Chapter 608: The Heavy Rain Arrived |
Publish Time: 2026-07-01 11:26:56
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While the farmlands in Jishan County widely used chemical fertilizers to expand production rapidly by seizing nature’s bounty,
the Cotton Fields in Puzhou also began large-scale scientific cultivation.
This cotton field was a major focus for Gaojia Village this year.
Because while many places grew seed grain, this was the first large-scale cultivation site for “cash crops” like cotton.
Gaojia Village’s textile industry had always relied on cotton provided by the Deity—undeniably, an extremely unsustainable arrangement.
If one day the Deity became displeased and ceased supplying heavenly cotton to the mortal realm, the textile industry would collapse. This crisis would then ripple through all sectors, triggering an “economic depression.”
Thus, Gaojia Village mobilized its finest talents this time. Numerous technical personnel flocked to Puzhou, determined to boost the cotton field’s yield. At the very least, they needed to ensure that the cotton production in Puzhou City could support all textile factories for the coming year, sparing the Deity any further effort.
In April, early summer, Saint Lady Gao Yiye personally arrived in Puzhou.
Both her “personal guards,” Ground Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi, had gone to Xi’an, forcing her to switch to new guards. These newcomers were all strictly by-the-book, making things far less entertaining without Mr. Rabbit.
Still, as long as she saw the cotton fields, Gao Yiye remained happy.
Not a single white cotton boll could yet be seen in the fields—only waist-high cotton plants growing vigorously.
Numerous cotton farmers busily weeded in the fields.
Also present was a small puppet deity, thirty centimeters tall, darting among the cotton plants. Occasionally, it would grab a weed and yank it out with a “heave-ho!”
Giggling, Gao Yiye chased after it, calling out, “Deity, Deity, wait for me!”
Dodging under a cotton plant, the puppet deity hid itself.
Just as it hoped, Gao Yiye ran right past without noticing it. “Deity, where did you go?”
The puppet deity then leaped out from behind her, roaring with laughter.
As the two played joyfully in the fields, the cotton farmers watched fondly. “Saint Lady, be careful not to fall!”
Gao Yiye smiled. “No worries, I won’t crush any cotton.”
The farmers responded, “Crushing a few plants matters little! We fear you might hurt yourself.”
Gao Yiye laughed. “Squashing them wouldn’t do! I plan to sneak some cotton myself come harvest time.”
The farmers broke into anxious sweat, thinking: You, the Saint Lady, intending to steal cotton? If you really come to steal… should we catch you or not?
Then the puppet deity popped out from under a cotton seedling. “If she comes to steal cotton, just apprehend her and haul her to the authorities!”
The farmers sweatdropped further, thinking: Though this is a Deity Decree, dare we follow it? Who knows if you’re being serious or just joking!
At that very moment…
Suddenly, a roar of heavy rain erupted across the sky.
“Wah!” everyone cried out, startled.
It was early summer, and Gao Yiye’s clothing wasn’t thick. If drenched, her clothes clinging to her body… well, that might look unseemly. Terrified, she desperately sprinted for the field’s edge.
Her guards rushed forward, unfurling oiled-paper umbrellas to shield her from the rain. In those few short steps, her clothes stayed mostly dry, but a few strands of hair got soaked and stuck to her cheeks. It lent her an exotic kind of beauty.
A few other guards ran towards the puppet deity, hoping to shield it too.
The puppet deity shook his head: “I’m not afraid of getting wet.”
The guards promptly retreated.
The puppet deity strolled in the rain, slowly walking up to Gao Yiye.
Gao Yiye squatted down, picked him up with both hands, and placed him on her shoulder. Thus, the puppet deity sat on her slim shoulder, and the two of them under the umbrella watched the torrential rain pour down, washing the earth with a loud splashing sound.
“Just at the start of summer, it’s raining so heavily,” Gao Yiye whispered: “The weather this year is truly remarkable.”
The fourth month of the lunar calendar usually equals May or June in the solar calendar—early summer!
It wasn’t surprising for summer to bring heavy rain, but after consecutive years of severe drought, this year’s abundant rain felt somewhat unusual.
The cotton farmers didn’t dare seek shelter from the rain. Instead, they braved the storm and rushed into the fields.
Li Daoxuan didn’t know much about farming. Seeing this, he couldn’t help but wonder to himself: What are they doing?
However, he quickly understood.
The cotton farmers rushed into the fields to inspect the drainage ditches on the farmland.
Our farmers had cultivated fields for thousands of years—it wasn’t for nothing. They understood how to handle rainy days: drainage. As long as the fields were prepared with drainage ditches, they wouldn’t get waterlogged.
The crops wouldn’t be harmed or yield less.
But…
This time, the elderly farmers faced a new problem.
Because in the past few years, there had been severe drought, making the cotton farmers neglect the drainage ditches. The ditches dug years ago had become dilapidated, many parts were blocked, and some were filled with mud and stones, turning as hard as a public road.
The cotton farmers were terrified when they saw the state of the ditches!
Someone yelled loudly: “Hurry up, dredge the drainage ditches, or the cotton fields will flood!”
“With rain this heavy, the fields could flood in at most the time for two incense sticks to burn—dig now!”
“Hurry and dig! Call everyone from home to help, all together.”
The cotton farmers frantically began digging the ditches, dig, dig, dig…
The storm was extremely powerful, and in just a short while, many ditches in the fields filled with water. But the farmers’ quick work on cleaning the ditches helped—the water started flowing outward along the ditches into bigger drainage ditches.
But… that bigger drainage ditch was blocked too, and no one dug it. The farmers only cared about their own fields; no one managed the main drainage ditch.
Soon, deep water piled up in the main drainage ditch.
The water became so abundant it began overflowing…
The cotton farmers’ faces turned ashen with fear.
If the main drainage ditch was large, like a small stream, there was no way it could be opened with hurried digging.
Just as they were filled with terror, Gao Yiye, standing under the umbrella, smiled and said: “Everyone, don’t be scared—the Deity will act soon.”
The cotton farmers rejoiced: “Is the Deity willing to help us?”
Li Daoxuan was hunting for something at that moment. He couldn’t use the small shovel—it was too wide. One scoop wouldn’t dig a ditch but make a river! That would ruin the cotton fields on either side of the drainage ditch, so he needed a slender tool.
His gaze suddenly fell upon the Sun Wukong figure on his desk. The Great Sage was holding a Golden-Hooped Staff; its width struck him as perfect.
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