The old lady next to her seemed tired too; her wrinkled face was full of exhaustion. She sat on the stool and sighed.

"You're probably not from around here, right? You're really unlucky. Today's locust swarm is the most ferocious we've seen in a while!"

Qin Qing looked at her in surprise. Seeing that the old woman didn't want to say anything more, she didn't disturb her. She then began to examine the blacksmith shop, worried that if there was a gap, they would be in danger.

All around her were various ironware, knives, a kang (heated brick bed), and charcoal. An iron pot caught her eye, and Qin Qing picked it up, her eyes lighting up immediately!

Although it might sound disgusting, locusts are indeed a rare delicacy in modern times.

Two hours later, the locusts outside finally dispersed, leaving the streets devastated. It truly lived up to the saying, "When locusts pass through, not a blade of grass grows!"

The man who had just been bitten had been half-eaten, and he looked horrifying.

The family stayed in the blacksmith's shop in fear for two hours before the locusts finally dispersed...

As the sun was already setting, they still hadn't found a place to stay. Qin Qing looked at the old lady beside her and spoke calmly.

"Sister, my family and I are new here. Do you have any rental properties around here? As long as it's safe, we're open to any price."

At this moment, she also had an idea in her mind. Although Qingcheng was facing a locust plague and it was not easy to survive, it had all the necessary survival supplies. Muyang was old enough to go to school and study, and she could not keep taking the children to flee the famine.

The old lady opened her eyes, looked at her, then at the three little ones, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke in a difficult and picky manner.

"Alright, I happen to have a spare room at home, so I'll rent it to you. It's not very big, but it's safe enough! It'll be fifteen taels of silver a year, and you'll have to pay for your own food and drink. This old woman doesn't care about any of that nonsense, and I like peace and quiet. If it's too noisy, don't blame me for getting angry!"

Fifteen taels of silver—two years' worth of expenses for an average family! It's undeniably expensive! Qin Qing didn't say anything; as long as it was safe, that was all that mattered!

After saying that, the old lady stood up and calmly walked out, showing no panic in the face of the terrible scene on the ground.

Half an hour later, the group stopped at the gate of a house, and the old lady opened the iron gate with practiced ease.

A small courtyard appeared before us, with a stone table in the middle and three large houses arranged in a triangle, looking very quiet and safe.

"My surname is Wang, you can just call me Aunt Wang. The middle room is where I live, and you can rent the one on the right."

As he spoke, he led them into the bedroom, a small living room that looked very elegant. In the next room, there were two large beds, simple yet cozy.

It was clear that the old lady cleaned regularly. Qin Qing nodded, took her arm, and looked at the old lady with gratitude!

"Big sister, if you don't mind, just call me Sister Qin. I'm very satisfied with this place. Let's sign the agreement now!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang knew she was an honest woman, so she nodded and went into the house without saying another word…

After the agreement was signed, Aunt Wang began to explain the current situation in Qingcheng to her.

The drought in the north is severe. Qingcheng is located in the middle and is divided into three areas. Their area is the northernmost and has also been affected. There are many disaster victims. Fortunately, there was a snowfall some time ago, and the fields were still okay. But when spring came, locusts crossed the land and devoured all the crops.

"The locust swarm we just encountered was relatively mild; if it had been earlier, it probably would have devoured the entire house!"

Food prices have skyrocketed recently, to the point where they are almost unaffordable. Fortunately, she is an old lady and can't eat much.

They also said that bandits had been rampant in the city in recent years, causing a large number of young people to leave and countless elderly people to starve to death.

Qin Qing frowned. Was it that serious? If so, her method was definitely worth a try.

As night fell, the family ate rice porridge and egg pancakes in their room, the aroma filling the air.

Qin Qing, however, had already begun to think about the problem of survival. Solving the locust plague was inevitable. She currently had seventy-three taels of silver. If she could use this method to earn money, there would definitely be no problem with Mu Yang's school fees and the living expenses of her family!

The next morning, Qin Qing got up early and went straight to find Aunt Wang.

Perhaps because the elderly wake up early, he only paused slightly when he saw her coming! When he learned that she wanted to borrow a net, he merely frowned!

What do you need the net for?

Qin Qing was about to explain when Aunt Wang interrupted her!

"Alright, there are some in the warehouse next door. Look for them yourself! But you'll have to pay for them, one tael of silver!"

Qin Qing's lips twitched. He watched as the old lady in front of him stretched out her hand, looking like a stingy miser. He resignedly handed over one tael of silver.

Before long, a figure was seen running around the yard, quickly filling a net with locusts.

Zhang He was cooking porridge inside when Mu Yang curiously walked over. His face turned green the moment he saw the locusts! He said with disgust!

"Grandma, why are you grabbing this?"

Seeing this, Qin Qing raised her hand and waved it in front of him, which startled Mu Yang so much that he retreated repeatedly!

"Haha! Let's stir-fry this and eat it! If it tastes good, Grandma plans to sell it! That way, my grandson's schooling won't be a problem!"

After saying that, Mu Yang stared at her in shock, as if she had said something unbelievable, and his voice couldn't help but get louder!

"Grandma, do you want to eat this?"

Qin Qing nodded. This is perfectly normal. Many people in modern times also enjoy this. Now that it's a famine year, eating this can not only alleviate the locust plague but also fill their stomachs. It's a win-win situation!

Mu Yang subconsciously looked at the locusts, recalling yesterday's scene, and his face grew increasingly pale. Suddenly, he covered his mouth and rushed to the side to dry heave.

As soon as Mu Xing and Mu Yue came out, they saw Mu Yang vomiting violently.

"Grandma, what's wrong with my brother?"

Seeing her granddaughter's bewildered and adorable expression, Qin Qing gave her a quick kiss!

"Never mind him, give Grandma a kiss! Yueyue is so cute! I'll stir-fry locusts for you for lunch!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Yang quickly pulled Xiao Muyue away and looked at her in surprise!

"Grandma, are you crazy! How can you eat that thing? Besides, that bug ate...meat!"

Qin Qing rolled her eyes at Mu Yang after losing the soft, cuddly little cutie in her arms.

"You're so young and your eyesight isn't good. The insect that hurt people yesterday was a different species. Locusts don't eat meat, but they are very rich in protein and nutrients, and they taste crispy and fragrant. Don't get greedy when I fry them!"

Mu Yang glanced at her speechlessly, snorted coldly, and looked at the locusts in the net bag with disdain!

"Whatever, Grandma, but I definitely won't eat a single bite! What good stuff could such disgusting bugs possibly make? Humph!"