Chapter 383 The Great Rain Arrives
As Ye Shenge and her group settled in, the first drops of rain began to fall, soon escalating into a torrent, as if water from a basin had been directly poured down.
The rain cloth at the cave entrance couldn't withstand the downpour for long, succumbing to the weight of the water and leaking. Ah Hong and a few others rushed out in the rain to retrieve it and bring it back into the cave.
Due to the heavy rain, each cave prepared their own meals separately; it was impossible to carry food outside.
The villagers, after a day of rain, began to panic. In just one day, the floodwaters had reached their ankles, and the crops in the fields were long gone.
Each household sent a representative to gather at the village chief's house. Gong Wentao had already forcefully urged his parents to go up the mountain with him immediately.
"Village Chief, what should we do? If this rain continues, it will reach waist-high in two days."
The Village Chief and the Head of the production team conferred, and a decision was quickly made.
"Pack up whatever you can carry immediately, and we'll depart. Carry the children and the elderly up the mountain if you can, to prevent them from slipping and falling on the slippery paths."
With the order given, everyone dispersed. The Village Chief sat in the main hall, staring at the rain outside, wishing he could cry.
"Heaven doesn't want us to live!"
"Stop your nonsense and come help carry things."
Wang Fengling glared at her husband impatiently. Thanks to their youngest son's subsidies, their family had a good amount of grain left, and carrying it up the mountain was a huge undertaking.
Gong Wentao watched his mother, who seemed intent on bringing everything from their home, and a headache started. He would have to look after the two elders on the road, so he couldn't carry much.
"Mom, we can't take these things with us."
Wang Fengling, unconcerned, glanced outside and whispered to her younger son.
"I've already spoken to your elder brother. They'll be here soon to help us carry. Of course, I won't let them help for free; I'll give each of their families ten catties of grain when we reach our destination."
In this era, when faced with difficult daughters-in-law, even one's own son had to be clear about calculations.
Gong Wentao gave a thumbs-up. As long as his parents could safely reach the mountain, nothing else mattered. Even if they lost their grain, he could get some from Zi Shao. They wouldn't starve, the three of them.
Within an hour, everyone from the entire production team had left their homes, their faces indistinguishable between rain and tears. Led by Gong Wentao, who supported the Village Chief and his mother, the Head of the production team and his family followed at the rear.
The rain capes made of rain cloth offered little protection; the rain was so heavy they couldn't even open their eyes. Soon, the cries of children and the groans of the elderly echoed through the mountains.
Ye Shenge's cave was relatively large, housing twenty-five people including Ah Sen's nine companions and Chen Tonghua.
To prepare a meal, everyone had to pitch in to eat on time. They used three stoves at once, steaming fifty to sixty steamed buns per meal to suffice.
Fortunately, they had gone up the mountain three to four days in advance and cut a lot of firewood. What couldn't fit in the cave was piled at the entrance and wrapped in rain cloths.
It made one imagine how difficult life would be for the villagers once they reached the mountain, lacking even firewood for cooking.
The villagers had found a location about ten to twenty li away from Zi Yisheng's group. By evening, they had all settled into more than ten caves not too far apart.
The environment was incomparable to Zi Yisheng's caves. Each cave housed at least a hundred people, leaving no room to even stand.
Not to mention the arguments over space; some even resorted to fighting.
Gong Wentao's ears had been ringing since the journey up the mountain, and now his head felt like it was throbbing.
He had always told his father not to be the Village Chief, but now his father was still reluctant to step down. Gong Wentao never knew his father had such an obsession with power. If not for the three of them, they would have moved to Zi Shao's place long ago.
Gong Wentao watched his mother busily asking his elder brothers for grain, while his two sisters-in-law were still feigning pity and haggling. He lost all patience.
Zhang Yuan, seeing Gong Wentao standing with his arms crossed beside her, immediately became timid. She quickly picked up the grain Wang Fengling had given her and ran off.
Seeing her younger son backing her up, Wang Fengling felt incredibly confident. With her youngest son present, no one dared to mistreat her.
Once everyone was settled, a new round of arguments began. It was time to eat, but no household had prepared dry rations in advance. Without firewood or water, how could they eat?
Now, the Village Chief couldn't run to every cave to arrange everyone's lives; they had to fend for themselves.
"Village Chief, you have to find a way! The children are starving."
Gong Wentao grabbed his father, who was about to speak. What was there to manage? Could an old man go find water and chop wood for them?
"From now on, my father will no longer be the Village Chief. He is old and needs my care. If you have any issues, go find the Head of the production team or the Party Secretary."
As soon as Gong Wentao finished speaking, the Village Chief tried to stand up and retort, but Wang Fengling twisted the loose skin on his thigh in circles.
"Ow, ouch, ouch! What are you doing?"
"You stay put. If you don't listen to Wentao, I'll leave with Wentao immediately, leaving you to sort things out with the villagers."
The Village Chief, stifling his anger, lowered his head miserably. His lifelong authority had been completely lost.
"How can you abandon us now? What are we supposed to do?"
"What do you want us to do? Should my father go chop wood or find water for you? Don't you have hands and feet? Do you need me to feed you?"
The scar on Gong Wentao's face looked even more terrifying at this moment. In the cave, with a hundred people present, no one dared to speak.
"Exactly, what can the old Village Chief do? If you want to eat, go find it yourself."
The old Village Chief's paternal nephew, Gong Shusen, was the first to speak up. He had already been reminded by his uncle that he would take over as Village Chief after his uncle stepped down. Gong Shusen, who already listened to his uncle's words, became even more supportive of the current speaker.
One led to another. Seeing many people venturing out in the rain, the Village Chief breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, he would have arranged things this way if he had continued to manage affairs, but from now on, it would be none of his business.
Gong Wentao looked at the environment in the cave, realizing there was no way to rest. His parents couldn't sit and sleep all night, and the ground was damp. Even the healthiest body wouldn't last long.
So, Gong Wentao whispered a few words into his mother's ear, and Wang Fengling agreed almost without hesitation.
"Let's go! We'll leave tomorrow at first light!"
The Village Chief still looked confusedly at his wife and younger son whispering secrets. He no longer had the right to participate. He pouted, took out the pastries his son had bought, and nibbled on them listlessly.
Gong Wentao didn't waste any time. He hadn't told Zi Shao beforehand that he wanted to bring his parents to live there. Now, he had to go and inform him.
It took Gong Wentao an hour and a half to reach Zi Yisheng's location by traveling the mountain road through the night.
Zi Yisheng's cave entrance was covered with rain cloths, and there were people guarding the closest positions, fearing wild beasts might rush in.
The sound of the rain masked any movement outside. It was only when Gong Wentao called out from outside that someone came out.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Gong Wentao."