Zhao Chunhua was very surprised.
Zhang Youcai nodded firmly. "Yes. It was thanks to Aunt Zhao taking the lead in rescuing everyone last night that the bandits were driven away. My father says Aunt Zhao is very wise, so he asked me to invite you to discuss what we should do next."
Seeing her approach, the village head shifted aside to make room for her.
The village chief praised her a few more times before saying, "I don't know when the rain will stop. Although this dilapidated temple can shelter us from the rain, it leaks from all sides. It is too cold at night, and the villagers cannot endure it. We must find a solution."
After hearing this, the group glanced at the sky outside, which looked as though it had a hole torn in it, and sighed.
The villagers were dressed in tattered clothes, and most of them wore only thin garments.
In addition, they often did not have enough to eat, and their physical condition was poor. When the cool wind blew, many of them began sneezing and appeared to have caught a cold.
Zhao Chunhua was also filled with sorrow.
It looks like the rain won't stop any time soon.
They couldn't travel in the rain under these circumstances; after all, falling ill on the road would be extremely dangerous
But this old temple is truly falling apart.
It let in wind and rain from every corner, as if it were a sieve.
Several wooden boards in the temple had rotted completely and could only be used as firewood, serving no other purpose.
Suddenly, Zhao Chunhua noticed the wooden carts the villagers used to carry their belongings
"Let everyone unload the goods first. Then turn the wooden cart over and form a circle around the temple to block the wind."
"Sister Chunhua, you're really clever. We truly didn't think about this."
After hearing this, Zhang Youcai immediately gave a thumbs-up, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
The village chief wasted no time in giving orders to the villagers. With the wooden cart now serving as a makeshift shelter, conditions had improved markedly.
Zhao Chunhua reminded the village chief. "We must assign people to stand watch at night. Though this place appears fairly safe, we cannot ignore potential dangers. Luckily, the previous cave incident was discovered in time, or it would have been a real problem."
The very mention of it made everyone uneasy. Acting quickly, they rounded up the village's youth and, at Zhao Chunhua's suggestion, split them into groups to stand watch in rotating shifts through the night.
Because of the rain, everyone could only huddle together, watching it fall with somber faces.
The downpour continued unceasingly, with no hint of relief. Anxiety weighed heavily on everyone.
Dry wood was scarce in the temple, and no one ventured to light a fire merely for warmth. Only after darkness fell did some families start small cooking fires.
Yet still, the majority refrained from eating. With their meager supplies, all hoped to stretch their food as far as it could go.
Chunhua children were already growling with hunger, and the faint smell of cooking in the air made it even harder to bear—but no one dared ask for food.
The children around her kept swallowing nervously, their mouths watering. Zhao Chunhua shook her head and waved her hands.
"You all can't just sit there, just cook!"
Seeing her take out a basin of black noodles, several people widened their eyes in surprise.
"Mom, we don't need to eat so much," someone said.
"With only two bags of flour remaining, how many days can they possibly last if they keep eating like this? What's their next step?"
Zhao Chunhua said, "We need to eat properly and stay full, especially now that there's a pregnant woman among us. Every meal must be nutritious."
Xie Lanqin was stunned, staring up at her in disbelief.
At a glance, she could see that her mother-in-law had truly changed.
In the past, when eating at home, Zhang Tianbao and Zhang Tianfu, the men who did the heavy work could eat hearty staple foods, while she was limited to thin soup.
Even in pregnancy, Zhao Chunhua had offered her only a small increase in thick porridge. Now, however, she not only received sufficient food at each meal but was also occasionally given some dried meat. The slight change left Xie Lanqin feeling somewhat unsettled.
Unaware of Xie Lanqin's discomfort, Zhao Chunhua busied herself giving instructions to the others.
Soon, a large pot of noodle soup was prepared. Its dark color made it unappealing, so Zhao Chunhua tossed in some dried wild vegetables, improving both its appearance and its taste.
The addition made the soup more appealing and easier to eat. Despite the large pot, the family was so numerous that each person received only a single bowl. Zhang Tianfu took his bowl and drank greedily, wincing from the heat, yet he swallowed every mouthful.
"It tastes so good!"
Zhang Dajun and Zhang Tianbao also enjoyed their bowls. Only Zhang Baozhu, Xie Lanqin, and Heizi were a bit more particular about it.
The rain continued to fall outside, while the family gathered around the fire, enjoying the warmth and the steaming porridge.
The aroma drifted through the air, causing the villagers nearby to salivate.
Those from the first house looked on with even greater envy.
Zhang Erxi's mouth watered as he watched the neighbors savor their food.
"Mom! I want to eat too! I'm starving!" He tugged at Bai Xiaowei's arm, calling out desperately.
Bai Xiaowei glanced at the scant food left, then at him, her eyes stern at first but softening. "There isn't much here. Be patient for now, I'll cook a proper meal for you tomorrow."
"Why can others eat and I cannot?"
Zhang Erxi shoved her aside in frustration, clutching his empty stomach and demanding food. Bai Xiaowei was at a loss, when Zhang Defu's rough voice cut through:
"Don't be so stingy! Give the child something to eat!" He cast a sharp, angry glance in their direction as he spoke.
Understanding that his ire was aimed at the second house, Bai Xiaowei let out a sigh. She took a large multi-grain cake from the bag, sliced it into two, and gave a piece to each of them.
Zhang Erxi's eyes sparkled at the sight of the pancake. He grabbed it eagerly and tore into it with gusto. In just a few moments, half of the pancake had disappeared.
Having finished his portion, he licked his lips and fixed his gaze on the remaining half of the cake in Zhang Defu's hand.
"You truly are the reincarnation of a starving ghost!" Zhang Defu spoke with some irritation, yet he still tore off another half for him.
Having eaten nearly the entire cake, Zhang Erxi finally felt some relief from his hunger. He requested a quilt from Bai Xiaowei and lay down on the floor, drifting off to sleep.
Zhang Defu had eaten too little, and Bai Xiaowei hadn't touched a morsel. Shivering with cold and gnawed by hunger, her hatred for the second house deepened.
Zhao Chunhua and the others were oblivious to the eldest wife's thoughts, enjoying their meal with hearty appetite. The noodles were ordinary and a bit coarse for Zhao Chunhua, yet in the cold wind, sipping the hot porridge brought a rare warmth and comfort.
As she drank, thoughts raced through her mind, how to get the wheat from the space, and how to bring out the remaining half pig for her children to cook.
Her eyes swept over the emaciated family members, lingering at last on the pregnant Xie Lanqin.
Seeing Xie Lanqin, pale and thin, Zhao Chunhua frowned. I wonder… could being this frail affect the baby?
"Mother… what are you looking at?"
Xie Lanqin felt uneasy. She held her stomach protectively and asked nervously.