Her small courtyard was her biggest secret, and also the source of her confidence in ensuring her family's basic needs were met.
At this time, she was fleeing famine again and did not want to be exposed, but it was easy to take advantage of the convenience of storage to pack away the things she could not take with her.
There are also grains, vegetables, and fruits in the space, thankfully they haven't been taken out yet.
Five acres of land is enough to feed the family for half a year.
If she works hard, she can plant another crop after harvesting the grain.
The space to the left and right is almost constant, with no severe winter blizzards.
No need to consider the changing seasons!
The chickens, ducks, rabbits, and pigs in the courtyard can also stave off hunger in critical moments.
Even if we eat our fill, it's not a problem. We can always find a way to get more once we get to Weizhou.
The most important thing left is self-defense!
We don't know what dangers lie ahead, so we must always have the means to protect ourselves.
Keep collecting stones, and when the time is right, a stone rain will give us a fighting chance even against barbarian cavalry...
As she thought about this, she became somewhat lost in thought.
Meanwhile, the whole family had already gone off to do their work.
Only Jiayi, with a hesitant and ashamed expression, stood in front of Old Lady Li.
Jiayi whispered, "Grandma, should we go and ask about my mother...?"
Grandma Li looked at her grandson and sighed inwardly.
Although no one mentioned it, everyone knew that Wu Cuihua was still a minefield she couldn't avoid.
Actually, given the foolish things Wu Cuihua has done, it would be best if she stayed home and never saw him again.
But even the worst bamboo produces good shoots, and she gave birth to two good sons.
Jiaren is a scholar; he will definitely take the imperial examinations in the future.
Scientific expeditions don't just look at how well you study; there's also an evaluation process.
This assessment is about the family situation, whether they have committed any crimes, whether they have bullied the villagers, and whether they have been unfilial or disobedient.
In short, neither the family nor the examinee can have any moral failings.
Having a mother who was divorced would definitely be a stain on Jiaren's reputation.
After all, filial piety is of paramount importance.
Outsiders would never know what Wu Cuihua did to make Li Jiaxiu leave.
They only say that Jiaren is unfilial and doesn't care about the mother who gave him life and raised him.
Jia Yi may seem wild and unruly, but he is actually a filial and kind child.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have knelt down last time to beg my mother for fever-reducing medicine.
The Li family was hesitant to act, not because they couldn't bear to part with Wu Cuihua, but because they felt sorry for Jiaren and Jiayi.
Moreover, Wu Cuihua had neither committed adultery nor caused any murder, and she had even worn mourning clothes when Old Master Li passed away.
All of these factors combined led to Old Lady Li's extreme tolerance towards her.
But she was willing to court disaster and actually stole Jiayin's gift and sent it out.
Jiayin is the apple of the family's eye and the apple of their eye; they can no longer keep her in the family.
Therefore, even Jiaren and Jiayi felt that their mother deserved to be punished by being forced to do hard labor for ten years.
Moreover, the wages were used to send Jiaren to school, which shows that she, as a mother, did her best for her son.
But now, with the world on the verge of chaos and everyone fleeing for their lives, the grandson watches anxiously, wondering how Old Lady Li will bring it up.
Are you saying we have to run for our lives, abandoning your mother and leaving her to die here?
Old Mrs. Li sighed deeply, "Jiayi, go see your mother and tell her that the autumn harvest is busy and ask her to come back and help. Remember, don't let any word get out! If your mother doesn't come back, it means she hasn't repented yet. Let her fend for herself. Our Li family will consider our daughter-in-law dead. Even if you hate the family, I'll go all out."
Jiayi quickly knelt down and kowtowed, "Thank you, Grandma. Just this once, if my mother doesn't come back, my older brother and I will consider her dead."
Old Mrs. Li waved her hand, urging him to hurry into the city.
Jiayin pouted, really not wanting to see Wu Cuihua's face again.
But she couldn't bear to see her grandmother get sore, so she took a piece of fruit and hugged her grandmother's leg.
"Milk, eat!"
When Grandma Li came to her senses and saw the bright red fruit in her granddaughter's hand, her brows finally relaxed a little.
She didn't know what magical abilities her granddaughter possessed, but during their escape from famine, she had ensured her family didn't go hungry.
This renewed journey should be just as promising.
As long as you don't starve to death, there is always hope.
"Fu Niu, my dear granddaughter, I'm afraid we'll have to rely on you this time."
The poor little one has to worry and work so hard for the family; Grandma can't bear to see him like this.
"Why can't people live a proper life in this world?!"
Grandma Li's eyes reddened. She had to put on a brave face in front of her children and grandchildren, but in front of her granddaughter, she could finally complain a few words and cry a few times.
Jiayin hugged her grandmother's neck and patted her shoulder with her chubby little hands.
Again and again, I tried my best to comfort her...
Old Mrs. Li got very angry over Wu Cuihua, but when she returned with the mule cart that afternoon, only Jiaren was there; Wu Cuihua was nowhere to be seen.
Grandma Li and her family were all surprised. Did Wu Cuihua not want to come back and prefer to stay in the city to do hard labor?
Jiaren and Jiayi looked unwell; it was hard to tell whether they were blushing with guilt or worried.
Jiayi spoke first, "Grandma, we went to the tenement, but my mother wasn't there. They said... she and my uncle ran away. The old lady who owned the place forced my father to give her three taels of silver before she could get her work contract back."
"They escaped? Where did they go?"
When Grandma Li pressed for an answer, Jiayi blushed even more.
"I don't know, it seems like they've been gone for quite some time. Nobody knows exactly where they went."
Jiaren lowered his head and pursed his lips tightly.
His father and younger brother picked him up from the academy first, and then went to the tenement to find his mother.
The women in the tenement didn't hold back their words; they said some very harsh things.
She ran off with some random man, or went out to enjoy life.
There are even rumors that she got pregnant and went out to give birth...
He really wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground!
The family is considerate of the brothers and has been very tolerant of their mother. Why can't she just be a little more considerate?
Old Mrs. Li guessed a bit, and not wanting her two grandsons to lose face, she said...
"At a time like this, with your mother in this state, there's nothing we can do. We don't have time to search for her all over the world. We'll see how lucky she is. Our family needs to escape first."
Jiaren and Jiayi nodded, put down their things, and quickly got to work.
Although the Li family has only been settled for a year, everyone in the family, young and old, is able to earn money and has accumulated a lot of wealth.
Since they had to leave soon, they couldn't take most of them with them, so they had to lock them all in the warehouse, thinking that whoever was lucky enough to find them would get them for free.
But Jiayin couldn't bear to part with it, so she squatted at the warehouse door when she had nothing to do.
Don't be fooled by the abundance of baskets and crates in the warehouse; it's actually been empty for a long time.
She had already put the things away.
Not only that, she also collected most of the firewood pile at home, dried vegetables, mountain products, in short, she didn't let go of anything edible or usable that she passed by.
The Li family was busy acquiring the land, and no one noticed.
Even if I found it, I would assume that someone else had put it away, and I wouldn't have time to care.
The village chief originally planned to organize the villagers to help the Li family reclaim their land in a few days.
When they suddenly saw the Li family making a move, they assumed it was because of the Liu family stealing grain.
He immediately found the Li family's land, grabbed Li Lao Er, and complained.
"If your family is in a hurry, a few more days won't make a difference. The sun is shining brightly, so let's dry the sorghum and millet a bit more."
Several elderly men from next door arrived shortly afterward.
Although he was holding a sickle and other tools, he was reluctant to use them.
Seeing that no one was around, Li Lao Er pulled them aside and whispered a few words to them.
The village chief immediately jumped up, "What? What did you say?"
The other old men also turned ashen-faced and instinctively reached for their crippled hands and feet.
Li Lao Er quickly stopped the village chief and said in a low voice.
"This matter must not be made public yet. We haven't received any news from the capital about whether to move the capital to Weizhou."
If we don't move the capital, we'll be spreading rumors and causing panic, which will land us in jail. We can only make preparations secretly!
If this news is true, the city will be in chaos within three to five days. We need to set off quickly then, heading south, preferably before those people in Kyoto, otherwise we'll easily be left behind.”
My darlings, Huahua is back with her cute charm, begging for more updates and asking for 5-star reviews and book ratings! Here are two chapters for today, and another one tonight, so don't forget to check back! Group kisses! Love you all!
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