Xue Nizi and the others had already prepared breakfast.
Li Lanzhen instructed them to prepare breakfast for all three of their in-laws' families so they could have a meal together.
Zhang Deshui's family felt a little embarrassed because his family had the most members. Li Lanzhen told him, "Don't think too much about it. We are all in-laws and should help each other. When we were in trouble, you were also helping us."
Now we should unite as one and see what to do next. How can we get out of here? We can't let the flood control us.
Despite Li Lanzhen's words, Zhang Deshui's family still brought over some dried vegetables. Li Sanya soaked them in water until soft, chopped them finely, added them to the porridge pot, and cooked them together.
Then, Li Lanzhen shared her thoughts with everyone: "Right now, the villagers still have wild vegetables and fruits brought up from the caves, as well as dried animal meat to survive. But with the rain continuing and no food to be found outside, their stored wild vegetables and fruits are almost gone."
When they have no food left, we will be their target. So I think we have to get out, whether it's going along this ridge into the deep mountains or crossing the flood to the east.
In short, we all have to go out and find our way, otherwise it's a dead end.
After hearing her words, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Xue Laohu put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and told everyone, "Actually, I guessed this too, so I just walked a little further in along this ridge with Leopard and Mingjiang."
Crossing the river is impractical. We don't know how to build boats, and if we make a raft out of wood, it won't be tied with sturdy ropes and will fall apart as soon as water gets in. That would be like walking into a trap and falling into the flood.
Seeing everyone's anxious looks, he continued, "There is another way. It's about two miles along this ridge. There's a narrow ravine there. The ravine is very high, and floodwaters pass right below it."
The area below is quite wide, and the cliffs on both sides gradually narrow towards the top, forming a narrow opening, about five meters wide. If sturdy logs were laid across this gap, it should be possible to cross. If the gap were widened further, even livestock could pass.
Han Mingjiang continued, "Mother, that's right, that place is too high, children and women might be too scared to cross."
Xue Laohu nodded. "There's one more thing. We've only observed the cliffs on this side. Although they've been eroded by rain, they look very solid. We don't know about the cliffs on the other side."
Li Lanzhen thought for a moment and said, "Let's cross from there. Tomorrow we'll go and see what's going on. Let's build the wooden bridge first."
Han Mingjiang looked at Li Lanzhen and said, "Mother, this mountain is overgrown with weeds and thorns, making it very difficult to walk. Should we clear a path first?"
Li Lanzhen shook her head, "There's no need to waste our energy like that. Let's walk over there first and see if we can cross that spout, what kind of wood we need, and how much wood we need to build a sturdy bridge."
Holding a bowl in his hands, Zhang Deshui frowned and said, "Judging from this weather, it's not going to stop anytime soon. This heavy rain might last for seven or eight days."
Li Lanzhen looked at everyone and said, "Everyone, hurry up and eat first. Xue Ni, we'll discuss with our in-laws later. Let's gather the grain together and make it into dry rations. We can eat dry rations on the road from now on. We'll avoid cooking whenever possible, as it's too much of a nuisance."
Li Sanya said in a loud voice, "Yes, yes, yes, Auntie, that's exactly it. I'm so annoyed by it. Every day, it catches me and asks, 'We're smoking from the chimney every day, what delicious food we're eating, and whether Jin Fulai's employer gave you some good stuff.'"
I told them we were eating wild vegetable porridge, but they all said we were eating meat. They didn't believe me when I told them it was just wild vegetable porridge.
They also said, "Jin Fulai's young master gave you so much grain, and you didn't even share any with everyone, giving it to people from other villages instead. You have no conscience!"
Upon hearing this, Li Lanzhen put down her bowl and said, "Alright, let's distribute some grain to each family today."
At this moment, Li Lanzhen's mother, Madam Ye, frowned and said to her, "My dear girl, people are never satisfied. If you give them some food today, they will be grateful to you. But when they run out, they will ask you for more and say that you have too much and won't give them anything. They will still scold you."
Xue Laohu nodded, and Han Shunde said, "That's true. They all seem like good brothers in the same village, but once they leave, they'll fight over a wild vegetable or a handful of wild fruit."
If they find out you still have food, that's a real problem. We're not afraid of thieves stealing, we're afraid of thieves eyeing our food.
At that moment, outside the thatched hut, a figure quickly turned around and ran away.
Li Lanzhen thought it made sense, but she felt guilty if she didn't give any of the grain she had taken from Jin Fulai's young master to the people of Hanjiacun. She was still hesitating.
The village chief flung open the straw curtain and stood at the door, glaring menacingly at Li Lanzhen.
He angrily shouted at Li Lanzhen, "Lanzhen, no matter what, we're all from the same village. You're trying to run away and abandon us. That's so unfair!"
Li Lanzhen glanced at Han Yanyan and Gu Yuli following behind him, curled her lip in mockery, and said to the village chief with a smile, "Village chief, how can you say such a thing? We are looking for a way out now. We can only leave after we find a way out. There are so many of us, the old and the young. Do you think you can't see us when we leave? Besides, our thatched hut is at the front, and you are at the back. We have to pass by your houses to leave."
She glanced at Han Yanyan and her daughter, "I wonder which shameless person eavesdropped and spread rumors. I hope God will pull out their tongue. They do nothing but create chaos all day long."
Han Yanyan clasped her hands together and looked at Jiaojiao timidly, saying, "I heard you're going to distribute food to all of us, is that true? Is it white rice? Or white flour?"
Li Lanzhen looked at her and said, "What are you dreaming about? White rice and white flour, how many times have you ever eaten white rice and white flour in your life? If you had, and your life was so good, would you have been driven back to your parents' home by divorce?"
Don't try to act all innocent in front of me. I'm not someone to be trifled with. I'm the most formidable old lady in Han Family Village. You try messing with me. Even if your father doesn't care, I'll still slap you across the face! Watch out, don't go looking for trouble in front of me.
So what if I leave without you? It's perfectly reasonable. Taking you with me is just my way of showing kindness.
So speak properly to me. I don't owe any of you anything, and I'm not controlled by any of you.
"If you piss me off, I'll take my parents and three in-laws and leave, leaving you all here."
The village chief knew that Li Lanzhen was giving him a warning again. His face turned red, and he thought to himself, "Sigh, it's all because of my granddaughter Yuli. She didn't listen carefully and just started talking nonsense."
She gave an awkward laugh and said, "Alright, alright, you guys continue eating."
At this moment, Gu Yuli rushed to Han Shunde, staring longingly at his bowl. "Uncle, I'm hungry. Can I eat the porridge in your bowl? I haven't seen grain in so long. Every day I eat nothing but wild vegetables and tree bark."
Before Han Deshun could speak, Li Lanzhen shouted, "Get out! You still want to eat my food? You pushed my wife into the flood, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet! Get as far away as you can!"
Han Yanyan's eyes darted around, thinking that if Gu Yuli could stay for a meal, she could also freeload a meal, and the porridge looked like good stuff.
So, she started playing the victim again, saying, "Sister-in-law, you can't say that. She asked her uncle for food..."
"Shut up. The food her uncle is eating today is from me. It's all my food today. Once it's gone, it's gone."
"Hurry up and get out of here, we're about to eat."
After they left, everyone at the table quickly finished their rice, licked their bowls clean with their tongues, and were afraid that another person would come in and eat their gruel.
However, once Han Yanyan and Gu Yuli went out, they had already walked around the village once, constantly trying to persuade people, saying how delicious the food was at Li Lanzhen's house, how she even managed to feed several of her in-laws' families, and that Li Lanzhen must have a lot of food. They said, "Why don't you share the food with us when we ask her for some?"
So, the people of Hanjiacun, who didn't have much food in their stomachs, were swayed by them and prepared to settle scores with Li Lanzhen.
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