Chapter Eleven: Ungrateful

As she spoke, Chen Jiao stepped forward, picked up a piece of pastry from the food box, and put it in her mouth. While chewing, she happily exclaimed, "It's osmanthus cake! Mom, come and try one too!"

A few crumbs of pastry sprayed from her mouth and landed on the food. Chen Jiao was actually delighted: "Oh dear, I accidentally got this food dirty. Sister, you probably don't want to eat it anymore, right?"

"That's perfect, take them all to my room!"

Chen Jiao's greedy appearance aroused the suspicion of the Liu family servants. Could she really be the biological daughter of the Chen family head?

Zhang felt sorry for her daughter who hadn't eaten for a long time, so instead of stopping her, she said to her, "My dear, eat slowly. With your mother here, no one will dare to take it from you."

Chen Zhenyan ignored all of this. After struggling in the wilderness for so long, he was exhausted and starving. Now that he was in a safe place with plenty of food, all he wanted to do was have a big meal and then get a good night's sleep.

Seeing that these so-called family members quickly relaxed their guard and did not take Liu Shoubei's potential threat seriously, Chen Qing felt a sense of foreboding.

After entering the city, she did not see the county magistrate or anyone else. Beiyu valued civil officials over military ones, and Liu Shoubei, a mere military officer, had firmly grasped Qibao Town in his hands, and no other officials came out to stop him.

Chen Qing could only think of one possibility: a mutiny.

With his troops at his disposal, Commander Liu had already taken control of the other officials, which allowed him to fully control the grain supply in Qibao Town, seal the city gates, and prevent refugees from entering the city.

The fact that Liu Wei dared to commit such a treasonous act while the imperial court was still in power demonstrates his ruthlessness and wolfish ambition.

Chen Qing's biggest advantage in making deals with men like this was the wealth in Chen Zhenyan's possession, as well as the starving refugees outside the city who resorted to cannibalism.

Like sheep entering a tiger's den, Chen Jiayang would likely be skinned alive and unable to escape Qibao Town. If he were skinned alive too thoroughly, he would also be doomed.

The refugees outside the city are also a ticking time bomb. If they are not dealt with in time, even Chen Qing will be caught up in them and will have difficulty escaping.

Chen Qing had already clearly seen the current situation, but unexpectedly, a group of incompetent teammates were dragging him down.

Chen Zhenyan and the Zhang mother and daughter went into their room to rest.

They had no idea that they were meat on the chopping board.

It seems Liu Wei is hosting a banquet tonight, and he's about to start slaughtering pigs.

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then called Wang Zhong over and poured out all his concerns.

“Uncle Zhong, Father is too tired and just wants to rest. He hasn’t thought about these things yet, but we can’t just sit here and wait for our doom. We must gather more information before the banquet.”

Wang Zhong frowned, realizing the seriousness of the problem. He said earnestly, "Miss, this old servant understands. Please feel free to give any instructions, and we will listen to you."

Chen Qing's expression relaxed considerably, and she smiled slightly, "Your words are enough. Don't worry, I will definitely ensure your safety and that you leave this place safely."

Chen Zhenyan brought a lot of money with him on this trip, but unfortunately there was nowhere to buy anything in the desolate wilderness outside the city, so they had no choice but to enter Qibao Town.

Chen Qing sent Wang Zhong and Pei Xuan out to gather information. First, they went to various grain stores to buy grain. Then, he called Da Niu, told him to change his clothes, and asked him to take his fellow villagers to the city to gather information.

"I want any information that is related to Commander Liu."

After doing all this, Chen Qing's back was slightly sweaty. She then realized that she had been so focused that her muscles were a little tense.

The muscle soreness from pushing the cart yesterday began to appear, but Chen Qing didn't rest and continued to jog around the house.

She now eats three pieces of beef every day, controls her calorie intake, and then does anaerobic exercise.

Chen Qing sold the food sent by the Liu family to the system, exchanging it for 53 weight loss points. She then exchanged it for a piece of warm jade and a piece of braised beef. After all that, she now has 3203 weight loss points.

With an antidote still some distance away, Chen Qing was no longer in a hurry. His immediate priority was to exchange for some life-saving items to get out of his current predicament.

The Kagune Gun comes with seven free bullets every day. If you want to buy bullets, each bullet costs 100 weight loss points, which is really not worth it.

Therefore, in order to avoid wasting weight loss points, Chen Qing must make good use of these seven free bullets.

An hour later, Wang Zhong and Pei Xuan, who had gone to buy grain, returned.

They brought very bad news.

"Sister Qing, grain prices in the city are skyrocketing. Even if we're willing to pay ten times the price, we still can't buy much grain!"

Wang Zhong also said, "In my opinion, I'm afraid that all the major grain stores have long been controlled by Commander Liu, and no one is allowed to hoard grain at high prices."

Chen Qing's mind raced. In chaotic times, food was the most important thing. Commander Liu controlled not only food, but also the leash for the dogs.

He threatened the people with grain, saying that if they didn't obey, they wouldn't have any grain to eat. No wonder he allowed Chen Zhenyan to enter the city. He probably offended all the grain merchants in the city long ago, and the merchants outside were unwilling to come. Even if Liu Wei had a granary, how long could he eat?

He needed someone to clear a path for him to buy food elsewhere, and...

Just then, Da Niu rushed back, panting heavily and looking furious.

Chen Qing told him to calm down, "Take your time and don't rush."

After finishing a cup of hot tea, Da Niu began to recount the information he had gathered.

"My lord! That Commander Liu is indeed no good man. He has sealed off the city to prevent refugees from entering, and the people in the city are starving! They can't buy food at the grain shops, so they have to go to the commander's office to buy it. The price of grain is getting higher and higher. That Commander Liu, he actually made the people sell their wives and daughters to provide for the soldiers' lust!"

Da Niu also has a wife and daughters. He really couldn't believe that an official could be so corrupt!

No wonder Liu Shoubei's soldiers obeyed him so readily.

It's nothing more than a collection of things built on food, power, and women.

They've had their fun, but what about the many people inside and outside the city?

Chen Qing's eyes were cold. He curled his fingers and tapped the table lightly. He said softly, "Continue."

“A month ago, the heavy snow kept falling. Commander Liu led the garrison outside the city into the city, slaughtered the county magistrate and other officials, and began to requisition grain and seal off the city. When they couldn’t collect the grain, they robbed and killed people. That’s how they stole our family’s grain!”

Da Niu's eyes were bloodshot, and he trembled all over as he talked about these things, as if he was recalling one nightmare after another.

Pei Xuan remained expressionless, but his fingers were clenched tightly into a fist, and his teeth were grinding together.

Da Niu continued recounting the news he had gathered from his fellow villagers, his voice choked with tears.

Chen Qing already had a plan in mind. Seeing that Da Niu was exhausted, he asked Wang Zhong to take him down to rest.

Only Chen Qing and Pei Xuan remained in the room. Pei Xuan said, "Sister Qing, this Commander Liu is not a good person. Let's leave as soon as possible."

Chen Qing nodded and immediately decided to request an audience with Chen Zhenyan.

Unexpectedly, when she went to see him, she heard Zhang moaning incessantly in the room. Despite feeling disgusted, she knocked on the door and explained her purpose, but Chen Zhenyan instead scolded her severely.

Not long after, an enraged Chen Zhenyan, disheveled, burst through the door. “What urgent matter do you have to say? If you can’t say anything, I’ll punish you by not letting you eat for three days!”

Chen Qing frowned, finding it almost unbearable to look at.

She said, “Father, we can’t stay in Qibao Town for long. Commander Liu is hosting a banquet tonight, he must be after the Chen family’s property. If you can’t give him a satisfactory answer, he will definitely take it out on us. I think you should give us all the terms at once so that we can leave this place as soon as possible.”

Enraged, Zhang retorted, "You little slut, you're interrupting my and your father's good time over something like this? You call yourself a daughter? You have no shame!"

"Is it really necessary to bother your father with such a small matter?" If Chen Qingzhen hadn't found a way to get them into the city, Chen Zhenyan would probably have already lost his temper and started beating people. He had forgotten the pain of his past and his miserable state outside the city. He waved his hand and said, "I am an old friend of Commander Liu and I know what kind of person he is. Don't mention this matter again. Go back to your room and rest. The rest is a matter for us men. Why are you worrying about it?"

Zhang glared at Chen Qing resentfully. Despite her advanced age, she flirtatiously placed her hand on Chen Zhenyan's shoulder in front of him, her eyes filled with seductive allure: "Master, stop talking to her, let's go inside~"

Chen Zhenyan seemed bewitched by a fairy, his eyes glazed as he followed her into the house for their tryst.

"Sister Qing, what should we do next?"

Pei Xuan looked at Chen Qing with concern.

"You haven't rested in a long time, why don't you rest first before we talk?"

I didn't sleep a wink last night and rushed to the city to see Commander Liu. I had been working hard for a long time, but my family didn't understand and treated me coldly.

Pei Xuan was angry on Chen Qing's behalf.

"Those stupid pigs will be killed and eaten sooner or later!"

"Alright, now that we know they're idiots, why bother getting angry with idiots?"

Chen Qing ruffled Pei Xuan's hair; it felt like petting a puppy.

"Sister Qing," Pei Xuan's eyes sparkled, "Let's forget about them and take this opportunity to escape?"

"Escape?" Chen Qing chuckled. "How?"

“I’ve been to Qibao Town before, I know where the dog hole is. Let’s escape through the dog hole and never bother with them again!”

Pei Xuan's words were still full of childishness.

Chen Qing patted his waist: "Can I crawl through the dog hole?"

She was quite at ease with her overweight body.

Pei Xuan was dumbfounded; he had completely forgotten about this!

Pei Xuan slapped his forehead, his face slightly red. The main reason was that when he was with Chen Qing, he couldn't tell that Sister Qing was fat at all. He was already impressed by her wisdom and composure, so he didn't notice her figure.

To be honest, he quite likes Sister Qing's appearance.

"Xuan Nu, come for a walk with me."

Chen Qing felt she couldn't just sit and wait to die; she wasn't necessarily bound to the Chen family.

If Chen Zhenyan is really foolish enough to get trapped in a brothel, she can at least find a way out for herself.

But where in this vast world can she find a place to belong?

The people of the Liu family did not stop Chen Qing from going out. After she left the garrison, the outside world was not like the hell on earth that she had experienced when she first entered the city.

The houses stand side by side, and occasionally you can hear the laughter and playfulness of women coming from the luxurious garden mansions—a scene of tranquility and peace.

If Chen Qing hadn't just come in from outside the city, he probably would have thought it was just a nightmare.

The tall city walls kept the fierce winds out of the city, making it much warmer inside. The snow on the roads had been cleared, and only a few patches of snow could be seen occasionally near the walls.

Stepping out of the mansions inhabited by the wealthy in the western part of the city, Chen Qingcai finally saw the true face of Qibao Town.

Many people sat against the wall, dressed in thin clothes, their faces pale, their eyelashes and hair covered in frost, motionless. Some numbly pushed wooden wheelbarrows, randomly picking a lucky one from the frozen corpses in the corner and putting them on the wheelbarrow.

Once the cart was full of corpses, they were sent to a mass grave outside the city.

"Sister, please have mercy and give me some food."

Please.

"Sister, I haven't eaten anything in a long time."

A faint pleading voice came from the ground. Chen Qing looked down and saw a thin little girl, about six or seven years old, covered in dirt, clutching the hem of her skirt and begging her.

She looked even thinner than the large dog Chen Qing had raised in his previous life, with a dark blue tint to her eyes, and appeared to be nearing the end of her life.

Chen Qing frowned, and Pei Xuan immediately stopped the girl: "Get out of the way, you've dirtied my young lady's clothes!"

"Xuan Nu!" Chen Qing knew that Pei Xuan was always trying to guess what she was thinking.

But he guessed wrong.

Chen Qing frowned not because the little girl was grabbing her clothes, but because she felt sorry for the child.

In her previous life, Chen Qing was married to her scumbag husband Shao Yang for ten years, but they still had no children. She always wanted to have a child of her own, but unfortunately, she was unable to have her wish fulfilled.

Chen Qing does a lot of charity work, including adopting orphans and donating money to children with serious illnesses.

It can be said that the softest part of her heart was reserved for her children.

Chen Qing wouldn't allow Pei Xuan to hurt the little girl, so she personally bent down, took the little girl's hand, and helped her up.

Chen Qing's eyes were gentle as she asked softly, "Little sister, what's your name? How old are you? Where are your family?"

Hearing her gentle question, the little girl inexplicably burst into tears, unable to speak.

Chen Qing took the little girl to the restaurant, which used to be the most bustling restaurant in Qibao Town. Now, there were hardly any customers, and the place was deserted.

Chen Qing only ordered two pancakes, a bowl of porridge, and a few side dishes, yet it cost two taels of silver.

This is outrageous!

No wonder no one comes here to eat.

How many ordinary families in the city can afford such high prices?

The little girl stared longingly at the pancake, swallowing repeatedly. If Chen Qing hadn't been there, she probably would have snatched it from him.

Chen Qing handed her the flatbread, saying, "Eat up, and then we can talk slowly."

Seeing that Chen Qing was dressed in an extraordinary manner, the restaurant owner specially brought a stove for warmth and placed it next to him.

The little girl wolfed down the flatbread, nodding repeatedly, "Thank...thank you, sister!"

"You should eat too, eat more so you can grow taller."

Seeing the way Pei Xuan looked at the food, Chen Qing knew that he also wanted to eat.

Pei Xuan did not refuse and ate with the little girl, but he ate much more elegantly.

"Sister Qing, aren't you going to eat?"

Chen Qing was actually very hungry, but she kept her weight loss goal in mind and didn't waver at all.

"I'm not hungry, you guys eat."

Pei Xuan's eyes darkened, as if he had thought of something, and he ate much slower.

When Chen Qing saw his expression, she knew he was overthinking things again.

Seeing this, the little girl, with a mouthful of biscuit in her mouth, didn't know whether she should eat it or not.

Helpless, Chen Qing tore off a small piece of the pancake from Pei Xuan's hand. "Fine, fine, I'll eat with you guys, is that alright now?"