"Chieftain, look. Isn't there a city up ahead?"
For two days in a row, everyone was so hungry that they had no strength left. At this moment, Dog Egg's father pointed ahead and said to Zhao Youtian.
Li Rouniang also looked up and saw a faint outline ahead. She blinked carefully, afraid that she was seeing things, but it really was a city!
Dahe and Erhe exclaimed happily, "It really is a city! That's great! We're saved!"
The others were also inspired and suddenly had strength. Along the way, there were corpses of the starving everywhere. It's no exaggeration to say that many people starved to death on the road: there were the elderly, children, and women. It was a truly horrifying sight.
They supported each other; Li Rouniang helped Old Man Mo, carrying the two children on her back as they walked forward. Dahe and Erhe, being very loyal, each carried one child, while Xiuer carried Xiaocao.
Little Grass had just escaped death from the plague, but then hunger struck. Her already chubby face was now skin and bones from hunger, and her two big eyes bulged out, looking somewhat frightening and heartbreaking.
Li Rouniang didn't have much breast milk for Xiaoshan and Sanni'er. During this time, they were only surviving on water from their spatial storage, and occasionally they would cook some wild vegetable soup, but neither of them liked to drink it. They weren't as lively as usual, and Old Man Mo was heartbroken. However, he was old and frail and could hardly support them, and he even had trouble carrying Xiaoshan on his back. So Li Rouniang used the willow branches from the surrounding area to weave a large carrying frame so that she could carry both children together.
When the group saw the city, they mustered their courage and walked forward. As they got closer, they saw a huge crowd of people at the city gate.
When the group arrived, they saw the two large characters "Fengcheng" written on the city gate.
After settling the children and Old Man Mo in, Li Rou Niang left Erhe behind and took Dahe with her into the crowd, hoping to find something to eat.
Other families did the same. The young and strong tried to find food. After all, there were so many people, it was impossible to find enough for everyone at once. They had to spread out and work in groups, and whoever got something was lucky.
Li Rouniang and Dahe walked into the crowd, which consisted mostly of refugees. Just then, the city gate opened, but it was heavily guarded. Some small vendors came out carrying rice and grain. The refugees surrounded them, and one of the vendors shouted, "I'm not doing charity here. I need money. If you have money, come and buy. If you don't have money, step back."
Li Rouniang and Dahe exchanged a glance, deciding to observe for a while first.
"Please, please save my poor child! He's only three years old and has been starving for two days!" A woman cried as she stepped forward and kowtowed.
However, pleading poverty had no effect; the unscrupulous merchants remained unmoved!
The other refugees stood there, bewildered and stuck, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Most refugees who make it this far are penniless.
"If you want grain but don't have money, you can trade your children for it, but only children!" At this moment, a weasel-faced peddler opened the grain beside him, drawing envious glances from the crowd.
However, he was followed by eight burly men, armed with weapons, so the starving refugees, too weak to resist, didn't dare to rob him.
"Are you telling the truth? You can exchange children for food? How does that work?" someone asked, their mind racing.
"It's very simple. One small bag of grain is enough for one child. Half a bag for a girl, and a full bag for a boy." The vendor took out a small bag about the size of a palm.
What can this possibly do? But if we cook rice porridge with wild vegetables, it should last for another three to five days.
"I'll switch!" a man shouted.
"Honey, you can't treat our child like this!" cried the woman holding the baby beside the man.
"Wife, listen to me, if the three of us continue like this, we'll starve to death. This child has been hungry for three days. If she were switched with someone else, she might have a chance to live. But staying with us means certain death," the man said sorrowfully.
The woman stopped talking, just held the child and cried. The man hardened his heart, snatched the child away, and gave it to the vendor.
The child was too weak from hunger to move, but with his big, tearful eyes, he cried out, "Father, Mother, I don't want to go!"
The vendor happily filled a bag to the brim and handed it to the man, saying, "That's right! Everyone should think positively. What time is it now? Being alive is good, better than dying together. Anything else you want to exchange?"
Once this started, many other families came forward to exchange their old ones.
Li Rou Niang stopped the woman beside her and said, "Da Ya Niang, are you going to replace your big teeth?"
Yes, this woman was Daya Niang from their Zhao Family Village. Daya Niang said with a sorrowful expression, "If we don't exchange her, are we just going to leave her to die?"
Daya hugged her mother tightly, tears streaming down her face: "Mom, I'm good. I can eat wild vegetable soup, I can gnaw on tree roots. Please don't let me leave you, okay?"
Daya's mother squatted down, hugged Daya, and cried, saying, "Daya, it's not that your mother doesn't want you to stay, but look, our only son, Baogen, is starving to death. You may not be a mother or a father, but we can't let the Zhao family line die out. Before your grandfather died on the mountain, he entrusted your parents to make sure that we protect our Baogen."
Daya stopped struggling; she just cried, but obeyed her mother.
Li Rouniang also let go, perhaps exchanging her for someone else would be a better outcome.
Just then, a woman suddenly rushed out, shouting, "Don't believe him! He's a liar! He sells these children to wealthy businessmen with peculiar tastes. The children get a full meal at best, and they'll be played to death within three days. Don't hand your children over to this trafficker! That's how my child died. Yesterday, he was taken from the city and dumped in a mass grave. There are already so many children piled up there! If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself!"
Upon hearing this, everyone paused. Those who had switched children quickly said, "I don't want to switch anymore! Give me back my child!"
But it's not that easy!
The vendor said coldly, "This crazy woman is someone who's jealous of us and sent her to cause trouble. We're doing legitimate business; the child will be sold to a wealthy family to be their servant. Don't listen to her nonsense!"
However, many people still want their children back. They are their own flesh and blood. They sold their children out of desperation to give them a chance to live. There is no reason for them to send their children to their deaths!
"The deal is done, there's no going back. Do you want to break the contract? Then it won't just be this small bag of grain you have to return. It'll be ten times the amount!" He waved the written agreement in his hand as he spoke.
However, all those who exchanged children had to leave their fingerprints, and how many of these refugees could read?
I was so dizzy and confused that I pressed the buttons without thinking! Now there's a chorus of crying.
Daya looked at her mother, and her mother looked at Daya. Daya's mother hesitated.
At that moment, Da Ya's father rushed over from behind, grabbed Da Ya's hand, and said, "Let's switch!"
Daya's mother grabbed Daya's father and said, "Honey, let's think of another way!"
But everyone's father said, "Baogen'er has already fainted from hunger!"
Da Ya's mother lowered her head and remained silent, quietly letting go of her hand.
Zhao Daya's eyes were filled with disappointment.
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