The fire grew increasingly intense, and wherever the thick smoke drifted, the people nearby could not help but cough, their eyes stinging. Everyone instinctively pulled back to keep their distance.
Si Jiuyue didn't mind the gray ash that fell onto her hair; she only used her hand to wipe away the bits that landed on her face.
Once the wasteland was burned down to a sufficient state, Chen Qingzhi brought out the ox and the plow. He skillfully harnessed the wooden plow to the ox’s shoulders, then unbuckled the ox-yoke and placed it around the beast's neck, securing the plow beneath the ox's legs with a grass rope that looped around the animal’s body. He tied the ends of the rope to the nose ring, creating a guide. Standing behind the ox, Chen Qingzhi pulled the ropes on either side until they were of equal length and tied them to the handles of the plow.
Chapter 326