"What are you arguing about?" the village chief shouted angrily. Although his voice wasn't particularly loud, the sternness in his tone was undiminished. "Don't you think about this? If everyone knows about this, passersby and nearby people will hear it and rush over to grab the water. By then, we won't even have a sip of water before the water is gone. Do you want that?"
The village chief's words were like a bucket of cold water, which directly extinguished everyone's high enthusiasm, making everyone wake up instantly and realize the seriousness of the situation.
After hearing the scolding from the village chief, the villagers all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe, let alone say another word.
But those pairs of eyes were still staring at Zhou Shitou and the village chief. Everyone was waiting for the village chief's next instructions, and silently praying in their hearts that the water source that was finally found could allow the whole village to safely overcome the water shortage.
Zhou Shitou stood there with a hesitant look on his face. He frowned slightly, pursed his lips again and again, and then slowly said to the village chief: "Village chief, although... although we did find water, the amount of water... is really very small."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, as if he wanted the village chief to feel more intuitively the scarcity of water.
"We found it in a very remote crevice. It was not easy to find there, and it took a lot of effort to find it.
Moreover, the water that seeps out of the cracks in the rocks is not very strong, just a thin stream that drips out. I don’t know if this little water can provide enough water for the whole village.”
There was worry in Zhou Shitou's voice. After all, the drinking water problem of the whole village depended on this water source that was hard to find.
The village chief was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then he sighed softly, waved his hand helplessly, and said, "Alas, at a time like this, it's already great to have a sip of water. Can you ask for more? Everyone has been so thirsty along the way. Even if it can only moisten our throats, it's still life-saving water."
The village chief's eyes were full of fatigue and emotion. He had seen the difficulties along the way and knew that being able to find even a little bit of water at this moment was a blessing from heaven.
After hearing what the village chief and Zhou Shitou said, the villagers all echoed, "Yes, yes, as long as we can drink water, it's fine. We've been thirsty for so long, what else is there to be particular about? Shitou, don't hesitate, take us to get water quickly, we're all waiting for it."
As everyone was talking, they looked at Zhou Shitou eagerly, their eyes filled with an eager desire for water, as if the life-saving water was already right before their eyes, waiting for Zhou Shitou to take them to get it.
Seeing this, Zhou Shitou knew that time was running out and there was no room for hesitation, so he quickly cleared his throat, raised his voice, and said to everyone loudly: "Fellow villagers, please be quiet for a moment and listen to me carefully explain the next arrangements.
This water source is a little far from where we are now, so you will have to follow me for a while.
Let's go into the mountains first. My brothers and I have already carefully found a good place for us to rest while we were looking for water.
As he spoke, he gestured in the direction with his hands and continued, "When we get there, we'll have to arrange the manpower appropriately.
Some of those who were strong and nimble followed to fetch water; the others stayed in the camp to rest.
This is a good opportunity for everyone to take a break, recover their strength, and prepare for the rest of the trip."
After hearing Zhou Shitou's thoughtful and detailed arrangements, everyone nodded in satisfaction, their eyes full of anticipation for having water to drink and having a good rest.
The fatigue and anxiety in those eyes seemed to be diluted a lot by this new hope.
Afterwards, everyone followed Zhou Shitou into the mountains in an orderly manner.
Although everyone was still a little tired along the way, their steps seemed to be a little lighter than before because they had hope.
Everyone helped each other, some helped support the elderly, some helped the women carry their bags. Although the team was quiet, it exuded a sense of unity.
Half an hour passed slowly in everyone's anticipation, and finally, everyone arrived at the resting place.
I saw that the terrain of this place was quite clever. In front of it was a lush forest. The trees in the forest were extremely lush, and their branches and leaves were intertwined, like a natural green barrier.
In front of the woods, there is a huge stone standing there, like a loyal guard, blocking the view from outside.
In this way, people outside cannot easily see what is happening inside, which undoubtedly adds a sense of security to everyone.
As everyone walked into this place, their eyes lit up and they all felt that this place was really nice.
Someone murmured in admiration, "Hey, this is a really good place. It's secluded and comfortable. I can finally rest for a while."
Someone else said with a smile: "Thanks to Shitou and the others, otherwise where else would we find such a good place?"
As everyone was talking, they began to look for a suitable place to take a good rest.
After everyone simply packed up their luggage at the rest area, they couldn't wait to follow Zhou Shitou towards the water source.
Along the way, everyone was excited but also a little confused. After all, the location of the water source was indeed a bit mysterious.
The group followed a winding path around a forest. The forest was lush with trees and their branches and leaves were intertwined. The sunlight could only shine through the gaps, casting spots of light.
As we walked, a stone wall appeared in front of us. The stone wall was tall and steep, standing there coldly, like an insurmountable barrier.
Everyone stopped and looked at Zhou Shitou with puzzlement and curiosity. Someone couldn't help but ask, "Shitou, is there water in the stone wall? Where is the water?"
"Follow me." Zhou Shitou replied briefly and continued to lead the way.
He walked with steady steps, obviously very familiar with the route.
Although everyone was full of doubts, they still followed him closely.
Zhou Shitou led them along the stone wall and around to the other side.
At this moment, a towering tree suddenly appeared before their eyes.
The tree was really tall, with a trunk so thick that several people couldn't hug it together. It stood there as if reaching into the sky.
Its leaves are lush and green, swaying gently in the breeze, glowing with vitality, and not looking dry at all. It stands out in this arid environment, forming a small world full of vitality.
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