Xixi grew increasingly anxious as she looked at it, tilting her head back and making irritable, babbling sounds.
Hearing her daughter's anxious voice and the faint sadness in her eyes, Madam Liu gently comforted her.
"It's alright. Are you worried about your mother? Your mother will be fine."
Not only did Madam Liu hear Xixi's suggestion, but Madam Tao and Old Lady Zhu also heard it.
After a moment of silence, Old Mrs. Zhu was the first to come to her senses and hurriedly instructed her daughter-in-law.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, you come down to the cellar with me to find food, second daughter-in-law, you guard the door."
Upon hearing this, Tao nodded to Old Lady Zhu, quickly picked up a wooden stick from the ground, and stood nervously at the door.
Old Mrs. Zhu was worried that Zhu Yanyan and the others would break in, so in order to save time, she led Liu to the front of the cellar.
The cellar had been unused for years, and the door knocker was rusted. It took Old Mrs. Zhu all her strength to pull the wooden door up.
The unpleasant smell hit them as soon as the wooden door was opened, causing both Old Lady Zhu and Madam Liu to cover their noses in discomfort.
After the pungent smell dissipated, Grandma Zhu covered her nose with a handkerchief and looked down.
The cellar was pitch black, but there was a wooden ladder leading down the passage.
Seeing this, Old Lady Zhu quickly took out a tinderbox from her bosom, lit it, and then slowly went downstairs with the help of Madam Liu.
After seeing Old Lady Zhu go downstairs, Liu quickly took out a handkerchief and tied her daughter to her arms.
Then, following in Grandma Zhu's footsteps, they carefully climbed down into the cellar.
The cellar smelled musty and contained several shelves covered in cobwebs.
After waiting for Liu to come down, Old Lady Zhu reached out and shielded her daughter-in-law behind her, whispering instructions.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, follow behind me. The cellar hasn’t been used for a long time, and we don’t know what kind of dirty things are inside.”
Upon hearing Old Lady Zhu's reminder, Liu Shi instantly became frightened, clutching her mother-in-law's sleeve and shrinking behind her.
Grandma's words made Xixi more wary, and she curiously glanced around at her surroundings.
After confirming that there was no danger around, she waved her little hand and put more food on the shelf.
What people lack most right now are medicinal herbs and warm clothing.
Xixi plans to take out hand warmers, electric blankets that don't require electricity, and basic medicines she needs from her space.
To avoid arousing suspicion from her grandmother and mother, she hid the items in a secluded corner.
Only after everything was arranged did she finally smile with relief.
[Whew! The supplies have been distributed; now it's time for Grandma and Mom to go treasure hunting.]
The air in the cellar is stagnant; we need to find supplies and leave as soon as possible.
Otherwise, staying here for too long could very likely cause you to faint.
Liu listened silently to Xixi's reminder from behind Old Madam Zhu. After hesitating for a moment, she walked out directly from behind Old Madam Zhu.
"Mom, I'll help you look too, that way we can save time."
After she finished speaking, she wasted no more time, took out a tinderbox from her bosom, and looked around nervously.
Seeing this, Old Lady Zhu did not stop Liu and searched in another direction.
About half an hour later, Madam Liu and Old Lady Zhu found food and herbs on different shelves.
Liu placed several cloth bags she found on the shelf on the table and curiously took out the contents.
Upon seeing the red packaging, she excitedly handed it to Grandma Zhu.
"Mom, isn't this the little cube that can keep you warm?"
"There are also herbs and some warm clothing."
Grandma Zhu also found two bags of rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes on the shelf, looking at the supplies that weighed a full five pounds.
She was so excited that her eyes reddened, and she nodded repeatedly after looking at the hand warmer in Liu's hand.
"We have food on the way. Quick, go up and tell the second son's wife this good news."
Liu happily followed behind Old Lady Zhu, carrying her cloth bag, and could only move forward toward the wooden ladder.
However, just as the two climbed onto the wooden frame, they heard Tao's agitated arguing coming from upstairs.
"Zhu Yanyan, what do you want to do? Don't think I'm afraid of you just because there are more of you."
"Oh no, the second son's wife is in danger."
To protect Liu, Zhu Laitai pulled her to the shelf as she was about to go upstairs, handed her all the supplies, and gave her a serious explanation.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, don't go up there, stay here and watch over these supplies. I'll go up and see what's going on."
"Mother, if it really is Zhu Yanyan up there, then it will be dangerous for you to go up alone."
Liu heard Tao arguing upstairs and, not wanting her mother-in-law to face it alone, grabbed her hand and pleaded with her.
"Mother, let me go up with you. I don't feel comfortable letting you face this alone."
Old Mrs. Zhu didn't want to waste time on this issue. She pushed away Liu's hand and decisively turned to walk upstairs.
Liu staggered a few steps, watching her mother-in-law gradually disappear down the stairs, and anxiously pursed her lips as she began to cry softly.
When Xixi heard her mother crying, her little face scrunched up like a bitter gourd as she looked up at the situation upstairs.
At this moment, Old Lady Zhu had climbed out of the cellar and onto the surface, looking at the people in front of her with a sullen face.
When Tao saw her mother-in-law come up, she quickly turned around and went to her, shielding her behind her and saying anxiously.
"Mother, why did you come up here?"
Zhu Yanyan led several men dressed in short-sleeved cloth shirts, with headscarves, faces covered, and sickles tied to their waists.
She stood smugly with her arms crossed in the middle of the group, her face full of disdain.
"Oh! Who did we think it was? It's you, old man! Why are you rushing up here to die?"
"Zhu Yanyan, you persistent evil spirit, I shouldn't have taken pity on you and brought your family to the capital."
When Old Mrs. Zhu saw Zhu Yanyan's aggressive manner, she was so angry that she pulled Tao Shi behind her and scolded her loudly.
Zhu Yanyan completely ignored Old Lady Zhu's curses and impatiently picked at her ear.
"You old geezer, I advise you to watch your mouth, and I might spare your life for the sake of what happened back then."
"If you keep spewing nonsense, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Old Mrs. Zhu had long since seen life and death, and Zhu Yanyan's threats did not frighten her.
Instead, she felt sorry for Zhu Yanyan and a mocking smile appeared on her face.
"Zhu Yanyan, this old woman has one foot in the grave. You can't threaten me."
These words instantly enraged Zhu Yanyan. Her eyes reddened as she glared fiercely at Old Lady Zhu, only to suddenly notice the open cellar behind Old Lady Zhu.
She instantly became interested in the cellar, if Old Lady Zhu was the one who stole the spatial resources.
She would definitely put the supplies in the cellar and then lead everyone down into the cellar to search for them.
Thinking of this, she turned around and instructed the guards behind her, speaking loudly.
“There must be food in the cellar. You go and tie these two up, the rest of you come down to the cellar with me.”
The guards were stunned when they heard Zhu Yanyan's words, and looked hesitantly at Old Madam Zhu and Madam Tao in front of them.
“Miss Zhu, our caravan has rules that we cannot bully women and the elderly.”
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