fictionpage Chapter 3322 No rainbow without rain
Chapter 3322 No rainbow without rain
Chapter 3322 No rainbow without rain
There was thunder and lightning at night, and lightning streaked across the night sky; a heavy rain was coming.
While Xiaobai was worrying about the seedlings, Dudu had already taken action.
"I'm going to find plastic sheeting!" she said, and started running towards the warehouse.
"and many more!"
Standing by the field, Xiaomi looked up at the increasingly dark sky and said, "Plants need rain to grow. Li Baibai said that proper rainfall can help roots grow deeper. We can take some precautions, but we can't completely cover them up."
"Okay~" Dudu said, and then ran off like a gust of wind to find the rain cover.
With the help of Zhang Tan and Lao Li, Xiao Bai and his friends built a simple rain shelter above the field ridges using bamboo poles and transparent plastic sheeting.
The plastic sheeting was not completely sealed, but gaps were left, which allowed rainwater to seep in while reducing the direct impact of raindrops on the seedlings.
When the shed was being set up, the wind had already picked up, making the plastic sheeting rustle loudly.
The children held the bamboo poles down hard, their faces turning red from the wind.
Xiao Bai directed, "Left! A little higher to the left! Liu Liu, hold on there! Don't let go!"
"I'm holding it down! The wind is so strong!"
Liuliu clenched her teeth, her round face tense.
Xiaobai instinctively said, "Use your own weight to hold it down!"
Liuliu was filled with resentment, but she put the greater good first and did not let go. Instead, she used her weight to hold down the tarpaulin.
But Liuliu can't lose in terms of words.
"Little Flower, you should get moving too! Don't just talk the talk, act all high and mighty!"
Xiao Bai glared at her angrily, but didn't have time to argue with her about it.
Finally, the rain shelter was erected.
Old Li then taught them to dig several shallow drainage ditches around the field ridges, explaining, "If it rains too heavily, the water can flow away here and won't flood the seedlings."
Dudu exclaimed in admiration, "Li Baibai, you know so much!"
Old Li waved his hand reservedly, but he couldn't suppress the urge to smile.
By the time all this was done, it was completely dark.
The first raindrop fell and hit the plastic sheet with a soft patter.
Zhang Tan called out to everyone, "Let's go back to the classroom, and leave the rest to fate."
At night, thunder rumbled, like a giant ship rolling across the sky.
The raindrops gradually increased in density, eventually forming a continuous patter as they struck the plastic sheet with a rapid and heavy sound.
Lightning flashed across the night sky intermittently, instantly turning the courtyard a ghastly white, followed by deafening thunder.
The children at Little Red Horse Academy were so frightened that they hid in their classrooms, afraid to move or speak in hushed tones, lest they be discovered by Grandpa Thunder if they raised their voices.
Xiaobai stayed up very late that night, staying in the classroom to take care of the children. Because of the heavy rain, the parents who came to pick up their children were all in a particularly disheveled state.
Xiao Bai was worried about them, so she didn't return home until she had personally seen all the children off, accompanied by Zhang Tan.
At home, Robin was too scared to sleep in the living room with a pitchfork on her back. Thunder was rumbling around her, and she insisted on sleeping with her aunt.
As soon as she lay down next to her aunt, she fell fast asleep, while Xiaobai tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
Every flash of lightning would startle her awake, and she would slightly raise her head to look towards the vegetable garden behind the house.
When Zhang got up in the middle of the night, he saw light coming through the crack in Xiaobai's door. He gently pushed the door open and found Xiaobai sitting on the edge of the bed, gazing longingly out the window.
Why aren't you asleep yet?
"Old man, the rain is so heavy."
Xiao Bai's voice was filled with worry.
Zhang Tan sat down beside her bed and patted her head: "Plants are stronger than you think. They've been growing in the ground for millions of years. What storms haven't they weathered? Go to sleep, you'll know tomorrow morning."
"Oh~"
"Go lie down and go to sleep."
"Robin, that silly boy, is clinging to my waist. I'm exhausted. You need to take her away."
Xiao Bai pried Robin's little hands away and pushed him aside.
Robin turned around and clung to her again. Xiaobai sighed helplessly; this wasn't the first time tonight.
Meanwhile, at Xiao Tan's house, Xi'er was also awake. She pressed her face against the window, looking at the heavy rain outside through the glass, and clasped her hands together, whispering, "May the rain not be too heavy, may the wind not be too strong, Miaomiao, be strong..."
In the latter half of the night, the rain gradually subsided, turning from a downpour into a light drizzle, until only the sound of dripping water from the eaves remained.
The next morning, the rain stopped and the air was exceptionally fresh.
The sky was a clear, bright blue, as if it had been washed clean. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the mulberry trees, casting dappled patterns of light on the damp ground. The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass.
Xiao Bai got up very early. Before even brushing his teeth or washing his face, he couldn't wait to put on his rain boots and rush downstairs to check on the vegetable garden.
Her footsteps splashed small water droplets in the puddles, and she braced herself for a scene of chaos. However, the sight before her stunned her.
After a night of wind and rain, all the seedlings not only survived but stood tall, their leaves shining green and glistening with a moist luster in the morning light.
The watermelon seedlings' tendrils have grown a bit longer, and although a few of the small white flowers on the chili pepper seedlings have fallen off, the stems are stronger. The sunflowers have also grown noticeably taller, and their round, disc-shaped flower buds have already taken shape.
What's even more surprising is that the soil has become softer after being washed by the rain. Along the edge of the field, a few small white wildflowers have sprouted out, along with a few clumps of tender green moss growing along the edge of the drainage ditch.
Xi'er rushed over immediately. When Xiaobai saw her, she quickly greeted her, "Haha, Xi'er, come here quickly! Our seedlings didn't die, they're even stronger now!"
Xi'er ran over, squatted down to observe carefully, her face beaming with joy, and said, "Xiao Bai, look, the earthworms in the soil have all come out!"
Sure enough, several reddish-brown earthworms were slowly wriggling on the surface of the moist soil.
Xiao Bai laughed heartily. After worrying all night, he was finally relieved and gained a new understanding of the seedlings' resilience!
The old man is right. Plants have been growing in the ground for thousands of years and have seen all kinds of wind and rain!
Little White squatted down, gently touched the moist soil with his hand, and then touched the sunflower's thick stem, praising them for their bravery.
Xi'er said happily, "The land is very happy, so it blooms. The seedlings are also very happy; they must have been secretly competing last night to see who grows the fastest."
Zhang Tan walked over and said with a smile, "Only after weathering storms can seedlings grow strong. Only with deep roots can they bear sweet fruit in the future."
Old Li also arrived. He walked with his hands behind his back towards the vegetable garden and was very pleased to see that the seedlings were not only undamaged but were growing even better.
He said to Xiaobai, "The sun will be quite strong today, so we need to remove the tarpaulin before the sun comes out. We can also water the seedlings a little more; this is called 'root-setting water,' and it's necessary to water them."
"No problem! I'll arrange it right away."
Xiao Bai didn't ask the old man for help; he and Xi'er went forward to remove the tarpaulin.
The firefly farm has passed its first test.