The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 257 - 256: Severe Drought, Water Scarcity_1

Chapter 257: Chapter 256: Severe Drought, Water Scarcity_1

Thanks to the water source, Qijia Village was brimming with joy.

However, other areas weren’t as fortunate; even the wells in Hujia Village, the closest to Qijia Village, ran dry.

Ty County was hit by a severe drought this year, and that had become a certainty.

But when the people of Hujia Village heard that Qijia Village still had water, they flocked over to fetch it.

Village Chief Qi was troubled—if he didn’t let these people fetch water, they would have none to drink. They were all folks from neighboring villages, and it was hard to turn them away. But if he agreed, then there wouldn’t be enough water for Qijia Village, and the fields desperately needed irrigation!

Village Chief Qi had already arranged for someone to watch over the place, temporarily preventing people from other villages from fetching water.

With the situation being so dire, Village Chief Qi called for a meeting with the village officials.

"What do you all suggest we do?" Village Chief Qi asked. He couldn’t make the decision alone, since it concerned the whole of Qijia Village.

Qi Shuli thought for a moment and said, "Chief, if we let people from other villages come and take our water, we won’t have any left for irrigation. If that happens, we won’t harvest a single grain. That would mean we village officials failed to act!"

Qi Shuming snickered to himself upon hearing this. Qi Shuli was so adamant because he hoped Village Chief Qi would stand against the other villages, causing trouble from which he could benefit.

"Accountant Qi, your point makes some sense. But don’t forget, out of the entire TY County, only our Qijia Village has water. Up until today, people from three different villages have come to draw water. As the drought worsens, more people from other villages will come to draw water. One village, we can manage; two villages, just barely; but what about three villages, four, ten...?"

"Accountant Qi is also considering our village’s welfare and doesn’t want us to yield a smaller harvest. Besides, this is a new society. This water source belongs to our village. If we don’t allow it, would they really resort to taking it by force?" Qi Shuqiang rebutted Qi Shuming, siding with Qi Shuli.

Zhao Dajiao became frustrated upon seeing the two of them arguing again. At such a critical time, they were still playing such petty games.

"Everyone, please, let’s cut the chatter. Have you forgotten last winter when there were plenty of game animals on our mountain? We wanted to keep them all, but people from other villages came to hunt, and it nearly resulted in a loss of life. The commune intervened, and they acted in the interest of the larger group, siding with the people from the other villages. We’re the only ones with this water source—do you think the commune will side with us? Furthermore, without water, people can’t survive. Who will care about future punishment when they’re fighting for their lives?" Zhao Dajiao’s words left everyone silent.

Anyone who could serve as a village official was no fool; they could foresee such situations!

When survival is at stake, who would think about punishment?

Moreover, the law doesn’t punish the multitude; faced with such circumstances, the commune would be powerless too!

"So, what do we do now?" Qi Shuming said, "We understand the reasoning, but, alas, there just isn’t enough water!"

"Our village still has springs surfacing, which means there might be more substantial water sources below. Why don’t we drill a few more wells?" Qi Shuli suggested, noting that Qijia Village had no wells because it relied on the spring at the village entrance.

"That’s one solution," Village Chief Qi nodded, "Are there any other suggestions?"

Drilling wells might suffice for domestic water use, but what about irrigation?

They would need an innumerable amount of water—where could they possibly find that?

"We have some mountain springs on the hill behind us. If we redirect them down, we could gather some water," Qi Shuming proposed, suggesting they consolidate all the collectible water in one place.

Village Chief Qi nodded and said, "That’s also feasible! If we can find a sufficient water source in the village or behind the mountain, we might still be able to save this year’s harvest, otherwise..."

Village Chief Qi didn’t continue, but everyone understood what he meant.

When Village Chief Qi returned home, he saw the concerned expressions in the eyes of his wife and daughter, Qi Xiaoyan.

"Xiao Yan, tomorrow I’ll take you to the county town, and let Dajun take you to Huai City. I won’t be able to escort you myself, there are so many issues in the village, I really can’t leave," Village Chief Qi explained. He had no time because of the exams coinciding with spring plowing; being called to serve in the army only added to the troubles that tied him down.

Qi Xiaoyan shook her head and said, "Dad, I know you’ve been worried about the village lately and don’t have time to take me. No need to, Brother Dajun will come over tonight, and he will take me to the county town by bicycle tomorrow."

Hearing that Niu Dajun would pick up his daughter, Village Chief Qi felt a bit relieved and said, "That works too. When you’re away, take good care of yourself and don’t tire yourself out."

"I know, Dad," Qi Xiaoyan said with concern, "The water source in the village... will there be a fight?"

"Ah, if it’s not handled well, fighting is inevitable," Village Chief Qi said. "Without water, without food, no one can survive, and who can care about anything else then!"

"What should we do then?" Qi Xiaoyan was anxious, as she couldn’t let go of her worries about home.

"Don’t be afraid, we will eventually get word to the unit, and they will come to talk to me. Then we’ll negotiate the terms," Village Chief Qi said. "Don’t worry about home; just focus on serving in the army."

In the army, at least his daughter wouldn’t have to go hungry.

Qi Xiaoyan smiled without speaking. If she showed too much worry, it would only make her parents worry more.

Yet she felt very sad inside, uncomfortable keeping it to herself, so she secretly went to look for He Tiantian to talk about her feelings.

Only then did He Tiantian realize that the water source in Qijia Village had become a coveted target for other villages!

Ah, is yearning for favorable weather really so difficult?

"Xiao Yan, once you leave, you can at least save some food for the family," He Tiantian said. "Plus, you’ll have a salary, which you can send home or use to buy and send back food to alleviate the family’s burden. Instead of worrying here helplessly, it’s better to perform well in the unit and make your parents feel relieved and proud."

Qi Xiaoyan’s eyes reddened as she nodded and said, "Sister Tiantian, you’re right. I should be strong, not let my parents worry, and certainly not bring shame to them."

After receiving comfort from He Tiantian, Qi Xiaoyan felt a bit better. She found out that Niu Dajun had arrived when she heard Liang Hongyu call her.

Niu Dajun didn’t come alone; he was accompanied by his uncle, Niu Peng!

Curious, He Tiantian followed Qi Xiaoyan to listen to Niu Peng’s valuable insights.

If I’m not wrong, it’s about the water source in Qijia Village!

After taking a puff of his cigarette, Niu Peng said, "Younger Brother Qi, this time you must think of the bigger picture!"

Village Chief Qi felt upset inside. He also wanted to consider the bigger picture, but the villagers wouldn’t agree!

"Big Brother, I am the village chief, of course I’ll consider the greater good," Village Chief Qi said with difficulty, "Last year, our village had a good harvest, with every household having enough food. Selling game provided quite some money for everyone. Therefore, when the department asked us to help the other villages, with you personally coming to negotiate, everyone agreed. They understand you can’t just watch others starve while being full yourself! But this is different from last year’s game from the mountain! Our own village fields are not irrigated, how can we just watch as the water is taken away!"