"Actually, it doesn't matter what we adults eat. The key is not to make the children suffer. Since fleeing the famine, my children have become visibly thinner." Zhang said with concern.
"Sister-in-law, you are right. My child has become thinner recently. Children's poor diet does affect their growth." Li said in agreement.
"Sister-in-law, prepare enough food and more vegetables. Then, prepare the quilts, cotton clothes, and cotton shoes for warmth. Everything else will be easy."
"There's one thing, millet. You can ask Big Brother to buy some for you. Millet can be cooked into millet porridge. Drinking it in winter is warming, nutritious, and easy to digest."
"You can also prepare more brown sugar. It's something you can use at any time." Zhang said after thinking for a while.
"Okay, sister-in-law. I have remembered all the things you mentioned. Thanks so much to you, otherwise I really would not have remembered to buy these things." Li said gratefully.
"These are the things for now. I'll tell you about the rest tomorrow when I think of them. I heard that your eldest brother is going to the city with my head of the family. If they come across something we need, let them buy it themselves. It won't be wasted anyway." Zhang said readily.
"Haha, that's a good point. I like hearing it."
Zhang and Li continued talking about their children.
The atmosphere between Yun the Butcher and Old Man Wu was very tense.
After Yun the Butcher and Old Man Wu shared their thoughts with the village chief, he bluntly stated that he couldn't make the decision and that the villagers had to send representatives to a meeting.
So, when the elders of the clan arrived and the representatives from each household in the village arrived, the village chief told everyone about the ideas of Yun the Butcher and Old Man Wu.
Most villagers agreed to upgrade their cars. Only a few families with many children and relatively poor households were strongly opposed.
"Village Chief, I'm asking everyone to upgrade their vehicles for a reason. I'm also considering that the weather will get colder and our travel speed will slow down. With a cart, we can transport things, the elderly, and children, which will be very convenient."
"Besides, the weather is cold, and adults can sleep on the cold ground. But the elderly, children and women with weak constitutions will catch a cold and fever if they sleep too much." Yun the Butcher loudly stated his reasons.
"Butcher Yun, it's not that we don't want to buy, it's that our family is too poor. It's more important to buy food and have enough to eat now." said an old man with wrinkles on his face.
The old man's family had many children but few adults, and they could usually get enough to eat. But since fleeing the famine, they hadn't had a full meal for a long time.
"Uncle, I understand your difficulties. However, in addition to the two reasons mentioned above, there is another reason that we all have to face."
"The area around us is indeed very dry, so we can live safely on the road to escape the famine. But have you ever thought about what would happen if there was no shortage of water in the mountains on the road ahead?" After saying this, Yun the Butcher looked at everyone.
"My Yiyi reminded me. She said that if there is no shortage of water in the mountains, there will be bandits. I don't need to tell you what the bandits will do, right?" Yun the Butcher continued to ask everyone.
Everyone was very surprised after hearing what Yun the Butcher said. It was probably because the area was too dry, there was no water in the mountains, and no one lived there, so everyone forgot that there were bandits in the mountains.
"We're already exhausted from traveling like this every day. If we run into bandits again, will we have any chance of survival?"
"Yeah, I heard that bandits kill people without blinking an eye."
"If we encounter bandits, how will we survive?"
"How can it be so difficult to escape from the famine? God won't give us a way to survive."
The villagers began to talk and express their panic.
"Be quiet, and stop talking." The village chief stood up and pressed his arms down.
The villagers gradually quieted down. The village chief looked at Yun the Butcher.
"Butcher Yun, what did your Yiyi say exactly? Can you tell us in detail?" asked the village chief.
"My Yiyi said that the closer we get to the river, the less water we'll have. Sooner or later, we'll run into bandits. Yiyi said we have two options. One is to find out the route in advance and avoid the path with the bandits."
"The other way is for us to follow the main group of refugees. Even if we encounter bandits, it all depends on our speed. As long as we're fast enough, we'll be safe."
"However, if we still push the cart now, we will definitely not be able to move fast. Yiyi's idea is that every family has a cart, whether it is a horse cart, a donkey cart, or a mule cart. If we encounter bandits, we can transfer all the things to the cart."
"Let's throw away unnecessary things like carts, and everyone should quickly leave the place where the bandits are." Yun the Butcher said all of Yun Yiyi's thoughts in one breath.
"According to Yiyi's idea, does every family have to have one?" asked the patriarch.
"Elder, that's right. When it gets really cold, our car will be full of people and there will definitely be no room for others to sit."
"Another point is that when danger strikes, the whole family is together, so there's definitely no time to rescue people from other families."
"Yes, that's the truth. Yiyi is right." The second elder said depressedly.
"However, some families really can't come up with the money, so what should we do? Did Yiyi tell us?" The third elder asked directly. He knew that since Yun Yiyi raised the issue, she must have thought of a solution.
"Elder Three, you are the one who understands Yiyi best." Butcher Yun praised.
When the three elders heard what Yun the Butcher said, they smiled happily.
"Yiyi said that those families who really can't afford it can pay half of the money themselves, and the village will help them pay the other half."
"There's not much money left in the village." The village chief interrupted hurriedly.
"Village Chief, don't worry. Yiyi said that most families in our village have bought cars, so we can buy used carriages together. It won't cost much that way."
"For the donkeys, mules, and horses we want to buy, let's buy them together as a village. If we buy more, people will give us a discount." Yun the butcher said calmly.
"That's one idea. What do you families think? Will you buy it? If you do, the village will give you half the money."
"I'm the one who decides to pay for this money. Do you have any objections?" The elder of the clan looked at everyone.
"We have no objection, elders," most villagers agreed. Since it was the village that paid the money, not them, why not do it?
"You better think carefully. If you really run into bandits, and you don't have a car, everyone will just run away. We won't stay and wait for you."
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