, wishing a fly would buzz in...Grandma Li stoked up another pot of incense and continued to puff on it, taking occasional drags and sighing in time with the performances by her old friends.But she wa...Summer mornings always come very early. People who have been busy all day seem to just lie down for a short while before the sky shows signs of dawn.

The patrol team had already gone back to rest in the Suijin Beach.

The village head, with his hands behind his back, walked out of his house and patted the two large dogs at Li's doorstep. He inquired about Lin Grandma and the others, learning that there was nothing amiss at the old Li residence. Only then did he begin his daily rounds of inspection.

In the village, each household was eerily quiet after sending away their children and young people. Initially, no one was accustomed to it, but after a few days, things were better. At least daily life wasn't disrupted.

The villages of Dahuaishu and several others were indeed scared off, and the villagers lived peacefully.

Normally, under the supervision of the village head, he only did farm work. He had never been to Xin Cun Er Cun, let alone the city.

For fear that I might cause trouble during such a time, and bring misfortune upon my whole family.

The melon vines in the field have long been cleared and replaced. The newly planted radishes and turnips are growing well, and from afar, they look like a sea of green, which is sure to lift one's spirits.

And the orchards on the mountain are even more lush and vibrant, standing out against the surrounding slightly yellowing woods. They are truly unique and eye-catching.

All of this is the result of the villagers' tireless hard work day and night!

The small river outside the village is now just a thin trickle, barely as thick as a wrist, and it's always on the verge of drying up. Of course, there's the reason of the hot weather, but most of the water has been diverted by villagers to irrigate their fields and mountain slopes.

Recently, worried that the river would run completely dry and downstream villages would have no water to drink, everyone started carrying water from the village again.

When the well was first dug, the village spent a lot of money to dig a deep well, but now it has dried up for the most part, leaving only three or four wells with water.

I really wonder when the well water will run completely dry...

The village head was in a state of mixed emotions.

He had lived most of his life, and he understood the principle of seeking advantage and avoiding harm too well.

If everyone farms, and half the people suffer a disaster while your fields yield a bountiful harvest, then they will only envy you, perhaps even ingratiate themselves with you, asking how you managed to grow such abundant crops.

But their family was destitute, with no grain harvested. Seeing that their household, young and old, were about to starve, your fields were full of golden rice...

That's clearly provoking a fight, just waiting to be robbed!

This verdant mountain vista, with its vibrant new growth everywhere, is a testament to the bounty of harvests reaped by these people...

It's really good, but it's also really dangerous!

The village chief sighed, wishing time would fly by as quickly as a mouse!

In just one more month, the fruits will be sold out. Once the autumn vegetables and peanuts, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn are harvested, everything will be peaceful.

Unfortunately, as if inviting trouble, when the sun was at its zenith, it became unbearably hot outside. Villagers gradually returned home to seek respite from the heat, waiting for the sun to set before resuming their work.

There were unwilling sleepers, young and old, sitting under the big tree at the village entrance. They swayed their fans and straw hats while chatting idly.

"I wonder where the children have gone They should be here soon, right" A man missed his children and whispered to himself.

The villagers nearby couldn't help but pat him and scolded with a smile, "You're really something else. You ask this question dozens of times a day, you're even more talkative than a woman."

"They're being spoiled rotten with all the comforts down south. They've probably already seen the ocean and big ships, they're having a blast! They don't even think about their old father anymore."

The man didn't get angry, he chuckled and replied, "That's good then. I don't know when I'll have the chance to see it myself. At least the boys get to enjoy the sight first."

Another old man also said, “My grandson also said that he wants to go out to sea fishing. When the time comes, he will bring me a fish as big as a house.”

Everyone burst into laughter and chimed in agreement.

"My daughter also said, 'Bring me pearls as big as steamed buns.'"

"My son said, 'Find me a coral hairpin!'"

When it comes to children, under the big tree it's particularly lively.

Just then, a veteran suddenly rode in on horseback, shouting from afar.

"Headman, someone is making a commotion at the bridge! There are over ten of them!"

This is unacceptable!

The village head immediately shouted to the villagers, and over twenty people of all ages rushed to Ercun.

A wooden railing stood at the bridgehead, with two villagers guarding behind it. Outside the railing were a dozen or so strangers.

The village head and others originally thought it was some unruly person who had come to cause trouble.

But at the sight of these strangers, he frowned.

A dozen or so people, young and old, were all raggedly dressed. Even half-grown children only had tattered rags covering their bottoms, while the rest were completely naked, tanned black by the sun.

Upon closer inspection, his complexion was sallow and thin, his lips cracked and dry, his bones protruding.

This is truly, even worse than when they fled from the north years ago!

Such a person should not be detrimental to their own family, right

Several veteran guardsmen were also at a loss. When they saw the village head, they hurriedly recounted the events to him.

"Village head, these people arrived here an hour ago, saying they were too thirsty and wanted a bowl of water. We thought they looked pitiful, so we gave them a bucket of water."

But after they finished drinking, they said they were hungry and wanted some field greens to fill their stomachs. We... we also gave them a dozen or so raw potatoes, and after they ate those they didn't leave!

They insisted on staying to work, even saying they would sell themselves into servitude. We told them our village doesn't accept outsiders, but they wouldn't listen and stubbornly refused to leave.

Upon hearing this, the village chief and his companions all let out a long sigh of relief. They couldn't help but glare at the old soldier who had delivered the report.

When he shouted, everyone thought someone had come to the door.

But before our eyes, this is clearly a group of refugees!

The veteran touched his nose, feeling very innocent.

He was flustered and didn't explain clearly, so everyone rushed over...

At this moment, the ten or so people also knew that the person who brought their staple food had arrived. They all gathered at the fence and knelt down in a row with thuds.

An old man wept, his voice hoarse and cracked, as he began to speak.

"Oh, kind benefactors, please have pity on us poor souls! We are truly desperate, so we've left our homes and families behind in search of a way out!"

We've been eating grass and leaves all the way here.

"Please, kind people, have mercy on us and take us in. We are willing to work like oxen or horses, just to save our lives!"

A woman’s sunken eyes were filled with desperation. At this moment, she pushed two children of about seven or eight years old forward and pleaded urgently, "My lords, please don't let us meet the same fate. Please take in these two children. They eat little, they can sweep the floor, feed chickens and pigs, even work in the fields. Please show mercy, please save our lives!"

Both children were big-headed and small-necked, pushed out by their mother, still a little dazed.

At this moment, they twisted their bodies, holding the woman and crying out loud.

"Mother, don't abandon us! Waaaah, we won't go, we won't go!"

The mother was so afraid her children would be disliked that she raised her hand to strike them, feeling so distressed that she wished she could just faint.

Their whole family had fled from the south, and this village looked to be the most prosperous they'd seen so far.

Every household's house was brand new and spotless, not to mention the villagers were well-dressed.

The fields are lush green, and the mountains are also emerald green, as if there is no shortage of water at all.

Most importantly, the people here are kind.

They were driven away with abuse wherever they went begging. They only got clean water and food here!

Here you can survive!

The woman wasn't intelligent, but in order to save her son's life, she somehow saw through it once.also let out a sigh of relief and whispered, "Now it depends on whether Lao Er and the others can find out who is behind this.""Yes, Aunt, rest assured. My husband is also helping out. We'll surely ha...