Lu Chuan didn't mince words and asked directly, "I'm a farmer from a nearby village. I've noticed more and more people heading south with their families on the official road. Is something happening in the north?"

"Young master, don't you know? There's been fighting in the north, and we're all deserters who fled the country."

Lu Chuan continued, "Deserts and chaos? Where are the able-bodied men in your family? All I see are the elderly, women, and children, and I rarely see any able-bodied men."

The old man sighed, his eyes brimming with tears, but he still replied, "Dead, all dead. We don't even know where the ones who aren't dead are, or if they're still alive."

All the able-bodied men in the family were conscripted to fight on the battlefield, and those who remained were killed by the marauding soldiers. Left with no other choice, this old man could only lead the elderly, women, and children south. The family had to survive; if they all died, the lineage would end. If that happened, I would have no face to face my ancestors in the afterlife.”

"May I ask if it would be convenient for you to tell me in detail, sir?" Lu Chuan said, then took out two pieces of dry rations from his bundle.

Seeing this, the old man was even less in a hurry to leave. He knew that food was a very precious commodity during the war, and the government had taken all the grain money from his family's harvest. His whole family could only rely on wild vegetables to fill their stomachs every day.

These three pieces of dry food can last the whole family half a month if they eat them sparingly. If I want dry food, I should make sure it's worth the value of these three pieces.

The old man decided not to leave. He gestured for his family to sit down and rest, which was a good opportunity for them to catch their breath.

The old man then began to tell Lu Chuan about the recent events that had occurred in the north.

It turns out the old man was from Zhang County, which is only two or three cities away from here. There is currently a war going on there. Originally, his family did not plan to flee, and there was an army protecting them. Although life was a bit tough, they were still safe.

However, during the battle between the army and the enemy, the enemy infiltrated the county town and began burning, killing, and looting. They killed everyone they saw, regardless of age or gender.

The family already had able-bodied men who had been conscripted into the army, leaving only the youngest son and eldest grandson at home. With insufficient manpower, they were unable to resist.

However, when the mutinous soldiers arrived, in order to protect their families, they were ultimately killed by the mutinous soldiers.

In the end, to save his life, the old man had no choice but to pack his belongings and escape with the rest of his family overnight.

Lu Chuan was puzzled: "Didn't our soldiers notice when the mutinous soldiers sneaked into the county town?"

"It was discovered, but it was too late. Many people had already been killed."

Later, everyone began to consider fleeing the famine. General Qin ordered that no one be hindered from escaping, so many people took their families and headed south.

As he spoke, the old man burst into tears, probably thinking about how difficult his life had been.

First came the natural disaster, and we barely survived it, but our family suffered heavy losses. Fortunately, some of us survived.

I thought that after returning home I could live a peaceful life, but who would have thought that war would break out again as soon as we settled down, and I was especially unlucky to experience the chaos of war.

Although in this era, wars do not involve indiscriminate killing of civilians, there are always some people who break the agreement and take the opportunity to cause trouble.

After several years of natural and man-made disasters, they barely managed to survive, but they were no longer a large family.

The old man was so pitiful. He had to bury his son, and after living most of his life, his family members were all passing away one by one.

The old man said that now only his three children from his first wife, his second wife's daughter-in-law and two young grandsons, his third wife's daughter-in-law and the youngest granddaughter, and himself are left.

Lu Chuan sighed upon hearing this and asked, "So where do you plan to escape to?"

The old man sighed, "I don't know, I'll just take it one step at a time. The world is in chaos, it's too hard to live."

Lu Chuan also sighed, "Yes, living is too hard. But these things are finally coming to an end."

Lu Chuan thought to himself, "One year, just one more year. After one year, the people of this world will usher in a new life. But in just one year, how many people will die, how many families will be broken? This seemingly insignificant year is built up with countless precious lives."

Lu Chuan was also very fortunate to have met Xu Han. Heaven knows, if Lu Chuan had not met Xu Han, he probably wouldn't be alive now.

Without Xu Han, Lu Chuan might have died long ago. He might have died during a drought without food or water, or been swept away by floods, or died on the road to escape famine, or be conscripted into the army, or die on the battlefield.

In short, without Xu Han, given my previous circumstances, it would have been very difficult for me to survive.

Perhaps, like most people, I was unable to survive this year of disaster and chaos.

Although the old man heard Lu Chuan say that it was almost over, he didn't take it seriously and just thought that Lu Chuan was looking forward to the future.

The two chatted for a few more minutes, and Lu Chuan inquired about the battle situation at the front. Then the old man got up and left.

Looking at the fleeing people on the road, Lu Chuan suddenly felt incredibly small and powerless.

The Taoist priest stepped out from the side and kicked Lu Chuan. "Alright, mind your own business. What's that word that girl always uses? Oh, right, Holy Mother, don't be so saintly here. Don't end up hurting yourself."

Lu rubbed his sore buttocks from his master's kick, pouted, and said, "I know, Master. Although I sympathize with them, I'm not a saint. I have a wife and a son; they are the most important people to me. Even for their sake, I wouldn't do anything."

On the contrary, if something happens one day, I will not hesitate to point the knife at my wife and children in order to protect them.

I was just expressing my feelings. If it weren't for Xiaohan and all of you, I might have died long ago. How could I have the life I have now, with my wife and kids doing well? That's my greatest happiness.

The Taoist priest punched Lu Chuan in the chest and threatened, "You'd better know this. If I find out you've wronged the girl, I'll cripple you. I guarantee I'll cut you into a thousand pieces and feed you to the dogs."

Lu Chuan chuckled mischievously, "Don't worry, I definitely won't give you that chance."

The Taoist priest glanced at the disappointing Lu Chuan, then kicked him again, saying irritably, "It had better be that way, otherwise I will definitely not let you off the hook."

"Hehehe, don't worry, Master."

The two stopped bickering, and the Taoist priest took the lead and said, "Let's go and take a look at the village ahead."

Lu Chuan quickly followed, and when they arrived at the village, they found it unusually quiet.

Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest hid in the shadows and observed for a while. They saw that everyone's face was lifeless, and the smiles they had shown at the beginning were gone.

In the village, most households kept their doors and windows tightly shut, and few people came out.