Once the news of the escape spread, the entire Stone Village was plunged into unprecedented panic and chaos.
The villagers were in an uproar; some were worried, some were hesitant, and others were firmly opposed to leaving the land where they had lived for generations.
To Wang Xiuxiu's surprise, the first person in the entire Wang family to understand and support this decision was Wang Chengwen, who was only eleven years old.
It turns out that the academy where Wang Chengwen studied had given an early extended holiday due to the drought.
Before leaving, the teacher gathered the students in front of the hall and said earnestly, "Natural disasters are merciless, and people must protect themselves. This drought is no small matter. The Sangshui River is almost dry, and the fields have yielded no harvest. If we delay any longer, we may not even have a chance to escape. When you return, you must persuade your families to make plans as soon as possible. Do not risk your lives because you are reluctant to leave your homes."
These words were deeply imprinted in Wang Chengwen's heart.
As soon as he got home, he relayed his husband’s words to his family. Every word struck the Wang family like a heavy hammer blow.
At the same time, Cui Erlang also brought his teacher's words back to the village.
Actually, at first, Qin Shi did not want Erlang to steal the limelight.
The Cui family had originally planned to quietly flee south, not wanting to cause any more trouble.
Qin was even more worried that if the information was wrong, it would inevitably bring complaints from the villagers.
However, Cui Erlang was stubborn and, taking advantage of Qin Shi's inattention, secretly ran to the village chief's house and told him all of his teacher's advice.
Upon hearing this, the village chief's expression changed drastically. He immediately summoned all the villagers to the threshing ground to discuss countermeasures.
On the threshing ground, villagers gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves, their faces invariably filled with anxiety and unease.
The village chief stood in the center of the crowd, his weathered face appearing particularly solemn.
He looked around, his cane striking the ground heavily with a dull thud.
"Fellow villagers, the drought is getting worse and worse. We can't just sit here and wait to die! We have to think of a way to leave or stay. We must make a decision today!"
As soon as the village chief finished speaking, a noisy discussion broke out in the crowd.
At this moment, the respected old man in the village stood up shakily, his voice loud but with a hint of stubbornness: "Our ancestors have lived here for generations, how can we abandon our families and livelihoods because of a little difficulty? There have been bad years in the past, and we've always managed to get through them, haven't we?"
His words immediately resonated with some of the villagers.
A middle-aged man loudly echoed, "Grandpa is right! Although those teachers at the academy are scholars, when it comes to farming, they're nowhere near as good as us. Maybe in a few days, Heaven will open its eyes!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Qin was immediately filled with anger.
She glared at her husband Cui Yuanshan beside her, cursing inwardly: "If you hadn't been constantly nagging about the bonds of kinship and how it's not right to run away alone without telling your family, her son wouldn't be so stubborn and wouldn't listen to his mother's advice at all."
Look at me now, my good intentions have been misunderstood, and I've brought myself a lot of trouble for no reason!
She grew angrier the more she thought about it, and reached out to pinch Cui Yuanshan's arm hard.
Cui Yuanshan winced in pain but dared not utter a sound, silently enduring it.
However, not everyone agrees with the old man's point of view.
Some young people and more knowledgeable villagers believe that this drought is extraordinary and that if they continue to stay here, they will likely face certain death.
They advocated fleeing south as soon as possible before the situation deteriorated completely.
The two sides argued endlessly, each sticking to their own version of events, and the atmosphere on the threshing ground became increasingly tense.
Seeing the argument reach a stalemate, the village chief had no choice but to step forward again and shout, "Stop arguing! Since some people want to leave and some want to stay, each family can decide for themselves. Those who want to leave, gather at the threshing ground at this time tomorrow, and we'll discuss our escape routes together. Those who want to stay, please pray for your own good fortune and don't blame others later!"
After the meeting, the Wang family returned home, where the atmosphere in the main room was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.
Chen Chunhua sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her brows furrowed, and asked in a low voice, "Husband, should we leave or not?"
She had originally decided to leave after listening to Wang Chengwen's words, but after hearing her grandfather's words today, she couldn't bear to part with the family's land and possessions, and her heart couldn't help but waver.
Wang Degui remained silent for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh and said decisively, "Let's go! The village chief is a sensible man, and Mr. Chengwen is a worldly man. They both think we should leave, so let's take the gamble! At worst, we can come back after the disaster is over!"
Once the decision was made, the entire Wang family immediately sprang into action.
However, they face many challenges.
The family only had one dilapidated donkey cart, which could carry very little.
Chen Chunhua quickly assigned tasks: "Xiuxiu, Xiaodong, you two hurry up and pack the food and supplies, and get moving!"
She then quickly went into the inner room and packed up all the valuables in the house.
Looking at the belongings she couldn't take with her, Chen Chunhua felt as if her heart was being torn apart.
She stroked the wooden table that she had used for many years, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Just as she was about to regret leaving, Wang Xiuxiu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up and suggested, "Mother, why don't we sell these things that we can't take with us to the families in the village who plan to stay? It's always good to have more money with us when we're traveling."
Upon hearing this, Chen Chunhua's eyes lit up. She quickly packed up and hurriedly left with a pile of packages in her arms.
After a long while, Wang Xiuxiu saw her return from outside, looking exhausted.
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the package in Chen Chunhua's hands was completely empty, suggesting that she had successfully converted it into cash.
However, there was no joy on Chen Chunhua's face. As soon as she stepped into the house, she slammed her hand on the table angrily and said, "These heartless people! Taking advantage of my misfortune! They're really taking advantage of my illness to kill me!!"
Then came another long sigh, "Alas, it's such a pity that all my good stuff only sold for such a small amount of money..."
Seeing this, Wang Xiuxiu slipped away quietly from the main room, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would become Chen Chunhua's punching bag.
Sure enough, not long after, the sound of Hong Xiaodong being scolded by Chen Chunhua could be heard from inside the house.
Wang Xiuxiu stood in the courtyard, looking up at the gray sky, silently praying, "I hope this escape will bring us a glimmer of hope..."
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