MTLNOVEL Chapter 411: Targeting Others
At this time, the dozen or so families of Zhaogouzi were all staying in their own cellars, unaware that someone had set their sights on them.
"Big brother, it's here."
A group of people stopped at the entrance of Zhaogouzi village, eyeing the few dozen earthen houses under the moonlight.
"Last night my brother kept watch for an hour, there's definitely movement in these houses, which means someone is in there..."
The speaker's voice was hoarse, licking his cracked lips, swallowing a small amount of pitiful saliva, his eyes showing signs of hunger and thirst.
"Let's go," the man called big brother nodded, pulling the cart forward, his eyes also flashing with a frightening gleam.
Hoping to harvest more tonight.
A group of dozens quickly approached the village without the need for much cover, as the noise they would soon make was enough to alarm the surroundings; all they needed was speed.
The group was divided into four teams, each heading towards a few homes.
No matter how tightly closed or sturdy the doors were, how could they withstand the strength of a dozen men? They were soon kicked open, followed by sounds of struggle and hushed, hoarse cries without much strength.
"Someone, help, the villains are here..."
The men of each household resisted desperately, but how could they match the force of a dozen men? They were soon knocked to the ground, and almost all visible water in the cellars was stolen.
A few women, seeing their men knocked down and unable to retrieve their stolen water, stumbled and ran from door to door in the village, but unfortunately no one opened their doors or came out to help.
That night, aside from the seven or eight households that desperately barricaded their doors, the rest were all robbed. Had there been more time, these few households would likely not have escaped the same fate.
In two households, two people died due to intense struggle, and the remaining family members were either injured or wounded. However, their persistent resistance meant their water wasn't entirely stolen, which was a small comfort.
As for other households that did not resist as fiercely, they lost everything in plain sight. Looking at the ruin and chaos at home, only cries could be heard.
Even those who were already too thirsty to make much noise could still be heard faintly crying, especially eerie in the night, making those who were lucky to escape tremble, unsure of how long they could continue to evade trouble.
"Oh, heavens! Life is unbearable."
"Stop crying, or you'll draw those villains back again..."
Muffled voices came from inside one house.
After the fear came the effort to find a way to hide the remaining scarce water. It must be said that the people who survived the extreme cold were indeed quite strong mentally. After venting their grievances against heaven, they quickly calmed down.
Unanimously, they sought ways to hide the water at home. Since they couldn't fight back, they tried to hide as much as possible.
Almost all of it was left on the surface, most of it packed into jars and bamboo tubes, sealed and buried underground. If things couldn't be avoided, they were ready to abandon it, as there's no use keeping water when life was nearly lost.
Some clever ones thought of seeking help from other places, with the first thought being the nearby Wangjia Village.
Wangjia Village was one of the few united villages in the vicinity, with few families of different surnames. Most importantly, it had a lot of people; even after the extreme cold, most in Wangjia Village survived.
But the two villages were several miles apart, and even if they reached the place, what reason would Wangjia Village have to help them? This thought quickly flickered away as unrealistic.
It was better to unite like Wangjia Village, as that might offer some chance of survival.
That night, whether they were the lucky ones or those who were robbed, everyone in Zhaogouzi realized the importance of unity.
And would the group that tasted the sweetness be willing to stop?
No, of course not.
Though they had stolen a cartload of water, there wasn't much to distribute among dozens of households.
While it was enough to last a while, they were scared!
Afraid that extreme heat might last over a year, just like the extreme cold did.
Though they weren't truly evil, for the sake of their families and children, they had no choice but to take the risk and commit evil deeds, just to try and survive.
On the next night, before Zhaogouzi could seek help, the news of the dead and robbed water had already reached the men of Wangjia Village who came to gather intel.
Unfortunately, Wangjia Village did not accept outsiders, and there was no place to receive them. Every household there had limited space, with cellars and dug-out space also limited. They couldn't give space to others, and even if there was space, they wouldn't let strangers stay in their homes.
Of course, if they had the ability to find a place to survive within the boundaries of Wangjia Village without using its resources, as long as they didn't affect Wangjia Village, they could turn a blind eye.
Looking at the hopeful faces of Zhaogouzi villagers, the men of Wangjia Village could only shake their heads and quickly leave.
Although the people of Wangjia Village left, their words left quite an impression on many, leading them to discuss with their families.
Rather than living here in constant fear, it would be better to move to Wangjia Village.
There might not be houses, but they could simply build a wooden hut or shack, as they mostly stayed in dug holes regardless.
But these required time, especially the dug holes for family survival, which was indeed time-consuming given their current physical state.
Thus, almost unanimously, the surviving households in Zhaogouzi sent one or two people to Wangjia Village not long after the men from Wangjia Village left, taking some belongings with them.
Unless they returned, every household barricaded their doors firmly, using everything available to block windows and doors, hiding everything except ventilation holes in the cellars or dug holes, and similarly, blocking the exits firmly.
Upon reaching Wangjia Village, their first move was to visit the village chief. They received a similar reply with the condition of joining forces against enemies during dangers; otherwise, Wangjia Village would turn hostile at any time.
How could the people of Zhaogouzi disagree? Their village had too few people, making them the perfect target in others' eyes, so at least they would be much safer here. Moreover, they noticed that Wangjia Village had villagers patrolling; even the condition of the village men was incomparable to theirs.
If not for anything else, at least for their families, they cherished this opportunity and immediately began working against time, as their time was limited, giving them merely an hour to work.
However, they could dig a hole first, stopping to rest if needed, then resuming once they recovered, striving to build a wooden house or shack within two days.
As for materials, Wangjia Village wasn't lacking; there were woods before and after the village, and many trees had been knocked down during floods. The current extreme heat had also completely withered some more trees.
That night, they spent a safe night on this side of Wangjia Village.
What they didn't know was that a group of people saw the patrolling men of Wangjia Village from afar during midnight and quietly retreated.
They then turned towards Zhaogouzi again, but this time didn't have the luck of the previous night, as the prepared households in Zhaogouzi had all their doors and windows sealed tightly. Finally, the intruders left, cursing as they went.
The thought of using extreme measures occurred to them, but that would mean facing no gains, and at this moment, nothing was more important than water. They couldn't afford to waste it, as it would be a futile effort. Leaving things as they were would always leave room for new possibilities.