Crossing the farm gate, the whole family reunites in the disaster year

There is a dirt road to the east and west of Luhua Village. The entrance of the village is located at the westernmost end. The village is sandwiched between the forks in the road. The deeper you go into the village, the wider the view becomes.

At the northernmost end of the village is a reed pond that stretches as far as the eye can see, which is also the origin of the name Luhua Village.

The breeze was gentle, and the reed flowers swayed in the afterglow, blending into a warm color with the sunset.

"Our village's original surname is Song."

The lame man limped along leading Cui Zhaozhao and his group through the village.

Passing by a house, I saw a shallow pit by the wall and a man shoveling soil weakly.

When Cui Zhaozhao saw it, the man was holding a shovel and gasping for breath, his gray face covered with sweat.

The lame man turned his face away, unable to bear to watch.

Those who died early could be buried on a rolled-up straw mat, but after a few days, the remaining people in the village would have to rot in their homes.

They no longer had the strength to flee the famine, nor did they want to leave. They were going to die anyway, so they might as well stay in Luhua Village.

"We've arrived at the clan leader's house."

The courtyard gate was ajar. Cui Zhaozhao and his companions stopped, and the lame man walked forward and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

A weak voice came from the house, mixed in with the evening breeze and almost blown away.

The poor families in the village built their houses with thatch. The slightly better ones made their houses with adobe bricks, which could keep out the cold in winter. The best ones used blue bricks, which were built neatly. In winter, they pasted several layers of paper inside and outside the windows to prevent any wind from getting in.

The clan leader's house in front of me is made of blue bricks. As I entered the yard, I was greeted by a cool breeze, which made me feel much more comfortable.

Cui Zhaozhao hugged his elbows, feeling the cool breeze coming in through his sleeves, and slowed down his pace.

When they build a house in the future, they will also build a blue brick house.

The room was dim. A woman came in and lit a lamp, and then they saw a person lying on the kang.

The woman's face was filled with sorrow: "My father-in-law suddenly became unable to get up the day before yesterday. I'm afraid..."

The person on the kang stretched out his arms, which were like dry branches, and struggled to sit up. He had not eaten for days, and this action exhausted all his strength.

"Qinggui is here." After the clan leader sent his daughter-in-law out, he looked at Cui Zhaozhao and his group with difficulty, "The official is here too. Did the young man from Luhua Village commit a crime?"

The patriarch closed his eyes. At this time, the young men needed to fill their stomachs, so it was not surprising that they would rob and plunder.

"No, Third Uncle, they were sent by the county magistrate to help our village find water."

The patriarch was not happy, but relieved.

"Thank you for your concern, County Magistrate, but our village doesn't need it. We can't survive even with water, so let's not waste your energy."

Even if you dig out water, you will just have to struggle for a few more days. It is better to be free early.

It's just a pity for the children in the village.

The clan leader propped himself up and faced Captain Yan: "When the official leaves, can you take the children of the village with you? Let them beg on the street, or even sell them, as long as they can survive..."

They are just children of a few years old, they shouldn’t just sit there and wait to die.

"Grandpa, please lie down first."

The patriarch slowly turned his head towards the girl who was speaking.

Cui Zhaozhao pursed his lips and said, "The county magistrate hasn't given up on Luhua Village, so you shouldn't give up either. Even if it doesn't rain this year, maybe next year will be a good year with good weather. You are the head of Luhua Village. Only if you cheer up can you lead the villagers through this difficult time."

In fact, the situation in Luhua Village was not so difficult that there was no way to survive. It was just that they had been struggling in the predicament for too long. Their food supplies were gone overnight, and their fragile nerves were overwhelmed. It was like a weak flame that was suddenly extinguished. They had no desire to survive.

They need someone with enough prestige to stand up and light the way forward and guide them forward.

This is also the reason why she came to find the patriarch first.

The clan leader smiled bitterly and shook his head: "If we had food, we could have survived, but the village's food was swept away overnight. How can we survive?"

Cui Zhaozhao squatted down and looked at the patriarch firmly.

"With water, wild vegetables will sprout overnight. They'll eat the grass and gain strength. After a month or so, the first crop of green vegetables will mature. After another two or three months, the cellar will be filled with soybeans, cabbages, and radishes. Once we get through the winter, everything will be fine."

A series of pictures seemed to flash through the eyes of the clan leader Hun Dun. The next spring, the villagers were busy in the fields.

A line of turbid tears flowed down.

“Can we really make it to next year?”

"can!"

Cui Zhaozhao was extremely sure.

The clan leader cried and laughed at the same time, and looked in the direction Cui Zhaozhao and the others, as if he had been revitalized.

"Good girl, you are right. We in Luhua Village must survive." As he said this, he was about to get off the kang.

Qinggui held the patriarch's arm, his eyes red.

"Thank you. I was wrong at the village entrance just now. I apologize."

Cui Jingwen waved his hand: "It's okay, it's okay."

She had just secretly explored the mall and found that there was water in Luhua Village. According to the markings on the map, the source of the water should be near the reed marsh.

"Then let's go find some water first, and come back when we find some."

The clan leader hurriedly pushed Qinggui and said, "They are not familiar with the village. You should go with them."

"Okay."

When they came out of the patriarch's house, it was already dark. Qinggui lit a torch and the group walked towards the reed marsh.

"The reed marshes used to be the most beautiful at this time of year, but unfortunately the water in the muddy ponds dried up as soon as summer arrived, and the reeds died long ago."

Qinggui's words were full of regret. The mud pond in Luhua Village stretched as far as the eye could see. Thanks to this mud pond, the villagers lived a very comfortable life.

If there was water, every household would be digging lotus roots at this time and transporting them to the town, where they could be sold for one cent per pound. By selling lotus roots, a family could earn at least one or two taels of silver.

It's all gone now.

The dead reeds in the mud pond were tilted and tossed about. When the firelight shone on them, their shadows overlapped one another, and the wind blew through them, making a rustling sound that was particularly eerie at night.

Cui Jingwen rubbed the goose bumps on his arms and said, "Let's just walk around the area and not look into the mud pond."

The dried-up mud pond was full of cracks, and walking on it was like walking on flat ground. Cui Zhaozhao walked a few steps inside, stepping on the reed stalks.

According to the map, the water source is in the mud pond.

Cui Jingwen stamped his feet and followed him reluctantly.

Captain Yan took the torch, used his height advantage, and entered the mud pond holding the torch high.

He was not afraid, but the reeds were dry, and if sparks were splashed on them, the fire would quickly spread into one piece.

Cui Zhaozhao walked in front, followed closely by Captain Yan. Cui Jingwen was sandwiched between Zhao Li and Li Shi, and his teeth could not stop chattering.

"Do you think a snake will come out and bite us all?"

Under the moonlight, shadows were dim in the depths of the reed marsh, and Cui Jingwen felt a chill on the back of his neck.

In movies, this kind of place is where treasure is hidden and where people commit murder and robbery.

Qinggui grinned and said, "The snakes have been eaten up a long time ago. There were some before, but they were not poisonous and their bites were fine. I'm actually hoping a snake will appear. I haven't eaten meat in a long time."

Cui Jingwen was most afraid of snakes. After hearing this, his legs went weak and he tripped over something, his ankle suddenly hurting.

"Ahh, there's a snake! Sister, save me, don't, don't touch me!"

Cui Jingwen felt the snake crawling up his legs and onto his body. He collapsed on the ground and backed away repeatedly. Zhao Li reached out to help him up, but was pushed away.

Cui Zhaozhao ran to his side quickly, and Zhao Li and others trampled down the reeds. In the light of the fire, the surroundings were flat and there was no sign of a snake at all.

"Brother, there is no snake. You are just too scared. It's okay."

Cui Jingwen slowly calmed down, lifted up his trouser legs, and found no wound on his ankles.

"What pricked me just now?"

Cui Zhaozhao squatted down and looked around.

I wasn't paying attention to my feet just now, but after looking closely, I found that there were some black blocks mixed in the mud. Some of them were not completely submerged in the mud and had little pointed corners standing up.

Cui Zhaozhao found a wooden stick and dug a few times, and suddenly his eyes widened in surprise.