Chapter 24
Looking for Water
The entire village was half full from the snake meat. This was a happiness that they had not experienced in a long time. The villagers were extremely grateful to Ning Yue’s family.
“Yueyue, you’re really everyone’s lucky star!” Ning Bai couldn’t help but praise Ning Yue.
Ning Yue scratched her head in embarrassment. “Chief, this is all a little luck. It’s not easy for everyone. We should eat as much as we can.”
Ning Bai nodded in relief. There were not many good children like Ning Yue left. To be willing to share food with everyone at such a time was a great kindness!
The others also praised Old Master Ning for having a good granddaughter!
Old Master Ning was very proud. The reason why he was so famous in the village was because he was warm-hearted and fair. Even if Ning Yue was not of their family’s bloodline, she had become equally kind and generous under their upbringing. This proved that his upbringing was good.
After everyone had eaten a good meal, they had the strength to continue on their way. Right now, their priority was to find a water source.
In times of drought, water was often harder to find.
Everyone set off again. Ning Yue was worried along the way. Everyone was dying of thirst, but she had a well and couldn’t share it with everyone. She didn’t know when she would have the chance to help everyone.
After walking for a while, Eldest Brother Ning couldn’t help but ask Old Master Ning, “Dad, have you ever been to this place when you traveled all over the world? Are there any majestic mountain ranges here?”
Ordinary hills had no water and had long dried up.
There was only hope of finding water in a deep forest.
Old Master Ning took out the map and looked at it for a while. He sighed. “It’s been so many years. I forgot. There should be mountain ranges.”
Eldest Brother Ning and the others sighed in disappointment. This word was too uncertain.
Their water bags were almost empty. Sooner or later they would die of thirst.
Someone in the village had already drunk urine. There was really no choice. What was a little urine compared to death?
Ning Yue looked around and realized that it was all barren land. A few slightly protruding hills had long withered pitifully.
The sky was gradually turning dark. The people of the Ning Family Village had to find a place to rest. There were many people fleeing. They had to find a safer place before they could sleep in peace.
“Wow… Mom, I’m so thirsty. I want water…” There was a small child crying hysterically.
This cry resonated with the other children.
They were all young, and they didn’t have the endurance of adults to begin with. They all suffered enough lately. They didn’t understand why it didn’t rain, and why there used to be food and drink before but now there was none.
“Father, I’m hungry again. I want steamed meat…”
“I’m so itchy, Mother. Are there worms biting me? Boohoo…”
The rising and falling cries made their parents’ hearts ache. Some still had the strength to coax them. Some adults were already so tired that they collapsed to the ground. There was nothing they could do as they watched their children cry.
Ning Yue’s children were better off, but their faces fell when they heard the other children crying.
Ning Yue’s heart ached when she heard that. Those were all children. Why did they have to suffer so much?
She looked down at the two children next to her. She usually used the time she had to go to the bathroom to secretly feed them and change their diapers. She even scrubbed them when she could, so they were doing okay.
As a mother, her empathy was too strong. Ning Yue’s heart really ached for the other children. She thought to herself that she had to find a chance to give the children something to eat and drink.
At this moment, the village chief, Ning Bai, walked over with his son, Ning Tian. He was here to discuss something with Old Master Ning.
“Second Master, many people in the village don’t have any water left. It’s fine if there’s no food, but it’s really unbearable if there’s no water. I think we should look for a water source at night. It’ll be cooler at night,” Ning Bai said.
Grandfather Ning looked at the night sky and then at the crying children and the devastated villagers not far away. He nodded.
In fact, all the people in the Ning Family Village were relatives. Besides, not to mention that they had lived together in the same village for decades, they could not really watch these people die of thirst and hunger along the way.
Moreover, at this special time, saving others was equivalent to saving themselves. They did not know what they would encounter on the way to escape. Only with more people would there be hope for survival.
“Go, I’ll bring the head of my family. You bring Ning Tian. The four of us will go.” Old Master Ning stood up, his old body still firm.