eurekapd Chapter 165: Farmland Tragedy
Chapter 165: Farmland Tragedy
At noon, the sun blazed brightly in the sky, its scorching rays like countless blazing, flaming swords, piercing the earth mercilessly and fiercely. Across the vast expanse of farmland, farmers toiled, hunched over, sweat pouring down their backs. Their backs felt as if bent by an immensely heavy, indestructible mountain. Every rise seemed an immense struggle, like a desperate struggle against fate. Sweat flowed freely like a raging waterfall, winding down their tanned, rough, and cracked skin, dripping onto the earth, dry as a turtle's back, and disappearing in an instant.
This farmland, once brimming with hope and vitality, is now shrouded in a haze of despair and hardship, like a cursed wasteland. The landlords, like a pack of greedy, insatiable wolves, ruthlessly exploit the peasants. The exorbitant taxes, like razor-sharp, gleaming sickles, recklessly harvest the peasants' meager, fragile hopes.
"The rent has gone up again this year! How can we make ends meet?" an old farmer, his face crisscrossed with wrinkles and his hair as white as frost, lamented in a trembling voice as he gazed at the sparse crops in his fields, which languished like candles in the wind. His hands, rough as the bark of a thousand-year-old tree, gripped the hoe tightly, their joints pale from the strain, and his bony fingers seemed to speak of the vicissitudes of life and its hardships.
"There's nothing we can do. The landlords are so cruel. We can only work hard, hoping to harvest more food," a young farmer nearby said helplessly. The youthful energy in his eyes had long been replaced by fatigue and helplessness. His dull eyes only revealed helplessness and resignation to fate, like a pool of stagnant water, no longer able to ripple with hope.
Just as the farmers were struggling to survive under the cruel exploitation of the landlords, a rare locust plague suddenly struck like a demon, like a terrible nightmare from which they could not wake up.
Suddenly, a black cloud of locusts appeared in the sky, covering the entire sky like a surging, boundless black torrent, instantly obscuring the entire sky. Their buzzing sound was like the death rattles of hell, piercing and terrifying. Wherever they passed, the crops were instantly devoured, leaving only withered, yellow branches that trembled in the wind, as if crying out at the injustice of fate.
"Oh my God! This is God's will to destroy us!" Farmers cried out in despair, looking at their fields ravaged by the locusts. Their voices were hoarse and shrill, filled with endless fear and indignation. Some collapsed to the ground, pounding the earth with their hands, their fists filled with deep despair and anger, each blow raising a cloud of dust. Others stared blankly at the sky, their eyes empty and lifeless, as if their souls had been drained away, leaving only a walking corpse.
After the locust plague, the farmlands lay barren, like a cursed wasteland. Only withered, yellowed stems and broken leaves lay on the cracked earth, exuding the scent of death under the scorching sun. The farmers' lives were further devastated, plunging them into extreme hardship. They were starving, without enough food or clothing. Children were emaciated from hunger, their tiny bodies like dry grass swaying in the wind. The elderly, frail and weak, lay in their beds, their eyes filled with despair.
When Concubine Su learned of this tragic situation, she was overwhelmed with uncontrollable anger and deep worry. The anger was like a burning fire, scorching her soul; the worry was like a heavy lead stone, pressing down on her heart.
"Such an illegal thing has happened. I must get to the bottom of it and give the people justice!" Her firm voice echoed in the palace, and her eyes flashed with a resolute light, which was like the dawn, full of hope and strength.
She immediately gave orders and organized a group of fair, honest and upright officials to go deep into the farmland and investigate the illegal activities of the landlords.
Suddenly, officials sprang into action, like messengers of justice, brimming with conviction and a sense of mission. They thoroughly investigated the landlords' exploitative practices, leaving no trace, collecting hard evidence after hard evidence. Each piece of evidence was like a sharp arrow shot into the darkness, determined to pierce the shadow of evil.
The landlords, who usually acted with arrogance and dominance, began to panic. They tried to deny and cover up their crimes, but they were powerless in the face of the overwhelming evidence and became as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
"Sir, this is all a misunderstanding. We are only following the rules," a landlord argued, feigning composure. But his trembling voice and flickering eyes betrayed his inner fear, and the cold sweat on his forehead rolled down like beads from a broken string.
"Nonsense! What you have done is unforgivable, and the evidence is conclusive. Don't even think about escaping punishment!" The officials refuted righteously. Their eyes were like torches, as if they could penetrate all lies and disguises, leaving the landlords nowhere to hide.
Under Concubine Su's resolute attitude, the illegal landlords received their due punishment one by one. The burden of the peasants was finally lightened, their bent backs seemed to have a little hope of straightening up, and a faint light rekindled in their eyes.
At the same time, Concubine Su actively organized the people to fight against the locust plague.
"Don't be afraid, everyone! Together, we can defeat the locust plague!" Concubine Su personally visited the farmland, dressed in simple clothes and without the slightest airs. Her gentle yet resolute words flowed like a clear spring through the farmers' parched hearts, nourishing their nearly exhausted spirits.
She dispatched large quantities of food and supplies for disaster relief and organized farmers to use various methods to kill the locusts. People lit torches, and the blazing flames illuminated the night sky, as if declaring war on the locust plague; they pulled up large nets and struggled to catch the locusts, each net like a shield protecting the farmland.
Thanks to everyone's joint efforts, the locust plague was finally brought under control.
To restore agricultural production, Concubine Su also implemented a series of agricultural reforms. She dispatched experienced and knowledgeable agricultural experts to the fields to guide farmers in improving their planting techniques. She introduced high-quality seeds to revitalize the land. Each plump seed, like a spark of hope, sowed on this suffering land. She also built water conservancy projects to hydrate parched farmland. The clear water, like a fountain of life, nourished all life on the land.
After a long and arduous wait, the harvest season finally arrived.
In the fields, golden waves of wheat rustled in the wind, as if playing a joyous song of harvest. Heavy ears of rice bent the branches, their plump grains gleaming brightly in the sunlight like sparkling pearls. The farmers' faces were filled with joyful smiles, as brilliant and moving as blooming flowers. Their eyes rekindled hope for life, a flame so bright and warm that it seemed to dispel all darkness and coldness.
"Thanks to Concubine Su, we have today's good harvest!" the farmers said gratefully. Their voices were filled with sincerity and respect. It was a heartfelt praise for Concubine Su, like a moving hymn that echoed across the fields.
Concubine Su looked at the bountiful harvest with immense joy. She knew it was the result of everyone's joint efforts and the best reward for justice and kindness. The breeze ruffled her hair, and a smile of contentment and happiness filled her face, as beautiful and moving as a peach blossom in bloom in spring.