"All of you stand still here. I'll go over and see what's here."

Yu Qingqing took out a big knife from the space and walked carefully towards the bushes.

Yu Qingmei and Hua Yuanyuan were frightened by the sudden noise.

The two of them were very timid and their legs couldn't stop shaking.

Yu Qingqing's heart was also beating fast. She was worried that something would happen that she couldn't handle.

As Yu Qingqing got closer, she found that the noise in the grass was getting louder and louder. She was still a little nervous and didn't dare to directly pull away the grass.

Yu Qingmei's heart was in her throat, not knowing what was in there.

Yu Qingqing plucked up the courage to chop with the knife, and a scream rang out instantly.

"Ah! My hand is killing people! Killing people!" A disheveled man hugged one of his hands in pain and howled on the ground.

Yu Qingqing was completely shocked when she saw that it was actually a person. How long had this person been here? They had only just discovered him now.

Yu Qingmei and Hua Yuanyuan each picked up a stick and surrounded Yu Qingqing in the middle.

In front of me was a man dressed in rags, with his hair scattered about his shoulders, looking like a chicken coop.

The man also smelled bad, and it was obvious that he hadn't taken a shower for a long time.

Yu Qingqing suddenly realized something and asked vigilantly: "Who are you? Why are you sneaking here? What do you want to do? And how long have you been here? Were you monitoring us just now?"

Yu Qingqing secretly felt very regretful for her carelessness.

Unexpectedly, the man did not respond, but sat directly on the ground, holding the finger that had been scratched by Yu Qingqing and only bled a little, and continued to waile there.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Yu Qingqing observed him carefully.

She had a guess in her mind that needed to be confirmed by this person.

So she continued, "If you tell me the truth, I'll give you something to eat later. You haven't eaten in a long time, right? What's your purpose for squatting here? Tell me now!"

Yu Qingqing's tone became a little hurried, and her voice sounded a lot harsher.

The man also perked up when he heard there was food.

He just saw Yu Qingqing holding a big knife and was afraid that she would chop him again.

The man said in a hoarse voice: "Put the knife away first, and then I will answer your question."

No one knew what the man was thinking, but he actually started bargaining with Yu Qingqing.

Yu Qingqing didn't buy his tricks. She placed her broadsword directly on the man's shoulder and asked coldly, "What exactly is your purpose? Answer me before I lose my patience. You are not in a position to bargain now. I also know some martial arts. Besides, there are three of us here. Do you think you can escape if you want to?"

Yu Qingqing also deliberately pretended to be very cold and fierce.

Seeing that Yu Qingqing didn't do as he said, the man could only answer honestly.

When the man saw that his finger had stopped bleeding, he slowly said, "I actually came from the other side of the mountain. I was also fleeing famine. It's just that everyone in our village got separated in the mountains, and I was the only one who came here. I originally wanted to find food in the mountains, but I couldn't find anything. It's very scary in the mountains, and I only escaped by luck."

What the man said was half true and half false, and Yu Qingqing couldn't believe everything he said.

Yu Qingqing didn't expect that people from outside could come through the mountain, which made her feel even more threatened.

It seems they need to do something else. This place is right behind their house, and it would be easy for someone to sneak in from outside.

The man saw Yu Qingqing in deep thought and stopped talking, thinking that she would go back on her word and refuse to give him the food.

He then continued, "I've only eaten wild vegetables and fruits along the way, and I haven't had a full meal in ages. I just saw you guys catching some fish, so I thought I'd come over and catch some too. Don't worry, I mean no harm, I used to be a farmer myself."

The man packaged himself again and made his position clear.

Yu Qingqing had an idea in mind at this time. If this person was not a bad person, he could be kept.

After all, he has already come here. What if he goes back and brings other people here?

This is also something Yu Qingqing dare not gamble on again. She really can't afford it.

So Yu Qingqing tentatively asked the man: "What's your name? My family is reclaiming land recently. Do you want to come with us?

I'll pay you ten cents a day for clearing the wasteland, and I'll also provide you with two meals a day. What do you think? But there's one condition: you must sign a life-long contract with me.

Don't be so quick to refuse. You just said you were separated from your family, and there's no chance they'll see you again. And since you're a refugee, they can definitely hand you over to the authorities. If they do, your future will probably be even more difficult."

Yu Qingqing naturally wouldn't pay him too much wages. The most important thing was to keep him in the village.

As long as we don't let him go, others won't come looking for him so quickly.

The man was happy to hear that he would have food and wages, but when he heard that he had to sign a death contract, he felt a little hesitant.

Isn't this equivalent to selling yourself? Then you will no longer be free.

The man was about to refuse, but then he thought, what should he do if he doesn't agree and is sent to the government?

Without much hesitation, the man nodded and said, "My name is Li Jie, and I'm thirty years old. You look so young, but I didn't expect you to be so brave. I can agree to what you just said. I'm not picky about food, as long as there's something to eat, I'm happy."

When he thought of the days when he had to sleep in the open and had no food to eat, he felt sad.

As for his family, he had no family at all. Ever since his wife and children ran away with someone else, he has been a lonely man.

Seeing that the person in front of him agreed so readily, Yu Qingqing did not let down her guard. After all, this was a different time and no one could predict what would happen in the future.

"Alright, I'll call you Uncle Li, and you can just come back with us first. Tomorrow, you can follow my brother to the town to sign the indenture."

Seeing that things were going so smoothly, Yu Qingqing felt that today was a safe and secure day.

The others also breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the matter had been handled.

Yu Qingqing put away the big knife and walked back with it.

Fortunately, she didn't put the fish into the space just now, so the man didn't see anything.

When Yu Qingqing thought of this, she felt "That was a close call!"