Chapter 143: The Rain Keeps Falling

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: The Rain Keeps Falling

"Grass! It’s grass!"

"There’s grass ahead! I see grass!" Ling Qianfan’s voice cracked from sheer excitement.

He sprinted madly forward, yanked up a blade of grass, and bolted back to Ling Qianjun. Showing it off, he announced to everyone around them, "It really is grass! We’ve made it out of that wasteland! Seven days! We finally made it out!"

Ling Qianfan desperately wanted to cry, but because he had consumed so little water recently, he didn’t even have the tears to shed. In fact, even the children hadn’t dared to cry. Crying was a waste of precious water; it would invite beatings and scoldings, and they would even be forced to lick their own tears back into their mouths. Tears were still water. For the past few days, the adults hadn’t dared to waste a single drop.

Some people had been so incredibly thirsty that they would sneak off at night to drink their own urine. Although they didn’t admit it, the stench was obvious whenever anyone spoke to them. Yet, no one laughed at anyone else over this. Some people were sweating so much from thirst that they couldn’t resist the urge to drink their own sweat. Many hadn’t even been able to urinate at all over the past few days. If they even wanted urine, they would have to beg someone else for a few drops of charity.

Water was truly that scarce.

Hearing Ling Qianfan’s shouts, even those who were dazed and delirious suddenly got a strange gleam in their eyes. They stared straight ahead, desperately searching for any sign of vegetation. When they genuinely spotted a few sparse blades of grass, everyone charged forward like madmen. Seeing grass was like seeing hope itself.

The government officers lost all semblance of control as well. They scrambled forward with all their might, eager to see if there was anything else beyond the grass. After sprinting several hundred meters, they discovered trees ahead!

These weren’t bare, withered, or yellowed trees! These trees had green leaves! The presence of trees meant there was water here. Even if there wasn’t any visible water, the bark and roots were life-saving food!

As the saying goes, a man does not shed tears easily, but at this moment, Luo couldn’t hold back. He broke down and bawled. In all his years of service, this was the first time Luo had encountered such a brutal ordeal. He decided that once this journey was over, he would transfer to a different post if he had the chance. He never wanted to escort exiles again; this trip had been utter torture.

Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. A flicker of hope immediately appeared on the prisoners’ faces. Even though their wails were incredibly loud, everyone heard that single clap of thunder. They raised their heads, gazing at the sky in anticipation of the rain. As the thunder grew louder, dark clouds began to gather above.

Moments later, raindrops the size of beans plummeted from the sky, striking the prisoners’ faces. They felt a long-lost, refreshing coolness. The exiles cheered and leaped for joy. They opened their mouths wide, letting the rain freely soothe their parched throats. They ran and danced in the downpour, feeling the sheer joy of life.

The rain poured for a long time, completely drenching the prisoners. They lay on the ground, soaking in the vitality and life the water brought them.

Seeing the rain, Ling Qianjun also lay on the ground, the corners of his mouth turning upward into a smile. He had bet right. Seven days. They really just had to endure for seven days. Hua Buwan hadn’t deceived him. It was wonderful.

Ling Qianfan copied Ling Qianjun and lay on the ground, letting the rain beat against his face and body. It was rain! It was so good to finally have rain.

Ling Yunge and Xu Panqing, having already passed their menstrual periods, exchanged a glance and quickly lay down alongside them. For the first time in their lives, they felt so uninhibited and carefree.

The rain continued to fall. The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.