"Diamond, this ..... can your friend check whether there is a possibility of a drought occurring next year?" Belinda stuttered as she hesitantly asked.
She wasn’t sure whether that news could be found out or not, but she wanted to try.
Back then, the three years were hellish and as people who used to be farmers, it was even worse for them. They relied on the land to make a living, and yet the land and the skies were both angry and refusing to bulge.
Of course, they had to find other means to survive. After all, their two darlings would die leaving them and they both didn’t want that.
Because they weren’t prepared, they suffered a lot. The prices were increased greatly, a lot of people lost their jobs as companies were closing and crime rates were very high.
Despite the government providing aid, it still wasn’t enough, but thankfully they managed to survive and got ushered into a new era.
It’s been fifteen years now and no such thing had happened ever since and yet now, it seemed that history was about to repeat itself.
Although they now had money, preparing for the future would be good. If it weren’t for watching the news after not doing so for a long time, Belinda wouldn’t have thought that far.
But watching the weather report, it jolted her and made her face reality and she just hoped that it wasn’t true.
She hoped that it was her willfulness and that no such thing would happen in the future.
However, as she looked at Diamond’s dark expression, Belinda trembled as her worst fears were confirmed without Diamond even saying a single word.
"I am afraid that we might be having two years ahead of us of drought!" Diamond said dejectedly as she looked at everyone.
Ruby’s eyes widened with horror upon hearing that. She was too young when the last drought struck, so she had no idea what it was like. However, she had heard stories, and she didn’t like what she heard.
And to think that might be happening to them as early as now. She didn’t want to believe it at all.
"Dear, are you serious?" Richard asked as he comforted his wife, hoping that she would calm down.
After all, as one of the people who suffered greatly in those three years, he didn’t want history to repeat itself.
Diamond helplessly shook her head. "I am afraid that this is not a joke. The rain on Christmas will be the last rain we will see in a very long time. I was going to tell you about it today, but I guess that you beat me to it."
"This ... if it’s like this. What should we do? Two years is a very long time!" Belinda anxiously looked at her daughter as she asked that.
Her daughter was no longer a princess in an ivory tower. Instead, she had become an existence that the whole family looked up to.
Diamond sighed as she looked at her shaky mother. She didn’t truly understand what was truly going on in her mind, but what she knew was that it wasn’t so good.
Thankfully, she had started making plans when she learnt of the news that time.
"Mom! You don’t have to be worried, actually. You just leave everything about the food to me. The farm will be operating and I have already started preparing for the future."
"Of course, it will be good if you buy some water tanks and prepare them just in case. Since there will be no rain, it won’t be long till the water reservoirs start drying up."
"So, we need to take that into account. But I would prefer if you drill a well at home. That will also help with the problem," Diamond explained.
Hearing all that, Belinda started to calm down finally as her daughter’s ideas sounded plausible.
"We will find someone as soon as possible. But as for the food part, we can’t just wait for you. Why don’t we buy and stock some food ourselves? We have money!"
Diamond smiled when she heard that.
"Okay, you can also do that. You have the experience, so it will be easier for you. Store as much as you can, but don’t arouse suspicion!" she advised.
"Hehe, don’t worry. Nothing of that sort will happen!" Belinda promised.
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