Chapter 1654: Chapter 1654: Preparing for a Rainy Day

Song Ci paid no mind to Song Zhiqing; as long as he wasn’t causing trouble, she didn’t care where he went.

Right now, she was more focused on the current situation, such as the drought.

When Song Ci mentioned that the drought would persist due to a lack of rain, the women present paused and exchanged glances.

The severe consequences of a drought seemed distant to these well-off women. Even if it hadn’t rained for a month, apart from the heat, it barely affected their lives.

They continued to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. Fu Yunjin, who had just completed two months of confinement post-childbirth, was initially frustrated with gaining weight. However, with the summer heat affecting her appetite and increased activities, she slimmed down quickly.

Just as she secretly delighted, Song Ci, the matriarch, spoke again.

A severe drought?

"Mother, it’s not uncommon to have a hot summer with little rain. Even if it doesn’t rain for a month, it shouldn’t necessarily mean a severe drought, right?" Madam hesitated.

Jiang also said, "That’s right, this isn’t new; it might rain tomorrow."

Guan Shuyan and Fu Yunjin exchanged a look, sitting quietly, not interrupting.

As juniors, they simply followed whatever the adults said.

"I also hope it’s like in past years, that it’ll rain soon. However, you can all go to the lakeside to observe; the water level has already dropped by a fingertip’s length. Expecting rain may be a long time coming," Song Ci said with a furrowed brow.

"What?"

The women were shocked—had the lake’s water level dropped?

This...

They didn’t need to see it for themselves; Song Ci wouldn’t make baseless claims, so it must be true.

The fear of drought is most concerning when chaos ensues, with refugees scattering about. Though they lived in secluded mansions, the risk remained. What if something arises, as it did twenty-three years ago?

When disaster strikes, even good people can turn to banditry, driven by desperation.

"If a drought truly occurs, the people will suffer again. Mother, do you have any instructions for us?" Jiang asked gravely.

Song Ci replied, "The situation isn’t clear yet, but making early preparations is wise. Gu’s family, you and Su’er’s wife should manage the estate; ensure all wells have guards, conserve water. With this heat and dryness, there’s a risk of fires; keep the peace vats filled with water and check them regularly. Also, monitor the lake’s water level daily."

Song Ci spoke clearly, and uncharacteristically sharp, unlike her usual sickly self. Though she spoke quickly, taking a pause, her heart raced, her breathing was labored, her face paled, and her fingers trembled.

"Mother, please take it slow. There’s no immediate crisis," Madam felt alarmed seeing her like this.

Fu Yunjin personally tested the tea’s temperature, offering it to Song Ci and serving her as she drank.

Song Ci took a shallow sip, gently patted her hand, breathed deeply, pressing her chest, and continued, "Besides attending to water use within the estate, manage the servants well to avoid excess. Internally, we prevent waste. Externally, Jie’er’s wife, I recall your dowry includes a rice shop?"

Fu Yunjin nodded.

"Instruct your steward to limit rice sale; each person can buy at most two catties a day. If possible, acquire rice from other sources, including your several rice shops. Gu’s family, refrain from selling grain from our farms; store them all in the granary."

She had an intuition: this drought would not be a mere storm in a teacup.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.