What does the old man in the countryside mean when he says "the tomb door opens when it thunders in August"?

In rural areas, farming is the basic livelihood, and farming depends on the weather, which is directly related to the output of crops. Therefore, according to past experience, people have summed up many old sayings. I heard the old man in the village say, "There was thunder in February and August, and thieves were everywhere." This is a true portrayal of farmers' farming at that time.

In the old society, the output of crops in rural areas was very low, and what people valued most was food. Every year, we pray for good weather and good harvest, or we will starve.

Thunder in February and August is regarded as an "ominous sign" and God is punishing it. The crops in the field will hardly have a good harvest. This statement is very common and taboo.

According to the lunar calendar, February is still winter. It's winter at this time, and it doesn't thunder under normal circumstances. If the thunder at this time is the result of abnormal weather, it may be a warm winter or a rainstorm.

This is bound to have an impact on farmers and affect the output of grain. August of the lunar calendar is the autumn harvest season, and the crops that are growing and maturing are most afraid of rain and will definitely reduce production.

In the past, productivity was very low. At that time, there were no pesticides and fertilizers, and they were all dry land. Asked the old people in the village, when the years are good, one acre of land can only play two or three hundred kilograms of wheat, and corn sorghum with higher yield can only play four or five hundred kilograms. When the year is bad, it will be basically halved, and it may even stop production in case of natural disasters.

When the weather changes, the grain output will decrease, which may lead to "famine". It's good to have food at home. If there is no food in stock to feed their stomachs, they will take risks to steal food, and many "thieves" will emerge out of thin air.

Therefore, there is a saying that "the thunder was full of thieves in February and August". The so-called "thief" is actually not a real "thief", but a farmer without food.