After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

At noon, the family sat around in the main room. The sun was blazing outside, and the cicadas' chirping grew louder and louder, making everyone feel annoyed.

Chen Dashan ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then looked up at his father and said, "Dad, Xiaohe and I finished watering the rest of the fruit trees this morning. The melon seedlings will need to be watered again in a few days, unless it rains in the next couple of days."

Mr. Chen picked up a piece of pickled vegetables with his chopsticks, chewed slowly, and looked up at the window. The sky was a pale blue, without a single cloud, and the sun was blindingly bright, making the ground scorching hot. He shook his head: "Judging from this weather, it won't rain. This morning I went to the village head's house and asked a few elderly people in the village, and they all said that we can only water the plants for now, and there's nothing else we can do."

Chen Xiaohe put down his bowl and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Then Dad, shall we go up the mountain this afternoon to look for a water source, or groundwater, just in case? If there's a serious drought, the little water in the river probably won't be enough."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, let's leave after we finish eating. Let's go early and come back early."

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen and called out, "Dinner's ready! We'll talk after we eat!"

The family fell silent and focused on their meal. The sun outside made the stone path in the yard scorching hot, and even the little dog hid under the eaves, panting with its tongue lolling out.

---

After lunch, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took the four children to rest. Shitou still wanted to play, but Su Xiaoyin pressed him down on the kang (a heated brick bed), and he fell asleep in no time.

Chen's father, Chen Dashan, and Chen Xiaohe carried baskets on their backs, along with machetes and ropes, and went out. The sun was scorching, making their scalps tingle, and the soil on the road was bleached white by the heat, kicking up dust with every step.

"It's so hot today." Chen Xiaohe wiped the sweat from his face; his vest was soaked through.

Chen Dashan walked ahead with steady steps: "Walk faster, it'll be cooler once we get into the mountains."

The three quickened their pace and headed up the mountain.

---

Once inside the mountains, it was indeed a bit cooler. The trees blocked out the sun, and the mountain breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees as it blew through the forest. But the weather was still very stuffy, like a huge pot covering our heads, making it hard to breathe. After walking for a short while, the three of them were covered in sweat, their clothes sticking to their backs, feeling sticky and uncomfortable.

Chen Xiaohe, panting heavily, pointed ahead and said, "Dad, let's sit up there for a while. There's a stream over there; it'll be cool."

The three of them walked over and sat down on a rock by the stream. The stream water flowed down from the mountain, clear and cool. Chen Xiaohe squatted down, scooped up some water to wash his face, and sighed contentedly.

"So refreshing!" He scooped up some water and drank a few more mouthfuls. It was sweet and cool, even better than the well water at home.

Chen Dashan squatted down and washed his face, then looked into the stream. The water wasn't deep, but it was quite clear, with pebbles and small fish swimming at the bottom. Pointing to the stream, he said to his father, "Dad, let's follow this stream upstream and find its source. This stream is quite large; there must be flowing water at its source."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way."

Chen Xiaohe, with his sharp eyes, spotted a group of small fish and shrimp swimming in the stream and said happily, "I'll bring a few nets over tomorrow. There are plenty of small fish and shrimp here. We can catch a lot, dry them, and stew them in the winter; they taste really good."

Chen Dashan said, "I'll do it with you."

The three rested for a while, then stood up and walked upstream along the stream.

---

The higher they went, the denser the forest became, and the more difficult the path became. The stream meandered among the rocks, sometimes rushing, sometimes flowing gently, making a gurgling sound. Chen Dashan walked ahead, using his machete to clear away the branches and vines blocking his way.

After walking for about half an hour, the stream gradually narrowed and the current became more rapid. Chen's father stopped, looked at the surrounding terrain, and said, "We should be almost there. The source is usually in a cliff or cave."

The three continued walking. After rounding a bend in the mountain, a stone wall appeared before them, with a small cave entrance at the bottom, from which the stream flowed.

"We're here!" Chen Xiaohe shouted excitedly.

Chen Dashan walked over and squatted down at the entrance of the cave to take a look. The entrance was small, just big enough for one person to squeeze through. It was pitch black inside, and he couldn't see clearly, but he could hear the sound of water, rushing and gurgling, as if it were coming from underground.

Mr. Chen also came over and reached out to test the water temperature. The water was icy cold, carrying a chill from the earth. He scooped up some water and took a sip; it was sweet and refreshing, even cleaner than the water downstream.

"This is groundwater." Mr. Chen stood up, a look of joy on his face. "It's coming from underground; drought won't reach here."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad, you have to remember this place well. If there's a serious drought, this water source could save our family's life."

Mr. Chen's expression turned serious. He looked at his two sons and lowered his voice, saying, "Don't tell anyone about this place. Understand?"

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe nodded in unison: "We've got it."

Chen's father looked around at the terrain again, pointed to the cave entrance and said, "Let's cover this place up so no one can find it."

The three of them gathered some branches and vines and carefully covered the entrance to the hole. They also moved a few stones from elsewhere and piled them in front of the hole, making it look like a natural accumulation. Unless you looked closely, you wouldn't be able to tell there was a hole underneath.

After finishing their work, the three of them descended the mountain.

---

When they got home, the sun was already setting. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were busy in the yard, picking the vegetables they couldn't finish, shredding what needed to be shredded, and spreading them out on bamboo mats to dry. A mat full of green beans, eggplants, and cucumbers lay drying in the sun, emitting a fresh, clean aroma.

While chopping vegetables, Su Xiaoqing asked, "Sis, when do you think it's going to rain? It's so dry, the ground is cracking."

Su Xiaoyin looked up at the sky, which was still a clear blue without a single cloud. She shook her head. "It doesn't look like it'll rain. Let's see if it rains around the Dragon Boat Festival in a few days. Doesn't it always rain after the Dragon Boat Festival in previous years? I hope it rains this year too."

Su Xiaoqing sighed: "Yes, if we don't come down soon, the crops will really suffer from drought."

As Chen's father and his two companions entered the courtyard, Su Xiaoyin quickly went to greet them and poured each of them a bowl of cool tea. Chen Xiaohe drank it all in one gulp, then poured himself another bowl before finally catching his breath.

"How's it up on the mountain?" Su Xiaoyin asked.

Mr. Chen sat down, slowly took a sip of tea, and said, "We've found a water source. It's groundwater; the drought won't stop us."

Su Xiaoyin breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."

Chen's mother poked her head out from the kitchen: "Wash your hands and eat! You've had a long day, eat early and rest early."

The family washed their hands and sat around the table. It was getting dark outside, but the heat hadn't dissipated, and it was still very stuffy. Holding his bowl, Mr. Chen felt a little more at ease thinking about the water source on the mountain.

With this water source, even in a severe drought, crops and fruit trees can be saved. No matter how difficult the times are, we can get through them.

Outside the window, the cicadas began to chirp again. This night at the Chen family home was, as usual, peaceful and serene.