The old lady sighed unconsciously.

Tian Guoguo was also worried, but they couldn't panic; they should solve the problem when it arose.

Besides, the problem hasn't even started yet, has it? Little Paw gently patted Grandma's hand, her childish voice full of determination, "Grandma, don't be afraid, Guoguo... will protect Grandma."

Xie Shuyan was right next to him.

Hearing his wife's words, he immediately replied, "Me too!"

As he spoke, he stood in front of his wife, shielding her behind him, and said, "My wife, I'll protect her!"

At the same time, she proudly puffed out her small chest.

It made everyone present want to laugh.

No, Tian Yiming wasn't laughing. He quickly stepped forward, pushed Xie Shuyan aside, and stood in front of his sister.

He declared domineeringly, "My sister, I'll protect her!"

Xie Shuyan was not convinced by his arrogance and rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront him again.

Tian Guoguo's eyes are really giving me a headache.

He rubbed his temples helplessly, stood in front of the two of them, and said, "I can protect myself... I don't need your protection!" How could that be?

Xie Shuyan reached out and pulled his wife to his side again, solemnly telling her, "A real man has to protect his wife!"

"Be good, be a good girl!"

Tian Guoguo…

Tian Yiming couldn't stand it any longer and spat out, "Pah! With your skinny monkey-like appearance, you call yourself a man?"

This is an insult!

Xie Shuyan couldn't stand it! He pulled his wife behind him and was about to fight Tian Yiming again.

Before they could make a move, the officers and soldiers who had left earlier, along with Xie Daniu, returned from not far away.

Both of them had big smiles on their faces, clearly indicating that something good had happened, but they didn't say it at the city gate.

The officer in charge of the soldiers was carrying a lot of food. He gave a portion of roasted chestnuts to the guards at the city gate to thank them for letting him into the city. Afterward, he led the Tian family out of the city.

They continued on their way.

On the way, the officers and soldiers curiously asked their leader if he had encountered something good.

The officer in charge looked around and, seeing no outsiders, took out a purse from his pocket and waved it in front of the officers and soldiers.

He said slyly, "Look, what's this?"

What else could that crisp, melodious sound be but money? The officers and soldiers stared wide-eyed.

Even the Tian family and Ding Zhaodi stared wide-eyed.

When they were at the city gate, the officer's purse was clearly empty. How come it was full after entering the city?

Tian Laosan and Tian Laoer, being both men, immediately realized what was happening.

Are they going to gamble?

But they know this, so there's no need for them to say it aloud. Ding Zhaodi, however, has to ask them.

She pulled Xie Daniu aside and pressed him for details, "What exactly happened? Did you rob someone?"

Xie Daniu also had money in his pocket, and he secretly slipped a few copper coins to Ding Zhaodi.

He then lifted her chin and said in a greasy tone, "With a husband as capable as you, why would you need to rob someone? What a joke!"

Ding Zhaodi: "Then where did the money come from?"

Xie Daniu would never tell her that he had gone gambling again.

Back in Qingshan Village, Xie Daniu was actually a gambler, and when he gambled well, he could make a lot of money.

But when you gamble badly...

To put it simply, he even sold Ding Zhaodi's underwear!

For this reason, Ding Zhaodi argued with him for many years, but finally managed to help him kick his gambling addiction.

Xie Daniu also made an agreement with the officers and soldiers to continue gambling in the next county town, and they absolutely could not tell anyone.

Ding Zhaodi was a simpleton; she never imagined that Xie Daniu must have gambled away so much money.

Because the soldiers had already given them directions, they did not continue on the main road.

Otherwise, if you get blocked at the next official road, you'll have to turn back to change your route!

The officers and soldiers led them directly down a side path.

The first two days on the road went smoothly, but it gradually became more difficult afterwards.

Many refugees appeared on the path.

Moreover, the number of refugees here is far greater and their plight far worse than when the Tian family fled famine six months ago.

Putting aside everything else, just look at their clothes.

Autumn has already arrived, and winter is just around the corner next month. The temperature has dropped significantly, yet the refugees on the street are only wearing a single layer of clothing.

Their shoes were already tattered, many refugees were even barefoot, and some had already frozen or starved to death.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the fields were littered with the remains of the starving.

In the past, officers and soldiers mostly escorted prisoners along official roads or through the city, and rarely encountered this situation.

Now, everything I encounter is quite novel.

It's really novel.

The kind of novelty that comes without the slightest sense of awe.

For example, the officers and soldiers didn't take them seriously at all, and didn't even put away the pouches on their waists. As a result, in the evening...

A dozen or so refugees suddenly rushed over and snatched his purse.

Fortunately, the soldiers were carrying knives. The officer in charge shouted a few times, and the soldiers immediately rushed over to kill the refugees.

My wallet is finally safe.

But all the refugees died.

Even though the Tian and Xie families had already escaped a famine once and witnessed the misery of this chaotic world, they were still afraid when they saw this scene.

But while the word "fear" was something the Tian family could truly be cautious about, it was not something Ding Zhaodi could do.

That silly girl Ding Zhaodi actually dared to take out meat and stir-fry it at night.

Before the meat was even cut, refugees were the first to run over.

The refugees didn't just steal meat; they also stole the Xie family's grain.

Moreover, that speed…

When Xie Daniu realized what was happening and tried to ask the soldiers for help, his family's grain had been looted, and even Ding Zhaodi's clothes had been torn to shreds.

Ding Zhaodi was so frightened that she cowered on the ground, trembling.

The Tian family members were also moved to tears.

Everyone's attention was focused on the refugees looting food, except for Tian Guoguo... She had just noticed that the refugees' eyes and faces had an unnatural paleness, and they all seemed to have a...

It smelled like something rotting.

This is very wrong.

But she couldn't figure out what was going on just by looking.

After thinking for a moment, Tian Guoguo took out several modern-style face masks from her spatial storage and handed them to her family.

Without saying much, she first picked up a children's version and put it on her face, then made everyone else put it on too.

Of course, they didn't forget to share some with Xie Shuyan and the others.

Xie Shuyan naturally didn't care what it was; he would accept anything his wife gave him and do as she said.

Ding Zhaodi is doing well too.

Seeing that the Tian family had all put them on, she followed suit and put one on herself.

Xie Shuyan wore it, so it must be something bad. But Xie Da Niu is so stubborn; not only did he not wear it, he looked disgusted with it, and he even told his two sons not to wear it either.

I wonder if it's poisonous?

Is the Tian family planning to kill him so they can inherit his estate?

He won a lot of money last time!

The officers and soldiers were also wary, fearing that the Tian family might poison them, so none of them wore them.

The Tian family naturally wouldn't force them.

They walked for another two days, finally reaching evening when they could rest. The officer in charge of the troops had just sat down when he vomited. But at first, he didn't think much of it.

I assumed it was the sour pie I ate at noon that caused the problem.

Tian Guoguo could clearly see that his eyes and face had begun to turn pale, an unnatural kind of pale.

And his vomit from earlier…

Normal vomit should have a pungent, sour smell, but his vomit smelled putrid.