"We've finally made it down the mountain!"

After five days and five nights, everyone finally made it down the mountain as fast as they could.

Some cheered, while others knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

Dahe and Erhe kowtowed three times towards the mountain, and Li Rouniang stepped forward to help them up.

Since Zhao Lishi left, the two of them have not been as willing to talk as before.

"Dahe, Erhe, from now on, we'll be one family, never to be separated again." Li Rouniang patted the two of them on the shoulders with emotion.

The two wiped away their tears, stood up, and nodded heavily. Their mother had told them to follow Li Rou Niang, so they followed. From now on, Li Rou Niang would be their own sister.

Despite the scarcity of supplies, the newly recognized older sister did her best to ensure that the two of them had enough to eat and wear. They could feel Li Rou Niang's kindness towards them and were extremely grateful.

They came to understand more about their mother's good intentions.

"Clan leader, where do we go next?" Li Rouniang asked as she stepped forward.

“Let’s go to Chicheng,” Zhao Youtian said.

He vaguely remembered that when he was a child, he went to Chicheng with his grandfather and father. It was a very prosperous city, and he hoped that his group could find a place to stay there.

Zhao Dahua looked a little listless.

Two days ago, Zhao Hulu was coughing very badly. Zhao Dahua thought that Zhao Hulu would just get through it like everyone else. Unexpectedly, his cough has eased in the past two days, and he has actually managed to pull through. It really makes her feel a little regretful.

A large group of people descended the mountain and set off along the official road towards Chicheng.

Along the way, we encountered groups of refugees, and upon inquiring, we learned that they were all heading to Chicheng. The closer we got to Chicheng, the more refugees we encountered.

"Uncle, can I ask you something? Are you also going to Chicheng?" Zhao Youtian inquired.

"Yes, the Western Yue soldiers occupied our village. Less than ten people from our village escaped. Along the way, many starved or died of disease, leaving only a few of us. We heard that porridge was being distributed in Chicheng, so we went there to try our luck."

The old man said sadly,

Zhao Youtian and the others sighed inwardly upon hearing this. It seemed that quite a few people from their village had escaped. They were also grateful that Zhao Youtian had reacted quickly and thanked Zhao Dayou for returning to report the news regularly.

Zhao Youtian was also deeply moved. He usually protected his clansmen, and when it came to the crucial moment, they really came through. Zhao Dayou and Zhao Dazui, for example, did not perform very well on ordinary days, but when it came to the crucial moment, they were willing to risk their lives to protect their clansmen.

Human nature is perhaps just that complex.

No more words were spoken, and the crowd quickened their pace. More and more people arrived, and when they finally reached the gates of Chicheng, a huge wave of refugees appeared. Zhao Youcai's heart sank.

He had the elderly and children settle under a big tree nearby, and then he picked four strong men to go with him. The six of them squeezed into the factory gate to inquire.

"Mother, will we have a place to stay soon?" Erni asked.

Although the presence of the spiritual spring water prevented Erni from falling ill, the hardships and wanderings along the way were truly exhausting!

"There should be some," Li Rouniang said, though she wasn't sure. She naturally hoped everyone could settle down quickly, as this couldn't go on forever, and she was afraid that more and more people wouldn't be able to endure it.

"Mother, I'm a little thirsty," Da Ni said, walking over and hugging Li Rou Niang.

Li Rouniang quickly handed him a water jug ​​filled with spiritual spring water. At the same time, she was grateful that she had planned ahead and packed some things in her spatial storage; otherwise, the journey would have been much more difficult.

Sanni and Xiaoshan have been particularly attached to her lately. Although the children are very young, they have already experienced the harshness of this environment, and at this time they all want to stick to their mother.

Xiao Cao remained listless and unwilling to speak. Throughout the journey, Li Rou Niang's biggest worry was Xiao Cao. It was either due to her poor constitution or because Zhao Er Gou was such a scoundrel, raising a perfectly healthy child to such a weak state.

Li Rouniang was worried that Xiaocao would get sick along the way. She fed her Lingquan water almost every day. Fortunately, although she was in poor condition, she didn't fall ill. Even so, she carried her the whole way.

"Xiuer, how is Xiaocao?" Li Rouniang asked with concern.

"She's a little sleepy and is sleeping." Xiu'er said with some concern.

Li Rouniang sighed helplessly.

Zhao Xiaopang has become much more lively. After recovering from an initial illness, he's now the chubby kid in the whole village in the best condition, proving that he eats well and that his extra weight is definitely useful in a pinch.

Yes, he can't be called "Little Fatty" anymore, because he's visibly thinner. His wife is heartbroken, but resources are scarce, and she's eager to settle down quickly so she can properly make it up to her son.

Old Man Mo stroked Xiao Shan's yellowish hair. Xiao Shan had been malnourished lately, and it pained him greatly. He thought that once things settled down, he would get more black beans and other foods for the child to eat. If his hair wasn't black and shiny in the future, he felt he would be letting General Mo down.

These people all have beautiful dreams and expectations for the future.

"The clan leader is back."

At this moment, someone shouted, and everyone quickly gathered around.

"How is the clan leader?"

"What did the soldiers and officers of Chicheng say?"

When can we go in?

Where will we be placed?

"Do you have land? If not, that's fine too, we can cultivate it ourselves."

Everyone surrounded Zhao Youtian, anxiously asking him questions.

Seeing the unpleasant expressions on the faces of the people who had returned with Zhao Youtian, Li Rouniang's heart sank. She feared the outcome might not be as good as she had anticipated.

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