The crops in the fields all wilted, and even those that had been watered earlier didn't fare much better.
The river outside the village has completely dried up, and not a single sliver of water can be found.
The children went to the bottom of the river to search for clams under the scorching sun, and two of them fainted from the heat.
Unsurprisingly, chaos erupted in the village once again.
Jiayin was only wearing a small halter top and knee-length shorts. Her back and calves were exposed.
But she was still hot, and wished she could stick out her tongue like a puppy to cool down.
Her family has been very busy lately, and no one has paid much attention to her.
She secretly practiced walking, and although she fell many times, she was able to walk a short distance with difficulty.
She walked at ten months, which isn't too early for a baby, but it's definitely not too late either.
At this moment, she wanted to take advantage of her family's afternoon nap to go and check on the well.
But as soon as I stepped off the stairs, my skin was so hot from the sun it felt like it was about to cook.
She could only go to the kitchen, crawl over the threshold with both hands and feet, and finally reach the water vat before she could start pouring water out of her spatial dimension.
It took a full fifteen minutes for the large water tank in the house to be filled.
Before she could rest, the old lady came looking for her.
"Oh dear, Fu Niu'er, what are you doing here!"
Grandma Li picked up her granddaughter and, feeling sorry for her, quickly scooped water for her to wash her hands and feet.
The cool well water made Jiayin feel much better, and she started yawning.
Just as Grandma Li was about to take her granddaughter back into the house, Grandpa Zhao's scream rang out from the courtyard.
"Oh no, our well has dried up too!"
Hearing the commotion, the Li family members all rushed out. Sure enough, only a shallow layer of water remained at the bottom of the well.
It's impossible to throw a wooden bucket in to fetch water now.
Perhaps it will be completely dry by tomorrow.
Grandma Li also wanted to go and take a look, but suddenly her heart skipped a beat, and she turned around sharply to look.
Last night, there was only half a tank left, and after using it all morning, it should be empty, but now it's so full it's almost overflowing.
The well in the yard has dried up, could it be...?
She looked down at her sleeping granddaughter, her arm tightening instinctively, unsure whether to be overjoyed or worried.
What a wonderful granddaughter the Li family has gained! She's practically omnipotent!
When Jiayin woke up, it was already dusk.
After everyone in the Li family had eaten and drunk their fill and were about to go to sleep, she was still full of energy.
Remembering that the well at home had dried up, she decided to go and check on it, since she couldn't just magically fill the water tank all the time.
The best way to conceal the situation is to store water in the well.
She got off the kang (a heated brick bed) without incident and reached the doorway. The next moment, she was suddenly picked up.
Grandma Li tapped her granddaughter's forehead, "Where are you trying to sneak off to this time?"
Jiayin chuckled and pointed outside.
Grandma Li sighed, kissed her chubby little face, and then tiptoed to the yard.
Sure enough, Jiayin ran all the way to the well and placed her little hand on the edge of the well without moving.
The old lady didn't know what her granddaughter was going to do, so she peered over the well.
Under the moonlight, a stream of water flowed down the well wall from the granddaughter's small hand. The bottom of the well was already quite full of water…
She tried her best to hold back her screams and carefully took her granddaughter in her arms.
Let her granddaughter lie in her arms; it's safer that way, and she won't get tired.
Jiayin felt much better and hugged her grandmother's leg while continuing to relieve herself.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Grandma Li could no longer hear the sound of water. Looking down, she saw her granddaughter sleeping soundly, drooling.
She was heartbroken and, without even checking on the well, quickly took her granddaughter back into the house.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Li Laosan exclaimed in surprise in the courtyard.
"Hey, there's water in our well again!"
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru got up early to cook, taking advantage of the cool morning air. Upon hearing this, they rushed over as well.
The well water was not much, only half the usual level, but it brought smiles to everyone's faces.
Being hungry is unpleasant, but being without water on a hot day is just as bad.
Great, now we have water in the house again.
Just then, a villager came to the Li family to borrow a mule cart to go to town. Seeing that there was water in the Li family's well, the man was delighted. He didn't even bother to borrow the cart; he went home to get a water bucket and ran back to fill two buckets.
The Li family couldn't very well refuse; it wasn't gold or silver. Besides, they were all fellow villagers, and they couldn't just watch everyone go thirsty.
The news spread like wildfire, and soon the whole village knew that the Li family's well had water.
Even the village chief came to check on them, and people from nearby villages came to fetch water.
Upon seeing this, Li Laosi quickly filled his own water tank.
And so, in the midst of this scramble, the well dried up again in less than half an hour.
The group felt a little embarrassed and thanked Grandma Li profusely. When they finally gathered together, they were even more worried.
Grandma Li held her little granddaughter, using a palm-leaf fan to shield her from the sun, her heart pounding like a drum.
One villager suggested, "Village chief, should we go and hide in the mountains?"
The village chief pointed to the distant mountains and forests and sighed.
"Life in the mountains isn't easy either. There's nowhere to hide, and wild animals probably can't find water there either."
Everyone sighed, "What can we do? The crops are doomed, and people will die of thirst!"
A woman began to sob, and the men also bowed their heads and sighed.
The village chief, fearing the Li family would find it unlucky, told them to leave.
"Go cry at home! It's a natural disaster, there's nothing anyone can do about it."
Everyone left dejectedly, leaving the Li family sighing.
While Tao Hongying and the others were busy preparing food and meals, Jiayin went to work in the fields.
Grandma Li could only hold her granddaughter and walk around the edge of the field, using a palm-leaf fan to shield her from view.
The Li family's crops are the most watered, but the hot weather also makes them very irritated.
The crops are still drooping, a little greener than the others, but only a little, nothing more…
We still need to water them!
Jiayin made up her mind to continue sending water into the well in the afternoon.
But after she ate, the sun was too strong, and no matter how much she struggled, her family wouldn't let her go out.
Helpless, she could only wait until dusk before she dragged her grandmother to the well.
It took Grandma Li a while to understand what her granddaughter meant.
She felt conflicted. On one hand, she was heartbroken that the crops would die of drought and yield no harvest, and on the other hand, she was heartbroken that her granddaughter, who was not even a year old, was already taking so much care of the family.
After all, we don't know where this water came from. What if it's from a very far place? My granddaughter is so young, won't she get exhausted?
As a result of hesitation, the well was half full again.
She could only tell her sons to quickly hitch up the cart and haul water to the fields while it was still dark.
The moonlight was so bright that it was easy to see the watering.
The family members didn't understand how there was water in the well again, but they couldn't care less at that moment.
Give the crops an extra scoop of water, and they'll survive for another half month. Maybe it'll rain in half a month!
Even if the prolonged drought reduces the yield, half of the harvest is enough to feed the whole family.
Trip after trip, by dawn, Daqing was exhausted, and the whole family was so sleepy they could fall asleep at any moment.
As for Jiayin, she was already snoring in her grandmother's arms.
She was so tired that she spent the entire night pressing water in the space.
The villagers got up early to try their luck at the Li family's house, and they were all delighted to find water in the well.
Looking at the Li family's courtyard and mule cart, I guessed they had irrigated the fields again last night. I was both envious and impressed.
This job is too tiring, and it might even be a waste of time.
The Li family is incredibly resilient, all for a sliver of hope.
Everyone else had already given up; they were truly ashamed of themselves...?
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