While Jay was busy searching for a cave, in Adam's village, Jay's father, Paul, went to visit their extended family home.
And soon after, in William's living room, a rather heavy atmosphere filled the room.
In addition to Jay's father and mother, there were also Uncle Hendrik and Uncle Ricky, along with their wives.
And in the main chair were Jay's grandfather and grandmother.
"Is that all the information Jay gave you?" Jay's grandfather, William Junior, asked Jay's father, Paul.
"Yes, Dad, Jay said the situation is getting out of control, and food prices on the black market are rising drastically.
From the initial price of 1 cent per kilogram of rice, it has now risen to 3 cents per kilogram," Paul explained what Jay had told his family.
"Hisssss…" Sounds of shock and disbelief rang out in the living room.
When Paul told them, "How could it have gotten so high? Hasn't the government taken any steps to suppress the prices?!" Uncle Hendrik spoke in a dissatisfied tone.
"The government may be trying to control this, but brother, so many refugees have arrived in the capital and the surrounding areas, that the government may not be able to handle this situation," Uncle Ricky expressed his thoughts.
"With the current situation, it looks like this year's planting season will be quite difficult.
And it seems I need to talk to the village head and other village elders to find a good solution for our village.
So, what solution did Jay offer?" After digesting some information, the grandfather then spoke about his views. Finally, Grandpa Jay asked Paul to share Jay's solution.
"He asked us to immediately gather food and stockpile as much as possible before prices escalate.
He also asked us to build a basement for safe food storage, and everyone was told not to share it with the villagers," Paul informed Grandpa Jay of Jay's proposal.
"Stockpiling food and building an additional cellar is possible, and it must be kept secret from the villagers.
It's also necessary, because we don't know who might have ill intentions towards our family.
So it's better to be prepared and not take unnecessary risks.
Okay, it's decided. Later, you can ask Jay how much food he can gather, and then we'll store it.
If Jay has other ways to contribute to the village, we can discuss it further," Grandpa Jay made his decision.
Everyone who heard Grandpa Jay's decision agreed, and they ultimately understood that in times of disaster like these,
They couldn't fully reveal their ability to obtain food, because no one knew the attitudes of the people they were helping.
If the people they helped were kind and grateful, then that would be a blessing, but what if those they helped were greedy and cruel?
Isn't this just bringing disaster to them? Doing good is certainly permissible, but they must also be mindful of who the good deed is directed to.
Until they can ensure the safety and stability of their families, they fundamentally cannot afford to do anything that would harm their extended family.
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Elsewhere, panic is evident in several villagers' homes as distant relatives visit their village.
Initially, some villagers welcomed the arrival of these relatives, but after learning the reason behind their visit,
The villagers are now quite anxious, as they begin to realize that a major famine is occurring not far from where they live.
Many residents are already experiencing famine, and the resulting instability is causing tension in some areas.
This will ultimately lead to anarchy.
"How could all this happen?" Many villagers doubt what they have heard.
They feel that all the news their relatives have brought is unrealistic.
Finally, the village head, who had also heard the news, decided to hold a meeting with the village leaders to determine the next steps for the survival of their village.
Previously, at the village head's house, the village head was currently looking at several of his relatives who had arrived with Ajah was filled with sadness, feeling his heart tremble as he listened to the entire story they told.
"Uncle, this all started when the local government asked many villages to contribute food for the refugees arriving in our area…
But then the sheer number of refugees made many villages unable to contribute.
Realizing this, the city government felt the need to take decisive action in an attempt to stabilize the situation.
Unfortunately, it was too late, as the number of refugees grew and the city authorities were outnumbered.
Finally, anarchy ensued, spreading, spreading to various villages near the government center.
Realizing that chaos had ensued and the local government was unable to handle it, the villagers, feeling their lives were in danger, took their families and whatever possessions they could carry and fled the area.
So, after days of walking, we finally, thanks to luck and the blessings of the Universe, arrived at your place," replied a young man in his early 20s who appeared to be the backbone of several people who had come to the village head's house.
"Okay, you can rest in the village for now. The rest of your arrangements will be announced later. And please remember, you cannot roam freely in the village," the village head made the decision after realizing the situation seemed to be getting more serious and out of control.
Leaving his house, the village head then rushed to the village hall and sounded the alarm in the village hall.
The alarm was a specially made bamboo instrument designed to produce a loud sound that could be heard throughout the village.
The instrument was called a kentongan (a wooden drum), which sounded "tung...tung..." (a "tung..." sound).
If the sound of the kentongan was slow and sounded three times, it signaled an emergency in the village.
For non-life-threatening situations, if the kentongan was sounded three times at a rapid rate, it meant there was a fire in the village, and residents were expected to immediately go out to extinguish the fire.
Finally, if the sound of the kentongan was loud and irregular, it signaled a serious threat from outside the village, and all residents were asked to come out and defend the village with their weapons.
After sounding the gong, the village head waited for a while, until a few minutes later, one by one, the village staff and elders arrived at the village hall.
"What's wrong, village head?" asked several village staff who had arrived immediately upon hearing the sound of the gong.
"Wait for the others. There's an emergency that needs to be discussed with the entire village," replied the village head, still urging the others to sit and wait.