The sun gradually set in the west.
The air was very dry and hot. Under the shade of the large pagoda tree, there was no wind, and after walking on the road for a short while, one would feel hot and sweat profusely.
Cheng Luanluan looked at the village head and said, "Currently, there's a severe drought. Apart from Dahe Village, other villages won't have any harvest. By then, Dahe Village will become everyone's target of attack..."
The village head asked, "What will everyone attack?"
Cheng Luanluan: "..."
Is this the time to show off?
"The target of attack is the object of everyone's envy and aggression," she continued. "The magistrate's expansion of the canal digging project is a good thing. There are still half a month until harvest season. If water is brought to the fields one day earlier, the crops can recover one day earlier, and some food can be harvested. However, not every village can find a water source, and finding a water source is not an easy task."
"I just wanted to ask Mother Dashan a bit, how did you find water on the mountain?" The village head was eager to learn. "The magistrate said he hopes Dahe Village can send people to assist. First, to help find water sources; second, to help plan the canal routes; and third, to provide people to help dig the canals."
Cheng Luanluan changed the subject. "These past few days, there's been nothing unusual in the village. The village patrol team seems to have become a bit lax."
The village head didn't know why she suddenly brought this up, but he still agreed, "After the fields have water, the rice grows, and weeds also become abundant. Many insects also appear. Not only do we have to weed and kill insects, but we also have to fertilize. If we fertilize enough, the rice will grow fully. Everyone is busy in the fields, so they really aren't paying as much attention to patrolling as before."
Cheng Luanluan said seriously, "Because patrolling doesn't have obvious benefits, once they feel there's no danger, the villagers naturally won't want to do it. Village Head Uncle, one must always be on guard against others. I feel that the patrol team cannot be lazy for even a day. A specialized patrol team must be established, and they should also be paid wages."
The legal awareness of ancient people was very weak. She hoped to live in a village with a relatively high sense of security.
The village head sighed, "How can the village have spare money to support a patrol team?"
The village's income came from selling barren land. Decades ago, refugees came to reclaim barren land, and the village still had some income. But in recent years, Dahe Village hasn't had any outside households, every family has land, so who would buy barren land to reclaim? The income from decades ago was used to dig communal wells and support a few childless households, and it had long been spent completely.
Cheng Luanluan smiled and said, "This canal digging project is an opportunity. Dahe Village is solving an urgent problem for the magistrate. Shouldn't the magistrate provide some funding? How much silver can be requested all depends on Village Head Uncle's ability. This money can be considered the initial funding to support the patrol team."
The village head's jaw dropped.
How did Mother Dashan's mind work? She could actually come up with such a legitimate idea to get money from the magistrate.
He had even prepared to take Ergouzi and his two useless sons to meet the county magistrate tomorrow, to accompany the county magistrate to the villages downstream to find a water source. He was truly prepared to help the county magistrate resolve a major problem for free… But at this moment, he understood. Rushing to offer help now would be seen as flattery. If he waited until the county magistrate truly needed him, then that would be like sending charcoal in snowy weather.
Moreover, Granny Dashan was absolutely right. Daha Village was getting better and better, making it easy for others to become jealous. The patrol team's matters could not be neglected.
After the county magistrate distributed the funds, the patrol team was officially established. No household in Daha Village would need to worry about their food being stolen anymore.