A few days ago, Ella and Old John had just slaughtered the cow.
As they got closer to the heart of the barren land, the amount of edible water in their vehicle dwindled until, a few days ago, they had only four sacks of water left.
At this point, it's easy to imagine that the two of them would be a burden if they continued to bring the oxcart.
Immediately, Old John and Ella gathered up the remaining dry rations, packed them up, and set them aside.
Then Old John swiftly brought down his knife, but even with years of experience, the ox was still much larger than Old John.
Thanks to Thunderbird's help, Old John managed to kill the cow with some difficulty, but thankfully nothing went wrong.
After the cow died, old John and Ella cut off a portion of the beef to make cooked food, which would be part of their rations for the future.
As for the remaining beef, some was eaten raw by the Thunderbird, while the rest was left where it was.
Without oxen, the oxcart is useless.
After that, Ella and old John shouldered their packs and headed toward the heart of the Barrens.
It must be said that without the ox to pull them, their movements became much slower and they also expended more energy.
Although the scenery looked exactly the same to everyone, Old John still sensed the slow progress over the past few days.
Seeing the dwindling food supplies and dwindling water levels, it would be a lie to say I wasn't anxious.
Old John looked up ahead; this was the final point where the riverbed had sunk.
He kept in mind the direction of the river the whole way, and now that he has reached the final destination, what should he do?
Looking at the barren, flat land ahead, old John's brow furrowed deeply, so much so that he didn't even notice the sound of Ella nearly falling over beside him.
Old John stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
He had no idea where he was, whether he was still on the outskirts of the barren land or that they were getting closer to the center.
The view ahead was completely unobstructed, yet there were absolutely no clues to help old John make an accurate judgment.
What should we do now?
Turning back is impossible, not to mention whether that little bit of food will last them until they reach the edge of the barren land.
You have to understand, they came here with a do-or-die determination, never even considering turning back.
Old John's gaze slowly hardened.
Since they didn't know where to go, they decided to just keep going. What did it matter if they died?
Putting aside all doubts, old John made up his mind. He picked up his scattered baggage and said to Ella, "Ella, let's go!"
Ella's gaze, which had been on the Thunderbird, was immediately averted.
She nodded and then followed behind old John.
Thunderbird stood to the side blinking, but after Ella and Old John had walked a distance, it spread its wings and followed.
For the rest of the journey, old John lost his sense of direction and could only rely on his intuition to move forward.
He and Ella walked aimlessly, heading only in the direction in front of them.
Countless times when he couldn't find his way, old John felt a deep sense of despair, but countless times he also mustered his courage and kept moving forward.
Fortunately, along the way, they were not the only ones with Thunderbirds, who accompanied them and never left.
The march did not stop, however, the supplies of dry food and water were visibly decreasing.
Old John's emotions grew increasingly suppressed, and he dared not speak, fearing that what came out would only be a helpless rage.
As they walked on day after day, their spirits were almost completely worn away.
Just when old John thought he was getting further and further away from his destination by walking aimlessly, he suddenly discovered something unusual.
Unbeknownst to them, the land they entered was no longer as cracked as before.
Is this just his imagination?
Old John stared at the slightly damp soil beneath his feet, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
"Hey, Ella, come quick!"
Fearing he might be wrong, he couldn't help but call Ella over to observe together.
"Look at the soil here, isn't it different from the previous one?"
Old John's voice rose uncontrollably, revealing just how excited he was at that moment.
Ella hurried forward, but Old John had already knelt down impatiently.
Old John began digging in the dirt with his bare hands.
As he made his move, his mind screamed wildly, "It's different, completely different!"
He became agitated, as if possessed, and dug several more times.
He was only awakened when he heard Ella's worried voice.
"John!"
What was clearly a normal shout sounded like a thunderclap to old John, instantly waking him up.
He turned his head and met Ella's worried gaze.
Are you alright?
Old John shook his head, but the next second he revealed a smile that looked like he was crying.
He said, "Ella, it's different, it's really different!"
Tears welled up in his eyes, and despite being extremely dehydrated, he didn't know where so many tears came from.
"John..."
Ella's eyes also welled up with tears; she knew why old John was so agitated.
Old John seemed not to hear the sound. He suddenly grabbed Ella's hand and led her straight into the hole he had just dug out with his bare hands.
"Look, isn't it wet? Isn't it wet?"
"It's different, completely different!"
Old John placed Ella's hand deep in the mud pit, his eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at her, hoping for a positive answer.
Even though he had already sensed it, he still couldn't believe it.
His gaze lingered on Ella's face, noticing her serious expression mixed with apprehension.
He was afraid of receiving a negative answer.
However, at that moment, Ella's entire focus was on the hand that touched the soil, and she paid no attention to Old John's expression.
Ella picked up a small clod of dirt with her hand, and that one action made her brow furrow slightly.
The texture was completely different from the soil before; it didn't require much force to pry off a piece of soil like before.
This time, with just a little effort, a small piece fell off.
She slowly crushed the soil with her fingertips, and the unusual appearance became even more obvious.
It doesn't feel like parched land; it crumbles into countless tiny powders with just a gentle touch.
Ella could feel the granular texture of this small patch of soil, which was no longer as severely dehydrated as the previous soil.
Does that mean they found the right place?!
Ella's eyes gradually brightened, and she stared intently at old John.
Unfortunately, old John was waiting for her answer, and when she didn't speak, his heart started pounding faster and faster.
He couldn't help but cover his chest with his hands, still covered in mud.
He thought he was just imagining things.
The breath I had felt seemed to dissipate.
Old John's spirits instantly plummeted.
The slight blush that had been there immediately vanished completely.
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