"My dear niece is here? Have you had breakfast yet? If not, have something to eat here with your uncle." Village Chief Li greeted Jiang Qinyu warmly as soon as she arrived.
Jiang Qinyu smiled and said, "I've already eaten. Uncle, please eat first. I'll talk to you about something after you finish eating."
“Alright, then sit down for a while,” Village Chief Li gestured for her to sit down, then called out towards the kitchen, “Old woman, bring half a bowl of water.”
When water and food are scarce, the fact that Village Chief Li was willing to offer Jiang Qinyu half a bowl of water is already a huge favor.
Upon hearing this, Meng quickly brought out the water, giving Village Chief Li a reproachful glare. "You have the nerve to offer half a bowl of water to a guest? If it weren't for them, would we have been able to find so much grain?"
After saying that, Madam Meng turned to Jiang Qinyu and smiled very warmly, "Girl, don't listen to your uncle's nonsense. Our family can still save a bowl of water."
Jiang Qinyu wanted to tell them that she wasn't thirsty, but she couldn't refuse their kindness. She could only take the bowl, place it on the small table, and politely smile, "Thank you, Uncle and Aunt Village Chief, but I'm not thirsty right now."
Meng quickly offered a few more words of advice, and seeing that she didn't seem thirsty, she carefully carried the bowl back to the kitchen.
As they were talking, Village Chief Li had finished his dry rations. After quickly swallowing the last bite, he picked up his teacup, took a small sip of water, and then looked at Jiang Qinyu, smiling as he asked, "My dear niece, what brings you here?"
Jiang Qinyu said seriously, "Uncle Village Chief, we don't know when it will rain, so we must make plans in advance."
Hearing her mention this, Village Chief Li looked worried. "Yes, I don't know what's wrong with God. Why won't He even give us a way to survive?"
He sighed and then looked at Jiang Qinyu, saying, "My dear niece, do you have something on your mind? Just say it. If I can help you, I certainly won't refuse."
These past two days, Lu Yanzheng's new wife has been a huge shock to him.
First, he resolutely refused to flee the famine and single-handedly rescued his niece from the slave trader. Then, he helped organize everyone to go to Qinggang Mountain to seize grain. When seizing grain, he charged forward with them without losing to the men. Afterward, he found a large amount of grain hidden by the bandits and gave them advice on how to distribute the supplies after returning to the village.
These events, one after another, made him take this young wife more seriously.
Jiang Qinyu didn't stand on ceremony with him and said, "There's no hope in the fields now. If we want to store enough grain to get through the winter, or even eat until next autumn's harvest, we have no choice but to go into the mountains."
Village Chief Li frowned upon hearing this. "You're right, but food alone isn't enough. If the water in our village well isn't enough, some villagers will definitely want to flee the famine..."
Jiang Qinyu interjected, "This is the second thing I want to talk about. When we go into the mountains, we not only need to find food, but also water. There are so many animals in the mountains; they can't possibly go without water. There must be water sources in the mountains!"
Village Chief Li was taken aback, then slapped his thigh, "That's right! We can definitely find water in the mountains!" But then he faced a dilemma, "What if the water source in the mountains is too far away from us?"
In this heat, if you carry water out of the mountains, not to mention the energy consumed on the way, the weather alone could kill the water.
“So today we’re going into the mountains to scout ahead. If we find a water source, we’ll have someone guard it and then organize people to transport water. If all else fails, the people in our village can go into the mountains and stay near the water source for a while…” Jiang Qinyu said what she had already planned.
No one wants to move, but if they find little water or encounter other problems, they are not incapable of adapting flexibly.
Besides, once she unlocks more and more supermarket areas, where will there be a shortage of water or food?
After she finished speaking, Village Chief Li frowned and thought for a long time before gritting his teeth and making the decision, "Alright! We'll do as you say, and today we'll organize people to go into the mountains to find food and water!"
A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives. He refused to believe that so many of them couldn't make ends meet!
Jiang Qinyu smiled, stood up to say goodbye, "Then Uncle, you go ahead with your work. I'll go back and call my father. We'll prepare some dry food and things for tonight, and then we'll set off."
"Huh? We have to stay overnight?" Village Chief Li asked in surprise.
Jiang Qinyu nodded, "The outer perimeter of Yunshan has been looted bare, so we'll definitely have to go deep into the mountains. One day won't be enough, and we won't be back until tomorrow evening at the earliest."
Relying entirely on foot, what can you accomplish in a day? The mountain roads are difficult to traverse; it's already quite an achievement to walk twenty li (approximately 10 kilometers) in half a day.
There are more than ten miles around Yunshan. What can you find if you walk a few more miles?
Jiang Qinyu's target location is within 50 li of Yunshan today, starting from the foot of the mountain in the village. She will rest for three hours before heading back.
“You’re right. Alright then, I’ll have everyone prepare some dry rations,” Village Chief Li nodded.
Jiang Qinyu turned to leave, but after taking only two steps, she suddenly remembered something and stopped, turning back to Village Chief Li and saying, "Uncle Village Chief, we can't send too many people. Just choose thirty or forty skilled and clever ones. We still need to leave people in the village to keep watch."
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Li immediately understood, his face paling as he said, "I understand, I'll talk to everyone properly."
The leader of Qinggang Mountain has escaped. Although he may not know which village's people robbed them the night before last, Dingshui Village still has to be on guard.
After explaining everything, Jiang Qinyu hurried home.
When Old Man Lu heard that she also wanted to go into the mountains, he immediately objected, saying, "Eldest daughter-in-law, you are not in good health. My second son and I can go. You should stay at home with your mother and the others."
“No, Father,” Jiang Qinyu shook her head, her expression serious, “I must go. Even if I only find a few more pounds of edible fruit, it will allow us to hold our heads high in this family.”
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