Chapter 93: Testing

he imperial court relocating, too many people have come to our area, and they all need food. They can't rely on the imperial court for handouts. We'll wait three years. By then, the imperial court wil...This night, whether everyone tossed and turned sleepless or whispered with excitement, the darkness quickly passed.

As soon as a sliver of light appeared on the horizon, the entire camp sprang into action.

The women were busy cooking. Originally, every household had its own small pot, but now six or seven would suffice, and even one could be set aside for the children to cook millet porridge.

The men packed their belongings, loaded up their vehicles, and went to the riverbank to get water.

The old men yelled at the young boys, training them like little soldiers on how to wield sticks, where to hit for maximum pain. The young boys were thrilled.

Soon, everyone finished their meal and packed up to continue their journey.

This time, although still inexperienced, the team is noticeably different.

In front were ox-carts, behind donkey carts, and in the middle were women supporting elderly people.

Men carried burdens on their shoulders, walking on either side. Axes and sickles hung from baskets in the sunlight, gleaming brightly.

The whole team, like an elliptical egg.

Occasionally, outsiders tried to join in, but they were all pushed away.

Some people have bad tempers and even scold a few words. The villagers immediately raise their axes, and the person quickly gives way.

For the entire day, they only rested for half an hour at noon. Despite the scorching sun, everyone persevered, maintaining their formation and marching for a full fifty li.

This is much faster than yesterday, even the Hu Lao San family who were lagging behind have been left in the dust.

Some smart people had seen that this group was extraordinary and they kept a safe distance, following behind under the light cast by the procession. They didn't have to expend energy clearing the way.

As the sun set, everyone sought out a place to rest again.

It's not that people can't endure hardship, it's just that there are too many elderly and children in the team. Traveling at night is too dangerous.

At this time, safety first.

At noon, as everyone was drinking water and eating dry rations, many people watched from afar, hesitating whether to come forward.

It is not hard to guess that these people must be out of food.

Whether they wanted to buy grain with silver or beg for it, no one would pay attention.

Previously, there was a severe drought, with parched land stretching for thousands of miles and grain prices skyrocketing several times over.

Besides large households who had stored grain, almost all ordinary people had empty rice bins.

They did plant some vegetables, beans, and the like in the ground, but with this kind of flight, it's impossible to take them out.

So, nearly all the refugees had little to no food.

It has only been a few days, the adults are still alright, but the children have become pale and thin. Even elderly people can be seen leaning against the roadside, unable to get up once they sit down.

The people of QingShui Village gritted their teeth and tried their best not to look or listen.

The village head wished he could wear down his lips from talking, reminding everyone repeatedly.

"Put away your kindness, absolutely do not give anyone food or provisions. We only have a few dozen of us traveling together, but if people knew we had food, hundreds would come swarming in. Then it wouldn't be begging anymore, it would be robbery!"

"Yes, whoever dares to bring trouble to the group, just get them out. What time is it Can't even save your own lives anymore! If you still have a kind heart, go with others!" Li Lao Si also chimed in loudly.

The image of him, covered in blood after killing the Liu brothers, was truly unforgettable.

Now he speaks in the squad, but even more influential than the village head.

Just like that, with every tap and every piece of advice, the day passed peacefully.

But cooking dinner in the evening is the most dangerous time.

The crowd purposely stayed away from the official road, walking two more miles and finding a small valley.

This place is inconvenient for fetching water, but everyone likes it.

Because this place is secluded from most lines of sight, it's easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as the front of the valley is guarded, there's no need to fear any schemes against us.

Soon, the carts and donkeys were unloaded and laid across the mountain pass to make a simple shelter.

The elderly and children, taking advantage of the last glimmer of daylight, hurried to collect firewood nearby.

The women divided into two groups. Half of them started a fire to boil water, while the other half carried baskets to forage for wild vegetables.

Don't worry about whether it tastes good or not, as long as it doesn't kill people, just pick them all back.

Wash it clean, throw it into the rice cooker, add a pinch of salt, and that's enough to get everyone half-full.

Tonight's meal is much better than the last few days.

Because the chicken and ducks were brought from home, in a hurry, they could only be wiped with a layer of salt to prevent them from spoiling.

The weather in late autumn isn't too hot, nor is it particularly cool.

If we keep this up, the chicken and duck will stink soon.

So, besides vegetable porridge for dinner, there were also several pots of stewed chicken and duck.

With so many people, young and old, sharing just a few chickens and ducks, it wouldn't be enough to go around.

But at such times, even being able to drink a bowl of meat soup would be a great pleasure.

The families of chickens and ducks need not go to the big hearth for food tonight or tomorrow.

This is considered compensation for the several families.

Walking the same path, we can't achieve absolute fairness in everything, but we strive to treat everyone equally.

This is the foundation for ensuring unity and overcoming difficulties.

When the night deepened, the men sat outside their donkeys and mules, lighting two bonfires. They chatted idly while waiting for dinner.

The mountain wind carried the aroma of chicken soup, making everyone's mouth water.

These past few days have been really tiring, especially for the young and strong. They have to carry burdens, guard the convoy, and take care of the elderly and children.

It's not just physical exertion, but more mental exhaustion.

A kind of tense, almost three-headed and six-armed, constantly prepared to face danger.

At this moment, smelling the aroma of food and hearing the laughter of the children playing on the other side of the cart, they could finally let out a sigh of relief.

Thinking of Hu Lao San's family who had left, they suddenly felt a sense of relief.

If they left too, there would be no time to leisurely wait for a meal.

It's a pity that some people are unwilling to let them relax for a while.

Seven or eight children, no one knew when they came over.

They didn't dare to get closer, only standing ten or so steps away, with their legs crossed and watching the mountain valley. They occasionally wiped their mouths with their hands.

Perhaps because he was too hungry, a child suddenly burst into tears.

"I'm hungry, I want to eat meat!"

The other children, as if infected, began to cry too, all whimpering and sobbing that they were hungry.

Then they moved their feet forward a little, each face pale and pitiful.

Li Laosan, the team leader on duty, quickly stood up.

Onlookers also frowned, thinking of scaring them with a few shouts, but they were just five or six-year-old children.

They neither fight nor scold.

Li Laosan was just about to harden his heart and drive the people away when, in the mountain ravine, Wang Sishu, responsible for leading the half-grown children, along with three other elders, had already begun shouting at their little soldiers.

"Kids, there are people outside who want to steal your chicken soup. What are you going to do"

"Hit it, hit it!"

The kids were all drooling, wishing they could lie by the pot and devour the delicious food.

Before they could even eat, someone came to snatch it away. How is this possible

Then, they were all energized like they had been injected with chicken blood, roaring and grabbing their self-defense wooden sticks, rushing out.

Those little kids were about to plead, but before they could even open their mouths, they were chased away by the older boys wielding sticks, crying and running in all directions.

Uncle Wang Si trailed behind, waving his half-arm and shouting loudly, ordering the soldiers to retreat in time.

The boys swaggered back, carrying sticks, especially Jiāxǐ and Jiā'ān, striking a pose like characters in a play, fists held high.

"General, we have set out on campaign and returned victorious. Will there be rewards"

Wang SiShu laughed heartily and patted their heads.

Of course there were rewards, one person got three pieces of chicken.

"Oh, chicken for dinner, chicken for dinner!" The little boys cheered and darted back into the ravine in a blink of an eye.

Wang Sishu was the first to widen his eyes at Li Lao San and the others.

"How many times have I told you Once we set up camp, no one is allowed near. Did you all just ignore me"d to the kitchen work. I'm free anyway.""Besides, I also want to ask the names of those mischievous students behind this and look into their backgrounds. Perhaps then we can understand why they framed...