"What's wrong with Xiaocao?" Zhao Youtian asked with concern.
“She’s always sleeping. I’m worried something might be wrong with her, so I thought I’d have a doctor check her out so I can have peace of mind,” Li Rou Niang said.
Xiuer quietly held Xiaocao, feeling worried, but in this chaotic situation, it was fortunate that Rongniang was willing to take her Xiaocao to the city to see a doctor.
"Well, how about this, I'll take Xiaocao into the city. After all, things are chaotic with war, and I'm afraid you, a woman, might cause trouble by taking a child into the city alone." Zhao Youtian was still very cautious.
"Okay, then." Li Rouniang didn't insist. Actually, she had a spatial ability and originally planned to buy more things to put in it, but seeing the situation, it was indeed the case. There was no place to disguise herself here, and it wouldn't be good for her to go into the city and cause unnecessary trouble.
She could only turn back to Xiu'er for her opinion. Xiu'er didn't want to hand Xiao Cao over to Zhao Youtian; she trusted no one except Li Rou Niang. But looking at the child in her arms, she gritted her teeth and handed Xiao Cao over anyway.
Everyone chimed in with their requests to Zhao Youtian, and Li Rouniang, like the others, gave him all the useless things she had stored in her spatial storage and any valuables she had on hand, hoping he could help her exchange them for more grain.
Seeing that he couldn't possibly carry all the items himself, and fearing that buying too many for this emergency might attract unwanted attention, Zhao Youtian found three more men to accompany him. This way, the four grown men could safely enter the city together and avoid arousing suspicion.
Everyone agreed and chipped in the money. Zhao Dahua was naturally unwilling, but she couldn't persuade Xiao Hulu, so she sat down on the side, pouting.
And so, they arrived at the city gate, paid the fee, and went inside. Zhao Youtian first took Xiaocao to see a doctor. There was nothing wrong, just that the child was too weak. The doctor prescribed some medicine. The main concern was increasing her nutrition. Zhao Youtian was helpless; they had been eating and sleeping in the open for so long, they were already grateful to be able to eat their fill, so who cared about nutrition?
Afterwards, everyone went around buying a lot of food and other things to store before leaving the city in the evening.
As he left the city, he overheard people discussing how the city's philanthropist was distributing porridge again, and that it might take too long to sustain such a distribution. Zhao Youtian's heart sank. When he came out, he saw his fellow villagers already lining up to receive porridge.
Li Rou Niang had Old Man Mo watch over the children and Xiu'er, who were also queuing up. The Dahe brothers were also queuing up together. The queue was very long, and the three large pots that were originally quite big seemed insignificant in the eyes of these people. They probably thought that even if each person only had a spoonful, they wouldn't be full.
Zhao Youtian didn't say anything, quickly put his things down, and joined the others in queuing. Each person only got a small spoonful. It wasn't enough to fill their stomachs, but it would at least warm them up.
After they finished eating, Zhao Youtian quickly distributed the supplies he had bought to everyone before the sun set, and also told them about Xiaocao's condition. Only then was Xiuer relieved.
That night, as usual, Li Rouniang built a tent out of large tree branches, and the whole family squeezed inside.
The little tent she bought is very practical; it can shield her from wind and rain, is moisture-proof, and keeps her warm. Although it's late winter now, it's still quite cold, so it's best not to get sick at this time; nothing else matters.
Early the next morning, Zhao Xiaotian prepared to pack his bags and leave. He asked everyone one last time who wanted to continue south with him. To his surprise, everyone was ready to go with him. He felt a warm glow in his heart at that moment, deeply moved. It was clear that everyone respected him as their clan leader. At the same time, he felt immense pressure. With so many people, old and young, it would be difficult to keep them all safe on the journey south. But he said nothing, because everyone understood the situation.
He could only say firmly, "Thank you all for your trust in me, Zhao Youtian. I swear to God, this trip south will definitely find a place where everyone can be properly settled. On this journey south, no matter who it is, I will not abandon them. We will unite as one and we will definitely rebuild Zhao Family Village."
"Yes, we are united. Don't worry, clan chief, I will definitely follow you. What kind of Zhao Family Village would it be without you?"
Someone started it, and everyone else followed suit. So the group continued their journey south. There were so many refugees that they dared not light a fire, for fear of being robbed.
Zhao Dahua in the group pouted, but she didn't object. Her main objection was directed at Zhao Hulu, but last night, when Zhao Youtian distributed the purchased supplies, she clearly realized that the eyes of the surrounding refugees were gleaming with greed.
Perhaps they were wary of the large number of people in their group, which is why they didn't openly rob her. If she had stayed behind alone, the outcome wouldn't have been so pleasant.
Of course, some villagers who planned to stay shared Zhao Dahua's idea, so they decided to continue south. After all, there is strength in numbers, and it is always safer to travel together as a group, rather than living a difficult life alone.
They continued on the official road and, around noon, found a place nestled against the mountains and beside the water; the environment was quite pleasant.
So Zhao Youtian told everyone to fill their water bags here, cook a meal, and continue their journey, hoping to reach the next city before dark. Of course, he knew this was unlikely; even traveling by oxcart, it usually took several days between cities, and they couldn't possibly reach their destination quickly this way.
Anyway, let's eat first and then talk about it.
Li Rou Niang didn't have anyone around her fill the water container; she went herself. Actually, under the guise of filling the container, she filled it entirely with water from her spatial storage. She wanted everyone else to drink the spiritual spring water, but she couldn't just openly give it to them.
She understood the principle that "a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."
The Dahe brothers were two simpletons. They really thought that Li Rouniang's little bundle was like a treasure chest, containing everything imaginable.
Li Rou Niang was upstream, and when she was filling the water tank, she subtly added some of the space water into the water. This way, everyone wouldn't be able to drink pure space water, but they would still absorb some of its power, which hopefully would improve everyone's physical strength.
This was the best Li Rouniang could do for everyone while protecting herself.
After a meal and a short rest, Xiaocao took her medicine and felt much better. She was able to sit there and talk to Sanni and Xiaoshan.
Looking at Xiaocao's well-behaved appearance, Li Rouniang felt a pang of pity. This child had such a hard life. She was usually very obedient, not very talkative, and had little presence, but she adored Xiaoshan and Sanni. Although they were both several months younger than her, she often held their hands and talked to them—not exactly what the three little children were saying, but rather giggles and babbling—which Li Rouniang couldn't understand.
Da Ni and Er Ni were still children, and although the environment was harsh, they adapted quickly and started playing with the other children in the village.
Hearing the carefree laughter of children, adults feel both emotional and behaviorally conflicted.
I so hope we can settle down soon!
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