Rebirth of an Old Farmer: Escape from Famine with Children and Grandchildren

"We should go to the village chief and explain the situation. We hope he can give everyone a warning so that our families can take precautions. We must always carry important items with us, and we must keep an eye on our children to prevent them from getting lost. After all, in times of crisis, if you lose something, you can always find a way to get it back, but once you lose your life, you can never get it back."

She said cautiously.

Regarding the possible risks, “Where should we escape to?”

Xue Bao asked immediately.

It was obvious that others were unable to answer this key question for the time being.

"Yes, facing a sudden flash flood, which direction should we evacuate to be safer?"

Everyone fell into deep thought, trying to find the best solution.

Recalling the emergency measures she'd taken in similar situations before, Bai Xiuqin said, "If a flood really hits, we must escape to higher ground as quickly as possible. If we're already in danger, we should quickly find a piece of driftwood and hold on tightly. Even if we're separated from our loved ones, don't panic; just run as hard as you can toward the top of the mountain. The first person to reach the designated meeting point should patiently wait for those following behind to reunite."

After hearing this, Xue Lao Hu said, "Let's observe a little longer. If we feel something is wrong, we will immediately run to the top of the mountain!"

This idea was exactly what Bai Xiuqin wanted. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll tell the village chief about this. Please investigate further and meet back here in half an hour."

Zhang Deshui walked towards the stream again, wanting to confirm the change in water level; he bent down to take a closer look when he reached the river.

He had noticed the sudden increase in the water flow the previous morning and had marked the shore, but the mark was gone now - indicating that the water level had risen further and was even more turbid, mixed with sand, branches and other debris. This frightened him so much that he broke out in a cold sweat and hurried back to report the news.

Similarly, when Xue Lao Hu and his team climbed the mountains to conduct reconnaissance, they also found the prospects worrying.

Everything below seemed so small and fragile, and the signs of a swollen river made everyone uneasy.

In order to seize the opportunity to store some meat resources, Bai Xiuqin decided to go up the mountain and catch some wild game herself.

In fact, now is the best time to hunt because many rabbits and pheasants are running around without any order.

Soon, she successfully caught dozens of prey and put them into her special bag.

Knowing that contentment is a blessing, Bai Xiuqin, who was not too greedy, carried a bamboo basket and went down the mountain. She made up her mind to organize supplies as soon as she returned and quickly move to a higher place for safety.

When they finally arrived at the cave at a rapid pace, the expressions on their companions' faces were very heavy.

Almost at the same time, everyone spoke the same words: "Let's go now, to the top of the mountain!"

Everyone was extremely nervous.

Then, Bai Xiuqin went to the village chief again to report the news, "Village chief, we have decided to evacuate to the top of the mountain for safety. Have you informed the others?"

The other party said that they have tried their best to remind every household, but there is no way to know how many people are willing to take action and how many people will respond in the end.

"Uncle Village Chief, several of our families are ready to leave. Anyone who wants to go up the mountain with us, please come."

After she returned home, she told everyone to pack up and go to the top of the mountain to take shelter.

It wasn't long before everyone was there.

Goudan and his grandmother arrived first.

Later, Xue Laohu's family and Zhang Deshui's family also came.

After waiting for a while, Su Dazhong and his family finally showed up.

Those who were reluctant to leave stood outside, watching the crowd heading up the mountain as if they were madmen.

"What's wrong with Bai Xiuqin? We're living a good life, but she insists on convincing us to move to the mountains."

Someone grumbled in confusion.

"Indeed, we live well here, have enough food and clothing, and even eat meat occasionally."

echoed another.

"I thought she had changed, but it turns out she's even more outrageous than before in the village."

The third voice said.

"Sister Xiuqin, we are here! No matter where you go, I will go with you."

Ma Dazui came with his whole family. Liu Ya was dressed neatly, carrying only a small package on her back. She held her brothers' hands as they carried full baskets, and a bundle was hung around her neck.

Soon after, Su Dazhong and his family arrived, their donkeys also laden with baskets and bundles.

Objects of all sizes were neatly stacked, clearly demonstrating careful preparation for the upcoming long journey.

At one time, many people packed up their belongings, carried their bags and took the elderly and children with them.

These days, almost everyone feels exhausted, but their eyes reveal hope for the future.

The food reserves have almost been used up.

So everyone dug up wild vegetables in the mountains and dried them, saving food as much as possible for future needs.

Whenever someone finds a new wild vegetable, it always causes laughter in the team.

I also made some of the meat I had obtained earlier into jerky, intending to use it to satisfy my hunger on the road.

The small fish and loaches caught in the stream are dried and stored.

Even the little children actively participated in it. Although their hands were not so skilled yet, every child tried their best, hoping that their efforts could reduce the burden on the adults.

Although the burden is a bit heavy, it feels warm to be able to walk together with neighbors.

Seeing that many people had come, Bai Xiuqin felt much more at ease.

She stood at the front of the team, ready to lead everyone on their mountain climbing journey.

A rare smile appeared on her face, although there was still a hint of imperceptible worry in her eyes.

As for those who are unwilling to move, they can only let nature take its course.

There is no use shouting at someone who is pretending to sleep.

Bai Xiuqin sighed softly, knowing in her heart that under such circumstances, not everyone was willing to believe that there was a better future ahead.

"Boom--" The huge sound was like continuous thunder, breaking the silence.

Hearing this deafening sound, Bai Xiuqin's expression immediately changed: "Run!"

She almost shouted these two words, because she knew what the sound meant - it was movement coming from the distant mountains and forests.

An extremely ominous premonition suddenly came to my mind.

Following her instructions, everyone divided into groups and quickly evacuated to the mountain.

The originally somewhat sloppy pace suddenly became compact and rhythmic.

Everyone involuntarily quickened their pace, and the entire team seemed to have been injected with a shot of adrenaline.

Before leaving, Bai Xiuqin quickly put all the important supplies in the house, including pots, pans, kitchen utensils, etc. into a secret space.

Her heart was beating so fast that it almost jumped out of her chest.

However, at this moment, she didn't have any more time to think about it.

One can only hope that everything goes smoothly.

Only Su Mingxiang vaguely sensed something was wrong, but he did not ask any questions because he knew that Bai Xiuqin was hiding a secret.