All of this, from the outbreak to the end, took only a few dozen breaths.
Many of the people in Liushutun didn't react in time.
One moment they were still scrambling and trying to stop them, and the next they saw the Jiang brothers' bundles torn to shreds, their grain looted, and only a few rags and crushed crumbs left on the ground.
Those disaster victims who managed to grab the flatbreads acted like wild dogs guarding their food. Some desperately stuffed the flatbreads down their throats, choking until their eyes rolled back; others clutched their flatbreads and retreated quickly, watching the people of Liushutun warily, afraid that they would also try to snatch them.
Jiang Fu covered his cheek, which had been scratched and bled, while Jiang Shou pressed his bleeding wrist. Looking at the empty ground, then at the refugees who were either wolfing down their food or retreating, the immense anger and the excruciating pain of the loss drove them to utter madness.
"Robbers! Give me back my grain!"
"Spit it out! You all spit it out!"
"Catch them! Don't let them get away!"
However, their shouts and threats had no effect on the disaster victims who had just risked their lives to grab a little food.
Those who had eaten were busy swallowing, while those who hadn't eaten were no longer satisfied with the two empty "fat sheep" of the Jiang family, but began to stare intently at the other villagers of Liushutun—at the food they had hidden in their bundles and on their carts!
“They…they must still be there!” a disaster victim shouted hoarsely, pointing at the group in Liushutun.
Those hungry, green eyes turned to the other villagers in Liushutun, their gazes filled with a naked, desperate longing!
The crowd began to stir, slowly approaching!
In that instant, everyone in Liushutun, including the village chief, felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads!
"Grab your weapons!" Village Chief Chen roared, the first to react, and suddenly raised the gong mallet in his hand as if it were a short stick.
This roar startled everyone awake!
Li Laosan suddenly pulled a chipped wood-chopping knife from the basket!
Liu Dazhuang pulled a thick, hard wooden stick from the cart!
With a clang, Butcher Zhang pulled out the cleaver he always carried on his belt! Its blade gleamed coldly!
Others pulled out kitchen knives, sickles, sharpened wooden sticks, and some even raised their rough earthenware bowls!
In an instant, pots, pans, cleavers, sickles, and axes were all pointed at the restless disaster victims!
The villagers' faces were filled with fear, but even more so with the ferocity and determination of someone driven to the brink of despair!
The will to defend food supplies overwhelmed everything!
The gleaming blades and the dense array of "weapons," combined with the sudden, fear-filled roars of the crowd, created a powerful deterrent.
The group of disaster victims who had just been frantically looting were stunned by this sudden, desperate display of force.
They hesitated as they looked at the gleaming blades and clubs.
Those who managed to grab something only wanted to protect the food in their arms and retreat.
Those who didn't manage to grab it were scared away by the fierce glare of the attacker.
The standoff lasted only a moment.
"Go...go quickly..."
Someone shouted first, and the group of refugees seemed to be suddenly awakened. They began to pull at each other, keeping a wary eye on the weapons in Liushutun while staggering backward. Eventually, they merged into one group and fled in panic to the riverbank, hiding behind the desolate earthen slope in the distance, leaving behind only a scene of devastation and death.
In the ranks of Liushutun, only heavy breathing and suppressed sobs remained.
Jiang Fu and Jiang Shou slumped to the ground, staring at the empty bundle, their faces ashen.
Jiang Chan stood beside the cart, and slowly released her hand that had been on her waist.
"Bang bang bang—!!!"
The village chief struck his gong urgently and loudly, like a drumbeat chasing after death, instantly tearing apart the deathly silence.
"Quick! Pack your things! Let's go! Let's go now!" The village chief's hoarse roar was filled with an undeniable urgency. "We can't stop for a second! Let's go!"
The roar startled the dazed villagers.
The frantic robbery and the chilling standoff had exhausted them and terrified them.
No one knows if those distraught disaster victims will ever return.
"Quick! Let's go!"
"Honey, carry the baby on your back!"
"Take your things!"
The crowd scrambled like ants from a disturbed nest, frantically grabbing their luggage from the ground.
His movements were swifter than ever before, carrying a sense of panic as he fled for his life.
The children were held tightly in the arms or carried on the backs of the adults, and they forgot to cry, only staring with frightened eyes.
The entire team practically ran, staggering forward.
Footsteps, panting, and the clattering of objects mingled together, conveying a profound sense of fear.
"My grain... Damn robbers..." Liu ran while crying, her steps uneven, sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe. She caught her ribs and clutched her stomach, groaning in pain.
"You damned bastard... my cake..." Wang's cries were sharp and piercing.
Jiang Fu and Jiang Shou each pushed a cart, their faces as pale as corpses, their lips trembling, their eyes vacant.
Their once overflowing bundles of grain, which they considered their lifeblood, were now completely empty.
The immense pain from the huge loss left them barely able to move.
The team raced desperately forward along the cracked dirt road.
Suddenly they encountered another equally exhausted group of refugees traveling in the same direction.
The people of Liushutun saw it from afar and immediately became nervous.
The other side was clearly also warily observing the group from Liushutun, especially when they saw that the group was carrying weapons, their eyes became even more vigilant.
The two teams passed each other in silence, avoiding each other's gaze, like two groups of frightened beasts.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
