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

It was just past dawn, and the sky was already bright, though the morning mist had not yet completely dissipated.

Exhausted from the locust control efforts the previous day, Tang Susu leaned against the eaves of the courtyard to rest. Her gaze swept over the unfinished calligraphy practice sand tray in the corner of the wall, and she secretly plotted to prepare more brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for Tang Chengyu.

She pondered quietly. It was feasible to use a sand tray for children to practice reading, as it was convenient and saved on materials. However, they could not rely on the sand tray for a long time.

The fundamental skills of practicing calligraphy on paper and controlling the brush are things you must eventually learn; otherwise, you won't be able to write neat characters and it will be difficult to make significant progress in the future.

If one were to purchase writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones from Renning Hall in town, a rough estimate would be over a hundred taels of silver, which is no small sum.

Buying from her trading platform is much cheaper, and you can buy more as spares, or even prepare a set for each of your children.

With that in mind, she planned to find a free moment to go out and secretly bring these things back, so as not to attract criticism.

Tang Susu was lost in thought when she heard light footsteps at the courtyard gate. Looking up, she saw the village head walking in.

She quickly stood up, smiled, and went to greet him, asking, "Village Head, why have you come so early? Is something the matter?"

The village head waved his hand, walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down. He spoke slowly, his tone tinged with weariness but also with a hint of relief: "I had Zhimao's father go to check on the other villages early this morning. Ma'an Village, Liupo Village, and your mother's village, Xihe Village, basically all used our village's methods to eliminate the locusts."

"Although the grains in the fields of each village have been damaged to varying degrees, some have been preserved. As long as everyone eats sparingly, making one meal a day, and saving every penny, they should be able to make it to the spring harvest next year."

As he spoke, the relief on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of anxiety: "But I'm still not sure. I'm always worried that the locusts will come back and wreak havoc on our grains."

He paused, then frankly said, "I told the villagers that the locusts wouldn't come back, but I'm actually quite worried. I came here specifically to ask you, since you're knowledgeable, how we can prevent this."

Tang Susu sighed inwardly, wondering when it had started, but the village head always seemed to ask for her opinion on everything, as if she had become the backbone of Yangqu Village.

She suppressed her thoughts and patiently addressed the village head's concerns: "Village head, you don't need to worry too much. Once locusts gather in swarms, they will fly in a fixed direction and rarely turn back, unless they encounter a high mountain blocking their way, in which case they might change direction."

"Our village's grain will be ready for harvest in three or four days. In these few days, we don't expect any more locusts to come, so please don't worry."

After hearing this, the village head breathed a long sigh of relief, the worry on his face dissipating considerably. He said with satisfaction, "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. This year, there's finally something to look forward to. I don't have to worry like last year, when I was so hungry I could barely see, and I couldn't even get a bowl of thin porridge."

Tang Susu abruptly changed the subject, her expression instantly turning serious, and warned the village head in a solemn tone: "However, village head, there is something I must remind you of. Judging from the current situation, there will probably be another locust plague next year."

"In the past two years, there have been a large number of locusts. They have laid many eggs in our fields. When the temperature rises and the rainfall is suitable next spring, once these eggs hatch, countless locusts will come out and devour our crops."

Upon hearing this, the village head panicked. He jumped up from the stone bench, his face turning pale, and hurriedly asked, "What? There will be another locust plague next year? What are we going to do? Dog-Sheng's mother, tell me quickly, what method can we use to kill these insect eggs? We can't let locusts harm us again!"

Tang Susu's expression grew increasingly solemn as she slowly explained to the village head the knowledge she had gleaned from the book: "Village head, you may not know this, but the reason locusts gather and cause disasters is because after the mother locust lays her eggs, she secretes a special hormone that causes the hatched locusts to automatically gather together."

"Now that the locusts have flown away in swarms, it means that the mother locusts have already laid their eggs in our fields. There are hundreds of millions of eggs hidden in the soil beneath our feet that are invisible to the naked eye. If we do not eliminate them in time, they will surely cause a disaster next year."

Then, Tang Susu explained to the village head in detail the several methods for disinfecting insect eggs mentioned in the book: "The first method is to use pesticides, which is the most effective and can quickly kill insect eggs in the soil. However, it may be difficult for us to obtain pesticides here."

"The second method is to flood the fields with water for a long time, submerging the insect eggs. Over time, the eggs will be drowned."

"The third method is to take advantage of extreme weather, either by waiting for the winter when it is freezing cold and using the low temperature to kill the insect eggs, or by letting the sun expose the fields to the heat for a long time in the summer and using the high temperature to kill the insect eggs."

"Another common and easiest method is to burn the eggs in the fields. A fire can kill the insect eggs on the surface and reduce the number of insect eggs in the soil."

After explaining the method of killing the eggs, Tang Susu got up and walked towards her family's fields: "Village head, I'm going to check on our rice paddies. Judging by the days, it should be almost time to harvest."

The village head quickly followed behind and they went to the fields together.

This field belongs to the Tang family. Tang Lifu takes meticulous care of it every day, doing tasks such as weeding, catching insects, and watering without fail. With the harvest just around the corner, they stopped applying fertilizer.

Tang Susu bent down and carefully examined the rice paddy, her brows furrowing slightly: the wheat ears were not growing well, and the nutrients absorbed by the rice roots were not being fully transported to the ears, so the grains were not plump enough, and there were quite a few shriveled kernels.

She knew in her heart that this was because the drought had lasted too long and the irrigation water had not come in time, so the rice did not have enough time to absorb sufficient nutrients, which is why it turned out this way.

She looked up again and saw that most of the rice in the paddy field had turned golden yellow, exuding an air of maturity, but it could not be harvested immediately—it had to wait until more than 90% of the rice ears had turned yellow before it could be harvested, so as to ensure the yield and quality of the rice.

Harvesting too early will result in underdeveloped grains and reduced yield; harvesting too late will cause the rice ears to fall off and the grains to drop, making the harvesting process very difficult and causing unnecessary waste.

Tang Susu squatted down, reached out and parted the rice stalks to examine the roots. To her surprise, she found that most of the upper part of the rice had turned yellow and matured, but the roots deep in the soil were still bright green, vigorous and full of life.

Seeing this scene, she suddenly remembered a trending topic she had seen in her previous life—a certain place suffered a natural disaster, resulting in reduced grain production, but the second crop of rice planted there was growing well, and the leaders even went to inspect it personally, praising the second crop of rice for solving the problem of food shortage.

Tang Susu carefully recalled the content of the trending search. Double-crop rice, as the name suggests, means that it only needs to be planted once and can be harvested twice.

After the first harvest of rice, rice farmers do not need to replant. They only need to take good care of the rice stubble in the field to allow new rice seedlings to sprout and grow new rice ears, thus achieving a second harvest.

The yield from the second harvest is only about half that of the first, but even so, it is still a considerable harvest.

She secretly calculated that the village's grain had lost 30% due to the locust plague. If a second crop of rice could be successfully grown, the 30% loss could be recovered, and it might even make up for the reduced yield caused by the drought.

The thought filled her with excitement; her heart pounded like a rabbit's, and her breathing became rapid.

The village head, standing to the side, saw Tang Susu remain silent for a long time, her expression shifting constantly—sometimes frowning, sometimes beaming with joy—and his heart pounded with anxiety. He quickly stepped forward, gently patted her shoulder, and asked, "Gou Sheng's mother, what's wrong? Have you discovered something? Or do you have some good idea?"

Tang Susu took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement, and did not immediately reveal her idea of ​​a second crop of rice.

She turned to look at the village head and said frankly, "Village head, it's nothing. I just saw the rice plants growing so well and it suddenly reminded me of something."

She paused, then added, "I only learned about the concept of double-cropping rice from books I read before. It's said that this type of rice requires suitable temperature, sufficient water, and sunlight to grow successfully."

"I dare not give you hope now, for fear that the climate and soil conditions in our Yangqu Village are not suitable for growing a second crop of rice. If it doesn't grow well, it will only make you more disappointed and upset."

After saying that, Tang Susu returned to the topic of eliminating the eggs, her tone becoming serious again: "Let's focus on doing what we need to do now, get rid of the eggs completely, and secure next year's harvest."

"I think we can try burning the rice stubble to disinfect the insect eggs. After the rice harvest, we can have the villagers leave the rice stubble longer, then light fires in the fields and let it burn for a long time. This will thoroughly burn away the insect eggs on the soil surface and in the shallow soil, minimizing the risk of locust plagues next year."

Upon hearing this, the village head nodded solemnly and said earnestly, "Alright, we'll do as you say! When it's time for the autumn harvest, I will specifically instruct the villagers to pay attention to this matter, and tell everyone to leave the rice stubble long so that after the harvest, they can be burned in the fields immediately without any delay."

After saying that, he stood up and cupped his hands in greeting to Tang Susu: "Then I'll go back first. I still need to inform the villagers to prepare for the autumn harvest and the burning of rice stubble."

Tang Susu nodded and watched the village head leave.

After the village head left, Tang Susu immediately turned around, quickly went back into the house, closed the doors and windows, carefully opened the trading platform, entered "Second Crop Rice Operation Manual" in the search bar, and clicked to buy without hesitation.

Hidden between her bed board and straw were many books, mostly about farming, including planting grains and raising poultry. Most of them were bought from this trading platform and were her most precious treasures after she transmigrated here.

Holding the book she had just bought, Tang Susu sighed to herself that in her previous life, she had never worked in the fields and couldn't even distinguish between rice and wheat, let alone farm.

Unexpectedly, after traveling back to ancient times, I ended up in this remote mountain village, where I spend all my time dealing with farmland, figuring out how to cultivate crops, how to achieve a good harvest, and how to withstand natural disasters.

Since we were born in the village and rely on the land for a living, we must master agricultural knowledge in order to survive and ensure that our families and fellow villagers in Yangqu Village can have enough to eat and wear.

Fortunately, I have this trading platform where I can buy these practical books and learn various farming techniques, which is very lucky.

Tang Susu wasted no time and immediately opened the book she had bought, studying it carefully to learn about the planting techniques and precautions for second-crop rice.

According to the book, the second crop of rice was originally created to cope with reduced grain production caused by natural disasters, such as drought, floods, and locust plagues. As long as the axillary buds of the rice plants do not wither, a second crop of rice can be cultivated. The operation is simple, the cost is extremely low, and the benefits are quite high.

The more Tang Susu looked at the rice, the more determined she became to try planting a second crop of rice. She secretly resolved to study it carefully and strive to successfully plant a second crop of rice in Yangqu Village, so as to help the villagers increase their harvest.

Night fell slowly like a huge black ribbon, completely enveloping the entire Yangqu Village, even dimming the starlight.

The children who were studying with Tang Chengyu outside the village also returned home one after another as dusk fell.

Hearing footsteps, Tang Susu quickly and carefully hid the book about second-crop rice under the bed, got up and went out of the house to greet them with a smile.

Back in the main room, an oil lamp was lit. The flickering flame, like a lively sprite, illuminated the three people's faces, making them appear exceptionally gentle, and they were surrounded by an inexplicable sacred aura.

Tang Susu sat by the oil lamp, continuing to teach Yang Gousheng and Yang Xiaobao, teaching them to recognize characters and do arithmetic, patiently explaining each point of knowledge, and answering their questions tirelessly.

Tang Lifu and Tang Liqiang stood to the side, exchanged a glance, and obediently found a place to sit down, listening to the lecture quietly without being disturbed.

Although Tang Susu did not require them to systematically learn to recognize characters and do arithmetic like Yang Xiaobao, the two secretly resolved not to fall too far behind—they were uncles and elders in the family, and if they couldn't even compare to their own children, they would lose face and be unable to set a good example for the children.

On the other side, Tang Susu and Miao Yulan took turns busy in the kitchen, stewing fragrant wild boar meat.

Thanks to the four wolves, they would bring a lot of wild game every morning without fail, including rabbits, pheasants, and occasionally wild boars.

Every day, Tang Susu would specially cook four portions of meat and place them in a bamboo basket at the entrance of the courtyard to reward the four wolves and repay their gift.

In this way, the family could have meat every day, improving their diet and supplementing their nutrition. Tang Susu secretly felt that this "deal" was very worthwhile and mutually beneficial.

The cooked meat was carefully placed in a bamboo basket at the gate of the courtyard. At midnight, the four wolves would come and eat it on their own, never disturbing the Tang family. Over time, a tacit understanding was formed between them.

As the hour of Hai (9-11 PM) gradually passed and the day drew to a close, the whole family was exhausted after a busy day. They washed up, returned to their rooms, and fell into sweet dreams. Only the oil lamp remained in the room, still burning faintly and emitting a dim light.

Tang Susu was so tired that she fell into a deep sleep and soon drifted off to sleep.

In her dreams, she experienced the carefree life of her previous life: she lay comfortably on a soft Simmons bed, scrolling through short videos while enjoying delicious cherries and various fresh fruits, with chilled drinks beside her to cool her down.

The cool breeze from the air conditioner gently caressed my cheeks, neither too hot nor too cold, very comfortable. Without the fatigue of working in the fields, without the worries of natural disasters, life was leisurely and carefree.

Tang Susu was lost in her beautiful dream, unwilling to wake up, when the village head's anxious voice suddenly rang in her ears: "Gousheng's mother! Gousheng's mother! Wake up! Something terrible has happened, come quick!"

Tang Susu groggily opened her eyes and looked out the window. In the thick darkness, a full moon hung high, emitting a bright light that illuminated a small area of ​​the courtyard.

Judging from the sky, it's probably only early midnight, the time when people are sleeping the most soundly.

She stretched and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She quickly got out of bed, put on her shoes, and hurried to the courtyard gate. When she opened the gate, she found the village head standing outside, looking very anxious, with beads of sweat on his forehead. He had obviously run there.

When the village head saw Tang Susu, he rushed forward and said urgently, "Gou Sheng's mother, something terrible has happened! Zheng Rap's yard is surrounded by a pack of wolves. The wolves are howling incessantly and are desperately banging on the door. Zheng Rap's family is so scared that they're screaming and yelling inside and are too afraid to come out!"

"I don't know if these wolves are related to your Yang Dabai, after all, Yang Dabai was raised by wolves. You should quickly send Yang Dabai to check the situation and make these wolves leave as soon as possible, so they don't hurt anyone!"

Tang Susu's sleepiness vanished instantly, and all her fatigue was also dispelled by this sudden change.

She looked down and saw Yang Dabai circling around her feet, looking very anxious. Every now and then, he would let out a few low howls in the direction of Zheng Popi's house, as if he could sense the presence of his companion or detect the danger.

Tang Susu quickly bent down, picked up Yang Dabai, gently stroked its head, and said a few words of comfort. Then she looked up and said to the village head, "Okay, I'll take Dabai over to check the situation. Don't worry, it shouldn't be anything serious."

Yang Dahuang, standing to the side, also raised its tail and barked softly twice in the direction of Zheng Popi's house. Then it followed closely behind Tang Susu and walked quickly towards Zheng Popi's house.

The night was deep, and the moonlight was cool. The figures of the three people and the dog quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving only the still-burning oil lamp at the courtyard gate, emitting a faint light.