Since everyone knew each other, they quickly worked together to clear the weeds from the entire service area, making it just the right size for everyone to rest.
After catching up, the initial awkwardness lessened considerably.
“Before, the weather was getting drier and drier, and our village’s water supply couldn’t support our lives, so we brought salt with us and prepared to seek refuge with you. However, when we arrived at Yaojia Village, their demand was quite large, and they attracted all the surrounding villages. We exchanged all the salt there, and luckily, their water supply was still relatively plentiful, so we made do with staying there,” Village Chief Zheng explained as soon as he saw Sicheng.
He knew that Yaojia Village was a necessary stop on everyone's journey, and he must have heard about their stay there for so long. Moreover, he had brought such a large batch of salt with him, intending to use some of it to repay their previous kindness. However, he did not expect that it would be intercepted halfway, and he felt somewhat guilty about it.
Si Cheng was surprised that Village Chief Zheng would go out of his way to explain, so he quickly said, "It's alright, we'll have to make this trip sooner or later anyway. But if you leave the village like this, will anyone stay behind to guard it?"
Village Chief Zheng said, "There's no need to leave anyone there. When we came here before, that area was basically deserted. There was no water at all, and people couldn't survive there."
If it weren't for the fact that the area was completely deserted, they wouldn't have dared to leave all their possessions there.
Si Cheng: "But only your village went this way. Which way did everyone else go?"
Village Chief Zheng said, “They all went to the city together and headed south to find a way to make a living. Our village originally wanted to follow, but we heard from you that there is a big lake at the entrance of the village. Considering the distance between the two sides, we decided to come to your side.”
Village Chief Zheng spoke of this with some pride, after all, the journey from their place to the south was not just a short distance, and even if Yaojia Village had not taken them in, they could have found a place to stay with the salt they had.
Wu Yongchao gave them a thumbs up, "Your decision couldn't be more correct. Many people were fleeing along the way, and many locals wouldn't take them in."
Ajiang stared at him in surprise, "Then how do they survive? There's drought everywhere, and animals are rampant everywhere. How can they survive without finding a shelter?"
Yun Jianying said, "What can we do? Not every village has a water source. Many local villages have to flee to other places. People will definitely take in their own relatives and friends first."
After hearing what he said, everyone lowered their heads and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, saying that they would have made the same choice if they were in his shoes.
They were also secretly glad that they had listened to the village chief's decision and hadn't gone south with their relatives; otherwise, things might have turned out very differently.
The rest of the journey went smoothly, and with strong young men from several villages leading the way, the speed increased significantly.
"This trip has been like a leisurely sightseeing tour. So many people are eager to show off, and now they're even scrambling to clear the way," Yun Qi said leisurely after taking out his thermos from his bag and taking a sip of hot water.
Sicheng, "The world is bustling, all for profit."
Those who lead the way often reap the greatest rewards; the wild game hidden in the bushes is enough to make everyone scramble for it.
Yun Qi said, "Aren't they stealing the livelihood of people in Yan Village?"
Si Cheng said, "No, there are only a few able-bodied young people in Yancun. They've been driving for several days straight and they're exhausted. You can't see them all smiles all day long, as if they've just thrown away a huge package."
Yun Qi asked, "But in doing so, they've lost some of their gains?"
Si Cheng slapped her on the head. "Do you think people are stupid? What are we going to do in Yan Village with so many of us?"
Yunqi thought about it for a moment and then suddenly realized.
That's right. No matter what they get, they'll definitely try to exchange it for some salt in the end. With their mountain of salt, they can exchange it for the harvest that they worked so hard to bring back. If it were me, I probably would have just stood by and watched.
"Brother, the intersection ahead is where we encountered the leopard. Should we warn everyone to be careful?" Gao Liang walked over to remind Si Cheng and Yun Qi.
Yunqi said, "There's no need to be so nervous. Those animals can't always be waiting for us at the intersection."
Si Cheng, however, was not so optimistic. "Everyone should pay more attention. The entrance ahead leads to the previous ecological park, where there are definitely a lot of wild animals. It's possible that they will continue to come here."
Village Chief Zheng and the others were unaware of what had happened in this area. Upon hearing about this arrangement, they curiously asked the villagers of Pinghe Village.
“We were really lucky,” Ah Xiang said, patting his chest after hearing the whole story. “Back then, we were thinking of just making do here for one night, but luckily we forced ourselves to walk a little further in order to finish our journey sooner.”
Wu Yong said, "You guys are really lucky. A place like this, with open spaces on all sides, is not suitable for a campsite. If something happens, you won't even have a place to hide."
Village Chief Zheng nodded in agreement. It was only through sheer luck that they were able to arrive at Yaojia Village safely.
However, they were better prepared for their trip than the people from Pinghe Village. They not only prepared all the dry food in advance, but also carried all the poultry with drinking water on their backs, which allowed them to arrive at Yaojia Village safely.
Village Chief Zheng didn't forget to praise them, "But you young people are really good. You're all so enthusiastic, vying to come and do the work, unlike our village, where everyone is just hiding here being lazy."
Wu Yong chuckled to himself. If it weren't for the harvest in the grass, these people wouldn't have been so diligent.
We passed through the entrance without incident, but as night fell, the familiar green lights began to flash all around us.
"Our old acquaintances are here again, and it looks like there are quite a few of them," Yun Jianying said quietly, rubbing the handle of his machete with his right hand.
The villagers of Yancun suddenly tensed up. Although they had made two trips back and forth, this was the first time they had encountered such a situation. They began frantically searching for tools for self-defense.
The villagers in the other villages also tensed up, but their previous gains emboldened them. They lined up with machetes in hand, intending to use sheer numbers to deal with these uninvited guests.
Yun Qi thought, "I thought we could get through this safely, but I didn't expect these livestock to follow the scent and come all the way here."
Yun Qiao glanced at the villagers from the other villages. "Now it's our turn to make a move, isn't it? They haven't given us a chance to pick up any scraps along the way. Judging from their condition, they probably can't hold on much longer."
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