Li Lu was ecstatic. He cupped the rainwater in his hands and poured it into his mouth, savoring a taste he hadn’t known for three long years.

Only someone who had lived through a drought could truly understand such a feeling.

Countless people knew in their hearts exactly what this rain meant.

At the same time, a rising and falling chorus of screams, cries, and cheers erupted from all around the house.

The downpour from the heavens, as if sensing the desperate yearning of the masses, began to grow wild.

A torrential downpour cascaded from the sky, drenching every inch of the long-parched Land of Four Mansions. It filled the countless gullies and ravines formed by cracks in the dry earth. The rainwater seeped deep into the ground, as if the land itself was trying to reclaim the water it had lost over the past three years!

The moment they felt the moisture, dormant seeds buried in the earth were awakened by a thirst for the source of life. Fearing this hard-won water might vanish once more, they began to madly absorb it, filling themselves to the brim.

Even plants that had been scorched by fire last year, their root systems driven into dormancy, began to defy the laws of nature to absorb more water. They rapidly put down new roots, sprouted, and grew fresh, tender-green shoots.

Everything was for the sake of survival.

It was true for plants, for animals, and for people.

"Brother Cheng! Did you see that? It’s raining! The drought is over! Everything is going to start over!"

Soaking wet, Li Lu stepped under the eaves, completely unconcerned about his state. He was still overcome with excitement as he said to Cheng Zongyang, "The people won’t leave now! The County Town won’t become a ghost town! We still have hope!"

Cheng Zongyang watched the curtain of rain pouring down under the dim sky. ’Finally,’ he thought, ’I can start putting my plans into motion.’ The family’s plan to establish a presence in the County Town, the plan to acquire local real estate, the plan to cultivate Medicinal Materials in exchange for grain, the grain seed plan—all of them could now be rolled out one by one.

"Our hard times are over. I’ll have to trouble you with the plans for the shops in the County Town, Brother Li." Cheng Zongyang nodded slightly. Their relationship had grown closer, and they now addressed each other with the familiarity of old friends, despite their age gap.

Li Lu was aware of some of these plans. Cheng Zongyang had laid them out long ago, but they had been continuously delayed due to the lack of water and resources.

Now, this downpour had solved the problem completely.

The most pressing issue now was grain. They needed enough to get the County Town through the next four months.

"Don’t worry. Right now, I call the shots in the County Town. Securing some good storefronts and properties won’t be a problem. But as for cultivating Medicinal Materials for grain, I’ll have Zhao the Seventh, Li Xian, and two others cooperate with you. You can arrange things as you see fit.

My only worry is that if the Thirteen Royal Families withdraw in the future and the Government Office takes over again, all these plans of yours might go down the drain."

Cheng Zongyang laughed. "Brother Li, this is also a gamble. In the past, many of my plans couldn’t keep up with changing circumstances, and a lot of my efforts were wasted. I couldn’t afford losses back then, but it’s different now."

"If I lose the gamble, I’ll just lose a few things. The worst that can happen is I go back to my own territory and continue to build things up quietly."

"But if I win, given how the Thirteen Royal Families govern, it’ll be our time to make a fortune. We’ll secure a foothold in the County Town! Brother Li, you should make your own preparations as well."

Li Lu chuckled. "Don’t worry. I’ll have everything arranged."

The relentless, satisfying downpour continued to fall, filling the entire County Town with hope.

Li Lu didn’t mind the rain soaking him; in fact, he felt increasingly at ease.

However, as Cheng Zongyang watched the downpour, which showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.

’Too much of a good thing.’

’Rain falls on the ground, but it takes time for the earth to absorb it. If there’s too much, it could easily cause a flood.’

’The open plains might be fine, but it’s a different story in the mountains.’

’It was only the plains that lacked water, not the mountains!’

’Thankfully, we cleared out that river channel. I hope this won’t affect the village,’ Cheng Zongyang thought.