Gianna tried to remember the events from the book.
She recalled something.
In the book, it mentioned that Floyd was desperate when he couldn't find water, and he accidentally found a mountain stream. The stream was located in a low area between several large mountains. The path was steep and hidden, and few people visited it.
Because of this, there was still some water there. Thanks to the water, the family was able to survive.
"There's an old saying, 'Water flows to lower places.' Which mountain near here is the highest?"
Gianna, holding her child, caught up with Floyd and casually mentioned this.
Floyd, who had been feeling down, stopped when he heard her and smiled. "Gianna, you reminded me! There are several high mountains about twenty miles from the village. We can check there. It's a long journey, so wait for me. I'll bring the blankets, so you and the kids don't freeze outside."
Floyd put down the water bucket and Xeno, then returned a moment later carrying two blankets.
Having skipped breakfast, Gianna's stomach was growling loudly.
They passed a deserted village, which had been abandoned after three years of drought. Many villages had been left behind as people fled to find food.
Their village was lucky because of the old well, but even that well had dried up, and it wouldn't be long before the villagers had to leave as well.
"Husband, let's rest here for a bit and cook some food."
Gianna couldn't stand the hunger, and the two kids she was holding looked tired too.
Floyd didn't refuse. He placed his things down.
Steep mountains surrounded them on all sides. Standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down, they saw a patch of green in the low valley below.
Floyd got excited.
He immediately grabbed Gianna's hand. "Gianna, this is great! We have water now!"
Gianna felt a slight shiver go through her body.
Floyd's hand was rough and large, but those very hands made her feel safe.
She spoke gently, "It's too high here. Let's eat something and regain our strength before we look for a way down."
She made porridge again. This time, Gianna poured all the water into the pot right in front of Floyd.
They each ate half a bowl of porridge. After a short rest, Floyd began to search for a way down.
Finally, he found a path that was steep but barely manageable for descending.
But now, another problem came up — the condition of the path was unknown, and it wasn't safe to bring the children down with them.
Gianna, worried about Floyd, handed him the kitchen knife she had hidden and brought with her. "This is the only place nearby with water. Who knows what animals might be down there? I'll feel better if you take the knife. I already checked — we can throw a rope down from the cliff. If there's really water below, shout, and I'll lower the wooden bucket with the rope."
Floyd felt a bit of sweetness in his heart.
Who said it was bad that his wife had become tough? Since she became tougher, she also became more thoughtful. These were things he used to worry about. Hearing her concern now, a rare happy smile appeared on his usually expressionless face.
"You and the kids stay safe up here."
Floyd used all his strength to climb down to the low ground.
There, he spotted a panicked wild boar.
Meat!
To Floyd, that was meat.
The family hadn't had meat in over half a year. The last time they had meat was when he worked hard to catch three field mice.
But he couldn't act too quickly — the most important thing was still finding a water source.
Looking around, he finally saw a muddy pond.
It made sense. This small low-lying area was completely sunken. Who knew how long the wild boar had lived here? It had already destroyed the place.
But right now, as long as there was water, that was enough. Whether it was clean or not, he didn't care anymore.
Up on the cliff, Gianna grew more anxious. Why was it so quiet down there?
"Floyd, are you okay?" she shouted.
Her voice echoed through the valley.
Floyd looked up and yelled, "Gianna, there's a wild boar down here!"
A wild boar!
Gianna never expected their luck to be this good.
She didn't remember any mention of wild boars in the book. Maybe because they came earlier, the boar hadn't been hunted yet?
She thought for a moment, then said to Dennis and Nori, "I'm going down the cliff to take a look. You two must not go near the edge. I'll tie Xeno to the tree with a rope. Can you keep him company and play with him?"
Poor kids grow up fast.
Dennis and Nori were only five years old, but they were already very sensible.
Dennis patted his small chest and said, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of second and third brother."
Nori also stepped forward and promised, "I'll look after him too."
The youngest, Xeno, looked very well-behaved.
After Gianna gave a few more instructions, she finally felt assured enough to go down the cliff.
Floyd wasn't surprised that Gianna came down.
The wild boar weighed about a hundred pounds. It was a bit thin and already cornered by Floyd.