At this moment, Zhao Fu thought of something else and asked, "Now that the power of heaven and earth is waning and grain has been severely affected, what about other fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs?"
Li Si answered gravely, "The situation is not optimistic. They too have been affected considerably."
Hearing this, Zhao Fu frowned. He then led Li Si and the others to the vegetable-growing fields.
Just then, a dark-skinned old farmer tossed his hoe aside and wailed in grief. Zhao Fu stepped forward, helped him up, and asked, "Sir! What has happened? Why are you weeping so bitterly here?"
When the old farmer saw the young man helping him up, his legs went weak with fright. He immediately forced back his tears and hurriedly saluted, saying through sobs, "Greetings, Your Majesty! The vegetables I spent three months growing have all died. They were the fruit of three months of my labor, and now they are all gone. I could not help but weep. Please forgive my offense, Your Majesty."
Zhao Fu gave a soft acknowledgment and said, "The court will handle this matter. You need not grieve too deeply."
The old farmer said with a grateful, delighted expression, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for caring for the people."
Zhao Fu said with a light smile, "You are citizens of Great Qin. Your affairs are Great Qin's affairs—how could I ignore them?"
The old farmer hastily agreed.
Zhao Fu said nothing further and led the others toward the vegetable fields.
Vegetables were still only vegetables; they could not replace grain, and their status was not quite as important. Yet they were indispensable in daily life and counted as a necessity. Great Qin cultivated all kinds of vegetables to meet the various needs of its people.
Zhao Fu now saw many