The sky was gray.

The ground is cracked.

The wind is hot.

No one spoke.

Only heavy footsteps and labored breathing could be heard.

Slow and sluggish.

Every step felt like it was made of lead.

Suddenly, someone in front stopped abruptly, pointed into the distance, and spoke in a hoarse voice filled with ecstatic joy:

"Village! There's a village ahead! We've arrived!"

Upon hearing this, the others who were focused on their journey immediately looked up.

The outline of a village came into view.

“It really is! It’s a village!” someone shouted.

"Water! There must be water this time!" another voice trembled.

The numbness disappeared.

The heavy steps suddenly quickened.

Those pushing carts, carrying loads, and using canes all started jogging.

The crowd surged toward the village.

Getting closer and closer.

...

The village was bigger than I had imagined.

Even more striking is the heavy wooden door standing at the entrance of the village.

The wood is thick and looks quite intact.

The crowd stopped a few dozen steps from the door.

The excitement froze, turning into hesitation and worry.

"The door...the door is still there, there must be someone inside!" Li Laosan gasped for breath.

The village where the doors and windows were all gone was deserted.

"Yes, that's right." Liu Dazhuang wiped his sweat.

"The door's still there, that's great!" Jiang Fu's eyes lit up. "As long as there are people, that's good! If there are people, there's food and water! We'll buy it! I have money!"

Jiang Shou nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes! We'll buy it! Let's knock on the door quickly!"

Village Chief Chen stepped forward, holding a gong in his hand.

His brows were furrowed, and his face showed little joy, instead appearing more serious.

He looked at the group of people behind him—ragged, emaciated, their eyes filled with hunger and hope, and even a hint of ferocity.

Then look at that tightly closed, heavy door.

"This door... is so sturdy..." the village chief muttered to himself.

He tapped the gong once, a soft sound, to signal everyone to be quiet.

"Don't worry, everyone," the village chief said in a low voice. "This gate is being repaired, probably to protect against... people like us."

He recalled the other groups of refugees he had encountered on the road. Both sides were like frightened birds, keeping their distance from each other for fear that the other would pounce on them and rob them.

What would the villagers think of this group of people who were starving?

"The village chief is right." Old Wang coughed twice and slowly began, "You young people don't understand... this world... you can't see into someone's heart. What if they're afraid we'll go in and rob them, and refuse to open the door?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head.

The excitement on everyone's faces quickly faded, replaced by anxiety and unease.

Yes, what if they don't open the door?

They look really scary right now.

The newly ignited hope was weighed down by immense uncertainty.

No one dared to step forward.

The crowd stood frozen, staring longingly at the tightly closed door.

Time passed little by little.

The crowd's anxiety is rising.

Liu Dazhuang finally couldn't hold back any longer. He was impatient and hated dawdling.

He pushed aside the people in front of him and strode towards the wooden door. "What's the point of just waiting? Asking won't hurt! What's there to be afraid of?"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying a sense of recklessness.

All eyes were on him.

Village Chief Chen tried to stop him, raised his hand slightly, then lowered it again.

It's worth a try.

Liu Dazhuang walked to the door, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to slap it down.

"Creak—!"

The heavy wooden door slowly opened from the inside!

Several faces peeked out from behind the door.

The leader was about forty years old, with a full face and a healthy ruddy glow.

The men behind him, dressed in different styles of short jackets, all looked very energetic.

The person who opened the door glanced at the dark mass of people outside, his eyes sweeping over them, his smile unchanged, even becoming more amiable.

"Where are you all from?" the leader asked, his voice loud and clear. "I am the manager of Wengjia Village. Everyone calls me Old Ninth Weng."

Village Chief Chen quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "My surname is Chen, and I am the village chief of this group. Manager Weng, I apologize for disturbing you. We are from Liushutun in the north. We suffered a disaster there and had no other choice but to come out to find a way to survive." His tone was pleading and cautious, as if he was afraid of frightening the other party.

"We...we would like to ask your village to do us a favor and let us come in to rest for a while and have some water." After saying this, the village chief felt that he was asking for too much and quickly added, "Just for a short rest! We'll give you some water and some food, and we'll pay you! We won't take it for nothing!"

Old Man Weng quickly waved his hand, "How can I stand idly by when I see my fellow villager suffering? Come in and rest your feet! Have some water! These days, no one has it easy! Please come in, please come in!" He stepped aside and warmly invited him in.

The men behind him echoed in agreement:

"Yes, yes, it's not easy for anyone!"

"Come in and rest for a while!"

"You all look exhausted, come in quickly!"

Old Man Weng pointed into the village and said, "Our village is lucky; there's still a spring in the mountains that hasn't dried up, so we can barely survive. Water is plentiful! Food is also available; you can buy or trade as you please, it's all negotiable!"

"Water? Plenty?!" An incredulous burst of joy erupted from the crowd.

"That's wonderful! Thank God!"

"There's water to drink! There's water to drink!" Xiao Tao looked up at Jiang Chan and cheered softly.

Jiang Chan's tense nerves also relaxed slightly.

Having a walled village with gates to spend the night in is much safer than sleeping in the wilderness.

At least we don't have to worry about those disaster victims and bandits anymore.

The previous vigilance and worries were temporarily suppressed by the hope before their eyes.

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