This area of ​​Panling is located on the top of the mountain, like hills, and is generally gentle and flat. There is more land that can be used for farming, and there are many natural villages scattered high and low. [] Wu Xiaojun and Bai Lingyan followed the roster and went to several nearby natural villages.

I visited several houses and everything went smoothly.

At around two o'clock in the afternoon, the two began to set off for their next destination, Gaozhuang.

The scorching sun in midsummer is like a fire umbrella covering the sky and the earth, the sky is dazzlingly bright, the weather is as hot as a steamer, and there is not a trace of wind. Under this kind of oppression, the people in the village feel lazy and seem to have lost their active vitality.

Everyone stayed at home, drowsy, or simply fell asleep. No one wanted to go out and suffer. There were sparse crops in the fields on both sides of the road. Their heads were drooped and there was no energy. There were orchards full of big and small apples.

There are green and round watermelons all over the ground, and the leaves covered with a layer of dust are wilted and curled up. Countless cicadas are screaming hoarsely on the trees, all of which add to the excitement of people in the hot summer weather.

of irritability.

The two of them walked on the path between the villages, not meeting anyone along the way. They passed by the forest ridge and left the stone avenue on the path. The stones under their feet made a sound and the soles of their feet were burning. Waves of hot air rushed towards them.

I felt like I was being roasted. Looking into the distance, I saw transparent steam rising on the quiet and deserted road.

Not long after, I was sweating profusely and my mouth was dry. I drank some well water brought from a fellow villager under a poplar tree on the roadside, took a rest, and continued on the road. Bai Lingyan carried the

He handed the parasol to Wu Xiaojun, and he wore a sunhat on his head to reduce the damage to his eyes from the strong light. The two walked side by side, Wu Xiaojun was grateful and caressing, and tried his best to cover Bai Lingyan with the shadow formed by the umbrella.

Reduce ultraviolet damage to her delicate body.

The villagers in the orchard sheds on the roadside saw the two people who were very close and warm on the road under the scorching sun. They looked like they were seeing strange monsters. They stared at the two people walking past in front of them, and then pointed and pointed.

They were talking and laughing, maybe they were laughing at them for holding umbrellas under the clear sky.

In a field downhill, there were many tractors, tricycles and trucks parked nearby. Many men, women, old and children were sweating profusely, carrying large buckets, small buckets and pots and pans, and crowded around a water truck to receive water.

.

Wu Xiaojun looked at it and asked Bai Lingyan curiously, "Why are there so many people collecting water? Is it to irrigate the fields for drought relief?"

"It's so easy for you to say it. No one eats it yet, and no one is willing to throw it into the ground. It's too luxurious."

"It is normal to irrigate the land and grow crops in drought-resistant conditions. Even if the weather is extremely dry, we will not be without water. How can we call it a luxury?"

"As the saying goes, it is more difficult to eat water than to eat oil. People in the mountains are most afraid of drought. When there is a drought, water is the biggest problem for people and animals. One year, my dad ran back and forth for more than ten miles to carry a load of water from the Qinghe River.

The vegetables were washed in bowls instead of basins, and the washed water was used for rinsing clothes, and the whole family ate for more than ten days."

"We don't have to worry about running out of water at all. Every household uses a pressurized water well, and there is always an endless supply of water. As long as there is a drought, every household is busy watering and fertilizing the crops, and the crops have been growing well.

"However, we are most afraid of floods and strong winds. A storm can destroy even the best crops in an instant, or even stop harvesting."

"Although the difference between the two places is huge, it's not as serious as you said."

"What I said is true. For example, four years ago, when I saw that the wheat harvest was about to be harvested, it was almost ripe. There was a violent storm for more than two hours, and all the wheat in the field fell into the water. Although it took a lot of effort, Due to my strength, I harvested a lot of straw and wheat, but the weight did drop significantly. The flour was bitter and black, and I couldn't eat it at all. Later, it was all sold as wheat bran to feed mills at a low price."

Just as he was talking, there was a family of three in front of him pushing and pulling a frame truck with a tin bucket uphill. The man was driving the handlebar, and the eleven- and two-year-old boys were holding a hemp rope as thick as a thumb on their shoulders, lowering their heads and pushing forward hard. Taking a step forward, the woman behind the car gritted her teeth and pushed forward hard. Since the slope was relatively steep, it was very difficult for the three of them to move forward. The car might retreat to the bottom of the slope at any time and turn over into a ditch beside the road.

The man's face was red from suppressing the pressure, and he was very anxious. He kept yelling and cursing, "I'm so exhausted that I can't pull up. You two are just useless trash. I don't know how to use more force."

The woman pushed forward hard and said angrily, "When I came here, I asked you to bring the cow, but you refused to let me. It's better now. If you can't go up the slope, it will be a waste of effort. It's all because you are stupid and scolded me and my mother-in-law." It’s useless.”

When Wu Xiaojun saw it, he quickly closed the umbrella and handed it to Bai Lingyan. He ran forward and, using all his strength, he and the woman pushed the cart forward from behind. Bai Lingyan also came over to help. There were more people and more strength. After about ten minutes, I finally pushed the car up the hill.

The woman wiped the sweat from her face with a towel and said gratefully, "Thank you, brothers and sisters. The slope is a bit bigger. If it weren't for your help, I wouldn't have been able to go up, which would have made you tired. It's better now, more or less." You can go downhill and reach our village, Gaozhuang, without much effort."

Bai Lingyan said, "Sister-in-law, you mean that Gaozhuang is just ahead. What a coincidence. We have to go to the village to do some errands, so we are going together."

The woman said, "Sister, whose house are you going to? Do you think we can do anything to help?"

Wu Xiaojun said, "We are mainly going to several houses to learn about the situation of some children rescued by the Hope Project. If it is convenient for you, please show us the way. I don't know if it is convenient or not."

The woman said happily, "It's convenient, it's convenient. There are more than a thousand households in the village, and I'm familiar with every one. I'll take you to the house you choose."

Wu Xiaojun said, "That's great. Sister-in-law, are you free of charge or do you have to pay for it?"

The woman said, "Nothing is free. If you pay for it, it is expensive."

Bai Lingyan asked, "How much does this bucket of water cost?"

The woman said, "This water is sold by the pound. A pound of water is 50 cents, and a bucket of water is more than 100 yuan."

When Wu Xiaojun heard this, he clicked his tongue and said to himself that a bottle of mineral water in the city only cost sixty or seventy cents. It was really expensive here, and drinking water was as expensive as oil.

A few people joked all the way to Gaozhuang. Under the guidance of the woman who was busy running around, they successfully found the home of the eight children. It was getting late. After briefly checking the situation, it was already six o'clock in the evening, so they had to follow the original road to the town. Return.

Although the two of them were physically and mentally exhausted, they were already quite familiar with the journey back, so there was no need to ask anyone for information, so it naturally felt much faster.

The sun slowly sets in the west, and mist and wisps of green smoke gradually rise among the mountains. Along with the slightest breeze blowing in the face, the hot temperature is no longer so scorching, and the two of them are nervous and depressed for the day. Also started to stretch.

Wu Xiaojun looked at Bai Lingyan's hurried footsteps and said with a smile, "Miss Bai, you have been walking non-stop for a whole day, and your pace is still very fast. It's a bit difficult for me to chase you. If you continue like this, even if you tire me out,

I can't even catch you up, that's great."

Bai Lingyan pursed her lips proudly and said with a smile, "Don't think of girls as weak and delicate babies. In many cases, they are no worse than boys. How about you? Are you satisfied with my partner? I am not holding you back, no.

I'll cause you trouble. I still have plenty of strength. If you're not convinced, let's compete to see who can walk faster."

Wu Xiaojun rolled his eyes, thought for a moment, and said casually, "Okay, I don't believe I've even competed with you. Tell me, what happens if you win or lose?"

Bai Lingyan said with a weird and cunning look on her face, "If you lose, you treat me to dinner tonight and you pay. If I lose, you pay and I treat you to dinner."
Chapter completed!