227 Visit the County Magistrate
Mother Qiao smiled and said, "Seeing how focused you all are, I didn't dare interrupt. I brought some snacks for you. If you're hungry, come and eat. Don't starve yourselves."
Mother Qiao had a warm and gentle smile, and her voice was equally soft and pleasant.
Upon hearing about the snacks, the children's stomachs growled in unison.
Qiao Muchen swallowed and said, "Let's eat something first, and then continue searching."
Everyone was hungry, so no one objected.
After filling their stomachs a little, Qiao Muchen asked Zhao Zhitong about the book she had just found.
Zhao Zhitong took out the book, a copy of the Book of Jin. She had marked the page about the locust plague, so she easily found the record. "It's recorded here," she began, "that during a locust plague in the Hedong region, people used the 'trench and burial method' to kill locusts."
Reading further, Zhao Zhitong paused for a moment and then said, "However, the locusts buried in the soil quickly flew out again and stripped the crops bare."
Zhao Yue stuffed a cake into his mouth and mumbled, "Ah, we've been looking for so long, and we finally found a record, but it's about a failed case!"
Zhao Zhitong didn't feel discouraged at all. Instead, she was full of energy and said, "A failed case is still useful! It's a valuable lesson. With this lesson, we can avoid making the same mistake."
Qiao Muchen nodded in agreement and said, "Tongtong is right. Let's write down all the methods and see which one works best."
Hearing this, Wei Shulan quickly put down the snack in her hand, nodded, and said, "Yes, yes, I'll do it."
She then wiped her hands and picked up a brush, writing "Method One: Trench and Burial Method" on a piece of paper.
Then she asked, "Tongtong, what are the advantages?"
Zhao Zhitong wiped her hands with a handkerchief and read from the book, "This method is very effective in exterminating the enemy, especially for ground-level locusts and young locusts. A large number can be killed by burying them.
"However, it is also difficult to implement. If the locusts are not buried deep enough, they can still crawl out. Moreover, it has no effect on locusts flying in high places."
Wei Shulan nodded, meticulously recording everything on the paper. Finally, she added a note: "Important: Trenches must be dug deeper. This method is only effective against locusts at low altitudes."
"Alright, we've eaten. Let's get back to searching," Zhao Yue said happily, putting the last piece of cake into his mouth.
The little ones sat down again beneath the bookshelves and resumed their search. In various books, they sporadically found accounts of ancient methods used to combat locust plagues.
They discovered several effective methods, such as the cloth enclosure method, the fish trap method and netting method, and the shoe-sole method.
They recorded these methods one by one.
At this point, Zhao Yue suddenly asked, "What do we do with these methods after we find them?"
Zhao Zhitong exclaimed, "Of course, we tell all the villagers! Everyone must work together to kill the locusts!"
Qiao Muchen nodded. "Yes, we need to inform the villagers. However, our own power is limited. We might be able to gather the villagers in our own village, but what about those in other villages? It's clearly not enough if only our village tries to exterminate the locusts. There are far too many of them."
Zhao Yue and Wei Shulan nodded in agreement.
Zhao Zhitong's eyes darted around. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she exclaimed happily, "I've got it! Let's go to the county town and find the County Magistrate! He has the authority to summon all the villagers to fight the locusts together."
The other children nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea," one of them said, "but the problem is, how do we get into the magistrate's office?"
Zhao Zhitong thought of the waist token Pei Yuanqing had given her and confidently said, "Don't worry, I have a way. We'll definitely see the County Magistrate."
Qiao Muchen knew about the waist token from Pei Yuanqing, and he recalled it too.
Zhao Yue and Wei Shulan didn't know about it, but seeing the confidence in Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen, they believed them.
At this point, Qiao Muchen said, "We'd better integrate all the methods and create a 'locust control plan' to present to the County Magistrate."
Zhao Zhitong immediately agreed and enthusiastically volunteered, "Good idea, I'll write it!"
However, Qiao Muchen ruthlessly rejected her. "No," he said, "your handwriting is too ugly."
Zhao Zhitong instantly puffed up her cheeks and glared at Qiao Muchen. "Humph! If you don't let me write, I won't be friends with you anymore!"
Her handwriting was already quite good. Even the Teacher had praised her for it.
Qiao Muchen insisted, "That still won't do. Your characters are too large. I'll write it this time. Once we've successfully dealt with the locusts, then you can stop being friends with me."
Ultimately, due to Qiao Muchen's persistence, Zhao Zhitong compromised. Qiao Muchen would do the writing, while Zhao Zhitong and the others would focus on organizing the information and dictating it.
Meanwhile, as Zhao Zhitong and the others were looking for solutions, Grandpa Bai was also busy. He had found several books on locust control for Zhao Zhitong.
He knew that if the locust control was successful this time, the young girl could gain many Merit Points, so he was very earnest in his efforts.
Grandpa Bai said, "Young girl, there are two good methods here. Take a look."
Upon hearing Grandpa Bai's words, Zhao Zhitong's consciousness immediately entered the space, and she began to browse the books Grandpa Bai had handed her.
The more she read, the more excited she became.
At the same time, Qiao Muchen, head down, had been writing for quite a while when he suddenly realized that he hadn't heard Zhao Zhitong's voice for a long time. He looked up at Zhao Zhitong.
He saw Zhao Zhitong slumped over the table, apparently lost in thought.
To him, it looked as though Zhao Zhitong was listless and dejected, slumped over the table.
He couldn't help but be startled and began to reflect on himself.
Had he said something too hurtful earlier?
Wei Shulan and Zhao Yue also noticed Zhao Zhitong slumped over the table, looking listless, and they both glanced at Qiao Muchen.
Their eyes seemed to say, "Look, you've made Zhao Zhitong angry."
Qiao Muchen pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Zhao Zhitong, his face red. He gently poked her shoulder and cautiously asked, "Hey, Tongtong? Are you unhappy?"
He called her name several times, but Zhao Zhitong didn't respond.
Wei Shulan and Zhao Yue watched them both closely.
Qiao Muchen's face grew redder. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said your handwriting was ugly just now. It's... it's not that bad, really."
When he finished apologizing, Zhao Zhitong still didn't react. She remained motionless on the table, ignoring him.
Zhao Zhitong's silent treatment left Qiao Muchen somewhat at a loss. He just stood there, looking pitifully at her.
Just then, Zhao Zhitong's consciousness returned from the space. She noticed everyone looking at her, with Qiao Muchen standing beside her, a pitiful expression on his face.
"Huh?" Zhao Zhitong was puzzled. But that doesn't matter!
She quickly dismissed her confusion and exclaimed excitedly, "I... I just thought of two excellent methods!"
Then she looked at Qiao Muchen. "Qiao Jiaojiao, write them down quickly! Hurry, hurry!"
Qiao Muchen was stunned for a few moments. Seeing Zhao Zhitong looking at him and speaking, a joyful expression instantly lit up his face. "Tongtong," he said happily, "you're not angry with me anymore?"