After walking and stopping all the way, we finally arrived at the last mountain after five days. As long as we cross that mountain, we will reach the territory of Baixing Town. Then we should see people who are also fleeing towards Huangmo Pass. After all, due to the war, there is no pure land in the Central Plains.
Lin Pingmao was able to get out of bed now. After being tormented by the snake venom and due to his old age, he had lost half of his energy and spirit. But now, when he saw the road out of the mountains right in front of him, his usually hunched body straightened up.
At this moment, he looked at the dry leaves all over the mountain and couldn't help but sigh: "We have to thank Lin Rui for our lives and for not suffering from hunger along the way!"
The autumn of the famine year seemed to never come, the temperature was still frighteningly high, the leaves on the mountain were burned and wilted and fell to the ground, the tree trunks became bare, the wild rabbits, pheasants and bamboo rats ran around, and the forest full of life was gone forever.
Lin Rui and his companions seemed to have spent four seasons in the mountains. The path they were walking on changed from dense forests after a rainstorm to bare, barren mountains. The last high mountain in front of them was even more so. The leaves had fallen so much that the ridges could be seen, and it looked lifeless.
Despite trying to save water, the water stored in each household was still drunk up these days. Lin Rui's family also distributed the last two buckets of water to his uncles and aunts to solve their urgent needs. In the current situation, even if the two buckets of water were not given, they would still be in dire straits at most after two days.
Having more people has its advantages. No matter it is hunting, defending, or finding water sources, it can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Along the way, their group has been targeted by jackals, tigers and leopards. If there were only one or two people, they would have become food for wild beasts long ago. Precisely because they are so many in number, even if the wild beasts are greedy, they have to estimate the gap in strength between the two sides.
If Lin Rui's family were to go on the road, three of them would be old, weak, sick, disabled and pregnant. Even if Sanliang was as strong as an ox and his brother-in-law Zhao Qing was very skilled, it would be a wonder if they could protect three women, two children and a weak brother-in-law.
Lin Changxi frowned as he looked at the mountain before him and couldn't help but ask, "It's completely bare. Do you think there's water there?"
No one answered this question. It's not that everyone hadn't looked for water when it was about to run out, but they just didn't find any. They couldn't go back to the place where they had found the spring before and go back the same way. If they kept doing this over and over again, not only would they use up all their food, they would also be trapped to death in the mountains.
No one can guarantee that the spring you return to will not dry up due to drought, so you can only grit your teeth and move forward.
Everyone couldn't help but look at Lin Rui. Lin Rui shrugged and smiled bitterly: "Don't look at me, I'm not a god. I can only say, let's give it a try."
"Across this mountain we'll reach Baixing Town. Perhaps we can find water there."
"Let's go."
When they reached the middle of the mountain, the sun was at its highest. All the leaves on the trees in the mountains had fallen, and the sunlight shone on people without any obstruction. The Lin family only built a small shed for the children in the family, while the other adults found a thick tree, used the shadow cast by the tree to cover their bodies, and crouched there reluctantly.
Lin Zaozao and Lin Susu filled their water bags with more water because of Lin Rui's selfishness when he distributed the water. Adults can bear with it, but children cannot be careless.
There was no water left in Lin Rui's water bag, but he had a house. He could sneak into the house and drink a lot of water when no one was paying attention. Although the tap water in his house was rationed, it was enough for drinking if he didn't take a shower.
Feng Zhenniang's lips were dry and chapped, but she secretly stuffed the water bag hanging from her waist into Lin Rui's arms: "Rui'er, drink some quickly."
"Mom, I'm really not thirsty, please drink quickly!" He pushed the water bag back again.
Feng Zhenniang licked her lips and closed the lid of the water bag again: "I'm not thirsty either. I'll drink when I'm thirsty."
Lin Rui felt a little uncomfortable. He knew that this time of thirst was not when his mother was thirsty, but when he was thirsty. If he could not find the water source, his mother would rather die of thirst than leave the life-saving water for him, her son.
There was no water on the mountain, but there was water in his house! He couldn't bring things from outside the house in, but he could take the supplies inside out. He couldn't just let his parents, brothers, and sisters die of thirst while he had running water in the house every day!
Thinking of this, his body leaning on the ox cart suddenly straightened up. Lin Changxi beside him looked at his son with a dazed look. Just as he was about to ask him something, he saw his son turned around and rummaged through something on the ox cart.
"Rui..." Before the name came out of his mouth, Lin Rui was seen running deep into the forest with four or five empty plastic bottles in his hands.
Lin Changtai, Lin Changhe, Lin Zijun, Lin Zicheng and the others realized what was happening and stood up. They had already caught up with him, shouting, "Brother Rui, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to find some water!" Lin Rui's voice came from far away, and it seemed that he had run even farther.
Lin Pingmao was extremely anxious: "This kid is always acting on his whims. It's so dangerous to go into the mountains alone. Hurry, Mingzi and Renzi, go catch up with Lin Rui and protect him!"
Lin Changxi was more anxious than Lin Pingmao. He ran while hurriedly calling Sanliang to catch up with Lin Rui. Feng Zhenniang also ran into the forest behind Lin Rui, but even without leaves, the forest was still able to hide people. She lost Lin Rui in a few breaths.
Sanliang, Lin Ziren and Lin Ziming were in one group, Lin Changxi, Lin Changtai and Lin Changfa were in one group to look for people, Lin Zijun and Lin Zheng were in one group to find water, and the others stayed in their original place to watch over the luggage.
Lin Rui couldn't let anyone know that he had a house cheat, and he didn't intend to tell anyone. A secret is no longer a secret once it's known to a second person. He could only get rid of the Lin family members behind him and return to his own space in an instant.
The temperature in the room remained cool. He went to the bathroom to wash his face, then went to the kitchen to turn on the water purifier. He caught the water in a large cup and drank it down.
Then turn on the tap and place the plastic bucket in the vegetable basin to collect water. Tap water can flow much faster than water from a water purifier, and a plastic bucket can be filled with water in 30 seconds.
He took five plastic buckets from the ox cart and filled them all up, which was enough for the Lin family members to survive for a day or two. If they still couldn't find water within a day or two, he would just use the same trick again. Anyway, as long as he was there, no one in the Lin family would starve to death or die of thirst.
When I was about to leave the room with five buckets of water, I saw a few crooked and cracked apples on the coffee table in the living room that I had bought on PXX because I wanted to save money. I thought I would take them with me for the children to eat. They looked just like the wild fruits growing in the mountain woods.
Otherwise, if he took out a few large, juicy Red Fuji apples from his arms, it would be hard for the Lin family members not to be suspicious.
Thinking of this, he stuffed all the little apples into his arms, put them in his linen pocket, and returned to the forest with five buckets of water.
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