A good night's sleep...
The next morning, before dawn, Lu Chuan and Xu Han got up early.
Xu Han first went to the storeroom and cellar, taking out all the things that could be temporarily taken out and did not need to be preserved from her space, so as to make room for the materials needed to build the house.
When the storeroom and cellar couldn't hold everything, Xu Han stuffed more things into the woodshed, and eventually even Xu Han and Lu Chuan's bedroom was crammed with a lot of things.
This way, we can free up as much space as possible so that we can bring back more bricks and tiles and build the house as big as possible.
After Xu Han finished tidying up everything, it was already broad daylight. After the three of them finished breakfast, they prepared to get ready and go out.
Before leaving, Xu Han said, "Grandpa Zhao, I've put the grain in the kitchen for you. If you want anything to eat but it's not in the kitchen, just go to the storeroom and get it! Don't be shy."
"Okay, okay, I saw the food you left for me. There's so much food that I definitely can't finish it all by myself."
"Old Zhao, stay home and look after the house. We'll be back in a couple of days," the Taoist priest instructed.
"Alright, I know, you're so long-winded. You should all leave now! I'm quite comfortable here by myself!" Grandpa Zhao said, then turned and went into the kitchen.
Seeing this, the three of them set off for the county town. Xu Han hadn't come down the mountain for a long time. The last time she came down was when the drought wasn't too severe, before the Dragon Boat Festival.
Six months have passed since then, and this time I can personally feel the damage and suffering that the drought has brought to the people.
This was the first time Xu Han had truly experienced the distance between her home and the county town. She was so exhausted from walking that she felt dizzy, and after a whole day, they still hadn't arrived.
Finally, after Xu Han asked for the nth time, "How much further? I really can't walk anymore."
"Almost there, it's getting dark. Let's stop traveling and find a cave to rest in tonight!" Lu Chuan said.
"I'm not trying to be mean, but girl, your stamina is terrible! You've only been walking for a short while!" the Taoist priest said with disdain.
"Isn't this because we've been living too comfortably lately? If it were before, it wouldn't have been like this at all."
Xu Han also began to reflect on herself. How could her physical strength have become so poor in such a short time?
I couldn't help but secretly make up my mind that I had to train with them after I got home, otherwise what would I do if something unexpected happened and I couldn't even run?
Although the Taoist priest disliked this place so much, he still did not continue on his way. After finding a cave, the three of them rested and drank some water before starting to eat dinner.
Of course, dinner was taken directly from Xu Han's space: tomato beef brisket, chili sauce, garlic lettuce, and West Lake beef soup.
After the meal, Xu Han brought out some fruit, and the three of them ate while saying, "It's only been ten months since it rained, and the earth is already cracked from dryness. If it really doesn't rain for three years, how bad will the water shortage be!"
"The people are suffering and their lives are in turmoil." The Taoist priest summed it up in just eight words.
"The road is all dirt with every step, even though I'm wearing a mask! It still doesn't cover up the dirt," Xu Han said, holding up her dirty mask.
"It hasn't rained for so long, there must be a lot of dust."
"I wonder what the situation is like down the mountain."
"Let's rest first! We'll know the situation after we get down the mountain tomorrow."
After saying that, the three of them stopped talking, washed up quickly, and went to bed early.
No one slept well that night; everyone had their own worries on their minds…
The next morning, the three of them got up early, ate breakfast, and then set off again.
Around 10 a.m., we finally made it out of the mountains, but the situation down the mountain ahead was even worse.
The once lush green fields were now empty, with only large cracks appearing due to the lack of rain.
Each crevice was as thick as an adult's arm, and from a distance, they looked like pythons coiled together, which was particularly terrifying.
Along this stretch of the official road, we encountered hardly anyone; the once bustling fields were now deserted.
Xu Han asked, puzzled, "Has the water supply dried up? I haven't seen anyone watering or planting vegetables. I remember last time you went back, there were people carrying water to plant crops! Even if you can't plant crops, you can still grow some vegetables to make a living!"
"I don't know. When I came here last time, several rivers had dried up. There's a big river ahead. Let's go take a look."
"When I arrived, a third of the river had already dried up, meaning there was no water left to irrigate the fields," the Taoist priest said quietly.
"That's too fast! I've never noticed water evaporating this quickly before!" Xu Han said.
"It's probably because of the locusts. The locusts ate all the leaves and other things that could provide shade, so the moisture loss was faster than before. Also, this summer is too hot, and the sun is very strong."
As the three talked, they arrived at the river in the blink of an eye. The river, which was originally full, was now only a third full.
Moreover, this place is quite far from the farmers' fields, so very few people would come here to fetch water, making it not worth the time.
A full bucket of water carried to the farmland will probably only have one-third left.
How many times would it take to irrigate one acre of land? Even if the whole family worked together, they probably couldn't irrigate one acre in a day.
If I water this spot today, it will dry out again tomorrow; if I don't water it, it will die from the sun.
So there's simply not enough time. Rather than wasting their efforts, many farmers probably think it's better to do less work, exert less effort, get hungry later, and eat less!
“That means at least for now, there’s no problem with drinking water. At least we have water to drink, and every village has a deep well, which can last for a long time,” Xu Han said.
"Yes! Let's go into town and check out the situation!"
After the three of them entered the city, many of the scattered shops closed down, and there were hardly any pedestrians in the city. When they did see someone, they walked by quickly with a hurried expression.
Not to mention the once bustling markets, which are now gone.
The three of them first found an inn, booked two rooms, had lunch, and then took a nap.
Everyone slept until 3 p.m., and only then did Lu Chuan go to call the Taoist priest to go to the clinic together.
The clinic was still nearly empty. There was only one employee left, who was lazily leaning against the counter, dozing off.
After the three entered the pharmacy, Lu Chuan asked, "Is Manager Zhang inside?"
Upon seeing Lu Chuan and his companion, the waiter quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I'll go call them right away."
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