The first step is to collect water bags and food. It is stipulated that each person can only drink two sips of water per hour, and no more than half a sip. Food is only allowed to be eaten once a day, because dry food consumes water and makes people more thirsty after eating.
Secondly, immediately build a shading location. Cut down all the sparse trees and weeds on the hilltop, build a shading shed around the rolling boulder, and weave shade curtains to block direct sunlight.
Everyone should try to maintain their physical strength, do not talk too much, and do not move around to avoid consuming energy and drying up the mouth.
Furthermore, separate shaded areas are built at defensive positions on the north and west sides of the hillside, and a small number of people are assigned to take turns guarding them. If there is an enemy situation, the rest will go to resist the enemy. This can ensure that a large number of people do not need to be exposed to the sun.
Finally, Li Hui explained the seriousness of the current situation to everyone in detail, telling them that this is the most difficult time, and they must strengthen their confidence and wait for help. Reinforcements will arrive in two days, and they will be able to escape by then.
Most people were panic-stricken, but some people quietly began to take action, collecting all the small trees and weeds in the rock gaps, and carrying stones to build awnings.
They took off their clothes, knotted them together to make a tarpaulin, tied them to branches, pulled them to the side of the boulder, and pressed them with stones to form a shelter. They built a circle around the boulder and sprinkled sand on top to absorb the heat.
Then the woven straw curtain was expanded in a circle to build a large shade tent. Then everyone sat shirtless under the shade tent, silently in a daze.
Time passes little by little, and the sun moves overhead little by little. It is almost the end of April, and there are no clouds in the sky. The sun shines straight down, enveloping everything with scorching energy.
The rocks on the top of the mountain are hot and reflect the scorching white light. Sitting in the shed and looking at the top of the mountain, the air is steaming and distorted, as if the ground is on fire.
Although the awning can withstand direct sunlight, the heat inside the shed is unbearable. Although there is wind on the top of the mountain, the wind blowing is also hot and cannot bring much cooling at all. Just sitting there makes me feel wet.
Sweating profusely.
Zhao Dachun and Guo Dazhuang were assigned to manage the water bags with ten people. More than half of the more than two hundred water bags collected were empty. Before, these people did not know that the situation was dangerous, so they drank when they were thirsty and urinated after drinking.
There were also people who washed their faces and poured themselves with water from the water bladders, which wasted a lot. Now this water is as precious as gold and gems.
Every hour when it was time to drink water, Zhao Dachun and others would pour two sips of water from the incomplete earthen jars, and they would line up to take a sip of water one by one. Even though it was just two sips of water, to them, it was nothing more than sweet rain.
.They held the water in their mouths and refused to swallow it for a long time, letting it stay in their mouths for a while. Some people licked the water in the earthen jars clean, not wanting to miss a drop.
However, with such hot weather and huge evaporation, two sips of water per hour was definitely not enough. Everyone soon felt dry and in a trance. Many people's eyes were confused, their spirits were exhausted, and their faces were full of despair.
.
Some people quit, and just when Li Hui announced that they had handed over their water bags and told them that the enemy was besieging this place and they had to stand firm and wait for help, many people had already started to make noises and curse in low voices.
Faced with this kind of torture, they broke out. The leader was a nurse named Xu Mazi. He was the head of the nursing home of the Shen family in Shen Songnian. In the middle of the night, he was called up to follow Magistrate Li and the others to the railing market to fight.
There was already a hundred unwillingnesses. But Shen Songnian asked him to go, and he didn't dare not to go.
Along the way, he made many strange remarks and complained a lot. During the war, he and several members of the Shen family's nursing staff stayed behind and did not come forward at all. Li Hui, Zhou Che and others considered the overall situation and did not make it difficult for him.
Unexpectedly, he jumped out at this time and led a dozen or so wealthy guards to run noisily to argue with Zhao Dachun and Guo Dazhuang.
"Why don't you give us water? Aren't we human beings? You take the water away just to drink it for yourself. Do you want us all to die of thirst here? This is unreasonable. We are thirsty, and we want to
Drink water." Xu Mazi said loudly.
Zhou Che sat leaning against a stone. His wound hurt and he didn't have any strength. But he still explained to them.
"Brother Xu, didn't County Magistrate Li make it clear? We are trapped here now, and we must drink water in a controlled manner to survive. This is for everyone's sake," Zhou Che said.
"Come on, we are doomed. With so many enemies surrounding us, we can't escape at all. Sooner or later we will starve to death and die of thirst. We don't want to be thirsty ghosts, we want to drink water. Brothers, do you think that's right?
"Xu Mazi shouted.
"Exactly, what Xu Huyuan said is absolutely true. We don't want to die of thirst, we want to drink water. You brought me here to die, and you don't give us water before you die. What does this mean?"
"Drink water, we need to drink water. I am going crazy with thirst."
"..."
There was a loud commotion among the people, and many people under the shacks stood up, with many people's eyes showing eagerness to try. It was too hot and thirsty, and they also thought about it.
"No one is allowed to disobey Magistrate Li's order. This is for everyone to live. Xu Mazi, don't take the lead in making trouble. You must follow Magistrate Li's order. Everyone can only drink two sips an hour. No one can
No exceptions." Zhou Che shouted in a deep voice.
Xu Mazi sneered: "Then we don't care. If you don't give them water, we will rob them."
Zhou Che shouted: "How dare you!"
Xu Mazi sneered, waved his hand and said, "Brothers, grab a drink of water. What bullshit orders are there? I'm going to die of thirst. Why do you care about that?"
Xu Mazi took the lead, followed by several nursing staff who rushed up to grab the water bag hanging on the rock. The scene suddenly became chaotic.
Zhao Dachun and Guo Dazhuang stood in front of them. Xu Mazi stretched out his hand to pull Zhao Dachun and shouted: "Don't block it. I won't be polite to anyone who blocks the way."
Zhao Dachun stretched out his hand, grabbed Xu Mazi's arm, twisted it, and held Xu Mazi's hand behind his back. Pushing forward, Xu Mazi staggered out and fell on the guard who rushed up from behind. He was suddenly thrown around.
Five or six fell down.
"You are like a little chicken, and you are here to grab water? Believe it or not, I will break off your arm and stuff it into your buttocks." Zhao Dachun shouted.
Xu Mazi was furious, drew out his weapon and shouted: "Brothers, and all of you, are you waiting to die? Grab some water. Come on."
Zhao Dachun and Guo Dazhuang picked up the big iron bar. Zhao Dachun cursed angrily, took a few steps forward, swung the big iron bar and hit Xu Mazi and others.
At this moment, Li Hui's voice sounded: "Everyone stop it!"
Zhao Dachun's iron rod stopped in mid-air, looked at Li Hui and said: "Xiao Lang, they are grabbing water..."
Li Hui's face was flushed with heat. He had just come from the observation position above the rock slope. It was extremely hot there. Li Hui stayed there for an hour and almost suffered from heat stroke.
"I know, I've seen it all." Li Hui said in a deep voice.
He walked slowly to Xu Mazi and said coldly: "Xu Mazi, do you want to grab water? Do you want to disobey the county's order? Gather a crowd to cause trouble?"
Xu Mazi shouted: "We are going to die of thirst."
Li Hui shouted coldly: "Are you the only one who is thirsty? Who is not suffering here? Look at Zhou County Lieutenant and those brothers. They were injured and should have drank more water. But they did that
Is it done?”
Xu Mazi said: "We are going to die anyway, and we don't want to be thirsty ghosts. Give me enough to drink, and I will lead the people to rush down and fight the enemy desperately."
Li Hui shouted sternly: "Since you are going to die, just save some water for others to drink. What else should you drink? This county has made it very clear that as long as you listen to this county's arrangements, you will be able to survive. Even if you are thirsty, you will be able to survive."
I can't stand it anymore, so I still expect you to work hard? It's a joke. This county will only tolerate you this time, and it won't be the same next time. If anyone dares to cause trouble and grab water in the spring, we will kill you on the spot and will not tolerate it. Xu Mazi, what do you say? Yes
Should you continue to fight, or should you obey orders?"
Xu Mazi gasped and stared at Li Hui, snorted and turned away. Several nursing staff who had followed the trouble also left angrily.
After the farce, there was a dead silence on the top of the mountain. The dreary atmosphere was more deadly than the heat. Everyone looked desperate and sat in the shade, sweating, feeling groggy and ashen-hearted.
Li Hui wanted to motivate everyone, but after thinking about it, he gave up. In this situation, motivation is useless.
Moreover, at this moment, Li Hui himself realized that something was wrong. He thought that the water-saving measures would allow everyone to survive for two days, but in just half a day, everyone was already too much to bear. Perhaps he took it for granted.
Because of the shortage of burning tanks, everyone previously discussed the need to use other means to supplement it. The mountains are full of stones, and these can be used. Carrying some stones and placing them on the top of the hillside can be used as a means of defense at critical times.
But at this time, who is willing to do manual labor?
As a last resort, Li Hui set an example and led more than 30 people with a positive attitude to start carrying stones under the scorching sun.
Although he was dizzy from the heat, even though everyone was thirsty and almost suffering from heatstroke, Li Hui did not stop and kept busy with more than 30 people. His mind was groggy, and he just wanted to do what he needed to do.
Their behavior also infected some people, and more people joined them, gritting their teeth to carry the stones, and piled a large number of stones on the hillside. Some people fainted from the heat, and some people were so hot that they couldn't breathe.
But doing so greatly consumed everyone's physical strength, making everyone feel even more desperate and exhausted.
Xu Mazi and the others didn't move at all. They lay together under the awning and muttered something in low voices.
After a long day, the sunset finally set as everyone expected. When the sun set, there was finally a hint of coolness in the evening breeze. Everyone on the top of the mountain felt as if they had returned to the world from hell.
Generally, everyone comes back to life temporarily.