Chapter 66 – Planting Trees Together

Aside from those patrolling the fields, all the other villagers were heading up the mountain. Even the elderly who were no longer very mobile slowly made their way upward. They couldn’t do much else, but they could still help by steadying the saplings.

Zhao Hu wanted to help carry the saplings to his family’s designated planting area, and then go fetch water.

Aunt Zhao carried a load of water. Qin Ying had An An strapped to her back, a hoe on her shoulder, and a basket of ash slung over her arm. Even An An held a small trowel, helping to dig holes.

The process was simple: water was poured into the freshly dug pits, and once it soaked in, the soil-wrapped root ball of the sapling would be rolled in ash and pressed into the hole. Then the pit would be filled with soil, compacted, and a watering basin left around the base. Another round of watering would finish the planting process.

After about an hour of this, the four of them paused to rest. The three adults washed their hands and took out some dry food to eat.

Qin Ying asked An An, “Are you hungry?”

An An shook her head and, with her little bottom sticking up, kept digging holes with determination.

With An An personally participating in the planting, not only was the survival rate 100%, but the maturation rate would be too!

By the afternoon, all two hundred saplings they had brought up the mountain were planted.

An An was so tired she could barely stand. But it was still a bit chilly on the mountain, so they couldn’t let her sleep there. The whole family carried their empty baskets and made their way downhill. As they passed through other families’ planting zones, they cheerfully greeted their fellow villagers.

At the current pace, it wouldn’t be long before their entire mountain area would turn green!

But planting trees wasn’t enough. They still needed to return every three days to water them. Using a ladle, they had to carefully pour one scoop of water into each tree pit.

Even during the busiest farming seasons, this task couldn’t be neglected, and would continue until the drought ended.

Once the trees survived, wild grass and vegetables would sprout around them. When the saplings matured, they would bear fruit, and people wouldn’t starve.

Even if they didn’t survive long enough to see fruit, the young leaves were edible.

They weren’t just planting pine and cypress. There were many other tree species, and quite a few—like elm and locust—had edible leaves and flowers.

That’s why everyone was highly motivated to plant trees.

It wasn’t just their village, Tongshu Tun, doing this. Nearby villages were also participating. What began as a grassroots initiative led by Uncle Chen Jiu had now received official approval from Zhou Yu and had become a paid government-backed program.

For every 100 trees that survived after three months, and passed inspection, each household would receive thirty copper coins.

Now that villagers no longer had trouble feeding themselves, the extra money could be used to buy daily necessities like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar—everyone was very pleased.

At that moment, Zhou Yu was strolling through the farmland.

In addition to crops, Tongshu Tun had planted many vegetables. As far as the eye could see, the land was full of vibrant, thriving life.

Zhou Yu wore a satisfied smile as he discussed future plans with Uncle Chen Jiu and inquired about the status of the village well.

“So far, it seems fine,” said Uncle Chen Jiu, though still a bit worried. “But this one well is supplying three villages. I’m just afraid it’ll dry up one day.”

He looked up at the sky—blazing sun, not a cloud in sight.

“Heaven knows when it’ll finally rain…”

Zhou Yu sighed too. “We can’t rely on the heavens now. We have to actively save ourselves.”

“True enough,” Uncle Chen Jiu responded. “Everyone still remembers how hard it was in the beginning. Now, every household makes sure their water vats are full.

“We’ve hidden emergency food supplies at home too. And we still regularly go up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables. Even if we don’t find much, every little bit helps.”

Zhou Yu seemed puzzled and pointed at the vegetable fields. “You’ve planted all these—still not enough to eat?”

“Ah,” Uncle Chen Jiu sighed. “Everyone’s just scared of starving again. We harvest one batch at a time and divide it per person. Whether folks eat it fresh or dry it for later is up to them.

“No matter how much food a household stores, it never feels like enough… just never enough…”

The memory of hunger was one they never wanted to relive.

Zhou Yu fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally said, “Things will get better.”

In the past, those words would’ve felt meaningless—just words to be said and heard with no real effect.

But now, Zhou Yu carried a seed of hope in his heart.

He continued inspecting the surrounding villages. Conditions weren’t bad anywhere, but in terms of both crops and vegetables, none compared to Tongshu Tun.

He knew it had to be thanks to An An.

After finishing his rounds of the farmland, he headed up the mountain.

From below, a faint green hue could now be seen covering the slopes. When the wind blew, it stirred waves of green, lifting the spirits.

As he climbed, he saw that the saplings planted earlier this year had already grown to a foot tall. The ones planted more recently were an inch or two, while the trees planted last year had already grown taller than a person!

Moreover, when villagers watered the trees, some water would inevitably spill outside the pits. The moistened ground had begun to sprout clusters of wild grass and vegetables.

Though sparse, they represented endless hope.

Zhou Yu was very pleased.

He stayed another three days in Tongshu Tun before setting out on another journey.

Before leaving, he visited An An again. This time, Zhao Hu would be accompanying him once more.

Zhao Hu had returned from the previous trip noticeably more cheerful and outgoing. Though he hadn’t formally trained in martial arts, his running and jumping had improved, and his strength had grown.

Aunt Zhao had no worries. Honestly, being able to travel with Lord Zhou was an honor.

Last time, it wasn’t until two days after Zhao Hu left that villagers learned he had gone. This time, people were already waiting outside the Zhao family home early in the morning. When they saw Zhao Hu step out with his luggage, they immediately surrounded him—two young men even asked if they could go along.

Zhao Hu scratched his head, looking troubled. “It’s not up to me to say who goes! You’ll have to ask Lord Zhou yourself.

“To be honest, I’m only tagging along to run errands thanks to An An.

“You all know how much Lord Zhou likes my An An.”

The two young men looked disappointed. Their families didn’t have any young children—and even if they did, none would be as lovable as An An!

Over the past few days, villagers often pulled Zhao Hu aside to chat, eager to hear about the outside world.

Generations of them had lived in this little mountain village, with the furthest they’d ever traveled being the nearby town. They were full of curiosity about the world beyond.

Though the drought spanned the entire Black Mountain region, some areas were worse than others, and some a bit better.

Zhao Hu talked mostly about the buildings and roads he saw, but when it came to food and clothing, he always said, “It’s still not as good as what we have.”

Still, hearing was one thing—seeing for themselves was another. They longed to go out and take a look.

Just then, Zhou Yu and his companions emerged. Seeing the crowd, he said:

“Zhao Hu is just a young lad—there’s only so much he can contribute out there.

“You men are all strong laborers. There’s much to be done here at home.

“Remember, every tree you plant increases our chances of surviving this drought. Those who stay are just as important.”