Chapter 093: Strategies for the Eastern Cities 3
The bunk bed smelled of sweat.
For safety reasons, and because there were not many houses in the village, a dozen or so children lay together with several strong young men. They were so crowded that the beds would creak if they turned over.
But even if it didn't turn over, the rotten wooden windows would still rattle in the autumn wind. The roof, which was originally made of straw mats woven by the villagers, often leaked and smelled of dust.
But no matter how rotten this house is, it was built by the village chief and Arthur and others with their own hands. They took great pains to settle down here, and now they have to leave, so they can't help but feel melancholy and unbearable.
"Dad, are you worried?" a child whispered in his ear.
The village chief felt a warmth in his chest, and a little kid came over to him, "Don't worry so much, kid. Go to sleep!"
The child pouted, "Father, I'm ten years old now. You shouldn't treat me like a child anymore! Last night, Brother Arthur and I even hunted a hedgehog together! When I grow up, I'll be like Brother Arthur and hunt down fire-breathing turkeys, blazing bulls, and red-hot horses for you. I'll make sure you all have enough to eat!"
Listening to his lofty words, the village chief felt a pang of sadness. "When the village has enough money, we'll send you to school."
"What's so good about going to school?" the child pouted. "Can it give me good food and drink?"
The village chief chuckled helplessly: "Alright! Go to sleep, Dennis. Don't you want to be a hunter? Then you have to go to bed early, otherwise you won't have the energy to hunt tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow, I don't want to go hunting..." Dennis suddenly became embarrassed.
"Why?"
"Because I want to go with you to see Ankang Town tomorrow!"
Looking at Dennis's expectant eyes, the village chief laughed dumbly, "What's so good about this?"
"We want to go too!"
Suddenly, several other young men poked their heads out and chirped in unison, like little sparrows:
"Ankang Town must be fun!"
"I guess it's about the same size as our village? There's a stream, and they usually rely on hunting for a living?"
"Humph, don't get your hopes up too high. It's not like you haven't been cheated before."
"Tsk, if you have the guts, don't go!"
“…”
Listening to the children split into two groups, each holding an opinion, the village chief suddenly realized: It turns out that they haven't slept yet, and are all here to show their concern!
Despite their differing opinions, the children were unanimous:
"Go, everyone go!" The village chief smiled kindly.
These kids are just trying to find something new, they will definitely forget about it tomorrow!
*
Arthur's well-dressed hunting team and a group of little radishes must have stared at each other. Looking at the village chief with a guilty look on his face, Arthur felt helpless and said, "Father, why did you agree to something you couldn't do?"
The village chief's voice gradually faded. "I didn't...I thought they were just talking."
Who would have thought that these children were not even as tall as their waists, but they were very mobile. They packed up their belongings while they were having breakfast and took all their belongings with them, even though they were just a few feathers, wooden slingshots and the like.
"We're going to take a look!"
"I don't believe that Ankang Town is really that good! I must go and take a look!"
"Wow, wow, Uncle Arthur doesn't want us anymore!"
"Wow!"
“…”
The children rolled over and wailed, leaving Arthur helpless.
After a long while, he nodded and said, "Okay, let's go together."
The village chief frowned, "No! How can we let them do this? The road is so dangerous..."
Arthur shook his head. "No, Village Chief, a lot of people have been going to Ankang Town recently, so it's actually safer. If we go back to pick up these children later, not only will the weather be cold, but we might also encounter a tornado. I'm afraid it will be dangerous."
"You're right," the village chief sighed. "Alas, I'm old and useless, and I don't think things through clearly anymore. So let's do this. The strongest young men will take their children and go first. If they find a town good, they'll be responsible for settling down there and then bring the other women and men over."
Arthur nodded, and the rest of the townspeople agreed.
The group carried their tattered luggage and the money that other townspeople had pooled together for them, waved goodbye, and set off.
The money was not enough for a round trip, so they had to work in Ankang Town for a while.
I just hope Ankang Town is worth it.
They prayed silently in their hearts.
*
As Arthur expected, many people along the way were townspeople traveling to and from Oez or other towns in the east. They brought their families and headed towards Ankang Town without hesitation.
Among them, there were also residents of Ankang Town who went to Oez Town to pick up their relatives or parents to take home, or to travel back and forth for business. For a while, the usually desolate road became bustling.
Every evening, when the people of Ankang Town warm themselves by the fire, they often share the mellow wine or wheat porridge in their hands with others.
Even the Taohuawu villagers, who had never met them before, were forced to drink a few cups.
Bonfires lit up, and the aroma of grapes and wine rose slowly. The young men looked at the flames reflected in their cups, feeling both moved and sad. They didn't drink, but pushed the wine to the children, saying, "Share it among you!"
The child swallowed and finally pushed it out, "Brother, don't you want to drink?"
"We don't like drinking." Several young men lied.
"Really?"
"Um."
The children then began to drink up the wine. After the mellow and sweet wine went down their throats, they felt refreshed, but a blush appeared on their cheeks.
They swore it was the best thing they had ever tasted in their lives, so much so that the water in the kettle and the dry bread tasted dull.
Lin De, who happened to be walking back between the two cities, saw this and couldn't help but stop them, saying, "Hey, why are you letting kids drink?"
Arthur rubbed his rough palms silently, "Warm them up."
Lind and Alex were stunned. Seeing these people in tattered clothes, huddled together in the cold, they immediately understood.
The two of them were speechless, and just silently followed the example of other townspeople in Ankang Town, taking out a few pots of mead, some beef jerky, a few jars of candied fruit, and a lot of hard baguettes to share with them.
Then he called out, "Can you guys warm up my wine by the fire? I won't light a fire, it's too much trouble. Thanks!"
The children took the wine, heated it up for the two men over the lit bonfire, and handed it to them.
Lind and Alex smiled gently. "Here's some mead and some sweet bread with butter. You can try some as a thank you for the bonfire."
The children licked their dry lips hungrily, but once they smelled the honey, they knew it wasn't cheap. "Thank you, uncle. We won't drink it anymore."
What? Uncle? Then why is Arthur called brother?
Linde and Alex twitched their lips.
Arthur coughed twice and said, "I'm only seventeen."
No wonder.
Lind and Alex were surprised. Looking at Arthur's broad back and round waist, angry eyes and mature face, they thought he was at least twenty-six or twenty-seven.
Life makes people grow old.
"Thank you for your hard work," Lin De said with emotion, "Everything will be fine once you get to Ankang Town."
Alex was not good at speaking, so he just poured bowl after bowl of mead and mixed it with oatmeal, and handed it to them, "Come on, drink!"
The bonfire lit up, illuminating the innocent faces of the children. They happily drank mead and ate soft bread, feeling their chests warm and surrounded by the warmth as they imagined the future.
“Can everyone in Ankang Town afford these?”
"Yeah! That's definitely the case! Every uncle and aunt from Ankang Town I met on the road was so nice!"
"I will work hard at hunting to repay my uncles and aunts!"
"If Ankang Town is really like this, then maybe I was wrong a few days ago. Ankang Town is really better than Taohuawu Village!"
“…”
Hearing the children's words, Arthur became even more silent. "Thank you for the blue-level food. I owe you today, and I will definitely repay you tomorrow."
Lin De subconsciously wanted to say that there was no need to be so polite. After a long silence, he just nodded.
The village chief was chewing on the hard dry food he had brought with him, and he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
He now gradually believed that Ankang Town might be a good place.
Perhaps it's just the people of Ankang Town who are like this? They help others without undermining their dignity, and always ask them to do something for them, like warming wine or exchanging food.
This kind of kindness is like a gurgling stream, slow but powerful.
Is their lord also such a person?
*
Finally, after half a month of sleeping in the open and traveling long distances, the villagers of Taohuawu Village arrived in Ankang Town.
Although the journey was smooth and the surrounding streets were cleaned by the guards of Ankang Town, the villagers still shuddered.
They make a living by hunting. How will they make a living when the time comes?
"Don't worry, there is always a way." The village chief stroked his goatee and comforted Arthur.
Arthur nodded and focused his attention on Ankang Town.
To be precise, it is Ankang City.
This place is much bigger than they imagined.
Looking up, the city wall is so high that you can't see the top. The blue marble is arranged in a disorderly manner, which is majestic. There is a transparent protective cover on the inside, which cannot be seen if you don't pay attention.
Arthur and the villagers lined up to register one by one. They were so shocked that a thin layer of sweat appeared on their palms, which they had to secretly wipe with coarse linen.
Unlike adults, children don't hide their thoughts in their hearts. They just exclaimed, "Oh my God, Ankang Town is so big! Oh no, they should call it Ankang City! It's bigger than I imagined, even bigger than the city of Oez that I visited!"
"It's so beautiful! They even planted roses at the city gate. They're so fresh and red! This city is so special!"
"It's it's it... Ankang City is much better than Taohuawu Village. I was wrong! We came to the right place!"
“…”
At this time, the sandstorm had stopped, and Ankang Town had regained its former vitality. Some townspeople were active and even started businesses outside the city:
"A fan, a pear blossom fan, a unique souvenir from Ankang Town! 10 copper coins each! A couple's pair for 15 copper coins! Warranty included if it breaks within two months!"
"Water! Clear well water! One copper coin a cup, sterilized at high temperature. Who wants it?"
"Are you tired of standing in line? Small stools! Rent one for 2 copper coins, and it's yours until you get to the city! No deposit required!"
“…”
Hearing this, Arthur couldn't help but be surprised. "Who goes out without water? Will anyone really spend money to buy it?"
"Hey, where did you come from, you young brat?" the well water vendor suddenly stood up. "What do you have against me? The labor to draw water is free? And there's no tax on setting up a stall? Besides, I have to boil the water! Say it again, one copper coin a cup. Is that expensive?"
Arthur opened his mouth, "Well... maybe it's not expensive, but it's also... not cheap."
The water seller: “…”
After a while, the water seller rolled his eyes and said, "Kid, seeing that you're new here, I won't bother with you. Just wait in line and watch! I can definitely sell a hundred or eighty cups today!"
Arthur curled his lips indifferently.
The more he watched, the more he refused to believe that there really was such a sucker!
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