To Jiang Qiao's surprise, everyone's enthusiasm exceeded her expectations. Well, when people are starving, who cares about those ancestral possessions? They're about to lose their lives, and who knows who will benefit from keeping them? It's better to use them to get something to eat for their children.

Therefore, Jiang Qiao saw all sorts of things, including antiques, paintings and calligraphy, jewelry, pearls, meat and eggs, dried seafood, and even fish maw. There was nothing that people couldn't provide, only things she couldn't think of.

Jiang Qiao accepted all requests, and everyone got the food they wanted. They could eat less meat, but they couldn't go without food, so everyone was happy.

Jiang Qiao hesitated for a moment, then looked at the village chief. "Uncle, I have some grain left here. Could you please distribute it to the pregnant women, the elderly, and the children in the village? It's not much, just a token of my appreciation. I've come all this way because it's my destiny to be here with you all."

When Jiang Qiao said this, not only the village chief but also the surrounding villagers were shocked. This was not just a little bit of grain, but hundreds of pounds. Although they wanted it, they could not explain it to the young girl who was helping someone else.

The village chief thought so too. Jiang Qiao sighed. These villagers were really lovely. Even at this point, they still thought of this for her. They were really thoughtful.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. You all take care."

"Jiang Qiao, come visit us sometime. Once things get better here, your uncle will definitely treat you to something delicious."

After Jiang Qiao left, the village chief returned home and discovered that there were several extra items in the grain he had exchanged, and the weight was much greater than it actually was.

"Sigh, this child is thoughtful. If he comes again in the future, we must treat him well. Everyone knows what the situation is like outside. It's already a great honor for him to take a liking to those junk items."

It wasn't just the village chief's family that had a lot of weight; other families also weighed their children when they got home, and the weights were a few kilograms more than they had agreed upon beforehand.

Jiang Qiao had no idea that after she left, the villagers remembered her kindness fondly; her arrival had relieved their urgent needs.

Jiang Qiao rearranged the items on the way home and took them back. However, it was already evening when she got home. Even so, Ma Liu was anxious because the items couldn't be left outside, especially since the child was still in someone else's car.

She quickly had Qiao Jie push him to find someone, and Jiang Qiao delivered the goods to the supply and marketing cooperative's warehouse overnight. When returning the car, she took it back.

As for settling the bill, it was handled by the two old men. Jiang Qiao disguised himself and went to the black market again early the next morning.

This time she's selling meat, and she has quite a lot of meat at home. This stuff can fetch a good price on the black market. Everyone welcomes fresh meat. Those who have money but no ration coupons, or those who want to eat meat but don't have money, can exchange it for other things.

When Jiang Qiao returned, the old man had already paid the bill and come back. Seeing that Jiang Qiao had brought back some vegetables, the old man was relieved.

"You silly girl, I thought you went to the black market again. The crackdown is strict at the end of the year. I heard it from your sixth grandfather's friend. Just stay home and prepare for the New Year these next few days."

Jiang Qiao was too lazy to go out. "Fine, I'll listen to you."

The old man handed the money he had earned to Jiang Qiao. "Sigh, now I know why people who do business make money. Look at this big bag of money. Even if you were earning a salary, it would take you many years to earn that much."

Jiang Qiao smiled, without even counting, and took out a wad of money. "Grandpas, consider this a New Year's red envelope. I'm giving it to you in advance. Keep it for your own spending money."

Ma Liu was too embarrassed to accept it, but Qiao Jie accepted it quite readily, saying, "If the child gives it to you, just accept it. If you're too polite, it won't feel like we're family."

Over the next few days, Jiang Qiao and the others prepared food. On the 30th, Ma Liu was able to walk slowly on the ground without being pushed in a stroller, which made Jiang Qiao and the others very excited.

"Oh, we can go home after the New Year."

Jiang Qiao shook her head. "Grandpas, I have something to say. Could you stay here a little longer? My father's comrade and I have discussed it. After the New Year, we'll go out and see if we can get some grain. The price of grain on the black market is almost as high as gold. A small yellow croaker can't be exchanged for much grain."

"Grandpa Qiao, I think we should make plans as soon as possible. We need to stock up on some things. Things are already like this here; it's even more worrying back home."

Ma Liu frowned and nodded. "Brother Qiao, what the child said makes sense. I think things aren't quite right these days. Saving more won't hurt."

Qiao Jie was worried about Jiang Qiao's safety. "Is your father's comrade-in-arms reliable?"

Jiang Qiao nodded. "We've been through thick and thin together, so you can rest assured. But we're going to a place that's quite far away, so you two will have to wait patiently at home. I've prepared food in the kitchen, so you can eat as much as you want. I'll be back soon, but the return date is uncertain. It might be a long time or a short time. Don't worry, I'm careful with my life, so there won't be any problems."

Since Jiang Qiao had made her decision, the old man didn't stop her. In fact, Ma Liu had never understood Qiao Jie's attitude. He thought it was too unsafe to let such a grown girl go out. How could this older brother be so carefree?

It was Qiao Jie who cleared things up for him: "This girl is incredibly capable. Think about it, she dares to venture into the black market alone and go to the beach by herself. What else would she be afraid of?"

The girl can go to her parents on her own, negotiate with the prison warden, and save her uncle. What can't she do?

My brother Gu said, "By the way, Gu Hanting is Jiang Qiao's biological grandfather. He said his granddaughter is very insightful, so we don't need to restrain her too much. As long as she doesn't go too far, we can just watch from the sidelines and offer her some guidance."

Ma Liu was dumbfounded. "My God, how can this girl be even more capable than an adult?"

Qiao Jie smiled and shook his head. "Don't you think about it? Who are her parents? Who are her grandfather and maternal grandfather? If you bring any of them out, they'll be astonishing. How could the descendants of such outstanding people be anything but?"

Jiang Qiao spent the New Year with the two old men. She left on the third day of the Lunar New Year, but before leaving, she made sure to take care of everything the old men needed before setting off.

However, she didn't stay idle along the way. She changed things as she walked, and while the number of items in her space decreased, she also gained many other things.

Jiang Qiao went to her home in Shancheng this time. She wanted to see if her father was still alive. She had always held a hope that her father and Xiao Bao could be saved and that a miracle could happen in this world.

Unfortunately, when she arrived, her home was nowhere to be found. It had all been bombed to death. She didn't even recognize many of her neighbors; some were dead, others had moved away. She asked around and learned that not many of the people who had hidden in the air-raid shelters were still alive. She had asked those who were alive, but none of them recognized her father and Xiaobao. She was completely heartbroken. Her father and Xiaobao were truly gone, and no one even knew where they were buried.

My older brother has never come back. We don't know if he sacrificed his life or if something happened to him.

Although she already knew this outcome, Jiang Qiao still couldn't help but feel sad and pained when faced with it again. The double blow caused her to fall ill.