Yunjia Village, located in the northern Jingzhou, was the fief of the Second Prince, Xie Lan. Speaking of this, it's necessary to discuss the prevailing situation. The current emperor, Xie Feng, is an inactive, hedonistic, and heavy tax collector. This has led to a destitute life for the people, leaving the lower classes in dire straits. The eldest, Xie Jing, the emperor's second son, is wise and intelligent, and deeply loved by the people.
His fiefdom was in Yunzhou, where the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. He trained a valiant and skilled Xie Family Army, maintaining strict military discipline and fending off frequent invasions from the neighboring Tianlong Kingdom. The Second Prince, Xie Lan, was a dandy, known for his indulgences in food, drink, and entertainment. His fiefdom, Jingzhou, was once a prosperous place, but the Second Prince's repeated tax increases left the people in his fiefdom in dire straits.
The scholar's teacher suggested that everyone flee the famine to Yunzhou, where the eldest prince resided. The eldest prince was kind and well-behaved, treating the people of his fiefdom very well and levying low taxes. With the Xie family army, their safety was also guaranteed.
The problem now was that the journey from Yunjia Village required crossing two states, covering over 2,000 miles. At 40 miles a day, it would take almost two months. It was already October, and a two-month journey meant winter had to be spent on the road. Fortunately, the further south we went, the warmer the temperature, but the journey was still fraught with difficulties.
On the road, they could run out of food at any time, encounter bandits who would rob them, or be attacked by wild animals like tigers in the mountains. The most frightening thing was encountering soldiers from the enemy country who would rob and kill them. Thinking of this, the whole village burst into tears.
After a final discussion, the village chief decided to take everyone to Yunzhou to escape the famine, giving everyone two days to pack their belongings and prepare supplies.
Every household in the village was busy preparing. Those with little food prepared to go to town to buy grain at a higher price. Those who had absolutely no money went to the mountains to scrape tree bark, dig up grass roots, and dig up any edible wild vegetables. They would then dry them and mix them into their meals, saving some food this way.
Every household in the village has a push cart, and because there are so many things to carry, they have to find a carpenter to order more. Fortunately, there is no shortage of trees in the mountains, and making a push cart is not a very delicate job, so most carpenters are forced to work.
Another important item for those fleeing famine is water. Without food, people can survive for a few days. Without water, they could die at any moment. The village wells have limited water supply, so if you want to bring more water, you'll need to find a way.
It was the three Yun brothers who took Xiao Yiyi to the mountains in search of water, where she died from injuries sustained, that led to her arrival. They share the same name, perhaps a certain connection. Before the end of the world, she was an orphan, deprived of the love of her parents, the care of her brother, and the warmth of family. Here, she feels it all. She will take Xiao Yiyi's place, be filial to her parents, and lead them and her brother to escape the famine to Yunzhou.
Yun the Butcher used to sell meat in town and was well-informed. Back in last year, when the drought didn't rain, he'd bought a lot of grain in small, frequent batches and stored it. This year, the drought continued, and many of the town's wealthy families moved away. Business was bad, so he closed his stall in town.
Yun the Butcher used to go to town every day to sell meat. Two years ago, his family bought a two-year-old donkey for transportation. Now, when they're fleeing famine, the donkey can pull a cart loaded with food, quilts, and other essential items. They also custom-made two additional carts. Yun the Butcher's three older brothers have inherited Yun the Butcher's innate strength.
Therefore, Second and Third Brothers Yun were assigned to drive the carts at the front of the procession, while Eldest Brother Yun pushed a cart at the back, carrying pots, pans, and other items—they weren't too heavy, so he could keep up with the procession. Finally, Butcher Yun and Zhang also pushed a cart, carrying their farm tools: hoes, machetes, plows, and other ironware. Government restrictions made purchasing difficult, but they would be needed once they settled down.
Yun Yiyi followed Yun the Butcher and Zhang's cart. When she got tired, she could rest on the donkey cart. This was a pre-arranged formation, so they could look after each other and avoid getting separated.
Next, Zhang began preparing food for the journey. She added sesame seeds, peanuts, and a pinch of salt to the flour at home and mixed it thoroughly. Then, she added oil to a wok and slowly toasted the batter until it turned a light brown. Never use high heat; if it burns, it will be inedible.
This fried flour can be eaten directly by simply adding boiling water. It is delicious, convenient, and filling. Since there are many people in the family, they are strong and eat a lot, so my mother fried 30 kilograms of flour, wrapped it in waterproof oilcloth, and put it on the donkey cart.
Since there was no way to grind the grain on the way, they simply ground it all and took it with them. Zhang also took two bags of flour and made them into hard, thick pot cakes. While they didn't look good, they still tasted delicious. All the food was grown by the farmers themselves, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and they were delicious and flavorful, as well as being environmentally friendly and healthy.
Unlike the apocalypse, where all the food was grown by people who had awakened their cultivation abilities, the vegetables were not only oversized but also completely flavorless. Here, even stir-fried vegetables tasted sweet and delicious.
The family also had some pickled vegetables and kimchi that had been preserved. They would be moved directly to the donkey cart with the jars attached and fixed there so that they could be taken out and eaten at any time after the expiration date. Even some wild vegetables that were dug up later, because the family had enough food, were not eaten, and Zhang also pickled them into small pickles. Not to mention, they were quite delicious.
At this point, we have to mention the wisdom of the ancients. During the drought years ago, many families were starving and began digging for wild vegetables, tree bark, and grass roots. Zhang also sent her four children out to dig, no matter how much they dug, and whatever wild vegetables and roots they found, they would pickle and preserve anything edible. Although the family still had enough food thanks to Yun the butcher selling meat, with so many people in the family and four children, the food supply was depleted quickly.
On the one hand, this was to save food, and on the other hand, she was afraid that the villagers would come to borrow food. They say that emergency relief is best, not poverty relief. Even if the villagers came to borrow, they couldn't afford it. So, when no one else was eating enough, Zhang only fed her family until they were 70% full. As a result, the family looked no better than everyone else.
The village chief emphasized the importance of preparing waterproof tarpaulins for use in rainy and snowy weather, covering food, quilts, and other items that are sensitive to moisture. While people can wear straw raincoats, they also need to spread a layer of waterproof tarpaulin on the ground when sleeping. Otherwise, sleeping in a damp place for a long time will make everyone sick.
So, Yun the butcher went to town to buy some extra oilcloth. It wasn't edible, nor could it be worn, and its price hadn't increased much compared to before the drought. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly difficult. Zhang also went to town to buy the cheapest cloth to make clothes. There was nowhere else to buy these while fleeing the famine.
Finally, Zhang packed up all the vegetable seeds in her home and placed them on a donkey cart, so she could enjoy her own vegetables once she settled down. Farmers save their own vegetable seeds; few buy them. Farmers' housewives, who manage their finances, are eager to spend every penny. They are all experts at making ends meet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
