After following the long queue for half an hour, Xiao Nanhui squinted his eyes and could barely see the well in the wind and sand. Compared with the hungry and thirsty crowds around it, the well was like a grain of rice in an ant colony, shriveled and tiny.
Families who came to fetch water sent their male members. Sometimes, one wasn't enough, so they formed groups. Fetching water itself was like a fierce battle; the slightest mistake could lead to not only failure but also suffering. Women also mingled in the group. If someone behind them got ahead, they wouldn't dare say anything, fearing they might get implicated.
Xiao Nanhui looked at him coldly for a while, feeling a little uncomfortable.
If it weren't for Xiao Zhun, she would have been one of those people, being bullied without even the strength to fight back.
"Hey! Hey, I'm talking to you. Move aside, don't get in the way!"
A hoarse voice came from behind, and Xiao Nanhui turned slightly to look back.
A group of people came up from behind, about seven or eight men formed a gang, cut in line and now squeezed in front of her.
The people lined up behind her were all elderly men and weak women. When they saw these people, they quickly moved away. It was obvious that this was not the first time they had encountered them.
The figure who was bearing the brunt of the attack looked very powerful. Seeing that Xiao Nanhui was reluctant to give in, she slapped her on the shoulder while secretly exerting force with her hands.
This is because she is a little thinner and not as strong as those strong men, so she is just showing off.
Xiao Nanhui's mouth was dry because he had no water to drink. He was in a bad mood. Without thinking, he raised his leg and stomped hard on the instep of the person behind him.
She was a martial artist, and her footwork was no less powerful than that of an ordinary woman. This time, she used 70% to 80% of her strength. The man screamed and sat on the ground, covering his foot.
"You, you dare to step on me?!"
Xiao Nan turned around, his face filled with surprise, as if he had just spotted someone on the ground. Then he put on a timid expression, "Sir, what's wrong? Did I accidentally step on you? It's my fault. I haven't had a full meal in days, and my legs are too weak to stand steadily, so I took a few steps back."
There were a few other people nearby who were obviously from a different group. They had already heard the hidden meaning behind Xiao Nan's reply and started to laugh at him: "Gu San, if you're not in good health, don't come out here to join in the fun. Even a woman would be able to step on you and make you scream. I think you don't need to hang around anymore."
The burly man named Gu San lost face and took out his anger on Xiao Nanhui. He stood up on one leg and punched him.
Xiao Nanhui feigned shock, ducking down, causing Gu San to lose his balance. He secretly grabbed his belt and exerted a little force, sending Gu San's massive body careening to the side, landing squarely on a nearby woman.
This woman was no ordinary woman, as her exposed, sturdy calves suggested. She came alone to fetch water, yet no one dared to cut in before her, which gave her another clue.
Sure enough, when the woman screamed and stood up, it was as if an iron tower stood up out of nowhere among the crowd.
"Gu San, you bastard! You're trying to take advantage of me. Today, I'm going to tie you up and take you back to show your wife. You look like a human being, but you're worse than pigs and dogs!"
Gu San was a sturdy man, but he was still three inches shorter than the woman. He was picked up like a chicken and thrown out before he could even say a word. The crowd had grown quite a few onlookers, adding some fun to the otherwise miserable day.
Xiao Nanhui dusted off the dust on his body and walked forward as if nothing had happened.
The last well in Suyan's eastern city was tightly encircled by a circle of barricades, with caltrops scattered on the ground to prevent anyone from sneaking in. The heavily protected well also appeared higher than other wells because windblown sand constantly accumulated at the wellhead, forcing it to be raised year after year to prevent it from being buried.
The one looking after the well was a middle-aged couple. The man was holding an axe in his hand. He was not tall, but he was obviously much more shrewd than Gu San. Whether he was drawing water or resting, the axe was always at hand.
His wife sat nearby, guarding what looked like an iron frame. Those who came to fetch water could only bring one container, which would be measured against the iron frame. If it even slightly exceeded the limit, it could not be used. Whether the container could be fully filled depended on the water carrier's mood. If they were willing to pay a few copper coins, they could fill most of the water. If they didn't pay a penny, it was possible that the container would not be fully filled at all.
When it was Xiao Nanhui's turn, the old woman by the well pushed the bamboo basket in front of her forward as usual, pursed her thin lips tightly, and stared at Xiao Nanhui's waist with her crab eyes, wondering how many copper coins could be put in it.
I have to say, although both of them are doing business, Yao Yi is much better at it.
Even right now, what he wanted to buy was the life-saving water. As long as he saw the faces of the two people in front of him, Xiao Nanhui was unwilling to spend a single penny.
She gave the old woman a foolish smile, indicating that she was "clean-handed". The woman looked at her and sneered, then put the bamboo basket back and gave a wink to the man guarding the well.
The man walked slowly to the well, picked up the most broken bucket from the pile of broken buckets, looked at Xiao Nanhui provocatively, tied it to the cable and threw it down.
After waiting for a long time, the water-drawing rope was still turning in circles, and it couldn't reach the bottom of the well for a long time. Xiao Nanhui knew: this well would not last much longer.
When the rope was pulled up, Xiao Nanhui's heart sank.
There was only a shallow layer of water in the bucket, more like muddy soup than water. It was not only murky but also had a faint, off-putting smell. Xiao Nanhui hesitated before putting the water into the water bag. She was new to the area and inevitably felt uncomfortable with the climate, and the water was obviously dangerous. She had things to do next and couldn't afford to stumble.
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