Gu Zhaobei got goosebumps and quickly held his hand to stop him from making soup, saying:
"Younger Brother Liao, no one in our family eats fish. Eating fish makes our whole body itch uncontrollably."
"Oh, is that so? Some people here are also like that, so they can't eat delicious fish soup. It's a pity."
Hearing this, Liao Qing looked at them with regret.
He genuinely wanted to give them the most delicious fish soup, but how could they dare to eat it?
If they ate it, wouldn't they vomit it out immediately?
"Village Chief Liao, have you always eaten the fish from this river?" Gu Qingcheng asked.
"Yes, our area is rich in aquatic products, and everyone is used to it. We have it every day, whether it's fried fish, deep-fried fish, or fish soup," Liao Qing said frankly.
Gu Qingcheng suddenly realized that perhaps they already knew this, but it didn't stop them from continuing to eat fish.
In this world, with food and clothing scarce, if there was fish available, wouldn't they eat it?
Of course, they would eat it!
Moreover, even if she advised them not to eat it now, they had already eaten it, so it was meaningless. Thus, she stopped talking.
Since the Gu family didn't eat fish, Liao Qing thought they really would get itchy and didn't dare to force them anymore.
After a few rounds of drinks, Gu Zhaobei said:
"The river here is quite wide and large, where does it lead?"
"It used to be just a small river, but in the past year or so, it has continuously risen, with a water level of at least 2 meters. It's the highest it has been since I can remember," Gu Qing recalled.
"Oh, the water level is rising so fast. Are you afraid it will flood your doorstep?" Gu Zhaobei said as if joking.
"Oh, you say that, and I think it's really possible. When I was young, I remember this river was still far from my house. It took a long time to run to the river to play in the water. Now it's almost at the village entrance." Liao Qing felt a sense of unease after being reminded.
It's just that things happening around you every day don't trigger your vigilance.
"Ah, mainly because the weather is getting hotter. The ice in the north is melting and flowing into the river. With all the icebergs melting, the water level will likely continue to rise and won't recede anytime soon. Village Chief Liao, if one day the water rises to your doorstep, or even floods the entire village, have you thought of a contingency plan?" Gu Zhaobei revealed a bit of foresight.
"Ah, this won't happen, will it? The water will rise that high?" Liao Qing still couldn't quite believe it.
"It's hard to say. Regardless, since you are the village chief, you must consider and prepare more," Gu Zhaobei said, "lest something truly happens and you are caught off guard."
If anyone else had brought this up, Liao Qing might not have taken it to heart.
After all, he was young and had just become the village chief. Facing the challenges of a village, with his limited experience, he hadn't encountered much. Apart from surviving zombie sieges, he hadn't borne any greater pressure. Being reminded by Gu Zhaobei made him feel a surge of heat, and he broke out in a sweat, even sobering him up a bit from the alcohol.
One of the advantages of a young village chief is that they are more receptive to suggestions, influenced by others' ideas, and willing to put in more effort for the villagers to solidify their position.
"Benefactors, what do you think our village should do?" Liao Qing remembered that these benefactors in front of him were not just capable of fighting zombies, they had also figured out ways to deal with them.
Being so thorough and considerate, Liao Qing felt inferior. If he had faced zombies, he wouldn't have been able to come up with such a complete plan in a few encounters.
Seeing that Liao Qing was receptive to their suggestions, Gu Zhaobei said with a smile:
"You can first store most of the grain in high places. After storing it, then think of ways to create some shelters in high places, for example, you can build some simple sheds to prepare for emergencies. Of course, since you're going to build sheds, it's best to build more, at least enough to accommodate more than half of the village." Gu Zhaobei spoke eloquently.
In this situation, Gu Qingcheng didn't interrupt. Her father, after all, would handle these matters no worse than she would. She was indeed superior to her father, but her father was still experienced.
"However, if we do that, the project will be too big. I'm afraid the villagers won't agree."
"Young man, haven't there been enough natural disasters in recent years? The north has already given us a great warning. Dapeng and Xiaopeng have both spent time in the north. Ask them how brutal the extreme cold and floods were, and how many people died?" Gu Zhaobei raised his voice.
"You're right. Thank you, benefactors. I will definitely take it seriously." Liao Qing, having escaped from the zombies, had a superstitious admiration for the Gu family. After all, it was only by meeting the Gu family that he was lucky enough to learn how to fight zombies. Later, with the selfless help of the Gu family, they drove away the zombies and gained prestige among the villagers, becoming the village chief. Seeing that Liao Qing took his suggestions seriously, Gu Zhaobei felt very satisfied. This must be what it felt like to be on top.
Hu Lanfang then said, "Old Gu, you've had too much to drink. Don't drink anymore. We have to travel tomorrow."
When Gu Zhaobei heard his wife speak, he stopped drinking.
Liao Qing arranged for them to stay in the guesthouse rooms of the inn. The rooms were kept quite clean. After staying for a night, they had breakfast the next morning and prepared to return. Liao Qing was very polite. He not only treated them to breakfast but also personally escorted them to the riverside to board the boat. Then, he gave them several bags of local specialties, introducing them as dried fish and lotus seeds.
Upon hearing that they were aquatic products, Gu Zhaobei felt a bit reluctant to accept. He really didn't want to eat the aquatic products from this place anymore. If he took them back, it would be a waste. They themselves didn't dare to eat them, so of course, they wouldn't heartlessly give them to others. However, Liao Qing, unaware, continued to explain:
"These fish and lotus seeds were preserved last year, dried and stored. The new fish caught this year haven't been preserved yet, and the lotus seeds haven't been processed. I can only give you last year's inventory. I hope you don't mind and can take them back as souvenirs."
Hearing this, Gu Zhaobei finally breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, they could still eat aquatic products, just not the ones from after the flood. But last year, the flood hadn't happened yet, so last year's aquatic products were certainly usable. Thus, they happily accepted.
The brothers Dapeng and Xiaopeng saw the familiar cargo ship and happily took charge. One steered, and the other raised the sail. Under their control, the cargo ship set sail. The speed was also decent. Because the water flow was calm, there was no bumping feeling. However, compared to a luxury yacht, the experience was still much inferior. After all, the luxury yacht provided by the system had automatic defense layering and various cutting-edge world-class black technologies.