village now knows that over twenty households had their roofs damaged."
"Get to the point," Qin Grandmother said, chewing on a pancake, addressing Qin Father.
"Ahem. Village Chief Hao said he knows a divine person who can perform rituals to compensate for the disrespect shown to heaven during the New Year. Each family has to contribute five hundred wen."
"Five hundred wen?" Qin Mother exclaimed, putting down her bowl. "Yangshu Village has over a hundred households. Five hundred wen per family, that would be over fifty taels?"
Qin Father shook his head. "If you include all of us outsiders, it might be over a hundred taels."