Zhao, the village head, cast a sharp glance at the crowd below and continued, "Our village's rice will be ready for harvest in three days. We can't afford any more problems at this crucial moment, or we'll all be starving!"
"Everyone, please prepare yourselves. Now, every household, whether adults or children, must come to Zhao Yan to register!" After Zhao Tingzhang finished speaking, the villagers realized the seriousness of the problem, and each family sent a representative to line up.
For families with many able-bodied men, send out a few more.
Although no trace of the water thieves was left this time, a patrol team has been established in the village.
Moreover, Chief Zhao has given a death order: if they encounter these thieves again, they should fight them to the death!
After explaining everything, Mo Zhu arrived just in time to ride in Director Song's carriage. There were now two carriages in total; the other one belonged to Zhao Yan's family.
"Chief Zhao, my master asked me to bring you the carriage!" Mo Zhu drove the carriage to the old locust tree and handed the reins to Chief Zhao.
Zhao Tingzhang accepted it, chuckled twice, and said, "Alright, Brother Mozhu, please thank Director Song for me."
"You're too kind." Mo Zhu had just come over to pick up the old lady and adults' breakfast. Seeing so many people gathered at the village entrance, she took the opportunity to inquire what was going on.
Zhao, the village head, then recounted the incident of the thief breaking into the village the previous night, and finally let out a heavy sigh.
Mo Zhu was also deeply moved by what he heard, thinking that he must have a good talk with his parents when he got back.
He Tiantian went home and tidied up again, reminding the children of all sorts of things.
The village is in turmoil right now, so don't go out today. Also, make sure to lock the gate in the yard. When she comes back tonight, we can secretly buy her a nice solid wood gate from the mall and replace it with the new one.
After giving her instructions, He Tiantian was about to leave when Wujin and Coconut, the two dogs, wagged their tails and tried to follow her.
He Tiantian patted their heads and didn't refuse.
It just so happens that she's going to the mountains today, so bringing the dog might be more convenient.
"Mother, be careful," Zhao Wanzi poked her head out of the house and gave her a worried reminder.
Zhao Denglong gripped the key tightly in his hand, locked the gate from the inside, and then checked it carefully once more.
Zhao Tingzhang and several villagers were already waiting in the carriage. What surprised He Tiantian was that Zhao Yan was also in the carriage this time.
“Auntie, there’s no work to do at home today, so I’d like to go with you,” Zhao Yan said casually.
He Tiantian nodded, and everyone unanimously agreed to give her the best seat in Director Song's carriage.
The people in charge of driving the carriage were Zhao Tingzhang and Zhao Yan's father, Zhao Neng.
Neither of them were particularly skilled at driving a horse-drawn carriage; they had only recently learned.
Several people were chatting on the way, and everyone was hesitant about going to Wolf Mountain.
"Hey... Hey Zhang, have you ever been to Wolf Mountain?"
Hunter Zhang carried a hunting rifle on his shoulder, his gaze deep. He said calmly, "I've been there once or twice, not many times."
"Oh... are there many wolves in those mountains? Did you see any water sources when you went there before?"
Hunter Zhang thought for a moment and nodded. "There are many wolves, but I haven't ventured deep into the mountains, so I don't know."
Once Wujin and Coconut got into the car, they obediently lay down at He Tiantian's feet.
Hunter Zhang glanced at the two dogs on the ground and, unusually, asked, "Are these the two we adopted last winter?"
He Tiantian smiled and nodded, "Yes, you've grown up very fast, haven't you?"
Hunter Zhang nodded; it seemed the two little guys were doing well.
As a scholar, this was Zhao Yan's first time participating in such a dangerous activity. His face remained tense the entire way, and he looked somewhat nervous.
Fortunately, Wujin and Yezi were there. The two dogs seemed to like the scholar very much, and they used their hooves to paw at Zhao Yan's shoes.
Seeing the two fluffy, adorable creatures finally eased Zhao Yan's tension.
He patted Wujin and Coconut's fluffy heads and said with a smile, "These two big dogs are so cute, but why do I feel like they're different from ordinary dogs?"
Zhao Yan had wanted to ask this for a long time, and had been keeping it to himself for a long time before finally finding the opportunity.
"Of course they're different, because these two are wolfhounds!" Zhang the hunter reminded him expressionlessly.
"Ah..." Zhao Yan was so frightened that he leaned back and almost fell off the carriage.
Hunter Zhang easily grabbed Zhao Yan's shirt collar and lifted him up to steady him.
Zhao Yan no longer found Wujin and Yezi cute, and for the rest of the journey, he tried to keep his distance from them.
In previous years, the scenery along this route would have been quite beautiful. However, after four consecutive months of drought, the flowers, grasses, and trees that had grown earlier are now half green and half yellow, looking like they are about to die.
The carriage traveled relatively quickly, and it was noon when they arrived at the foot of Wolf Mountain.
The group ate some of the dry rations and water they had brought with them, and then found a place at the foot of the mountain to tie up their horses.
Wolf Mountain is indeed different from the other mountains. Among the many mountains around it, the vegetation on the mountains shows signs of withering. But Wolf Mountain alone is lush and green, with tall trees blocking out the sun.
From a distance, it's hard to tell the difference, but up close, the difference is quite significant.
The group stood in front of the mountain and looked around, only to find that there was no road.
"Hunter Zhang, where did you come from to enter the mountains?" Zhao, the village head, asked in bewilderment.
Hunter Zhang pointed to a spot not far away, obscured by a small hill, and said, "There used to be a path I cut here, but it's been too long and the path is now hidden."
The group arrived at the foot of the small hill, and several men with shovels in their hands cleared a path ahead.
To prevent getting lost, they would mark each section of the path with a red cloth strip.
This was He Tiantian's first time entering such a gloomy mountain forest. After walking about ten meters, it became completely dark all around.
Looking up, the sky was completely blocked by tall trees.
Everyone walked with trepidation, their scalps tingling with anxiety.
The two dogs, Wujin and Coconut, remained vigilant at all times, sniffing and following behind He Tiantian.
"Since the vegetation here is growing so well, there must be a water source," He Tiantian said softly as she carefully walked forward.
Since Zhao Yan couldn't do physical labor, he was responsible for supporting Zhao Tingzhang.
He nodded in agreement, "As the Master mentioned in his previous lessons, all things need water to grow. Since this place is so lush, it must contain underground water."
Zhao, the pavilion chief, was also very excited. "That's great! If we find water, we'll be saved!"
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