https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-252-Uncle-Jiu-s-Prestige-6000-Words-/12849413/
Chapter 251: Rain at the Start of August, Winter Freezes Cattle
Chapter 251: Rain at the Start of August, Winter Freezes Cattle
After helping her eldest son buy a house in the county town and tidying it up, Deng Shilan returned to her hometown with her husband. Everything inside and outside the house was cleaned spotlessly before they left.
Back home, her second son had already applied for a loan from the credit union and was waiting for the funds to be released so he could buy a truck and start his exciting freight business.
As for her youngest son and daughter, they were diligently helping to clear the land. Following her younger brother’s advice, Deng Shilan had leased the village’s public mountains and slopes. The family would spend their free time clearing these areas, preparing to plant sugarcane on a large scale.
Accompanying them back were Deng Shirong and his wife, Zhang Xiuping, along with their daughter.
Zhang Xiuping was returning to visit her friend Ou Guofang’s newborn’s full moon celebration. It had been two and a half months since she left, so it was time to spend a few days back home.
Budashi, however, did not return with them. He stayed behind for a couple of days to watch the house, as this important step in their marriage could not be skipped, despite his job in the county town making the trip less frequent.
After returning home, Zhang Xiuping quickly ate a bowl of noodles and then rushed off to visit her friend with her child.
Deng Shirong, on the other hand, sat under a longan tree, frowning as he smoked. On his way back, he had noticed some villagers planting sweet potatoes.
In the Shuangwang region, sweet potatoes were planted twice a year, in the fourth and eighth months of the lunar calendar, known as the April and August sweet potatoes, respectively.
It was early August, and many villagers had already started planting the August sweet potatoes. This discovery troubled Deng Shirong, as he knew that this year’s weather would be different from the past. Frost would arrive earlier and last longer, continuing well into the next spring.
While this was normal in the north, it was highly unusual in the southern part of Guangxi Province.
From his past life, Deng Shirong remembered that several oxen in the village had been frozen to death, and the sweet potatoes had all perished. So, the villagers’ efforts to plant the August sweet potatoes were in vain.
But how could he warn them?
After much thought, he recalled a folk saying: "Rain at the start of August, winter freezes cattle."
Coincidentally, it did rain on the first day of August. With this saying, he could reasonably warn the villagers.
Whether they listened or not was not his concern; at least he had tried.
In reality, the loss of sweet potatoes was not a significant issue; it was just a waste of labor. Sweet potato seedlings were plentiful in the village, and no one would be short of them. However, after this year’s sweet potatoes were all frozen, they would need to start anew next year by using sweet potatoes to propagate new seedlings.
The real loss was the several oxen that would be frozen to death. That was a significant blow.
With this in mind, Deng Shirong put down his pipe and stood up, heading toward the home of the production team captain, Deng Yunjun. Although his seniority and reputation in the village would allow him to gather the villagers, it was more appropriate for the captain to do so, as the production team had not yet been dissolved.
Deng Yunjun was repairing a shovel handle in the hall when he saw Deng Shirong approaching. "Uncle Jiu, when did you return?" he greeted.
"Just a little while ago," Deng Shirong replied, taking a seat on a nearby stool.
"Uncle Jiu, how’s your restaurant business?" Deng Yunjun put down the shovel handle and handed him a pipe.
"Just smoked a few pipes at home."
Deng Shirong waved it off and answered, "The business is doing well. When you go to the county town for meetings, remember to stop by my place for a meal."
As the production team captain, Deng Yunjun had the opportunity to visit the county town for meetings, even if he wasn’t very familiar with it. He knew the main roads.
"Uncle Jiu, where is your restaurant?"
"Near the People's Cinema. Do you know it?"
This was a well-known landmark in the county town, and Deng Yunjun nodded. "Yes, I know the place. It’s close to the county government. We always pass by the People's Cinema when we go to meetings."
Deng Shirong said, "My restaurant is right across from the People's Cinema."
Deng Yunjun smiled. "That’s easy to find. What’s the name of your restaurant?"
"Shuifeng Restaurant."
Deng Yunjun nodded. "Got it. I’ll remember that. When I go to the People's Congress next year, I’ll visit your restaurant."
They chatted about the restaurant for a while before Deng Shirong brought up the main issue. "On my way back, I noticed many villagers starting to plant sweet potatoes."
Deng Yunjun said, "It’s already August, so it’s time to plant the August sweet potatoes."
Deng Shirong replied, "Captain, I think the weather this year might not be suitable for planting sweet potatoes."
Deng Yunjun was surprised. "Uncle Jiu, what do you mean?"
Deng Shirong said, "It rained on the first day of August, remember?"
Deng Yunjun nodded and said, "I remember. It rained quite heavily that day. But what does that have to do with whether it's suitable to plant sweet potatoes?"
Deng Shirong asked, "There's an old saying: 'Rain on the first day of the eighth month, winter will freeze the oxen.' This is a saying passed down by our ancestors, and I believe there must be some truth to it. This year's winter is likely to be colder than usual, and the cold might last longer. If we plant sweet potatoes now, they might freeze to death!"
Deng Yunjun's expression turned serious. Although the village had already divided the fields for individual farming, the production team had not yet been disbanded. As the team leader, he bore a great responsibility, especially when it came to food production. Such matters were crucial and required careful attention.
"Uncle Jiu, do you have any factual basis for this claim?"
"Hardly any factual basis at all!"
Deng Shirong shook his head and said, "There's an old saying: 'On the first day of the sixth month, look at the year; on the first day of the eighth month, look at the next year.' According to the wisdom of our ancestors, on the first day of the sixth month, if it rains, it means 'Rain for half the year, widows will worry,' 'Rain for half the year, autumn crops will surely thrive,' 'Clear on the first day of the sixth month, haystacks for the cattle,' and 'On the first day of the sixth month, sunburnt faces, fields dry as potsherds.'
On the first day of the eighth month, there are sayings like 'Rain on the first day of the eighth month, winter will freeze the oxen,' 'Clear on the first day of the eighth month, rice as white as silver,' 'Rain on the first day of the eighth month, drought until the fifth month next year,' and 'Hot on the first day of the eighth month, no frost for sixty days.'
These proverbs have been passed down for a reason. We shouldn't believe them completely, but we can't ignore them either. So, I think it's necessary to remind everyone. Whether it's true or not, it's always better to be prepared."
Deng Yunjun nodded in agreement. "Uncle Jiu, you make a good point. It's better to err on the side of caution. Should I call a meeting tonight to discuss this?"
Deng Shirong replied, "That's why I came to see you. It's just a reminder, a way to show concern. Whether they listen or not is up to them."
After settling this matter, the two men chatted for a bit more before Deng Shirong left.
...
6:00 PM.
The villagers of Naye had mostly finished their dinners. Some sat outside their homes smoking, while others visited neighbors to chat.
Suddenly, a rhythmic bell rang, signaling the production team leader's call for a meeting. In those days, each production team had a bell (or rather, a piece of iron) hanging to gather the members. Before the land was divided, the bell was used to summon everyone for collective labor, as it was more efficient than going door to door.
Now that the land was divided, the bell had not been used for a long time. Its sudden ringing puzzled the villagers, who wondered what the leader needed.
With nothing better to do, the villagers who heard the bell curiously made their way to the leader's home.
Naye Village, with only a few dozen households, was technically a hamlet, not an administrative village. However, the locals preferred to call it a village, so the original name Naye Hamlet became Naye Village.
Being a small village, the bell's sound reached everyone within minutes. By 6:05, people from every household had gathered at the leader's home.
"Leader, why did you call us here?"
"Leader, are we discussing the electricity issue for our village?"
"Leader, ..."
As the villagers gathered, they began asking Deng Yunjun.
Seeing that Uncle Jiu had arrived, Deng Yunjun cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, please quiet down. I have a few words to say."
Once the villagers settled, Deng Yunjun continued, "I called everyone here today because Uncle Jiu mentioned something to me earlier. We discussed it and felt it was important to share with you all. Whether you believe it or not, consider it a reminder."
Deng Yunjun then looked at Deng Shirong and said, "Uncle Jiu, why don't you tell them?"
Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Do you all remember the heavy rain on the first day of the eighth month?"
"Of course, it rained quite heavily that day."
"That morning was fine, no sign of rain. I worked in the orchard for a while, and then the rain came suddenly. I barely made it home in time and got drenched. Luckily, I didn't catch a cold, or I would have suffered."
"Grandpa Jiu, what does the rain that day have to do with what you want to say?"
"Grandpa Jiu, ..."
With nearly a hundred people present, Deng Shirong's question prompted a dozen responses.
Deng Shirong said, "Have you heard the old saying: 'Rain on the first day of the eighth month, winter will freeze the oxen'?"
---
Dear readers, due to the large number of chapter skips, the average subscription rate is increasing slowly. Starting tomorrow, I will try updating with larger chapters. The morning update at 8:00 AM will be canceled, and there will be a single update at 7:00 PM with no less than 6,000 words. Thank you for your support!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
