Famine and exile: I brought the Spirit Spring to save the entire Marquis's mansion.

I don't know!

Moreover, Lin Qiusheng seemed to only vaguely understand what Sang Ning was saying.

The young man, whose face still looked quite youthful, wore a silly and adorable expression.

So does everyone else.

Only Huo Jingya remained calm, yet a hint of petty smugness lingered beneath her composure.

It's like saying: Fools, aren't you? Confused? Call your ancestors and they'll get you water!

"Um, how about I take you to find the Prefect? ​​He's at Moon Spring right now!" Lin Qiusheng, without his usual aloofness, was just an inexperienced young man.

If you can't solve a problem, talk to your parents.

"Okay."

“Sang, do you really know or are you just pretending? Don’t show off, the Prefect is very busy.” Huo Baohong started nagging again.

"Alright, Huo Lao Er, stop dragging my fourth sister-in-law down." Huo Jingya said without any politeness.

Huo Baohong felt a lump in his throat again.

Huo Lao Er...

"That's all for you. Go back now. I'll let you know if we need water later."

Lin Qiusheng dismissed the others.

The prefect said that women's service is just a formality and not very useful; finding water still depends on men.

That's why we sent him; the other brothers had already taken their men into the mountains.

However, what this woman from the Huo family said made some sense. Perhaps taking her there could provide the adults with some ideas and help them find a water source sooner.

Huo Baohong didn't want to go back and insisted on going with them.

When they went to Moon Spring, it was so crowded that they couldn't see anything.

"There are even more people today! There must be less water!"

Huo Jingya was a little anxious, worried that her sister-in-law wouldn't be able to get any water.

He then slapped his forehead: "I'm so confused! Her house has water!"

This morning, the water tank overflowed halfway again!

Huo Baohong was really anxious. None of his family members were good at snatching things. They failed yesterday, and he didn't know if his mother and children could manage to snatch anything today!

"Make way, make way, I have urgent business with an adult!" Lin Qiusheng shouted as he squeezed through the crowd.

But it didn't work very well; people today don't seem to listen at all.

The discussion was very lively.

"What do we do? What do we do? It takes half an hour to fill one jug of water. Will it even be our turn today?"

"No, my family has been without water for a day. We can't survive without water. Sir, please let my family get water first!"

"Sir, please let my family pick me up first!"

"Sir, my child can't walk anymore!"

……

The crowd began to stir, and gradually became somewhat out of control.

It sounds like the water inside is going to seep out drop by drop?

Prefect Bai asked impatiently, "Has none of those who went out to find water returned?"

"No, sir." Rong Kun was also extremely anxious.

He then urged the people digging the pond to hurry up.

"Dig down another three feet to check the soil quality."

“This won’t do.” Prefect Bai looked at the people with their varied appearances.

Some cried, some were afraid, some were furious...

"Ding San! Go to the military camp and have General Su send two hundred men over!"

His sun-tanned, rough face had a somber and cold expression, like the distant, endless Cangshan Mountains—heavy and oppressive.

Ding San accepted the order and left.

Once outside the crowd, they saw Lin Qiusheng struggling with his buttocks sticking out.

His neck was stretched out so long that his head got stuck in the gap between people, unable to get in or out.

Like a turtle that sticks its head out but can't retract its shell!

His whole face turned bright red.

Ding San quickly rescued him, scolding, "You're not even as tall as a woman, yet you keep trying to squeeze in front of taller people. What are you doing here! Didn't I tell you to lead the group around?"

"Third, third brother! The Huo family, the woman..."

"Alright, alright, if you don't want to go, then go back to the yamen and stay there. I have other things to do, so I'm leaving now!"

"No!" Lin Qiusheng hurriedly grabbed him.

"The women of the Huo family, if they wish to see the adults, might know a little about water conservancy..."

"Understand my ass! You can search every book and still not find the answer to 'the moon isn't full.' What does a woman know? Don't delay things, hurry up and get going. If there's a riot later, I'll trample you to death!"

Ding San turned and ran away.

Lin Qiusheng slumped his shoulders in dejection.

It seems I won't be able to see the Prefect.

I don't know where the Huo family members have been squeezed out to; we can't find them.

At that moment, Sang Ning and Huo Jingya were pulling Huo Baohong out from under the man's feet, one on each side.

"Can't you behave yourself, you lame guy! You almost got trampled to death!" Huo Jingya gasped for breath.

Huo Baohong still had footprints on his face, and when he came out, he was still anxious and wanted to go forward.

"You don't know, I just ran into your second cousin's wife. She hurt her arm. Your eldest cousin's wife is still inside. That child... that child is even more in poor health. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to her!"

Huo Baohong was genuinely worried; his eyes were moist, showing he was truly concerned about his eldest daughter-in-law.

Sang Ning couldn't help but worry when he thought of that frail woman.

But with so many people, how do we find them?

She looked around and found that the only thing she could rely on was a tall locust tree.

"You just stay put, or you'll be in trouble if your eldest sister-in-law comes out! I'll climb the tree and look for her!"

Sang Ning ran towards the big locust tree.

Huo Baohong thought he had misheard.

"What did she say? Climb a tree?"

What woman can climb a tree?

Even well-mannered men wouldn't climb trees!

"Don't you know the saying 'A graceful tree maiden is sought after by a gentleman'? My fourth sister-in-law is a tree maiden, of course she can climb trees! What's the big deal! You're so ignorant!"

Does "lady" equate to "woman who can climb trees"?

Huo Baohong's mind was in turmoil.

"Who taught you this knowledge?"

"I'm better than anyone else I studied under. My older brother was the top scholar in the imperial examination!"

Huo Baohong: "..."

Could this be a new interpretation popular in the capital?

Sang Ning quickly climbed up the tree and looked down.

Actually, the crowded areas are only the outer and middle floors. The innermost part is a bit better, with a team of officials maintaining order.

Moon Spring was originally about the size of a small basketball court. You can tell from the dry soil at the edges that it gradually stopped flowing and shrank in circles.

It wasn't a sudden interruption of the flow.

It's very likely a problem of the source drying up.

But it could also be crustal movement.

A severe drought is always followed by a major disaster.

Floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis are the most common.

Is an earthquake about to happen?

After patrolling around several times, Sang Ning finally spotted Mo Cuiyu.

She had actually managed to squeeze to the very front!

However, she is being bullied.

"Sir, water is scarce, so of course we common people should be given priority to drink water. These prisoners should come later!"

It was supposed to be Mo Cuiyu's turn to fetch water, but a fierce-looking woman behind her shoved her aside.

The prefect and magistrate didn't think the woman was wrong. They glanced at Mo Cuiyu indifferently and tacitly agreed.

Mo Cuiyu immediately knelt down in front of the prefect.

"My lord, we have been without food and water for two days. My child is feverish. Please give this sinful servant some water, just one bowl, please."

The prefect seemed extremely annoyed and turned away abruptly.

"My lord! I beg you!" Mo Cuiyu kowtowed.

Sang Ning noticed that the pottery jar she was holding was broken, and the sharp edges had cut her hands as she desperately tried to protect it.

Blood dripped from between his fingers.

She pleaded humbly, her back hunched, her thin knuckles bulging through her hemp clothing.

But the prefect was ruthless and turned to talk to the magistrate, completely ignoring her.

"Ouch! My breasts hurt! It's driving me crazy!"

Sang Ning slid down the tree.