Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 247 Li Tu, the locust plague is coming

Beneath the glory of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, there is a quiet village.

There is a small teahouse in the village, which is a comfort for the villagers after work.

The owner of the teahouse, Li Tu, was originally a free and unrestrained wanderer. However, because he was addicted to the worldly pleasures, he settled down here and opened a teahouse.

On this day, the atmosphere in the teahouse was particularly heavy.

Li Tu stood at the door, looking at the dark clouds in the sky, and couldn't help but sigh deeply.

The waiter beside him, Ah Fu, scratched his head and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Boss, why are you sighing?"

Li Tu frowned and said slowly, "Ahfu, do you see what's happening over there? Those aren't just ordinary dark clouds, they're a sign of an impending locust plague. The locust plague is coming again."

Ah Fu's face turned pale upon hearing this. Although he was still young, he knew all too well the horror of a locust plague.

The last time a locust plague hit, all the crops in the fields were eaten up, and the villagers' hard work for a year was wasted. Many families fell into famine, and the tragic scene of starving people everywhere is still vivid in our minds.

Li Tu walked into the teahouse and looked at the few tea drinkers in the store, his heart full of worry.

At this time, an old man walked into the tavern tremblingly. He was an elder in the village and was highly respected.

After the old man sat down, Li Tu hurried forward, poured a bowl of wine, and said softly, "Old man, how come you have time to come here today?"

The old man picked up the wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, and then sighed: "Tu, this locust plague is coming, and the whole village is in panic. I really don't know what to do. You are knowledgeable and experienced, but do you have any suggestions?"

Li Tu shook his head and said helplessly, "Father, I'm worried about this too. These locusts are overwhelming, and it's really hard for human power to stop them. We can only hope that the government can do something and organize the villagers to fight the disaster."

The old man smiled bitterly and said, "Government? Humph, during the last locust plague, the government's relief was so slow that the villagers had to rely on themselves to barely survive."

Li Yifeng knew in his heart that although the Tang Dynasty was prosperous, in this remote village, facing natural disasters, the power of the government sometimes found it difficult to reach quickly.

He clenched his fists and made a secret resolution: "No matter what, I will not stand by and watch this village being destroyed by the locust plague."

Just then, a young scholar walked into the teahouse. He was visiting a friend in the village and had heard about the locust plague. He said, "I've read in a book that some places use fire attacks to fight off locusts. Maybe we can try that."

Li Tu's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Brother, how do you use this fire attack method?"

The scholar pondered for a moment and said, "We need to light a fire in the area where the locusts gather, facing the wind. The fire will drive the locusts into the sea of ​​fire. However, this method requires everyone's concerted efforts, and we must be careful not to spread the fire."

Li Tu felt that although this method was risky, it was also a solution.

He immediately called together the young and middle-aged men in the village to discuss how to deal with the disaster.

When everyone heard about the fire attack method, although they were a little worried, they also expressed their willingness to try it. After all, it was better to give it a try than to wait.

So, before the locust plague came, the villagers in this village began to make intensive preparations.

They collected firewood and dug fire-break ditches beside the fields. Everything was ready, waiting for the arrival of the locust army.

Li Tu's teahouse also became the village's temporary command post for fighting locusts.

He placed a map in the teahouse and discussed the best battle plan with the villagers.