After the disaster, there will definitely be a famine that will last for a long time. If the village cannot be defended, everyone will either have to flee or face death.
To solve this problem, we must find a breakthrough.
At this point, Chen Kai told everyone that the water mill was the key to their success. As long as they had a water mill, they could produce food, and he assured them that they wouldn't starve.
Everyone was very shocked.
The village chief asked, "Chen Kai, what if we can't hold onto the grain?"
Chen Kai said firmly, "We must hold on. With food, we can hire people to work for us and produce even more food. As long as we have a large population, why should we be afraid of being robbed?"
"Now, although it is a predicament, it is also an opportunity."
"Some of you probably can't finish eating all the vegetables you grow. We can use these vegetables to hire people to clear land."
"Once the land is cleared, we can continue to grow grains and vegetables. The most important thing now is, of course, grain. With grain, we also need people to help us protect it."
"If anyone is looking to hire, you can talk to me or my second sister-in-law. We can give you some advice."
Chen Lao Er's wife's words were more convincing, so Chen Kai pushed her forward this time.
Chen Kai told his family about his idea of transforming Anping Village into a tourist village, and no one objected. The idea was very bold, but if it succeeded, the Chen family would definitely become famous far and wide. Therefore, they were determined to do it.
After discussing it with his family, Chen Kai decided that what they needed to do now was to make sure the villagers didn't hold them back. From now on, everyone would be one, and they wanted the villagers to follow in their footsteps.
Having learned of the importance of the watermill, Bai Yu took the remaining questions to consult his teacher and classmates.
Although it was dangerous outside, the village chief still agreed.
The situation outside was far more dangerous than they had imagined. If it weren't for Chen Laoda's wife, they might not have made it back.
Although the trip was not smooth, they still gained some insights.
When Bai Yu went to ask his teacher and classmates for advice, he was turned away many times. After being rejected so many times, even Zhou Shi couldn't stand it anymore. Unexpectedly, Bai Yu still insisted on visiting them.
Bai Yu was also feeling bad. In order to protect him, his grandmother was almost pushed over, his father was punched a few times, and several other people were hit a few times as well.
But since they had already come out and gained nothing, they were unwilling to give up. So they couldn't let their suffering go to waste. After overcoming many difficulties, someone finally agreed to see them.
When Bai Yu went in to ask questions, the Zhou family and the others waited outside.
Given the current situation, no one can take care of anyone else, so they won't go in; they'll just stay outside and keep watch.
You have to stay alert at all times when you're out there, or you won't even know how you died.
This group of people got into fights with others for no reason several times. They were confused. Suddenly, someone would chase after them and beat them up. After they dealt with this group, they were accidentally dragged into gang wars.
This is what the town looks like now. The once bustling area has become ruins, and there are hardly any people on the streets. Only groups of beggars come out to smash things and rummage for food, and there are some corpses in inconspicuous corners.
There has always been gang warfare on the streets, and whenever they see a fight breaking out, the beggars will hide far away.
On their way back, they were followed by several groups of people, but they were all beaten up, stripped naked, and thrown onto the road.
The villages near the town weren't having an easy time either. They were caught up in gang warfare, suffering from burning, killing, and looting, with flames visible from afar.
Upon returning to the village, the village chief, after hearing about their experiences, immediately notified everyone to implement a semi-closed village policy.
Villagers are not allowed to talk about their village, and they are not allowed to leave the village without permission. Outsiders are also not allowed to enter the village at will.
As for why the village was completely closed, it's because they need to recruit people. They don't have many people, and only by recruiting can they protect the village.
The villagers did not object; after hearing about the experiences of those who left the village, they were all terrified and shuddered.
It's safer in their village. They're already very lucky that they can still peacefully cultivate land and grow vegetables.
On the way, Zhou and his family encountered people from other villages and inquired about the situation. They learned that many people had started selling their daughters for food.
Zhou asked them if they had cleared the land, and they all shook their heads. "The seeds you sowed today will soon be turned over by someone else."
If the children aren't looked after properly, they'll be taken away and sold.
This is what the poorer villages are like now. There's no news from the wealthier villages, though I heard they've been locked down. I don't know what's going on, but they're definitely in a better situation.
Chen Kai is also very worried. After consulting Bai Yu, he learned that the water mill is only halfway done. If this continues, they will be besieged before they even finish researching the water mill.
After lunch, the villagers went to the village square as usual to discuss the watermill issue. The village chief told the Chen family about their idea of hiring someone, but said they would only hire one person for the time being, and asked them if they had any good suggestions.
Chen Kai quickly suggested, "Uncle Village Chief, you'd better not hire anyone yet. Go and buy a new sled first."
"The main purpose of recruiting people is definitely to reclaim wasteland. As the saying goes, 'A skilled craftsman must first have the right tools.' Using a new sled is definitely more efficient than using an old-fashioned sled."
"Plus, you have cows at home, so the efficiency will definitely be even higher."
After listening, the village chief thought it made a lot of sense, so he sent someone to the blacksmith's shop to inquire about how to exchange for a new sled. That's right, now the only way is to exchange; if you want something, you have to exchange it for grain.
Chen Kai also suggested that if the villagers could afford it, they could exchange their land for a new sled. Several families could exchange one sled together, as the new sled would make land clearing much faster.
A few days later, the village chief's family received a new sled.
The price of a new sled now is equivalent to two cartloads of feed and half a cartload of grain.
The food mainly consisted of fresh and dried vegetables, and the grains were coarse grains and meat.
The village chief's family gathered a cartload of fresh vegetables, a cartload of various dried vegetables, and half a cartload of grains, mainly dark flour, dried field mice, coarse rice, and millet.
The villagers never expected that the dried field mice they had dried earlier would come in handy. Although they were reluctant to use them, they rarely ate them, even when the children craved them.
Seeing that the village chief's family was taking their stock to exchange for new sleds, they also considered whether to exchange one for themselves. As most people started clearing land, some families gritted their teeth and pooled their resources to exchange for several new sleds.
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