However, this situation where the old, weak, women and children had to join the fight also led to an increase in sudden accidents.
Today, a child from a family slipped and accidentally fell into the river. Luckily, many people around were fetching water and some were skilled swimmers, and they were able to rescue the child in time.
Tomorrow, a man from another household may faint from dizziness due to carrying water all day without any breaks for meals. He might hit his head on the stones by the river. If no one carrying water nearby saw him and rushed to save him, he might not be saved.
...
The chiefs of several villages were anxious and utterly stressed over these incidents.
However, no matter how worried or downtrodden they were, it didn't help with the drought situation. What everybody could do was rise early and go to bed late, fetching and pulling water from the river, helping to irrigate the fields together, to ensure the autumn crops could be planted smoothly.