Under the dim light of the lanterns, Old Man Weng and several men stood smiling at the door of the rooms where the men were resting, carrying heavy buckets of water.
The water in the bucket shimmered faintly.
"Brother Chen, brothers! Come, come, have some spring water! It's so refreshing!" Old Man Weng's voice was loud and clear, filled with undeniable enthusiasm. "It's a hundred times better than the muddy soup you drank on the road!"
Village Chief Chen, Li Laosan, Liu Dazhuang, Butcher Zhang, and the others looked at the water bucket and listened to Weng Laojiu's words, feeling a chill run down their spines!
Their faces were pale, but it wasn't obvious in the dim light.
The words "sleeping drug" stuck in their minds like ice picks.
"Brother Weng...you're too kind..." the village chief forced a smile, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Yes, yes...it really solved our immediate problem!" Old Li echoed dryly, his throat a little tight.
The door to the second room next door opened, and several men poked their heads out, their eyes filled with the same surprise and wariness.
They also heard that ghostly recording!
Seeing Old Man Weng's enthusiasm and the water bucket, the alarm bells in my heart rang even louder.
But the people in the third room were unaware!
Upon hearing that there was "mountain spring water" to drink, hunger and thirst overcame everything!
"Oh! That's great! Thank you so much, Steward Weng!" Jiang Fu was the first to rush out, holding a bowl in his hand.
"There's water to drink!" Jiang Shou squeezed in as well.
The men behind them also happily gathered around, ready to scoop water.
Village Chief Chen's heart was pounding in his chest. He quickly stepped forward, his face plastered with an even more "grateful" smile, but his voice carried a hint of "reproach," "Jiang Fu! Jiang Shou! What are you doing! So reckless! Water is so precious, is it something we can just gulp down like that?"
Old Man Weng immediately waved his hand, his smile widening. "Oh, Brother Chen! You're too kind! We're all neighbors, what's a sip of water? I know everyone's suffered a disaster, it's not easy for us! There's plenty of water! Drink as much as you want!" He called to the men beside him, "Quick, fill up the brothers' cups!"
Upon hearing "free and plentiful," Jiang Fu became even more excited. Ignoring the village chief, he directly stuck his bowl into the bucket, shouting, "Did you hear that? Manager Weng is so generous! It's free!" He scooped up a large bowl full.
“Exactly!” Jiang Shou also scooped up a bowl, giving the village chief a disgruntled look.
The other men in the third room also thanked them and lined up to get water.
"Put it down!" Liu Dazhuang couldn't help but roar, his face ashen. "Did I tell you to drink it?!"
That shout froze the scene instantly.
The people holding the bowls were stunned, looking at Liu Dazhuang in bewilderment.
Jiang Fu got angry. "Liu Dazhuang! Who are you yelling at?! Even Steward Weng didn't say anything, so who are you to act like a big shot here? I've been thirsty all day, what's it to you if I drink some water?!" He stuck out his neck and was about to put the water to his mouth.
Li Laosan quickly tried to smooth things over, his voice urgent: "Brothers Jiang! It's not that we don't want you to drink! It's just... this water is too precious! We... we should save it for the road, right? If we drink it now, it'll be gone in a bit, what a waste!" He desperately tried to find an excuse.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Butcher Zhang muttered in agreement. "It's more practical to keep it to quench thirst on the road!"
Old Man Weng's smile faltered, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.
He stepped forward, his tone laced with undeniable concern, "Hey, brothers! What's going on here? Water? Drink it first, then get more! We have plenty of spring water here! It's worthless! Drink up!" As he spoke, he winked at the men carrying the buckets, signaling them to continue pouring water for the others.
This unusual enthusiasm and almost forceful persuasion extinguished the last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the men in the first and second rooms who were initially half-believing!
Something's not right! Something's really not right! Who forces someone to drink water like that?!
"Oh, Manager Weng is right! There's plenty of water! Don't be so polite!" Jiang Fu ignored everyone else and gulped down a large bowl of water.
"That's great!" Jiang Shou also downed his drink in one gulp!
Seeing this, the village chief was extremely anxious. He immediately turned to Old Man Weng, his tone sincere yet apologetic, "Brother Weng, please don't be offended! These lads are unruly! This water, we... we have to store it carefully, to save it for our journey!"
Li Laosan immediately realized what was going on and joined in the act, "That's right! The village chief is right! This water is too precious! If we drink it now, it'll be gone! Saving it for the road is the right thing to do!"
He quickly turned around and shouted to the people in his house, "Quick! What are you all standing there for? Bring out our earthenware jars, water bags, and bowls! Fill them with water!"
"Oh! Yes, yes, yes! Fill it with water!"
The people in the first and second rooms understood each other perfectly and immediately got to work.
They ran quickly back into the house, rummaged through their water storage containers—earthenware jars, water bags, broken bowls, even gourd ladles—and ran back, their faces beaming with exaggerated, tearful gratitude, surrounding the water bucket.
"Thank you very much, Steward Weng!"
"He's a living Bodhisattva!"
"This water is so good, we have to drink it sparingly!"
They expressed their gratitude profusely while deftly scooping, pouring, and dumping water from the buckets into their own containers!
He moved so fast it was like he was grabbing a gun, but he didn't put a single drop into his mouth!
Old Man Weng's smile faltered, and a flash of malice crossed his eyes.
He tried to stop them, "Hey, brothers! Don't be so polite! Drink up! There's plenty! You can always get more! We have lots of water!"
"No, no, no!" The village chief waved his hands repeatedly, his tone firm, his smile unchanged. "Brother Weng, you are so kind! We can't be ungrateful! We can't waste a single drop of this water today! We'll save it all and drink it slowly on the road! We will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives!" He spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
