As dinnertime approached, the summer days were exceptionally long. The villagers happily accepted the grain allocated to their homes. Bags of white rice brought joy to everyone's faces.
Grandpa Zhen led the donkey cart slowly home, with Zhou's second and third brothers and Zhen Fuyou pushing a wooden cart behind them. Their usually dark faces were flushed with a vibrant red.
Grandma Li happily moved the board used to block the wind at the entrance of the cave, clapping her hands together in encouragement: "Oh my, this white rice looks so auspicious."
Zhou Ershan and Zhou Sanshan also greeted Grandma Li with smiles, saying, "Hello, Auntie, we're here."
"Alright, alright, hurry up and go. Your sister-in-law and your husband have been waiting impatiently. If you guys don't come back soon, they might have to go looking for you yourselves," Old Mrs. Li teased with a smile.
On Tuesday, Shan's ears turned slightly red. Thinking of his wife, whom he had only married a few months ago, he felt like countless ants were crawling inside him. He was extremely restless and couldn't wait to go home and surprise her.
Seeing his brother's budding romance, Zhenfu was happy for him. They had grown up together, but their family circumstances were very different. Before the famine, Zhenfu's family was not wealthy, but they still had some money left over.
When he was just fifteen, he was married to Li Zhenzhen, and the following year she gave birth to twins. In contrast, the Zhou family could not afford to marry off their son because Zhou's father was seriously ill and they had no brothers.
Fortunately, with the help of scraping together what they could, the Zhou family managed to find a wife for Zhou Dashan. During the famine, when everyone was starving, the Zhou family contributed a few kilograms of grain as a dowry, and only a few months ago were they able to help Zhou Dashan find a wife for his wife.
The couple were newlyweds, enjoying a blissful honeymoon, and even on their journey to escape famine, they didn't forget to show their affection in front of everyone, which is why Old Lady Li teased him.
Zhen Wanwan naturally heard the commotion at the door, but she didn't get up to see what was going on. The reason was simple: her baby had wet his pants for the first time.
The little boy's cheeks were flushed red after his mother stripped him naked, as if he felt a sense of shame.
It's all my fault for being so engrossed in my dream that I accidentally peed. Worried that Zhenwan would laugh at me, my little darling kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.
Actually, he was conscious from the womb, but he forgot how he died in his previous life. Anyway, he is now Zhen Wanwan's biological son. Although his mother is sometimes unreliable and likes to tease him, he still loves her very much.
Zhen Wanwan quickly changed her baby's pants, little did she know that her newborn son was so cunning.
She got up and checked Sweetie's diaper while she was sleeping. Finding it still light, she felt relieved and finally decided to put a diaper on her baby.
I casually tossed the soiled pants into the washing machine in the room.
She continued sewing hats for her two babies, and everything seemed peaceful and serene.
On the other side, Zhu Yuan ordered his subordinates to transport grain back to the military camp, but he himself made no preparations to set off. Qu Huaiyuan and Lin Biaotou, who were accompanying the guests, exchanged glances, not understanding what he was planning to do.
Qu Huaiyuan bowed to Zhu Yuan and politely invited him, saying, "It is kind of you, Military Advisor, to come all this way to transport grain today. Please convey our gratitude to the General on our behalf."
Zhu Yuan remained indifferent as always, giving a casual "hmm" to indicate his agreement.
Lin, the镖头 (bodyguard), assumed he was just a man of few words and greeted him with a smile, sincerely inviting him, "On behalf of the villagers, I thank you, strategist. It's getting late, and if you rush back, you might miss dinner. Why don't you stay for dinner so I can properly entertain and thank you all!"
"Indeed, strategist, you might as well stay and let us do our duty as hosts."
"No need."
Qu Huaiyuan and Lin Biaotou were not disappointed by the expected rejection.
Zhu Yuan glanced indifferently at the people outside the cave: the bandits whose bodies were half-rotten, and the rioters whose mouths were gagged and whose faces were full of despair.
The stench was so pungent that the villagers dared not come out to see what was happening, and there was no one else within a dozen meters except the soldiers.
Qu Huaiyuan and Lin Biaotou, who were present, were also disgusted by the smell. Looking at Zhu Yuan, who remained calm, they felt great admiration for him.
Zhu Yuan didn't waste any words. He looked the two of them in the eye and solemnly reminded them, "Go and inform the villagers that after dinner, you should immediately set off to leave this place."
The two looked at him in surprise and asked, puzzled, "This... could you tell us the reason, sir?"
Zhu Yuan looked meaningfully at the entrance of the grain burial pit and warned in a low voice, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. If you want to live, listen to me."
Seeing that Zhu Yuan was emanating a cold aura, the two of them involuntarily shivered a few times and dared not ask any more questions.
Although this strategist appears harmless and unassuming, once he sets his sights on you, it feels like being stared at by a snake.
Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard), dared not disobey his request and could only nod in agreement.
Watching the figures of the group gradually disappear into the distance, Zhu Yuan seemed to be deep in thought before leading the bandits and rioters away.
When Lin, the head镖师 (bodyguard), told the villagers about the journey, there was no doubt that the cave was full of complaints, but they also obediently began to pack their luggage.
The Zhen family gathered together in silence, eating dry rice. Looking at the grain that couldn't be filled by the donkey cart and the handcart, they were so worried that they could only eat two bowls of rice.
"How are we going to take all this grain with us, Grandpa?" Old Mrs. Li looked at the five large bags of grain lying on the ground with a worried expression, and she could no longer find the joy she had felt when she received the grain earlier.
Grandpa Zhen was also worried. He tapped the makeshift stone table with his chopsticks and asked, "Everyone, use your brains and think of a solution. Everyone, please share your thoughts."
The Zhen family members present fell silent, looking at the five large bags of grain with a mixture of pride and helplessness. Now they wouldn't have to worry about food, but how were they going to take it with them?
Seeing everyone's expressions, Grandpa Zhen sighed and looked at Zhen Wanwan, who was breastfeeding, and said, "Wanwan, you go first."
Grandma Li and the others looked at her expectantly. Her daughter (the younger sister) had inherited the legacy of an immortal, so her mind was definitely more agile than theirs.
Zhen Wanwan was taken aback. She was no ordinary person; she simply put herself into her spatial storage without worrying about being discovered or having her stolen.
But she didn't dare say it in front of Zhen's family.
After thinking for a moment, she came up with a reasonable solution: "It may be a bit immoral for you to say this, but it really works."
The group stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.
Zhen Wanwan blinked and said softly, "Didn't the rioters kill a lot of families the night before last? Now the rioters have been taken away by the soldiers, but their belongings and carts are still there."
"Ah...this..."
A moment of silence fell over the group. No one had considered taking someone else's things, so the Zhen family members exchanged glances, trying to discern each other's thoughts.
The silence was soon broken by Grandpa Zhen. After a moment of contemplation, he made a decision: "Eldest and second sons, go check later. If no one is home, burn some paper money as an offering. If there are elderly people or children at home..."
Thinking of the miserable state of those people, Grandpa Zhen shook his head with regret and said, "Go and ask them if they'll sell this cart."
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