Pinghe Village suddenly became lively. Regardless of whether relatives came to stay, many people chose to rebuild one or two rooms outside.
At his father's suggestion, Yunqi also chose a piece of land.
Without Sicheng's strength, Yunqi could only take some soil from nearby to make adobe bricks.
When Si Cheng and his group returned carrying large and small bags, they saw the villagers of their own village working enthusiastically outside Xinshan Village.
"Are they planning to move out and live here? Why is everyone preparing to build houses?" Wu Shan put the bag on his shoulder on the ground and looked at the villagers who hadn't yet noticed their arrival.
Si Cheng also spotted Yun Qi in the corner. At that moment, she was busy pouring the mixed mud into the mold and had no idea that someone was striding towards her.
Just as she mentioned that there was still more than half a bucket of mud left to pour into the second mold, the wooden bucket in her hand was taken away by a hand that reached out.
She looked up in the direction of her hand, and was overjoyed to see what she saw. "Brother Cheng, you're back!"
Si Cheng looked at her, covered in mud, even more disheveled than himself, and asked, "What are you doing here? Are you planning to build another house? Isn't there enough room in the village?"
Si Cheng looked over and saw that some of the houses were already taking shape, while Yun Qi was still just getting started.
“Many places in this region have started to experience drought, and many people’s relatives have come to seek refuge. I’m just preparing for the worst by building a house in advance.” Yun Qi glanced at him as he said this, and Si Cheng immediately understood who the relatives he was referring to were.
He wasn't angry. Looking at the mud bricks drying in the corner, he said, "You can wait until I come back to do these things, and even if that moment comes, it's not too late to deal with it then."
Yunqi looked at the villagers who had already built their houses in a circle. "At this time, every household is building one or two rooms here. Did you notice that the doors of these houses are all on the inside? They've all formed a circle. When we build a gate, the security will be guaranteed. If we don't plan this in earlier, we'll have to build houses on the outside, and then the security will be uncertain."
Si Cheng then carefully examined the surrounding houses, which were built entirely in imitation of the earthen buildings described in records. This way, they could not only defend against wild animals but also against bandits.
At this moment, the villagers of Pinghe Village, who were still working hard, also noticed Sicheng and his group's return.
Everyone forgot what they were doing and started to gather around.
"Ah Cheng, you guys have been away for quite a while. Is everything going smoothly?" Yun Mingwei asked as soon as he came over, looking them over from head to toe.
"Everything went smoothly, and we've already covered all the areas assigned by the higher-ups. We've essentially completed the transaction with them." Si Cheng and his team had gone beyond what was expected this time, which is why they returned to the village so late.
Yun Mingwei: "This is good too. Otherwise, there would be severe water shortages everywhere, and many places would be in chaos."
"You've been out here for so many days, go back and rest early. We can talk about everything after you've rested." Yun Mingwu saw his brother still chatting idly and went over to pull him aside.
Yun Mingwei then realized what was happening, "Yes, our families are worried. Let's all go home quickly."
Those who went out this time also found their families here. Everyone had long lost interest in continuing to work, and they excitedly carried their tools back to the village.
For everyone, the village chief Sicheng was like a reassurance, and their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense due to the drought, were now at ease.
No matter how turbulent things are outside, as long as our village is united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.
On their way back, Si Cheng and the others made a special detour into the city, only to find out that Yun Zhixin had already returned to the village with the group.
Upon seeing Yun Zhixin, he stepped forward and asked with concern, "Uncle Zhixin, how are you recovering?"
"Almost there. I was injured after only a few days away, and I've been eating lots of nourishing food at home every day. Look how much weight I've gained!" Yun Zhixin exaggerated by gesturing with his hand.
He was indeed very frustrated this time. He had finally made up his mind and went out after a series of competitions, but he didn't expect to be injured and return before he could even start.
When he returned this time, he brought back the reward for their help. Now that Si Cheng and the others have returned, he can hand over the items.
Si Cheng looked at his uncle, who had gained weight, and nodded honestly, "He has indeed gained weight."
Yunqi tugged at his sleeve from the side, "Uncle Zhixin, you're not fat at all. It's because you used to be too thin. You've finally had some free time lately, so it's a good time to take care of your health."
When Si Cheng heard his wife say that, he quickly nodded in agreement, "It's a good time to recuperate."
Yun Qi looked at him speechlessly as he suddenly killed the conversation, so she simply changed the subject, "You guys seem to have had a pretty good haul this time up the mountain? What kind of animals did you encounter?"
They entered the village carrying loads of goods on their shoulders, which piqued the curiosity of the villagers, but no one bothered to look inside.
“There are so many kinds,” Yun Jianying was practically the village chief’s spokesperson, taking over the topic and rattling off a long explanation.
In the end, everyone felt that there were more and more wild animals on the mountain, and this was only what they encountered on the outskirts. If they went deeper, they could imagine how dangerous it would be in the deep mountains.
"They won't go out again now, will they?" someone expressed their concern. After all, with the village chief in charge, everyone felt more at ease.
Si Cheng has been traveling for so long and is tired of living outdoors. "I won't be going out for the time being. Things are definitely not going to be peaceful in the future, so I'll ask the villagers to try to minimize going out as well."
Si Cheng and Yun Qi exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. The drought here was now evident, indicating that a long period of turmoil was to come.
Because of its previous deterrent effect, no one dared to come and make a move in Pinghe Village for a short period of time, but the surrounding villages might not be so lucky, especially those villages with weaker defenses that would be the first to suffer.
And those wild animals in the mountains that are hard to guard against, now that they have water, they will no longer be afraid of humans.
While they were still working hard to build houses, the drought was already making it impossible for many villages to survive at an unbelievable speed.
The struggle for water has become a major event in every village, with many people fighting and bleeding every day, and some even falling ill due to lack of clothing and medicine.
This created a vicious cycle: the struggle for hatred led to further struggles, and even the retired soldiers who maintained order at home couldn't resolve the issues and could only report these disputes to higher authorities.
At first, some people came down to resolve and negotiate, but as these incidents piled up, they simply couldn't manage them all and could only let them be.
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