Chapter 77 Queuing for Water
After the locust plague, all the grass and trees were eaten by locusts.
Without the support of tree roots, sandstorms began to rage, and with the scorching sun burning the earth, water sources quickly dried up.
In order to store water and prevent the people in the floating city from dying of thirst, all the springs and streams on the mountain were requisitioned, and people would carry water tanks to fill them every day until the springs and streams dried up.
The water from the mountains cannot be used by the public, so we must find a way to solve everyone’s drinking water problem.
So Fucheng found two well drilling machines that were damaged by the flood and repaired them day and night. After the machines were repaired, they were immediately put into use.
The two machines ran in parallel, and within a few days, more than a dozen wells were added to the floating city.
However, in order to ensure a steady flow of water, the well is not open to the public. The official water-drawing time is from 8pm to 12am every day, with one free water-drawing opportunity per day, and only 2 liters of water can be drawn each time.
If you want to get more water, you need to pay 10 kilograms of food.
Su Ran looked disappointed. "There are only two liters of water, which is only enough for me to drink on a daily basis. I can't even squeeze out enough water for a bath. I thought I could take a good bath after digging a well."
He had not taken a bath since the springs and streams on the mountain were requisitioned, and his body stank to death. He could not even shave the stubble on his chin, and it was estimated that he would soon look like a homeless person on the street.
"Why do women get an extra liter of water seven days every month?"
A man shouted indignantly: "This is so unfair to us men! What era is this? Why are you still discriminating between men and women?"
A woman nearby said, "You can get an extra liter of water seven days a month because women have their menstrual period and need water to cleanse their bodies and stay healthy. This is due to physiological reasons, not discrimination between men and women."
The man frowned and said stiffly, "What's the logic behind this? We men also have special needs! Why can't we treat everyone equally?"
"Brother, don't you understand what I'm saying? Women have their periods for seven days every month and need to stay clean to avoid gynecological diseases. Do you also bleed for seven days every month?" a hot-tempered girl retorted.
The man was still unwilling to accept it, "But this is not fair to us men! We can only get two liters of water every day, and we don't even have the chance to clean our bodies, but you have seven days every month to clean your bodies."
The issue of male-female conflict has been a hot topic since ancient times, and soon the onlookers started a heated argument over the issue of male-female water use.
Some people say that they do not object to women being able to get an extra liter of water seven days a month, but for the sake of fairness, men should also enjoy the same treatment.
Some people think that women do have many inconveniences during their menstrual period, and it is reasonable to drink an extra liter of water. There is no need to dwell on this point and step on women to get that extra liter of water for themselves. It is really ugly.
Some people also found ideas from this, saying that their elderly family members have physical disabilities and need to wipe their bodies every day, and asked for more water. Or some people hold their own babies and say that there are children at home and there are many places where water is needed, and apply for an extra liter of water every day.
But these farces were doomed to fail. If the higher-ups could be so easily persuaded, how could there be an incident where citizens paraded through the streets to protest against the appropriation of river water?
…
Around eight o'clock in the evening, residents of the community endured the sweltering heat and came out of their homes one after another, forming a long queue in front of the well.
Xia Xiaoman and two boys from 1501 went downstairs to get some water and saw a long line from afar.
The weather was hot. It was already past eight o'clock in the evening, but the heat waves in the air were still rolling, and it was so stuffy that people felt like they were in a steamer.
Some people in the queue were fanning themselves, some were wiping the sweat off their foreheads, and some were looking up from time to time to see the progress of the people in front of them. But not many people were talking or chatting, as the hot weather had made them lose the desire to talk.
Xia Xiaoman took a hand-cranked fan and blew air towards her neck. Although it was all hot air, it was better than no wind at all.
Suddenly, a burly man squeezed in front of her. Xia Xiaoman touched the man's calf with a bucket and pointed to the sign next to him and said, "Hey, queue up in an orderly manner. No queue-jumping. Don't you know these eight characters?"
Just as the man was about to speak, the curly-haired woman who was originally in front of Xia Xiaoman said as a matter of course: "He is my husband, we are together."
Xia Xiaoman rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter if he's your father, just go and queue up!"
The man frowned and said, "Beauty, I'm sorry, I'm worried about my wife fetching water alone, so I'll just cut in line this time, and I'll definitely queue up properly next time."
"If you are worried about your wife fetching water alone, you can take her to the back and queue up again. Why do you have to cut in line? If you cut in line and others cut in line, then do we still need to fetch water?" Xia Xiaoman's tone became more and more intense, attracting the attention of people around them.
The man was a little angry and his voice became louder: "How can you be so inhuman! I have already said that I am accompanying my wife. You are also a woman. Aren't you afraid to fetch water alone? Can you empathize with me?"
"Okay! You said it yourself, you are 'accompanying' your wife to fetch water. Remember not to fetch water when it's your turn later. If you dare to fetch water, I will smash your bucket in minutes. If you don't believe me, just try it." As he said that, Xia Xiaoman took out the axe from his waist and shook it in front of him as if in protest.
The man's face turned pale. "You dare! The staff are guarding there, try it if you dare!"
"If you don't believe me, just try it!" Xia Xiaoman twirled the axe casually, and several times the axe almost slipped and hit the man's bucket.
The man's heart was beating fast. On the one hand, he didn't believe that Xia Xiaoman was really so bold as to do it in front of the staff. On the other hand, he was afraid that this crazy woman would really smash his bucket without caring about anything.
After hesitating for a long time, he decided to take a gamble. He didn't believe that this crazy woman would dare to do anything.
The onlookers were all secretly preparing to watch the show, especially the residents who lived in the same building as Xia Xiaoman. Others didn't know, but they knew Xia Xiaoman's style very well. He would do what he said, kicking an 80-year-old white-haired man and beating a five or six-year-old toothless kid, with a ferocious look and no mercy.
Time passed by minute by minute, and after waiting for almost an hour, the line finally reached the well.
Seeing that it was almost his turn, the man who cut in line kept looking back and staring at Xia Xiaoman, fearing that this madman would suddenly attack him out of the ordinary.
Seeing Xia Xiaoman staring at the well without looking away, fanning herself with one hand and carrying a bucket with the other, the man who cut in line breathed a sigh of relief.
He said, how dare a short man who is not even as tall as his shoulders hit him? He must be crazy to dare to speak loudly to him.
Seeing his wife fetching water, the man who cut in line was about to hand over the bucket. The next second, a cold light flashed, and a fruit knife stabbed firmly on the bucket...
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