MTLNOVEL Chapter 412: Respite
For several consecutive days, Zhaogouzi Village hadn't been able to seize anything valuable, and Wangjiazhuang Village was even more tightly guarded. Eventually, this group of people had to temporarily give up.
Fortunately, they had succeeded a few times earlier, which allowed their water supply to last for a while. They planned to wait until Zhaogouzi Village or Wangjiazhuang Village let their guard down before making a move.
Little did they know that this actually gave Zhaogouzi Village some breathing room.
Knowing that these villains couldn't get in, almost all the labor force from each household went to Wangjiazhuang Village to quickly create shelter where they could hide.
Especially the caves, which needed to be tidied up and reinforced before moving in, ensuring that the roof wouldn't collapse. They also needed to line the walls with bricks and stones. Fortunately, there were many abandoned houses nearby, so even though there weren't many brick-and-stone houses, finding these materials wasn't particularly difficult. Not to mention, a brick-and-stone workshop was not far from Wangjiazhuang Village. If worse came to worst, they could reinforce with wood, which was plenty.
By the time the villains thought Zhaogouzi Village would be complacent and returned, the villagers had already disappeared.
Zhaogouzi villagers who joined Wangjiazhuang Village sought protection, and the men willingly joined the patrol ranks.
Yet when they felt safe and thought the villains dared not target Wangjiazhuang Village at will, one deep night, as the gong reverberated, all the men in Wangjiazhuang Village mobilized, despite the fear of the Zhaogouzi men who feared being expelled even more.
The women and children hid in the cellars.
When a hundred-strong gang of villains faced off against Wangjiazhuang's several hundred people, the battle's outcome was predictable; naturally, they were defeated, driven into disarray, and fled hastily.
Meanwhile, scenes like this were unfolding in various places, all for a sip of water.
Death occurred almost every moment, and fear once again loomed over people's hearts.
In Hua Village, Qin Shu's family and the children such as Big Liu lived much more comfortably. It was as if they were isolated from the world, with the outside's brutality having nothing to do with them, just needing to keep the door shut.
During three consecutive months of extreme heat, the village's wells had long dried up, except for the riverbed on the west side of the village, which was connected to Yun River and hadn't completely dried up.
Even though the family wasn't short of water, Qin Shu and his son, along with Big Liu and a few older kids, stored as much water as possible. During the coolest time at midnight, they would push a wooden cart to the riverbed a few miles away to fetch water, and with the water level dropping, they experienced an unexpected surprise.
...A variety of fish of different sizes.
Besides what they ate that day, all the others were made into dried salted fish.
Of course, everything must be completed within an hour; otherwise, it would exceed what the human body could bear. Once someone collapsed, it would be hard to get back up.
Apart from that, Qin Dagen and his son occasionally took time to continue raising the surrounding wall, although slow, it was better than nothing.
Then, most of the time was spent in the cellar. Aside from controlling water consumption due to the heat, the days for the Qin family and the children like Big Liu weren't much different from before, and there was no sense of anxiety as if the day couldn't be endured.
For this point, whether it be the children or the couple Qin Shu and Qin Dagen, they couldn't help but feel grateful to Hua Jin. Had it not been for her, the days of water scarcity would have been predictable.
Especially Big Liu and Goudz these kids; if they hadn't been bold enough to seek refuge, they might no longer be under this extreme heat. Hua Jin, you could say, had saved their lives twice, and the gratitude in the children's hearts was beyond words.
After three and a half months of extreme heat, the riverbed on the west side of Hua Village finally went dry, and Hua Village's gates were tightly shut. Besides raising the wall, Qin Dagen and his son, along with the children, spent all their remaining time in the cellar or house.
No matter how hot it got outside, inside the valley, there was still a scene of tranquility and harmony. Only due to the heating weather, the daytime farming and field watering became nocturnal activities; otherwise, it was almost no different from usual times, except for not standing under the scorching sun to avoid the heat. Strolling under the trees in the valley for a chat was completely fine.
However, only a few weren't afraid of the heat; most still stayed at their homes.
Unlike the stifling heat in other households, Hua Jin's house was as cool as if air-conditioned.
Stored ice blocks from winter came into use. Almost every room had several large blocks, including the brother's and sister's rooms.
Big Sister Yunnian was curious about the source of the ice blocks but wasn't a nosy person, especially since her husband had told her not to ask.
Comfortably sitting in her grandparents' room, Hua Jin appeared to be watching her mother and grandmother chuckling and working with two sisters-in-law, but in fact, her mind was already elsewhere.
It was so hot that Hua Jin considered whether to teach the valley villagers to make ice; already, those once strolling for chitchat villagers in the valley had vanished.
It's so hot, heart troubling, and appetite lost. Only their family was alright, although the two aunts had both become significantly thinner, and the cousin more slender too, despite eating at their house, still lacked appetite, but that's thanks to the daily delivery of ice blocks.
But it can't continue this way. In the short term, saying that she stored them in the winter could still muddle through, but not in the long term.
Ice must have a source, allowing them to use it rightfully at home.
Otherwise, while everyone in that village was suffering in the heat, how strange would it be if only the village chief's house remained cool?
In thought, Hua Jin blew aside the strands of hair falling on her cheek.
Speaking of having a lot of people together, it was inconvenient, needed to cater to others' opinions, and couldn't do whatever one wanted!
After a bit of internal griping, Hua Jin actually already had the answer in her heart.
Making ice wasn't hard, provided there was nitrate.
But getting this thing wasn't hard; there's a mountain backing their valley. After discovering this place, they had long searched the surrounding mountains and already found plenty of niter deposits, although they didn't find any iron ore, just on the shady side of stone mountains.
At the very worst, the dungeon where villagers lived during severe cold had dense deposits of condensed nitrates on the cave walls deep inside, requiring only a bit of effort to chip away.
Thinking of this, Hua Jin couldn't sit still and suddenly stood up from her circle chair, her abrupt movement startled Grandma Qi and Sister Yunnian, and their eyes inevitably gave her a curious look.
"What's the matter, startled like that? Are you thirsty?" Granny Qi halted her work and puzzlingly looked at her daughter, saying she was about to rise to pour water for Hua Jin, who quickly stopped her.
"Not thirsty, not thirsty, Mom... I suddenly remembered something; I'm going to find Grandpa, you carry on with your work."
While speaking, Hua Jin helped her mother sit down and headed to the firewood room, where Grandpa, Dad, and Little Four were almost always tinkering with wood.
As for the two brothers, sometimes they were there, sometimes not, depending on when they wanted to read.
"This child…" Grandma Qi chuckled and shook her head, realizing that although she had grown up, she was still a child in essence, thinking of one thing after another.
Hua Jin's lively thoughts were well known to the new bride Yunnian, and upon hearing them, a mother and a few chuckled to one another.
At the same moment, Hua Jin turned and entered the woodshed, heading for Grandpa and Dad.
"Grandpa, Dad..."
With Hua Jin's bright black-and-white eyes gleaming at them, neither of the father-son duo had the heart to work anymore. They both paused and looked up at their granddaughter (daughter).