Without food, taxes cannot be paid, and without paying taxes, penalties must be incurred.
As the grain tax collectors announce their demands, many impoverished families who cannot afford to pay grain or money are already weeping helplessly.
By the end of August, the grass and trees have turned yellow, and the animals in the mountains have vanished, with even snakes and insects becoming scarce.
The rivers near the towns and villages are drying up, with fish either taken away by people or left to suffocate and rot under the scorching sun.
Previously, neighboring villages often clashed over water access; now that the water sources have completely dried up, they can only place their final hopes on digging wells.
Fortunately, Lin Ya had previously ordered numerous wooden barrels to store plenty of water when it was still abundant, keeping only a portion hidden in the house.
Lin Ya kneaded the dough until it became smooth and soft before setting it aside. During this period, he has been busy cooking the purchased rice and flour into ready-to-eat meals, as the system space can preserve food, allowing him to make more than he can eat, and carry it to the next world.
After consuming most of the supplies, he reserved only one bag of flour, one bag of rice, and some cured meats and dried fish before stopping.
After tidying up the house, he planned to visit the county town to see if any new announcements had been made so that he could be informed immediately.
In ancient times, fleeing a disaster was no easy task; ordinary citizens had to take identification documents and follow the local officials to determine a route for escape before they could set off.
Additionally, they needed to confirm that they could no longer survive due to natural disasters before making an announcement.
Without these, if commoners went to other cities without the necessary documents, they would be treated as bandits and executed.
This is also why Lin Ya had not set out earlier.
When Lin Ya opened the door, he happened to see Aunt Wang, their neighbor, being carried home amidst a loud commotion; several people hurriedly lifted her into the house.
Standing to the side, Lin Ya clearly saw that her gray hair appeared to have been struck and had a hole in it, blood continuously dripping down her aged cheeks, some already congealed and blackened. Her frail body was limp and showed clear signs of losing consciousness.
“Such cruelty! Damn it! That water pond was discovered by our family! Is there no justice?!” The woman wiping her tears was Aunt Wang’s daughter-in-law, the mother of Tie Dan. Her rough hands covered her face, unable to comprehend how things had turned out this way.
If she had known the attempt to fetch water would lead to her mother-in-law being struck on the head, she would never have let her go.
However…
Her cries momentarily paused; her mother-in-law had come to her rescue, shielding her momentarily, which is why she lay there now.
“Grandmother! Woohoo… please wake up…” Tie Dan cried, his face drenched in tears; even though he was young, he understood that bleeding meant something was wrong.
“If anything happens to my mother, I want their lives in return!” Wang Tiesheng clenched his fists, slamming his cane fiercely on the ground and biting his teeth, his eyes red with fury.
Years ago, he had killed many enemy soldiers in the army; now, having lost a leg, he returned home. His frail body diminished the fierceness he once had, but he still looked intimidating if one did not look closely.
Watching his mother on the brink of death made him regret deeply. It was precisely because his physical condition made it difficult to fetch water that he had allowed his wife and mother to go. Who could have predicted this would happen?
“The doctor is here! Clear the way!”
“Doctor, please take a look at my mother!”
The only doctor in the village was primarily skilled in treating bruises and such; everyone knew this, and no one mentioned going to the town or county to fetch a doctor.
Lin Ya watched silently, his lips pursed and his gaze dark.
Even the son in furious grief over his mother’s injury didn’t suggest fetching a doctor from town.
“She hit her head and has lost this much blood. Unless she is sent to the county clinic, along with some medicinal herbs to replenish her blood, even a deity could not save her…”
After the doctor shook his head in resignation, stating she was beyond saving, others slowly walked out, offering silent condolences by patting Wang Tiesheng’s shoulder and urging him not to be too heartbroken.
When most of the people had left and the doctor was gone, Lin Ya slowly turned and also departed.
He could save her, but only temporarily; he could not save her life.
Out of neighborly courtesy, he had previously warned her about a secret underground water pond on the mountain, advising that if she needed water, she should go there but not tell others.
However, her compassion led her to divulge this information later, resulting in villagers raiding the water pond, with people from a neighboring village alerted and laying in wait.
The accident now stemmed from their rush to get water.
Moreover, the ones truly unwilling to save her were her son and daughter-in-law.
There were many reasons for this; one was food. After paying the taxes, many families found themselves in even greater financial strain, going from two hearty meals a day to a single bowl of thin porridge barely enough to cast a shadow.
Saving one person’s ration could mean a few extra meals for the family.
Secondly, there wasn’t enough money — treating injuries costs money, buying medicine costs money, and even if the assailant’s family compensated, was it appropriate to spend so much on an elderly, frail person’s treatment?
If that money was saved, it could buy food that would last the whole family for months.
As an ordinary person, Lin Ya could understand their choice.
After all, is it easier to die comfortably now, or to face the struggles of survival later only to possibly end up dead anyway?
This ongoing three-year disaster has led to countless deaths, whether from starvation, dehydration, drowning, illness, murder by bandits, being preyed upon, or even death from pestilence burning down cities.
Lin Ya thought for a long time but chose to remain a bystander.
He couldn’t save everyone; he could only take care of himself.
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