Chapter 231
Zhou's army entered Tianshan Town, and Fan Xiaoxiao did not expect that Sang Lan'er's avalanche would not stop them.
But when she looked towards Tianshan Town from the mountainside of Dongshan, she understood why Sang Lan'er couldn't stop them for long.
Because this wasn't an army at all! It was an army and a group of ragged civilians!
The army is small, but the civilian population is large.
Fan Xiaoxiao was stunned by the sight before her. The people behind the army had wound their way from the town to the outside of it.
The woman next to her, surnamed Fan, also gaped, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"What, what's going on?!"
Fan Xiaoxiao frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy about Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang who had been detained by Renle.
"Sister, let's go to Tianshan Town!"
Fan reacted very quickly and immediately realized that her younger sister did not trust her godfather and godmother.
The two quickly descended Dongshan Mountain, settled their home, and then went out.
This time they didn't use a carriage, and Fan Xiaoxiao asked Fan Shi to change into some old clothes from home. She herself wore a thick coat that Aunt Wang had given her.
As they were leaving, Madam Fan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Sister, why are we dressed like this?"
Fan Xiaoxiao's expression was very serious: "Sister, did you notice the civilians following behind the army just now?"
"Hmm, they look like a poor family."
Fan Xiaoxiao nodded: "It seems there has been a disaster outside. We not only need to dress like this today, but we should also try not to let the news that we have food at home in the future. Winter is coming soon, and ordinary people usually don't have any food at home. Those generals brought such a large group of people here, they must be trying to distribute food."
Madam Fan was somewhat taken aback: "Sister, if we're really going to have to distribute grain, it shouldn't be our turn, right?"
Fan Xiaoxiao shook her head slightly, her solemn expression appearing particularly heavy against the backdrop of the wind and snow: "Not necessarily. We were using the name of the Heavenly Venerable before. Besides, we have horses, so in the eyes of outsiders, we should be able to afford money. But sister, remember this: if it's money, we'll contribute readily. But if it's food, we don't have any. We're refugees, and we've been buying food ever since we arrived here. We don't own any land. Right now, they probably won't let us contribute food."
Madam Fan suddenly understood: "I get it now. We dressed like this to mislead people, right?"
"Yes, after all, we're new here, and most of our money is going towards building houses and buying food for our own families. While we'll cooperate if we're asked to contribute, we can't just be fools! The reason we're dressed in such shabby clothes is to let the leaders over there know that we're really short on supplies."
Fan Xiaoxiao spoke very quickly, her feet barely touching the ground. She practically ran all the way to Tianshan Town.
When they arrived in town, they discovered that they weren't the only ones there.
Village Chief Fu and his group of Tiger Three were already waiting there. Fan Xiaoxiao glanced at their clothes. Although they weren't as shabby as theirs, they were still noticeably simpler than usual. After exchanging glances, they nodded knowingly, not showing any overly warm greetings.
A large crowd had already gathered in front of them. Judging from the appearance, people from several nearby villages had come here. Fan Xiaoxiao had to stand on a stone bench to see the scene inside. Several villagers in front were whispering among themselves to the refugees at the back.
"My goodness, how can there be so many people? There must be people from several villages!"
"Yes, yes, oh dear, look how thin they are. Tsk tsk, so pitiful."
"Hey! Stop talking! This isn't going to make us feed them, is it?!"
Fan Xiaoxiao listened to the villagers' conversation calmly, then gave the village chief, Fu, a meaningful look. He glanced at her, knowing she had something to say, and silently walked towards them. Hu San and his group of young men, quick to notice, immediately surrounded the two of them.
"Village chief, how many people know about the distillery?"
Their distilleries use wheat to brew wine, and if people knew they had surplus grain for brewing, Ginkgo Village would be in trouble.
Looking at the bustling crowd in front of him, Village Chief Fu took a step back without making a sound.
"Those who handle the grain are all my own nephews and nieces. My wife, you don't need to worry about them leaking this information."
Fan Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief; she could still trust Village Chief Fu's character. After all, they were in the same boat now, and if something happened to her, Village Chief Fu wouldn't benefit much either.
She gave a soft reply, her gaze returning to Nanming in the center. The area ahead seemed to have stopped; the ragged people huddled together, seemingly trying to keep warm. Fan Xiaoxiao noticed that their exposed skin was covered in purple chilblains. She pursed her lips, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.
There were many people before her, all sorts of faces. The elderly, children, young men, and women. Not a single one of them had a normal build. Everywhere Fan Xiaoxiao looked, they were emaciated, their cheeks sunken. Many also had numb, empty eyes.
Fan Xiaoxiao noticed that children were the fewest in the crowd, followed by women. There was also a small group of people who seemed to have been excluded from the larger group.
It's common for children to struggle to survive during natural disasters. But those families with children before me, even though they themselves were emaciated, still held their children tightly. When they looked at that group of people, their eyes were filled with fear and apprehension.
Fan Xiaoxiao paused slightly, her gaze sweeping over the small group. Most of the people there were young, strong men. Although they were also thin and sallow-faced, they looked much better than ordinary refugees.
Someone noticed Fan Xiaoxiao looking at them. The person grinned at Fan Xiaoxiao, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. His eyes were filled with a fierce light. Fan Xiaoxiao felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. What kind of look was that! It didn't look like he was looking at a person at all! It was more like he was looking at…food.
She was startled by her own thoughts, and felt a growing sense of apprehension towards that small group of people.
Village Chief Fu lowered his eyes, turned his head slightly to Hu San and instructed, "Recently, tell the women in the village to keep a close eye on their children. Before next autumn harvest, make sure no child is left alone."
Fan Xiaoxiao froze, glancing slowly at Village Chief Fu.
The latter noticed her movements and gestured to Fan Xiaoxiao and the others to follow them out of the bustling crowd.
"My lady, you mustn't be alone these next few days. That small group of people might not survive—"
"Eating people!"
(End of this chapter)
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