Transmigrated into the role of the matriarch, I ensured my family had enough to eat and wear during

This was the first time in Tang Susu's life that she had witnessed the spectacular sight of locusts passing through. She was deeply shocked. She could easily grab a handful of locusts jumping around. As far as the eye could see, there was a dense, dark mass of them.

Unlike Tang Susu's shock, the other villagers in Yangqu Village showed no fear on their faces, but rather a deep sense of relief. They murmured with emotion, because this locust plague was much milder than last year's.

As the villagers gazed at the locusts in the fields, they couldn't help but recall the devastation of last year's locust plague: the sky was a clear blue, the sun was high in the sky, and it seemed like an ordinary day, but countless locusts surged in from all directions like a black storm, covering the sky and the earth, unstoppable.

Before people could react, thousands of acres of fertile rice paddies were devoured by locusts, leaving not a single ear of rice behind.

After feasting, the locusts crossed the Gou Tuo Mountain and swept through other surrounding villages, leaving no harvest in their wake.

The villagers all knew that the number of locusts had decreased significantly this time, thanks to County Magistrate Lu's earlier order for each village to carry out pest control work in advance and take precautions.

In addition, Yangqu Village had already started organizing villagers to catch locusts and use lantana for control eight or nine days ago, making preparations in advance. So even if there is some panic at this moment, they can deal with it calmly and will not be as helpless as they were last year.

The locust eradication campaign officially began. The villagers rushed home and herded all their ducks inside to keep them confined. This was to prevent the ducks from accidentally eating locusts poisoned by lantana and to prevent them from running around and interfering with the locust eradication work.

Subsequently, the entire village was mobilized, and almost everyone who was able to join the locust eradication team without hesitation. Men, women, young and old, each performed their duties.

Everyone had a clear division of labor and there was no confusion: someone stood at the highest point in the field and shouted instructions to everyone to quickly start a fire and throw the lantana that had been collected in advance into the fire to burn.

This is the previously decided burning method to kill locusts. The smoke produced by burning lantana poisons locusts in the air and fields. Although it is pungent, it is very effective.

A group of old women, carrying their own bedspreads and sheets, ran back and forth in the fields, using the sheets to cover the locusts.

The men, armed with shovels, quickly dug pits in the fields and dumped all the captured locusts into them to bury them—this pit-burying method could completely eliminate live locusts, prevent any remaining locusts from spreading again, and eliminate future troubles.

The children were not idle either. Each of them carried a thick tree branch and ran along the ridges and edges of the rice paddies, trying their best to drive away the locusts and prevent them from eating the ripe grains.

Even if the grains had been sprayed with lantana pesticide beforehand, and the locusts would slowly die after eating them, the grains that the locusts ate would ultimately be wasted. Every grain saved was a glimmer of hope.

Soon, nearly two hundred bonfires were lit in the fields of Yangqu Village. The villagers threw all the lantana that adults and children had collected and stored on the mountain in recent days into the fire.

Smoke filled the air, and a pungent smell permeated the entire field. Everyone coughed violently, their throats dry and itchy, but no one dared to stop what they were doing. Even when they were panting heavily, they would just wipe their sweat and continue working.

Even three-year-old children imitated the adults, taking small wooden sticks and stumbling along the ridges of the fields, clumsily chasing locusts into the air so that they would be suffocated by the smoke of the lantana.

The locusts covered with bed sheets were still struggling because they hadn't died immediately. The villagers immediately dumped them into the dug pit, quickly filled it with soil, and buried them, giving them no chance to survive.

Yangqu Village has a population of nearly two thousand. Except for infants who cannot walk yet, everyone else participated in the locust eradication campaign.

Those who are usually lazy, opportunistic, and cunning, such as Yang Houcai and Zheng Rapi, did not hide at home and slack off in the face of this natural disaster. Instead, they obediently picked up tools and joined the locust-sweeping team without hesitation, engaging in a protracted and fierce battle against the locusts that swarmed like a tide.

This battle against locusts began at dawn and continued until the golden afterglow bathed the earth, dusk fell, and the sky gradually darkened.

After a whole day of hard work, the number of locusts that blotted out the sky gradually decreased, and the buzzing sound in the air gradually weakened.

The last few locusts, after struggling for a while, fled in panic towards the other side of Gou Tuo Mountain like a defeated army, completely retreating from the fields of Yangqu Village, never to return.

After the battle, everyone in Yangqu Village collapsed helplessly onto the muddy ground in the fields, their bodies aching and sore, unable even to lift their hands.

Sweat poured down their foreheads like rain, soaking their clothes and clinging to their bodies; everyone was covered in mud and grass clippings, their faces filthy, looking utterly disheveled, yet not a single person complained.

Each family's rice stalks suffered varying degrees of damage; almost every single ear of rice was gnawed by locusts to some extent.

Fortunately, the locusts did not devour all the grains. Some grains remained on each ear of rice. As long as there were some left, there was hope. The villagers were secretly relieved that most of the grains had been saved.

The villagers were overjoyed and excited, and the emotions that had been suppressed all day were completely released at this moment: some people couldn't help but burst into tears, not out of sadness, but to release the tension, anxiety and hard work of the past few days;

Some people laughed heartily and cheered loudly that the locusts had been driven away and the grain had been saved;

Everyone sat together, discussing the situation. Some lamented that if they had had the same locust control method last year, they wouldn't have had such a hard time, with no harvest and no hunger or cold. Others advised everyone to put aside the past suffering and look forward, as the harvest had been saved this year and things would gradually get better.

The village head struggled to his feet, his legs still a little weak. He looked out over the vast fields, seeing that most of the locusts were dead and only a few had flown away. He knew that although they had won the battle against the locusts, the cost was not small.

The locusts that died in the fields all had grains in their bellies. The grains that the villagers had worked so hard to plant were ultimately not all saved. It is roughly estimated that only about 70% of them remained.

The village head pondered to himself that this year was a drought year with little rain, and the grains in the fields were much flatter and less plump than in previous years. Now, locusts had eaten up 30% of the crop. Although it was much better than the disastrous situation of no harvest last year, it still could not escape the fate of a famine year.

The villagers will likely have to go hungry for the rest of the year, gritting their teeth and persevering until the harvest next spring.

But the village head didn't say such discouraging words. He knew that the villagers had just gone through a whole day of hard work and were full of joy and hope. He couldn't use these words to discourage them.

He took a deep breath, raised his voice, and addressed the villagers in a loud and clear tone, trying to calm them down: "Fellow villagers, today, we have worked together to successfully drive away the locusts and save our grain!"

"This is the first time in a century that our Yangqu Village has achieved such a victory in the fight against natural disasters. It is the result of everyone's joint efforts!"

"The locusts have completely flown away and won't come back to harm our crops. Let's all grit our teeth and hold on for three more days. After three days, we'll start harvesting the grain, and then we can have a good, hearty meal and treat ourselves!"

After hearing the village head's words, the villagers' smiles became even brighter. One by one, they slowly stood up, helped each other, and gradually dispersed to go home and rest, relieving the fatigue of the whole day and looking forward to the harvest three days later.

Tang Chengyu was also exhausted, his legs were weak and his whole body ached. He wasn't very strong, and his assigned task was to catch locusts by pulling the bed sheets along with the old women.

He ran back and forth in the fields all day long, bending over without stopping for a moment. Roughly estimated, he killed thousands of locusts with just a bed sheet in his hand.

After completing the locust eradication mission, Tang Chengyu felt a strong sense of accomplishment. This feeling of protecting the land and the livelihoods of his fellow villagers with his own strength was more exciting and reassuring than reading a good book or writing a good article.

But amidst his excitement, he also felt a little worried, concerned about the situation in Xihe Village. He wondered if the locust control work in Xihe Village had been done well, and whether the villagers could successfully repel the locusts and protect their crops.

Miao Yulan also participated in the locust eradication campaign. All the pregnant women in the village were assigned to burn lantana. This job was not arduous and did not require running back and forth, so Miao Yulan was not as exhausted as Tang Chengyu and Tang Lifu when she returned home.

After returning home, Miao Yulan first took a quick shower to wash off the dirt and odor, and then immediately went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Knowing that everyone must be tired and hungry after a long day of work and struggle, she took it upon herself to cook a pot of white rice, stew a delicious lotus root and pheasant soup, and make a fragrant rabbit hot pot, carefully preparing a sumptuous meal to reward the family.

After everyone in the family had washed off the dirt and odors and sat down comfortably, the food that Miao Yulan had prepared was ready to be eaten.

The family sat around the dining table, the steaming food dispelling their fatigue and chill, and laughter filled the small house.

Yang Xiaobao's mouth was glistening with oil, and there was still soup on the corner of his mouth. He shoveled rice into his mouth and praised Miao Yulan indistinctly, "Second Aunt, your cooking is so delicious, especially this rabbit hot pot. It's even more fragrant than last time, so tasty!"

Miao Yulan's eyes crinkled with delight at the praise, and she teased him with a smile, "You little glutton, all you ever do is eat! I remember the first time you ate meat, you were so scared you cried, saying it was too greasy. How come you're enjoying it so much now?"

Yang Xiaobao blushed, but remained calm as he retorted, "I didn't know meat was so delicious before. Now that I know, I'm going to eat meat every day, especially the meat my second aunt makes!"

One sentence made the whole family laugh, and the atmosphere at the dinner table became even more lively.

Tang Chengyu also put down his chopsticks, nodded seriously, and sincerely praised, "Li Fu's wife, your cooking skills are really good. They are even better than the canteen of Chongwentang. I think even the rabbit hot pot at Zuiyuefang in Jiangtou Town is only about 80% as good as yours."

Miao Yulan blushed at the praise and lowered her head shyly, saying softly, "Master, you flatter me. My skills were all taught to me by Su Su. Actually, Su Su is the more capable one. She's just not very good at practical skills, but she knows more about the theory and process of cooking than I do."

Tang Susu smiled and shook her head, frankly replying, "I'm not as good as you say. I only have theoretical knowledge; my practical skills are terrible, and the food I make is always disappointing."

"On the contrary, you have a great talent for cooking. Every time I describe the process and method of cooking, you can not only make it completely, but also improve the shortcomings. For example, the Dongpo pork you made tastes almost exactly the same as what I remember, and it's much better than what I make."

Then, Tang Susu changed the subject and earnestly suggested, "Lifu's wife, when we have enough money in the future, let's open a restaurant on the street and you can be the head chef. With your skills, you will definitely attract many customers. At that time, we can earn more money and live a more comfortable life."

She paused, then added, "The problem is that we don't have enough seasonings here right now. We only have common seasonings like salt, soy sauce, and wine. We also don't have much dogwood. I've secretly gotten some different seasonings, but it's not easy to buy them in bulk. If we open a restaurant, we can find a way to prepare more seasonings and make more different delicacies."

Miao Yulan's eyes lit up, her face full of surprise. She nodded quickly, her voice brimming with anticipation: "Really? That's great! I'll do whatever Su Su says!"

Dinner ended amidst laughter and cheerful conversation. After resting for a while, Tang Chengyu got up and, with the four men in his family—Tang Lifu, Yang Gousheng, Tang Liqiang, and Yang Xiaobao—went to the Yang Family Ancestral Hall to begin teaching, fulfilling his promise to stay in Yangqu Village and teach the children to read and write.

When they arrived at the ancestral hall, the children who had previously registered to study there were already waiting in the courtyard.

Each child put on their cleanest and tidiest clothes, washed their faces thoroughly, and even cleaned the sleep from their eyes and the snot from their noses. They sat obediently in front of the tables and chairs they had brought from home, their eyes sparkling, eagerly anticipating Tang Chengyu's class.

The children who come to study vary in age. The oldest is Tang Lifu, who is seventeen years old and has already grown into a young man, but is still full of desire to learn. The youngest is only four or five years old and needs an adult to accompany him to sit quietly.

Although there is a large age gap, their level of knowledge is not much different. Most of them are ignorant children who do not know a single word. Only Yang Zhimao and Yang Xiaobao have learned a few words from Tang Chengyu before and know more words.

Yang Gousheng, on the other hand, was more adept at arithmetic than the other children; he could learn simple addition and subtraction at a glance.

Looking at the group of children eager for knowledge, Tang Chengyu already had a plan in mind. He planned to observe the children's learning progress for a few days to get to know each person's learning ability, and then divide them into classes based on their learning abilities after a few days.

Children with stronger learning abilities and faster learning speeds are placed in Class 1 and taught more content; children with weaker learning abilities and slower learning speeds are placed in Class 2 and taught slowly and repeatedly; Yang Gousheng and Yang Xiaobao, because they have a better foundation and each has their own special talents, are placed in the Elite Class for targeted teaching and focused development.

In the courtyard of the ancestral hall, the village head stood quietly in the corner with his hands behind his back, his ear pressed against the wall of the house, listening attentively to the children's clear reading voices and Tang Chengyu's gentle and refined lecture voice. As he listened, he nodded repeatedly, his face full of a gratified smile.

He felt a surge of emotion, thinking that Yangqu Village finally had its own private school and a teacher who could teach the children to read and write.

Even if we don't know how long Tang Chengyu will stay in the village, or how long this opportunity to study will last, as long as the children can learn one more day and recognize one more word, there will be one more hope and one more way out.

The village head listened quietly outside the ancestral hall for a long time, making sure that the children were learning diligently and listening attentively, and that Tang Chengyu was teaching with care and explaining in detail without any perfunctory attitude. Only then did he slowly turn around, slow his pace, and stroll towards Tang Susu's house, intending to discuss with Tang Susu the harvest of grain in three days and the follow-up matters of the school.