In a chaotic world of infrastructure development, a woman's path to survival after being reborn

Some of the soldiers who were further away were unaware of what had just happened, but that did not stop them from obeying orders and frantically waving their oars to try to pass the two mountain peaks as quickly as possible.

Zhao Zexuan and his soldiers were wielding their oars faster, only able to observe the movements on both sides out of the corner of their eyes, while Su Li witnessed the whole thing.

The group stayed on both sides of the mountain, where the floodwaters were temporarily contained, so they didn't have to worry about the danger of the flood. However, their desperate efforts to stop the flood meant that they must have run out of food on the mountain.

It was precisely because of the food shortage that these people cared so much about food. When they saw food being thrown at them, they became extremely excited and, regardless of what they were doing, they desperately scrambled for it.

A bag of grain sparked a scramble among the crowd, creating a chaotic and noisy scene. Su Li witnessed several people getting into fights over it, the scene was so intense that it was terrifying to watch.

Adults were fighting over food, while some young children stood by crying loudly; such was the suffering of humanity.

Su Li wouldn't be soft-hearted towards people who wanted to hurt them, but seeing such a scene still made her feel heartbroken. Such scenes were not uncommon, but every time she saw them, she felt sad.

The boats passed quickly, gradually moving away from the two mountain peaks, which had become two black dots. Only then did the group slow down.

Having survived such a close call, today was truly a terrifying day. Everyone was still shaken. The child whose mouth had been covered by his parents earlier couldn't help but burst into tears, clearly terrified.

The cries of children could be heard from the surrounding boats, scattered here and there, a worrying sound.

Su Li was also a little dazed at this moment, her brows furrowed as she gazed at the distant mountain peaks.

"How are you? Were you scared?" Zhao Zexuan's concerned voice came from the side, and Su Li immediately came back to her senses.

"No, it's just that I didn't expect those people to be so emotional, even willing to risk their lives."

Hearing Su Li say this, Zhao Zexuan sat down beside her and said, "Those people have no food left. If they stay any longer, they'll only starve to death. Rather than waiting to die, they might as well take a gamble; perhaps there's a way out."

Upon hearing this, Su Li recalled the scene she had just witnessed and said, "After we leave, things there will likely become unsettled."

Seeing those emaciated disaster victims desperately trying to survive, the soldiers present, and even Zhao Zexuan, felt heartbroken. But there was nothing they could do; they didn't have the ability to save everyone, and just being able to protect themselves was difficult enough.

The topic is heavy, and because everyone knows the consequences, no one dares to gamble.

Su Li's emotions came and went quickly; she was no longer dwelling on it. Instead, she reminded her, "Your clothes are wet. Go change. Wearing wet clothes makes you susceptible to catching a cold, and there's no medicine for you right now."

Zhao Zexuan was aware of the consequences, so he nodded in agreement and went inside to change his clothes.

Children's emotions come and go quickly. Now, tempted by food, they have stopped crying and are nestled in their parents' arms, listlessly watching the ever-changing scenery around them.

The child, still confused about what had just happened, asked in bewilderment, "Where are we going now?"

Whenever this happens, the parents will explain, "Let's go to a safe place, so we won't have to rush."

Upon hearing this, the children exclaimed excitedly, "Does that mean we can play however we want?"

"Yes, you can play for as long as you want..."

***

The night was quiet, and the bamboo raft drifted freely downstream with the flood. The soldiers no longer rowed or sped up the raft, letting it drift along as it pleased, and it wouldn't move as long as it didn't deviate from its course.

The water was cold at night, so everyone had put on a warm coat and were staring at their surroundings listlessly.

Although the water was calm, no one dared to let their guard down, and even if they had to doze off, they did so in shifts.

The terrifying events of the day kept replaying in Su Li's mind, so even though it was already night, she was not sleepy at all.

Zhao Zexuan was on night watch tonight, so he naturally noticed Su Li's movements and asked, "Can't sleep?"

Facing Zhao Zexuan, Su Li didn't hide anything and nodded, saying, "I can't sleep. I'm thinking about what we should do next."

"According to you, it's quite a distance from here to Lingnan. Will we be able to reach Lingnan smoothly?"

Zhao Zexuan had thought about this question before. He might have said yes in the past, but after learning about the situation in the capital, he was no longer sure.

The capital is in chaos, and the collapse of the dynasty is inevitable. Perhaps it was easy to go to Lingnan before, but now it is much more difficult.

Hearing Su Li's question, Zhao Zexuan sighed and said, "I've also been thinking about whether to continue to Lingnan during this time."

Hearing this, Su Li perked up and asked the question she had been wanting to ask for some time: "Are you heading to Lingnan because your base of operations is there?"

Hearing this, Zhao Zexuan did not deny it, saying, "My father and older brother are there. If we're talking about where's relatively safe right now, it's probably only that place."

Hearing this, Su Li fell silent, unsure whether she should voice the thought that was on her mind.

"You want to tell us that you want to find a place to stay and recuperate for a while, right?" Zhao Zexuan asked.

Since the message was so obvious, Su Li felt she would be doing herself a disservice if she didn't speak up, so she said directly, "Although I feel this is different from your original plans, I have to say that, given the current situation, it will be extremely difficult for our group to set off."

"To reach Lingnan from here, not to mention how many cities we have to pass through, the food supply along the way is a serious problem. With so many people, we need to eat and drink every day. We can't go very far before our food runs out. Food shortage is a huge vulnerability."

"Perhaps we could find a way along the way, but food is scarce everywhere right now. No matter how hard we try, we can't immediately increase the amount of food. There is only one way to increase food production, and that is through planting."

Zhao Zexuan himself understood this principle perfectly well, and at this moment he murmured, "Should we find a place to stop and farm?"

Although this is a last resort, it is the only way at present, so Su Li nodded and said, "This is the best way at the moment."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zexuan understood and said, "I will consider this matter based on the specific circumstances. I cannot make a decision immediately. Let's discuss this after the flood recedes. We also need to choose a good place to stay."

Hearing this, Su Li nodded, indicating that she understood.