Chapter 7: Chapter 007: Qian Li'er
"Water source." Ms. Chu was almost startled into exclaiming aloud, but she quickly lowered her voice and asked, "Xiao Yu, what did you say? You found a water source?"
Third Grandma was just as shocked as Ms. Chu, but being elderly and having experienced much, she suppressed the excitement in her heart and looked at Gu Jinli.
Aunt Tian and her two daughters, hearing the commotion, hurried over, their eyes shining with anticipation, staring intently at Gu Jinli and asked, "Xiao Yu, is what you're saying true?" If it was true, then they would be saved.
Gu Jinli nodded: "My father worked as a laborer drilling wells before, and he told us about master well-drillers searching for underground water routes. I've always remembered that. Seeing that the river grass here grows well, the ground where the river grass thrives is relatively moist, and there are also many snail shells, all these things prove that there is water underground here."
Father Gu wasn't Granny Gu's biological child; he had been driven out of the Old Gu Family to earn money since he was seven years old, doing many kinds of jobs, including assisting master well-drillers in digging.
But Ms. Chu and the others didn't know what shallow groundwater was, so Gu Jinli explained it to them in terms they could understand, through finding water routes by well drilling.
"I remember that Dashan nephew has worked as a well-drilling laborer," said Third Grandma. It was her husband who had taken him to do that job.
Ms. Chu asked Gu Jinli, "Were you digging in the soil earlier? Take us to see."
Gu Jinli led Ms. Chu, Third Grandma, and Aunt Tian along with her daughters to the spot where she had been digging, pointed at a foot-deep pit, and said, "The soil in this pit is muddy, which proves there is water below. We just need to dig through the soil layer to reach the water."
Aunt Tian looked at the muddy soil in the pit, her eyes red with joy, "We are saved."
Ms. Chu and Third Grandma were also very excited. They haven't seen muddy soil in more than three months of famine escape; the soil was either crumbly or as hard as rocks.
Gu Jinli said, "Third Grandma, let's hurry back and discuss this with my father, Uncle Luo, Third Grandpa, and others, and dig out the water tonight."
They need to set out early the next day, so they didn't have much time, and must act quickly.
"Good, let's hurry back to find people, and dig up this place tonight," Third Grandma decreed with a finality unique to someone who was known for being tough and resolute, having borne the infamy of being childless for a lifetime. "This is our life-saving water, even if it wears us out, we must dig."
Their spirits lifted by her words, they quickly picked the river grass, completing the harvesting in the small half-acre plot. Third Grandma then divided the river grass into six parts, handing them out, "Take your share, only with a full belly and quenching your thirst will you have the strength to work."
Ms. Chu handed her share of the river grass to Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, take this back for Aunt Luo to give to Hui Niang, Aunt Luo will stay behind to guard this place. After you explain the situation back home, hurry and bring people over."
With everyone lacking water, Ms. Chu worried that other refugees might come to take over the place after they left.
Third Grandma, not reassured, looked at Aunt Tian and said, "Tian Family, you and the Luo Family stay, I'll take the three kids back."
Aunt Tian did not have the decisiveness and intelligence of Ms. Chu, but she was good at following Third Grandma's directions. She told her two daughters to stick close to Third Grandma, and she stayed with Ms. Chu.
Gu Jinli and the other three virtually ran back all the way. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain where the refugees were resting, the sun was already setting.
Third Grandma said, "The teams from the village who went to find food will be coming back after the sun sets. You go back quickly and prepare the evening meal. Once your fathers are back, get them to go to my resting place at my house, just say the old lady has something to tell them, no need to say anything else."
Third Grandma specifically instructed, "Matters of the mountain concern our lives, apart from your own parents, don't utter a word to anyone else."
Tian Erhua and Tian Xiaohua, somewhat nervous, replied, "Understood, Third Grandma, we won't tell anyone else about the mountain."
Third Grandma looked at Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, you follow your father when you come."
The discovery of the water source was Xiao Yu's, so she must be present, as people would have questions for her.
Gu Jinli nodded, "Don't worry, Third Grandma, I will definitely be there."
After speaking, the four of them dispersed, each running towards their respective resting places.
"Xiao Yu, you're back." Luo Huiniang was very happy to see Gu Jinli and ran over to greet her. Seeing the river grass bound with dried vines in her hand, her eyes widened: "It's river grass! Xiao Yu, you're amazing, finding wild vegetables at this time."
Gu Jinli handed Ms. Chu's basket to Luo Huiniang: "This is your family's share. Your mother asked me to give it to you."
Luo Huiniang's eyes lit up: "My family has some too; my mother is really capable." She took the basket, clutching it dearly, and ran towards her family's resting place.
Qian Li'er was loitering nearby, and upon hearing the words "river grass," she looked towards Gu Jinli and indeed saw Gu Jinli holding a sizable bundle of river grass.
Recalling the sweet and fresh taste of river grass, Qian Li'er swallowed her saliva, ran back to the Old Gu Family's resting place, and found Granny Gu, saying: "Grandma, Gu Xiaoyu found a big bundle of river grass. She wants to keep it for herself and not share with the family. It's really too much."
Qian Li'er was Gu Dagu's daughter. The entire family followed the Old Gu Family to escape the famine. Knowing that Gu Dashan's family was not favored by Granny Gu, she joined Granny Gu in scheming against Gu Dashan's family.
Ms. Zheng was sitting on the mat massaging Granny Gu's back, and upon hearing this, she was the first to scold: "What? Gu Xiaoyu that wretched girl actually found river grass and even dares to hoard it without contributing it to the family? She's rebelling against heaven."
Little Sister Gu egged on Granny Gu from the side: "Mother, Xiao Yu is too undisciplined. You should really teach her a lesson."
Granny Gu opened her fierce eyes and glanced towards Elder Gu, asking: "Old man, what do you plan to do about this?"
Elder Gu said: "We haven't split up the family yet. Whatever is found naturally belongs to the family."
Granny Gu laughed and said to Qian Li'er: "Li'er, go and move all the food you've found over here."
Granny Gu was very annoyed with Gu Jin'an's act of privately borrowing food. It was a challenge to her authority, and she had long wanted to find an opportunity to discipline Gu Dashan's family to let them know who is in charge of this family.
Ms. Zheng showed schadenfreude on her face, saying: "Mother, Li'er is too timid and can't stand up to Gu Xiaoyu. I'll go and help so that that unruly girl doesn't act up."
Gu Jinli was different from Gu Jinxiu; she was always a tough character from a young age. Bullying her would require several people ganging up together.
Granny Gu did not object. Delighted, Ms. Zheng excitedly pulled Qian Li'er towards Xiao Yu family's resting place.
As soon as they arrived at Gu Jinli's family's resting area, Ms. Zheng saw a bundle of river grass tied up. Her eyes green with envy, she dashed forward, pushing away Gu Jincheng and Gu Jinxiu who were surrounding the river grass, and snatched up the river grass to take it away.
When Gu Jinli saw Ms. Zheng coming to steal and even knocking over Gu Jincheng and Gu Jinxiu, she lifted a sharpened tree branch and jabbed it towards Ms. Zheng's hand.
Ms. Zheng cried out in pain, dropping the river grass and holding her bleeding hand, scolding Gu Jinli: "You wretched girl, are you trying to murder someone?"
Gu Jinli picked up the river grass that had fallen to the ground, stood up clutching the tree branch, and with an icy look swept her gaze over Ms. Zheng and Qian Li'er, saying mockingly: "Oh, it's Fourth Aunt. I thought it was bandits coming to rob us. In my panic, I reacted."
Gu Jinli's words infuriated Ms. Zheng considerably.
Qian Li'er spoke from the side: "Xiao Yu cousin, Fourth Aunt is taking her own family's wild vegetables. How could that be robbing? By saying that, do you still have any respect for Fourth Aunt as an elder?"
Ms. Zheng immediately straightened up, assuming the posture of an elder, and sternly scolded: "Li'er is right, I am taking my own family's things. Hand over the river grass quickly; your grandmother is still waiting to eat it."
Qian Li'er reminded Ms. Zheng: "Fourth Aunt, Grandma said to take back everything edible." Her eyes turned towards the bamboo tube that Gu Jinxiu was clutching tightly—the tube contained water.
Gu Jinxiu was timid, and under Qian Li'er's gaze, she shrank back, but still held the bamboo tube tightly. The few sips of water remaining inside were their family's lifesaving supply and could not be taken away.
Gu Jinli's expression turned cold. With a stride, she took the bamboo tube from Gu Jinxiu's arms, and clutching the bamboo tube and the river grass in her arms, she addressed Ms. Zheng and Qian Li'er: "The village chief only stipulated that food found by able-bodied laborers must be contributed to the family. The river grass was found by me, and the water was given by the Luo Family. It does not need to be handed over."
Thinking of taking things from her hands—what a daydream.