The drought in Greyhold was not like it had been in the past; under Ed's leadership, things were different. The crops did not wither because of the weather, but instead thrived because of human intervention.
Will's house
"Will, you must be exhausted from yesterday?" Will's sister asked with concern.
"It's alright, sister. As long as the crops are alright, I'm alright too." Although Will won the long-distance race yesterday, he had no complaints, only gratitude towards Ed.
Although I was very tired yesterday, I feel much better today after a good night's rest. Besides, irrigating the land is a matter for the entire territory, and he was just doing what he was supposed to do. Everyone wants to see the crops grow well.
"Well, it's good that you're alright," Will's sister said, stroking her belly. This phrase, "It's good that you're alright," contained so much meaning: concern for Will, concern for the crops, and concern for her child.
Will is her family; what will she do if something happens to him? The crops are their hope for survival; what will happen to his family if they die from drought? What will happen to her unborn child if there isn't enough food?
It's good that everything is alright now; that gives life hope and gives her unborn child a chance to survive.
"Sister, why are you crying again?" Will was at a loss. They were just talking, how could he change his mind so suddenly!
"My sister just remembered something!" The woman quickly wiped away her tears.
"Sister, the past is the past. The current lord is very wise and kind. Things will only get better for us," Will advised.
"Yes, Will, my sister is overthinking things." The woman composed herself, ready to happily await the start of the new life.
In the castle
Ed was thinking about how everyone was installing waterwheels by the lake yesterday. The villagers were very diligent, and no one was slacking off.
However, Ed also discovered a problem yesterday: many women in the village did not go to the lake. After asking around, he learned that many of the women were pregnant.
An old saying involuntarily echoed in Ed's mind: "When people are well-fed and clothed, they think of lustful desires."
When people are not full, they only have one worry: to be full. But once they are full, countless worries arise.
This also served as a reminder to Ed that he should enrich everyone's spiritual and cultural life in the future.
"Hmm, didn't Will say he really liked that story last time? Maybe we can let him give it a try." Ed suddenly remembered what Will had said during the last salt exchange.
It's normal for many women to get pregnant. Since the construction of the rabbit hutch and the increased production of peas and oats, the food problem in the territory has been greatly solved. In addition, the reconstruction and expansion of houses have also greatly improved the quality of life. Now that conditions are so good, even when conditions in the territory were not good, people still wanted to have children.
Ed was quite pleased with this, as an increase in the territory's population was a good thing. A larger population meant greater strength, and greater strength opened up more possibilities. If one day he had the chance to travel the stars, he wouldn't refuse.
He could foresee that this autumn would be a season of bountiful harvests for crops and for children.
However, with so many women in the village pregnant, Ed had some concerns. Would Gisela be able to manage all the affairs of the territory by herself?
Although Sofia is still there, she is too young to know if she can handle the job.
Ed felt he should go see her and ask her so he could make some preparations in advance.
"Let's go on a spontaneous trip."