After the patrol team's tasks were arranged, it was getting late.

Even if they went to town to buy grain, there wasn't enough time, so they decided that the able-bodied men would go out to buy grain early the next morning.

All the livestock in Zhao Village that could be used to pull carts were included in the calculation, including the newly purchased mule cart by the Zhao family.

The villagers were all surprised when Grandpa Zhao announced the numbers.

Although I really wanted to gossip a bit, the circumstances didn't allow it. Village chief Zhao Jinfeng was giving a safety education lesson to all the able-bodied men who were preparing to go out to buy grain.

This includes speed and no sympathy for refugees.

If someone tries to steal it, grab your weapons and wait; teamwork is essential...

In short, we must buy the food and bring the people back safely.

Zhao Minggeng was also in the group; he was responsible for driving his own mule cart.

Everyone in the village knew that Zhao Laosan was very strong, and with him around, they felt more at ease.

They thoroughly hid their machete and clubs, fearing they might be robbed by refugees on the road.

More than sixty people went out together, with one person from each family going along to buy grain.

The money to buy the grain was pooled together by the whole village and handed over to the village chief, Zhao Jinfeng, before being distributed after the grain was purchased.

In the face of major disasters, all personal interests must give way to the collective; this is the village rule of Zhao Family Village.

Upon arriving in town, there were many more patrol officers, and the price of grain at the grain shops had more than doubled. However, one couldn't buy as much grain as one wanted; each person was only allowed to buy 5 jin (2.5 catties).

In the end, the more than sixty men from Zhao Village hauled more than 300 jin of grain back to the village.

However, since there was less grain, it was easier to hide. A total of six trucks went, with each truck carrying an average of about 50-60 jin (25-30 catties) of grain.

Once placed in a burlap sack, it flattens out immediately, and at first glance, it looks like a pile of tattered burlap sacks on a truck.

They set off with great fanfare, then turned back dejectedly.

The men from Zhao Family Village are quite fast.

They had planned to split up and go to another town to buy grain, but as soon as they left Qingyang County, they saw that the soldiers guarding the city had closed the city gates.

Zhao Minggeng has a curious personality; seeing the city gate closed, he ran to the gate to ask why it was closed.

Then they heard the soldiers in the city roar, "Get out! Are you deaf? Haven't you heard that some refugees have already stormed the county government office?"

"What? How is this possible? Is it true?" Zhao Minggeng asked again.

There was no answer from inside, only shouting.

"Quickly, fasten the bolt. Are you all out of your minds? Line up, only exiting, no entering."

A small side gate on the city gate opened, just wide enough for one person to pass through; it looked like even a slightly overweight person wouldn't be able to get through.

The people who came out were running away in a panic. No one expected that what was easy to come in would almost be impossible to get back.

After watching the commotion for a while, Zhao Minggeng figured out what was going on. He ran back to his mule cart like a rabbit, cracked his whip, and was the first to run home.

There wasn't enough room on the bus, so some people rode in the bus while others ran around on the ground, switching back and forth between the two vehicles. This made getting back to the village much faster.

Upon returning to Zhao Family Village, he reported to the village chief about the incident of refugees attacking the county government. As a result, those in the village who had been clinging to hope quickly went home to hide their grain.

As for where to hide it, digging a cellar is naturally the best method.

Apart from the patrol team still patrolling the village, there are hardly any people to be seen on the ground in Zhao Family Village.

There are specific considerations for where and how big a cellar should be dug, because it's not just grain that needs to be stored; people also need to be hidden in critical moments, especially if there are young children in the family.

Putting aside everything else, if a group of refugees were to attack the village and frighten or injure the children, that would be something no elder would want to see.

The eldest aunt was also getting restless and came into the main room.

"Mother, look, should we dig a cellar too? I'm worried that if refugees really come, what will happen to our children?"

After thinking for a moment, Huang said, "Go and call your father over. I'll discuss this with him."

Huang responded and went out. Not long after, Old Master Zhao returned.

After discussing it with Mrs. Huang for a while, Old Master Zhao felt that sending the children away now seemed a bit premature, while Mrs. Huang had some concerns.

"Old man, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Finally, the old man made the decision: the children and the women who were unable to fight would be sent up the mountain tomorrow.

Sure enough, the Zhao family was all ready to set off early the next morning.

The three Zhao brothers led the team, followed by Zhao Qingyi, Liu Xiaohua, Zhang Cuicui, Dabao, and Daniu from the eldest branch of the family;

The second wife's children are Zhao Qinglin and Zhao Qinghe, and the third wife's children are Zhao Qingyang and Zhao Qingyi.

I originally intended to send my eldest aunt and second aunt to the valley as well, but the two insisted on staying in Zhao Family Village to stand with the men.

Before leaving, the aunt hugged her granddaughter and granddaughter, very reluctant to part with them.

Logically, Huang should have accompanied them on this section of the road deep into the mountains; that would have been much safer.

Furthermore, considering that none of the Zhao family's capable fighters were at home, there was a risk that something might go wrong if someone attacked the village and there was no one to hold the fort.

This group of women, children, and infants will definitely be much slower going into the mountains, so the older ones will have to carry the younger ones on their backs.

They encountered wild boars along the way, but fortunately Zhao Minggeng spotted them early and led everyone to hide. After a while, the wild boars left, and they continued on their way.

By the time we reached the cave entrance, it was completely dark.

Zhao Qingyan is clearing weeds in the valley.

She wanted to clear a plot of land to grow potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn.

These are seeds she bought at a high price; she can't possibly not make good use of them.

I estimated that the potato seeds I bought, if used sparingly, would only be enough to plant a little over an acre of land. If they grow well, I might be able to harvest three to four thousand catties of potatoes.

Sweet potatoes need to be cultivated into seedlings. The sweet potato seeds in the space are estimated to be enough to plant 6-7 acres of land. I hope what the salesperson said is true and that it is a high-yield variety.

She no longer expects a yield of 10,000 jin per mu; she would be perfectly content with 6,000 to 7,000 jin.

As long as one crop can be grown, there will be no shortage of seeds. Even if it's not far, it can at least benefit Zhao Family Village.

Zhao Qingyan, who was busy at work, was overjoyed to find that someone had come to her house.

She was still thinking about when to go back and bring everyone back; there was so much work, she couldn't do it all by herself.

Apart from Zhao Minggeng, the other members of the Zhao family were shocked by the sights as soon as they entered the valley.

Putting everything else aside, the solar-powered garden light alone immediately piqued everyone's interest.

Apart from Zhao Minggeng, who was concerned about his daughter, running over to her to express his concern, everyone else quickly ran under the light to see what was happening.

Zhao Qingbei considered herself to be her sister's favorite child.

"Sister, what is this? Why is it so bright?" she asked, tilting her head to look at her sister.

Although the distance was a bit far, Zhao Qingyan couldn't resist the cute little thing.