Chapter 23: Giving You a Billion Points of Shock

"Jin Yue, my sincerity toward you is as clear as the sun and moon; heaven and earth can bear witness to it."

As expected, these flowery, sweet words immediately captivated Yang Jinyue. She swayed her waist, leaning in closer, her seductive eyes fluttering. "Really?"

Zhou Xuejun nodded like a chicken pecking at grain, taking her hand and pressing it to his chest. "My darling, wait a few days for me. I’ll find a way; I will definitely get you that floral oil. Su Xiaoyun is very sharp right now, so it’s not easy to handle."

Yang Jinyue wound a strand of her hair around her finger. "I knew you loved me the most. That woman, Su Xiaoyun, is just a vixen, but I do have a plan..." She stood on her tiptoes and whispered a few words into his ear.

Zhou Xuejun’s expression shifted from initial hesitation to a cold, ruthless determination. "Good, we’ll do exactly that. We don't have to worry about her not obeying!"

The sun grew increasingly scorching, hanging high in the sky, baking the corn stalks until they turned yellow. The curled edges of the leaves were dark green, as if they had been scorched.

Su Xiaoyun had already reached the field at the west end of the village. According to the farming tasks assigned by the branch secretary, she had to finish weeding these few acres of land today. Constantly bending over to weed left every muscle in her body aching.

"If only I could get some ice from the lottery tomorrow," she thought. It wouldn't matter if it melted; she could just keep it in the system's storage space. This weather was enough to melt a person.

Su Xiaoyun shook out her wrists. If she hadn't been wearing knit gloves, the tough, resilient weeds would have surely shredded her palms. She checked her progress; there were only two more acres left, and she could finish it all today. She turned and went under the shade of a tree, grabbing her canteen to take a couple of gulps. The once-cool water had been warmed by the sun; drinking it barely quenched her thirst.

She sat under the tree, listening to the complaints of a few aunts nearby.

"This dry land is so hot it could melt the soles of my shoes. I got up at the crack of dawn to go to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables, but the leaves turned to dust the moment I touched them."

"The heavens have no eyes. Not a drop of rain for months—who can endure this?"

"Sigh, didn't you hear the captain? The water levels in the village wells and ditches are dropping. Who knows what things will be like later on."

"The crops are withered or dead. In my house, we don't even dare to wash our clothes anymore."

...

The aunts were wrapped in headscarves, truly living a life of facing the yellow earth and backing the sky. The sun scorched their very hair strands until they were searing hot. After resting for ten minutes, the color returned to Su Xiaoyun’s pale face. "Relying solely on manpower to carry water won't solve the real problem."

Unless she found a new method, it would be like trying to put out a cartload of burning firewood with a single cup of water. But in this era, technology was severely restricted; it was a time of the slowest development. Relying on others was a dead end.

Crucially, she hadn't bathed in two days, and she felt sticky all over. Su Xiaoyun flexed her arms. "No, I can't take it anymore."

She decided that once she finished weeding these few acres, she would immediately take her blueprints and find Huo Congjing! If the cart could be built as soon as possible, the efficiency of water transport could be doubled!

***

Su Xiaoyun tied her headscarf tight and got straight to work! Women could hold up half the sky, and she was no slouch at labor!

Currently, across the entire Shigang Village, all water sources within a radius of several miles had dried up. It wasn't just the villagers who were struggling; the troops stationed there by Huo Congjing were also significantly affected.

Su Xiaoyun worked nimbly, grabbing the thick stalks near the roots of the grass and pulling. With a burst of effort, she finished the few acres before the noon break. By then, the sun was directly overhead, and when Su Xiaoyun stood up, the clothes on her back were already soaked through with sweat. The non-breathable coarse burlap made it hard to breathe.

Su Xiaoyun hurried to the shade to take a couple of gulps of water. Before she could even brush the dirt off her face, she saw Yang Hongfu waddling over from a distance. His shrewd old face didn't show a hint of dryness; in fact, he looked quite radiant.

Su Xiaoyun knitted her fine brows. The harsh conditions in Shigang Village had everything to do with Yang Hongfu! The common people were struggling to find water to drink, yet Yang Hongfu just blindly ordered the women to carry it. A cup of water against a cartload of firewood—what kind of problem would that solve?

The Yang family couldn't be relied upon. Su Xiaoyun couldn't be bothered to listen to Yang Hongfu’s prattling, so she grabbed her canteen and headed toward the military camp several miles away. She walked at a brisk pace and arrived in less than twenty minutes.

Even though they were stationed around the village, the military training didn't stop. When she arrived, Meng Qinian was leading a team in extra training. He spotted her immediately. "Yo, it’s only been half a day, and Comrade Su is already missing our Commander?"

Su Xiaoyun raised her fine brows, a hint of playfulness flashing in her bright eyes. "Does your Commander know you're making fun of him?"

Meng Qinian twitched the corner of his mouth and immediately turned away. If it weren't for the jokes about the two of them, he wouldn't have had to lead the team in extra training here. "Our Commander is in the second tent. Go on ahead."

The sun was viciously hot. If this fragile young intellectual got heatstroke, Huo Congjing wouldn't let him off the hook.

Su Xiaoyun laughed. "Thanks."

She headed straight for the second tent at the foot of the mountain. As soon as she entered, she saw Huo Congjing reviewing documents with a stern expression. His sharp, well-defined features were rugged, and his military green uniform highlighted his lean, strong waist. His slightly bulging muscles were full of power.

Su Xiaoyun gave a light cough. The man looked up at the sound, appearing somewhat surprised. "Why are you here?"

"I finished the farm work in the fields, and I wanted to come discuss making the cart with you." She got straight to the point.

Huo Congjing raised an eyebrow. "Come over here."

He picked up two long wooden benches and pushed them together to form a makeshift table. With pencils and paper laid out, Su Xiaoyun didn't hesitate to draw the blueprint for a folding cart. She had simplified it, but not a single key step was missing.

"Take a look and see if this works. I made some changes so it's easy to carry. Otherwise, the cart itself would be too heavy, and the women in the village wouldn't be able to push it."

Su Xiaoyun made a few quick strokes, her expression vibrant as she pointed to one of the sections. Her clear, amber eyes were sparkling.

It was the first time Huo Congjing had seen this type of drawing—the varying thicknesses and distinct lines creating such a lifelike image on paper. "It's drawn very well. Have you studied this?"

Meeting his deep, dark eyes, Su Xiaoyun shrugged. "I used to doodle on paper when I was bored at home, and I just got better at it." She brushed it off with a few words, and luckily, Huo Congjing didn't press further.

He held the blueprint in his hand, examining it closely. "How did you come up with such a novel idea? It can significantly reduce the consumption of manpower and resources, and with your design, the cart can even be folded."

"The biggest benefit is that it doubles the efficiency of water transport; one trip can carry five or six buckets." He was genuinely curious—how did Su Xiaoyun have so many clever ideas in her head?

Su Xiaoyun coughed. "As long as it's useful. I spent several nights pondering it."

Huo Congjing studied the blueprint carefully. "This can be considered a life-saving tool. It will solve the current problem perfectly."