Exile at the start? Milkball filming, hoarding billions of resources

Su Shaoqing helped everyone to their feet.

"I am already procuring food supplies, please give me some more time."

Su Shaoqing spoke with sincerity, and coupled with his good reputation during his time as an official, everyone was convinced.

"Elders, go home now, don't make your children sad."

At Su Shaoqing's urging, everyone wiped away their tears and left with their children.

The hunter alone did not come down the mountain, but leaned against the big tree in solitude.

His aged face was deeply lined with wrinkles, and half of his face was bathed in the orange-red light of the setting sun.

Shen Zhaoning moved closer to him.

Aren't you going home?

The old man glanced at Shen Zhaoning, shook his head and smiled.

"My family is all dead—where is my home now?"

"If we stay in the mountains, we might have a chance to survive by relying on our hunting skills. But if we go down the mountain, we'll probably just have to wait to die."

Shen Zhaoning was so anxious that sweat beaded on her nose.

"But the mountains are really dangerous. What if you get eaten by a wild boar?"

The old man laughed heartily.

"I ate so many animals, so it's only right that I get eaten by animals; this is the cycle of cause and effect."

Su Shaoqing led Xiaoman over.

"Why be so pessimistic, sir! Since you are a hunter from the mountains, you should be very familiar with this place. Have you found any water sources on the mountain?"

The old man shook his head with a wry smile.

"There are some water sources, but not many left."

Su Shaoqing's expression gradually turned ashen.

The lack of water is far more terrifying than the lack of food.

Without a water source, there is no water to irrigate the crops.

If the crops fail to produce grain, the people will continue to go hungry.

Although Tuantuan can help him exchange paintings for food, he can't rely on selling paintings to solve the problem forever.

Only by being mindful of potential dangers in times of peace can we ensure long-term stability.

The old man glanced at Su Shaoqing.

"But it's not entirely hopeless. Take the children home and then come find me here!"

Xiaoman's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

"Okay, okay, I want to go home."

It's so hot today. Isn't it supposed to be very cold in northern Xinjiang?

During his time here, he has never experienced what it feels like to be cold.

Shen Zhaoning covered his mouth and said with a smile.

"We won't go home; we're going with them."

"Don't underestimate us just because we're young. We're very smart and might be able to help."

Xiaoman managed to squeeze out a sound.

"I don't...I want to...go home."

Shen Zhaoning spoke softly.

"Add another ice cream."

Xiaoman finally calmed down.

The old man sighed and looked at Shen Zhaoning with a smile.

"You little rascal, you're full of tricks! You think I didn't let you come along because I was keeping an eye on you? I was just worried you'd get too tired!"

"If you want to come along, then come along. But let me make this clear beforehand: this old man is too old to carry you two little chubby babies."

Little chubby little thing?

Everyone says she's thin.

Shen Zhaoning looked down in shock at her small hands.

It's white, tender, and soft.

It seems like she's gained quite a bit of weight...

She was so thin before that she couldn't even fill out her clothes.

Now my face is fuller, and my little hands have become chubby too.

Oh no, she's gained weight.

I've heard that if you're too fat, you can't be a star; people will dislike you.

Will she be able to get acting roles in the future?

Shen Zhaoning sniffed and followed the old man dejectedly.

Seeing that the little guy wasn't in a good mood, Su Shaoqing thought he was tired and felt very sorry for him.

"Tuantuan, can your uncle hold you?"

Shen Zhaoning glanced at the old man discreetly, and seeing that he had no expression, she reached out and hugged Su Shaoqing's neck.

Xiaoman was already full of energy, and after walking a lot during his exile, he became even more capable of walking, surpassing even ordinary adults.

He didn't feel tired at all, and followed the old man uphill.

The old man led the group up the mountain.

The higher you go, the more rugged the path becomes, almost entirely composed of jagged, strange rocks, with nowhere to even put your feet.

Su Shaoqing was a scholar, and his physical strength was already weak. Now that he was holding Shen Zhaoning, his legs became even more unsteady.

He not only regretted bringing Shen Zhaoning up the mountain.

At this point, it was too late to send Shen Zhaoning down the mountain. They could only leave her where she was. But this was, after all, a mountain. What if some poisonous snakes or wild beasts appeared?

As Su Shaoqing was thinking, she accidentally missed a step and almost fell. Fortunately, the old man helped her up, preventing her from falling down with Shen Zhaoning.

The old man frowned and stretched out his hand.

"Fine, give me the child."

Su Shaoqing hesitated. The old man looked quite old, and it would be troublesome if something happened to him.

The old man noticed his hesitation and scolded him.

"I grew up in the mountains since I was a child. I go up and down these mountains several times a day. I can carry a child or even a wild boar as if it were flat ground."

"Stop dawdling and give me the child."

Su Shaoqing's calves were cramping as he climbed to this point.

In contrast, the old man remained calm and composed, his expression unchanged.

His words were clearly not an exaggeration.

Su Shaoqing handed Shen Zhaoning to the old man.

The old man completely forgot that he had just said he wouldn't carry Shen Zhaoning, and steadily took Shen Zhaoning into his arms.

Shen Zhaoning felt incredibly safe in his arms. The moment they reached the top of the mountain, the view before them suddenly opened up.

Guan Yang, which Shen Zhaoning usually felt was endless, was now completely visible and appeared so small.

Looking at the entirety of Guanyang City, Su Shaoqing was filled with emotion.

The old man laughed.

"How is it? Nice view, right?"

"Whenever I stand on the mountaintop, I often feel that if I could die in the mountains and see such a view today, it would be a blessing."

"Alright, turn around, and you'll find the answer to the drought."

Su Shaoqing turned around and saw a vast ocean before her.

"How could this happen?"

Su Shaoqing thought he would never forget this scene.

Guanyang is suffering from a severe drought, with not a drop of rain falling, while on the other side of the mountain, there is a vast expanse of water.

"This used to be a town called Qinghe. Not long ago, due to continuous torrential rains, the entire Qinghe was flooded."

Su Shaoqing hurriedly took out a map, which showed that Qinghe Town was located in the heart of Guanzhong Plain, with flat and fertile land stretching for thousands of miles.

Unlike the northern border region, this place enjoys favorable weather and abundant resources, making it a coveted location for many officials to be transferred to.

He had been to Qinghe once.

"The two places are separated by only one mountain, yet they are worlds apart."

The old man found a place to sit down, looked at the scenery below, and sighed.

"Our mountain is too high. It blocks the cold air from entering Qinghe, but it also blocks the moisture."

It's true that Xiao He's success and Xiao He's downfall both stemmed from him.

"We don't have water here, but the Qinghe River is full of water."

"If we could bring the water from the Qinghe River here, wouldn't the drought be solved!"

The old man's thoughts were extremely simple.

He had no idea how difficult it would be to divert the water from the Qinghe River to Guanyang, or how much manpower and resources it would require.

He only knew that doing this would solve the drought problem.

The vast landscape was reflected in Shen Zhaoning's clear eyes.

"Of course we should bring him in! Whatever he needs, I'll help my uncle figure it out!"