The river in Baijia Village is now just a thin stream, and even if villagers line up to fetch water, it's simply not enough to meet the demand.

"Why haven't we found a water source yet? Isn't there plenty of groundwater here?" Some villagers have already started complaining.

Bai Zhidong glanced at the speaker and said, "Do you think finding a water source is that simple right now? You think you can just dig a hole and water will come out? If we don't find an underground water source, the problem can't be solved at all."

Bai Yan said, "But with us non-professionals digging aimlessly here and there, the chances of success are very slim. It's just a waste of everyone's time."

Bai Lusi poured the water ladle full of water into the bucket. "How will we know if we can succeed if we don't try? Besides, we don't have any other choice at this point."

Seeing that the well was almost full, Bai Zhidong quickly went over to take over, saying, "Our village has been looking for experienced well diggers in the vicinity, but we don't know if we can find any."

"I hope so! Otherwise, fetching water every day will waste time, and the crops in the fields will almost wither and die. When there is a shortage of water and food, no one will be able to survive." After saying this, Bai Lusi did not dare to delay. He had to send the water back and come back to queue again.

Bai Yan glanced back at the still long queue and said enviously, "If only we had a lake as big as Pinghe Village, at least we wouldn't have to worry about these things."

"Thinking about all this now is pointless. When the water runs out completely, we might have to transport water back from them, and that would be a huge undertaking." Bai Zhidong felt that things were already troublesome enough, and if they really had to fetch water from outside, life would be even more difficult.

They resignedly lined up to collect water, while Village Chief Bai led some people along the mountainside to search for places they thought might have water.

“We’ve been digging and tinkering all this time, but we haven’t made any progress. We should ask for help from higher-ups! Maybe they have some special talent,” Bai Liangkuan said to Village Chief Bai as he stopped.

"Let's try searching again ourselves! There are many branches of underground rivers in this area. Once we find one, the water problem will be solved." Village Chief Bai also had his own thoughts. "Have you forgotten that we gave up a large area of ​​land last time to exchange for a batch of supplies? How can we dare to ask for help so easily now?"

Because of the influx of refugees, the village is not as united as it used to be.

Baijia Village is now completely divided into three factions: the original inhabitants, the previous batch of refugees who migrated here, and this new batch. The entire village is now managed separately.

“When we go to ask for help, we’ll definitely have to make an effort, but given the two new groups of villagers, they probably won’t have anything to offer, or they won’t offer anything at all. We’ll have to bear all of this, and if we find a water source, they’ll want to reap the benefits without contributing anything.” Someone immediately objected, which shows how deep the internal conflicts in the village have been recently.

Bai Liangkuan: "If we find a water source, won't they come and collect it?"

Village Chief Bai looked at the distant mountains and said, "Whether they come to fetch water or not, we must find a water source. Unfortunately, after the wolf attack that happened last time, no one dares to go up the mountain easily anymore. There must be a water source on the mountain above."

After he said that, everyone fell silent. They were still shaken by the large pack of wolves they had encountered last time, and the occasional calls of unknown animals coming from the mountains made them even more afraid to go in.

Bai Sha: "What if there's no underground river flowing through here? Are we just going to have to flee everywhere like those refugees?"

"If that's the case, then we can only blame our bad luck. We'll have to take our families and settle down near Pinghe Village first, and then return to the village after the drought." Village Chief Bai had already made the worst-case scenario plan in his mind. Of course, this was only for the original inhabitants; he couldn't control the others who joined later.

No one expected that the village chief had thought so far ahead, even making arrangements for his escape route.

In order to avoid having to leave their homes in the future, everyone can only work harder and more diligently to find new water sources.

More and more villages like Baijia Village are gradually falling into drought, and people are frequently fighting over water sources. In many places...

Things got chaotic.

The days that followed were destined to be anything but peaceful.

In the past few days, relatives have been visiting Pinghe Village one after another, with many begging to take them in for a while so that they can get through this drought.

Yun Xun, who remained in the village, dared not easily loosen his grip. If he opened a breach, Pinghe Village would certainly not be peaceful afterward.

"Can't you make an exception? We only came here because we couldn't make ends meet. We can't let my family suffer in the open, and it's not safe outside with wild animals everywhere." Lü Xiaoting kept pleading with the village elders, hoping they would relent and let her parents and brothers stay in the village temporarily.

Second Grandfather pointed to his cane, "Now it's not a question of whether or not to take them in, but that our village simply cannot take them in."

“There is drought everywhere now, and many places are severely short of water. Every household has relatives nearby. If you open this door, then other people will keep coming to rely on you, and then conflicts will arise.”

Lü Xiaoting said, "But there's no water at home right now. We can't just leave them at home to dry out, can we?"

“Anyway, our village can’t set a precedent for this. You can build them a house around the village so they can spend this time nearby.” Yun Xun suggested that since the area is near a limestone mountain, they could solve their housing problem by making some adobe houses.

"And you should hurry. Once the drought gets worse, any place with a water source will be targeted. It's best to secure a good spot as soon as possible." Seeing that they were still hesitating, the second grandfather kindly reminded them.

Those who had come to join the fun listened to these words and seemed thoughtful. After all, everyone in the neighborhood had two or three relatives, and it would be difficult to ask for help later.

Thinking about the problems I might encounter in the future, I might as well make some preparations early, so that if someone really comes to me for help, I'll have something to say.

“The back mountain is definitely not an option, so we can only expand towards Xin San Village. Although it’s not very convenient to get water, at least we can guarantee that there will be water available.” Some people are already thinking about where to build a house first.

At this moment, Lü Xiaoting realized that the area around Pinghe Village would definitely become a hot commodity in the future. Since the village did not entertain outsiders, it would be better to take a place near the water source as soon as possible.

She no longer had time to persuade the elders and those in charge; she turned around and went to discuss it with her family.