Yu Lanhua slapped Lin Changfa and said, "Just listen to Rui Ge'er. How can you think as much as Rui Ge'er? We are all members of the Lin family who are within the third mourning period. How can Rui Ge'er harm us?"

Lin Changfa smiled awkwardly: "I don't mean that. It's just that the wheels of the oxcart always sink!"

Lin Rui could understand. After a rainstorm, even walking in the mountains would leave potholes everywhere, let alone heavy objects like vehicles. But he had to keep moving. Wild wolves were cunning animals, and if they were spotted, they would attack at any time. He had to stay away from them, otherwise he would be caught up in the dark.

There is no shortage of supplies in the mountains. With the help of brother-in-law Zhao Qing, Lin Changtai, Lin Changfa and other cousins, as well as Lin Zijun and other young and strong cousins ​​who are hunting and cutting trees, several families can catch prey almost every now and then to replenish their stomachs and satisfy their appetite. Even the big wild boar that attacked Lin Rui before was pickled and it was not a turn to eat it.

After resting for so many days and having good food, the Lin family members had regained their strength. Even on such a muddy road, which required several people working together to lift the wheels, it was not difficult.

The road was really dirty. Some of the mountain depressions were very deep, and the previous heavy rain had caused water to accumulate up to people's hips. If we pulled a bullock cart, we could barely get across, but the clothes, bedding and food on the bottom of the cart would be soaked, so we had to rely on manpower to carry them to the other side one bag at a time.

Sanliang accounted for more than half of the labor force in Lin Rui's family. He carried more than 200 kilograms of food and walked briskly in the water. Zhao Qing was considered to be strong, but he was no match for Sanliang, who was a little thin. In the time it took Zhao Qing to go back and forth, Sanliang and 400 kilograms of food were delivered. When it was Lin Rui, his sister-in-law and two sisters' turn, they just had to hold the children and pick up the lighter clothes to take over.

Lin Rui's speed of crossing the river was the fastest among the Lin family because he had Sanliang with him. After they put all the things on the ox cart on the shore, Lin Changfa, Lin Changtai and other uncles came over.

Sisters-in-law Chen Mei and Chen Zhi carefully crossed the river carrying food, Lin Ziming carried his grandfather on his back, and Lin Ziren carefully drove the ox cart across the river.

By the way, Lin Pingmao managed to survive after being bitten by a dog shitta snake. As he gets older, his resistance and immunity are not as good as those of young people, so he has no strength now and has to rely on his children and grandchildren to support him when walking, or Lin Changtai has him sit on the luggage on the ox cart and secure him with a rope to prevent him from falling during the journey.

The water in the puddle was originally quite clear, but with so many people walking around and three big blue bulls passing by, it now became turbid. The mud and grass debris under the water were carried by the waves and stuck to the people crossing the river, making the hems of their clothes dirty.

Lin Rui felt sorry for his second sister who had to travel again before she was out of confinement. It was said that if one did not take good care of oneself during confinement, one would definitely suffer from postpartum illness. The water in the puddles in the mountains was quite cold, so he simply asked his second sister to hold Qingqing and Niuniu and squat on the ox cart, and pull the cart slowly over. This way, at most their shoes would get wet, but their legs would not have to get cold by soaking in water like everyone else.

The twelve little wild boars were unwilling to go into the water but were forced to swim through the water by being tied with ropes. They were spoiled!

After coming here, everyone didn't change clothes or anything. They put on the shoes they had taken off before, put their things in place, and continued on their way.

The journey lasted seven or eight days, and the temperature was getting abnormally high. The sun was scorching brightly, and sweat soaked their clothes. Niuniu and Mu Tou, who had been chattering all the way, followed the ox cart listlessly. The women were skillful and even made hats for everyone in the family to protect them from the sun.

How much coolness can such a small amount of shade bring to people? It is just a psychological effect.

Along the way, each family carefully saved the water in bamboo tubes and water bags and drank them all. The water in the puddles was dried up, and the muddy road under their feet became more and more solid, so there was no need for ox carts to get stuck in the mud again.

As usual, they would find a thorn bush to cover the ox cart and wood on the outside before going to bed. They would light a fire in the inner circle to drive away wild animals, and everything would be peaceful.

After traveling during the day, Shuanzi felt listless due to the heat. He had been eating and wearing clothes from various families during this period. After eating like everyone else, he began to behave a little like a human being. Now he helped everyone carry their bags and things to prove that he was not just a person who ate for free.

I patted the water bag hanging around my waist and drank it all. It was only noon and the sun was hot, so how could the water be finished so quickly!

The situation of others was not much better than Shuanzi's. After the heavy rain, there was the scorching sun. Although the water resources stored by everyone seemed to be a lot at first glance, the population base of the family was also large. Once the prescribed daily quota was drunk, the mother and daughter-in-law at home would never give you more water no matter what.

Zhang Dacui no longer had the right to manage food, but she guarded the right to distribute water very tightly and was ruthless. No matter whether an adult, a child, a husband, or a grandchild asked for a little more, she would refuse them sternly.

Especially these days when the temperature is as high as a furnace, everyone is seriously short of water. The water in the potholes in the surrounding mountains and forests has dried up, leaving only dry and broken soil blocks, which are broken into pieces when you step on them.

The fear of the scorching sun before the rainstorm began to dominate everyone, including Zhang Dacui. The amount of water each person could drink per day was strictly regulated. Lin Rui's family had a few more bottles of water than other families, so each person could get about 500 milliliters a day, while the other uncles' families could only get 300 milliliters at most.

If converted using modern beverage bottles, each person in Lin Rui's family can probably drink the amount of a mineral water bottle, while his uncles and aunts only drink the amount of water the size of a Coke can a day.

There was no other way. Before a water source was found, everyone had to strictly limit the distribution of water to ensure that everyone had the basic amount of water needed for survival.

Moreover, Lin Rui and Lin Pingmao's families each have two and one blue cow respectively. Wild boars do not need to be fed water. After all, they grow rough and eat rough food. The plant roots and stems they eat in the mountains today can help them replenish water. If they do not get enough water, they have to bear it. If they really starve to death, they can kill the pigs and eat the meat. It is a business with no capital.

It’s different with the big blue oxen. People would rather suffer from thirst than let them drink their fill first. Otherwise, what will happen to so much luggage and food weighing hundreds of pounds? It all depends on manpower.

But what use can the two wheelbarrows at home be? Haven’t you seen that the carts in the homes of my two uncles Lin Changhe and Lin Changfa can only carry a limited amount of things? A wheelbarrow with a smaller capacity will definitely be even less useful.

When Lin Ziming fed his green cattle with water every day, he would take up all the water that the cattle did not finish drinking, as he was really reluctant to waste even a drop.

Lin Rui lived in the peaceful 21st century, so how could he have experienced such hardship? And now, let alone the fear of having to escape famine, if it happened to him, he would have to endure it. Blaming others would not lead to any solution.

He leaned against a tree trunk, panting, his breath turning into gusts of hot air. He opened his water bag and gulped down the whole thing in one gulp. The high temperature had caused the once icy spring water to reach nearly fifty degrees Celsius. He was drinking hot water in the middle of summer!