While fleeing famine, they had seen many things that were unacceptable when people were hungry, such as eating their own children, stealing children, robbing children, and stealing food and money. Anything that could sustain life would become a target.

Many members of their Gongsun family escaped together, but on the way, they encountered bandits and robbed, and many people were killed. They were also besieged by refugees, and lacked water and food. As a result, when they reached Qingshan Town, only eight of them were left.

If there is another locust plague here, food prices will definitely rise to a sky-high level, and ordinary people will be unable to bear the hunger and will be unable to control themselves. It is unpredictable what will happen then.

As for why he didn't place his hopes on the court, it was really like distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.

Li Mengyue knew that Gongsun Cheng and others were of extraordinary status and could see the current situation clearly, even if they accepted her as a puppet.

It's just that they have only been in contact for a short time and don't understand their own abilities. It's normal that they don't believe that they can help them survive the locust plague safely.

She would not force them to believe in herself now. Time would prove everything. It was better to do well in the present.

Just as she was about to discuss with Gongsun Cheng how to deal with the bark, Nini walked up to him and said, "Grandpa, I believe in the Fairy Sister. We will definitely be fine."

Gongsun Cheng looked at his most gifted granddaughter and his expression softened considerably. He patted her head and said gently, "Nini is right. We will never be able to survive."

Only then did Li Mengyue know that Nini was the granddaughter of Gongsun Cheng. Hearing Gongsun Jing call Gongsun Cheng dad, Gongsun Shi was Gongsun Cheng's eldest daughter-in-law.

As for where Gongsun Cheng's eldest son went, that was not her concern.

Besides, Gongsun Cheng and others only recognized her as their mistress, and they didn't have to tell her everything. Even if they did, she wouldn't have the time and energy to listen. It was more important to finalize the papermaking project first.

"Gongsun Cheng, you have collected a lot of wolfberry bark recently."

"Yes, Koko."

Although Gongsun Cheng didn't know why Qi Zi asked them to collect tree bark, since Qi Zi had ordered them to do so, they would do their best to complete it.

What's more, it's just collecting bark, which is not a difficult job. If he can't even do this little thing well, he is not worthy of being the head of the Gongsun family.

"Keep collecting the wolfberry bark, but I have something for you to do. If you have time, collect it. If you don't, forget it."

"Okay, what do you want us to do?"

"It's made from the wolfberry bark grown in the yard and made into white tissue paper."

"What, paper?"

"hiss!"

"ah!"

There were screams coming from the yard one after another. They really couldn't believe what they heard.

Paper, the papermaking technique that is controlled by the wealthy and powerful families, but the little girl doesn't even know how to make it, and she still talks about white cotton paper.

They didn't know what white tissue paper looked like, but from the name they could tell that the paper must be very white.

You have to know that the paper sold in bookstores nowadays is all yellow and rough, and the price is ridiculously expensive.

Before the flood, although their family was not short of money, they could not afford to spend money casually.

Now they can actually make paper by themselves, how can they not be surprised.

It seems that Zi is not a farm girl, she must have another identity, and it must be extraordinary.

After all, skills like papermaking are kept secret by some big families, and those involved in papermaking have signed a death contract, which shows how valuable papermaking is.

Before this, he had speculated about the purpose of his father asking them to collect the bark, and he had also emphasized that it would take two to three years to collect the bark, which invisibly increased the difficulty of purchasing it.