Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Zhao Cunliang stood on the edge of a field, gazing at the sky. The rain he had waited so long for hadn't arrived. His brow furrowed, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness.

The river that runs through the village is getting smaller and smaller, and the sound of the gurgling water is becoming weak and powerless.

Other villagers, carrying buckets of water, hurried back to the mountains to irrigate their fields. Their steps were hurried, their faces filled with worry for their crops. Along the way, they greeted each other and discussed how to cope with the drought.

Only Zhao Cunliang's family was idle. He stood there, motionless, as if his body was frozen by the drought.

The crops in the fields gradually withered under the scorching sun, but he had no energy to think of a way to save them. He was still struggling with how to deal with his mother's affairs, and he was somewhat indifferent to the farmland that was related to his livelihood.

Zhao Cunliang sat on the stone steps outside the yard, smoking a water pipe. The gurgling sound was particularly abrupt in the silence. His face was gloomy, and his brows were twisted into a knot.

He glanced at Jindan, the eldest son of Mrs. Sun, who was carrying water past the door, and shouted, "You have never seen the world. You are so scared even though it's not raining!" His voice was rough and fierce, and his eyes were wide open.

Jindan was startled by the sudden roar and paused. Some of the water in the bucket sloshed out, soaking his trouser legs. He bit his lip, not daring to say anything back, but simply quickened his pace and hurried past.

Zhao Cunliang, however, remained unyielding. "Humph, you're panicking over such a small matter, you useless bastard!"

After saying that, he took another deep puff of the water pipe and exhaled a large cloud of smoke, as if he wanted to expel all the troubles in his heart with the smoke.

Aunt Li followed up from behind, carrying a bucket of water. Breathing heavily, she said to Zhao Cunliang, "Xiuying and the village chief have both said there will be a severe drought this year. Why don't you hurry up and fetch water to irrigate the fields?"

Aunt Li's face was covered in sweat, her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were filled with anxiety and reproach.

Zhao Cunliang curled his lips and looked indifferent: "Hmph, they say there will be a severe drought? I don't believe it!" He still sat on the stone steps, not moving at all.

Aunt Li put down the bucket, wiped the sweat off her face with her hands, and raised her voice: "Don't take it lightly! When the crops die of drought, you will have the day to cry!" After that, she picked up the bucket and left angrily.

Aunt Wu came up from behind, carrying a bucket of water. Her steps were a little heavy as she said, "Don't disbelieve me. I told you my fortune and it says this year will be a year of severe drought."

Aunt Wu was breathing heavily, and the wrinkles on her face became deeper because of her anxiety.

"The well water in the village is almost gone. Only the spring in the mountain behind still has water."

She put down the bucket, pounded her waist, and looked at Zhao Cunliang seriously.

"I'm old now, and this divination can't be wrong. If you keep wasting time like this, you'll regret it later!"

As Aunt Wu spoke, she picked up the bucket again and continued to walk forward, staggering.

Hearing what Aunt Wu said, Zhao Cunliang began to feel uneasy.

Even Aunt Wu predicted that this year would be a year of severe drought. Could this be true? He frowned, a hint of doubt and worry in his eyes.

Xiuying and the village chief had told him about a severe drought, but he hadn't taken it seriously. But Aunt Wu was usually pretty accurate in her divinations. Could it be that she was right this time? Zhao Cunliang was in a state of confusion, unsure what to do.

If there really is a drought, all the fruits and vegetables in my fields will be ruined. But what if it's just their nonsense? Wouldn't it be a waste of my time to fetch water?

He kept weighing the pros and cons in his mind, feeling extremely conflicted. He didn't want to do this for nothing, especially since Yang Xiuying was the one who was initiating this matter. He wanted to go against her, but the harvest at home was already completely empty...

"Oh, should I believe it or not?"

Zhao Cunliang scratched his hair irritably, bit his lips, and fell into deep contradiction.

Zhao Cunliang looked at his sons playing in the yard, his face instantly darkening as he cursed, "Don't you know there's a drought this year? You heartless ones! Go fetch some water to water the vegetables in the field and add some fertilizer to the soil!"

His eyes widened, veins popped out on his forehead, and his voice made the leaves in the yard seem to tremble.

The children were frightened by the sudden roar, and their cheerful smiles disappeared in an instant. They looked at their angry father timidly.

The eldest brother Guangzong shrank his neck and muttered softly: "Dad, let's go now."

Zhao Cunliang glared at them fiercely and said, "Hurry up and go, you are all waiting to be fed up!" After saying that, he waved his hands, turned around and walked into the house angrily.

The children looked at each other, not daring to say anything more. They quickly put down the stones in their hands and obediently went to find buckets to prepare for work.

Guangzong Yaozu, rich and powerful, went out with a bucket on his shoulder. Guangzong was the eldest grandson of the Zhao family and also the family's golden nugget, so how could he do such a thing?

Not long after walking, he handed the bucket to the second son Yaozu and said arrogantly, "Second son, you carry it. I am the eldest grandson and cannot get tired." As he said that, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Yaozu with squinted eyes.

Although the second brother Yaozu was reluctant, he did not dare to disobey his eldest brother, so he took the bucket and muttered, "You only know how to bully me."

Not long after walking, he also followed suit and gave the bucket to the third rich brother, "Third brother, it's your turn." Yaozu smiled cunningly and took the opportunity to unload the burden.

The third brother took the buckets from the eldest and second brothers and put them on the shoulder pole. He gritted his teeth and carried them for a few steps. He didn't walk far and couldn't hold on any longer, so he gave all the buckets on his shoulders to the fourth brother and coaxed him, "Little Four, you are the youngest and have a lot of strength. The brothers all believe you can do it." After the third brother said that, he ran away.

The fourth brother carried the buckets of his brothers' water and walked a short distance before sitting down on the side.

He was breathing heavily with anger, thinking indignantly, why should he carry water when his brothers don't? He's not stupid!

"Humph, you always pick on me because I'm the youngest and throw all the hard work on me."

The fourth child frowned and his little face turned red.

"I'll tell my brothers later to fetch water to water the fields. Dad said it's going to rain anyway."

He rolled his eyes and felt secretly proud.

"Maybe it will rain, and then I won't have to work so hard to fetch water."

The more the fourth brother thought about it, the smarter he felt. He simply put the bucket on the ground, supported his cheeks with both hands, and imagined the relaxing scene after the rain.

"Even if it doesn't rain, Dad wouldn't necessarily know I didn't carry water, and my brothers wouldn't dare tell on me."

Thinking of this, Lao Si's mood gradually improved, and he even started humming a little tune.

Zhao Cunliang had no idea that his sons had put down their burdens and were playing, sitting in the yard smoking water pipes.