Qin Xiaoniang slowed her pace and turned to look at Song He'er: "It's so dark, I'll go with you."
"No need, I'm nearby. Mother, it would be too embarrassing for you to come with me."
Song He'er, trying to be charming, looked at Qin Xiaoniang playfully.
"We're all women, what are you afraid of?"
No...
Zhang Xiue laughed and said, "If she wants to go by herself, then she can go by herself. Girls grow up and they will always have their own little thoughts."
Hearing Zhang Xiu'e say the same thing, Qin Xiaoniang finally agreed and allowed Song He'er to go to the woods alone to relieve herself.
"You mustn't run too far, or your mother will worry."
"I understand, Mother. Take good care of Huan-ge and the others. It's late at night and the dew is heavy, and the woods are so quiet... so as not to make any noise that might attract attention."
"Mother knows, go quickly, we'll all be waiting for you here!"
"good!"
Song He'er responded and walked into the woods.
With tall trees and deep forest, Song He'er chose a secluded little slope, squatted down, took out a hundred flatbreads from her space, dug a hole, and buried them.
After dealing with things here, Song He'er walked deeper into the woods, using the dim light as her guide...
Sure enough, not long after they went out, they saw a woman in tattered clothes, sleeping with her child in a pit.
Seeing that she was so thin she was practically skin and bones, and that the child's face was sallow, Song He'er knew that they must be refugees suffering from hunger.
Song He'er bent down and nudged the sleeping woman.
Her dry, withered eyelids slowly lifted, and upon seeing people, she seemed afraid, picking up the child and backing away...
"Don't be afraid, I'm also from out of town, and I wanted to ask about the situation here..."
"What...what do you want to do?"
Song He'er took out a piece of cake from her bosom and stuffed it into the woman's hand.
"Don't be afraid. I just wanted to ask you about the road conditions because my family and I need to pass through here, but we don't know the best way to get there!"
When the woman saw the food, she acted like a hungry wolf, snatching it and stuffing it into her mouth, while also giving a piece to the child.
Song He'er was terrified. If it was already like this when she was alone, what would happen if she encountered a hundred or more people? Wouldn't their cartload of grain be robbed in an instant?
"Hmm..." the woman replied while eating, "I advise you not to go this way. The people up ahead are starving and will rob anything they see. If you have any money on you... cough, you'll be robbed before you even get out of this forest!"
Song He'er believed she was telling the truth, after all, this was something she had expected.
"Eat slowly... I want to see those suffering people!"
The woman stopped what she was doing, looked up, and stared at Song He'er in disbelief: "Why are you seeing them? I already told you, they're all starving and won't treat you well. Thank you for the pancakes, now go on your way."
Song He'er risked her life to see them, simply to use the cakes to keep them from her group and prevent them from fighting over the food, so as not to frighten Huan Ge'er and the others.
“I have food, I have food for you, but you have to promise me you won’t appear in front of my family. They are all in poor health and can’t take a fright.”
Upon hearing that there was food, the woman's eyes widened: "What did you say? There's food?"
"Yes, you need to take me to see them right now, I don't have much time."
The woman stuffed the remaining bread into her mouth, got up, and led the way with her child in her arms.
Song He'er followed her for a while, and under a dilapidated melon shed, they saw dozens of people dressed in rags.
The woman stepped forward and woke up a rather sturdy man in front of her. Judging from their actions, the two were probably a couple.
The woman whispered something in the man's ear, and then the man swaggered over.
Song He'er looked him up and down and found that although he looked strong, he was actually bloated due to excessive hunger.
"You're looking for us?"
“Strong man, my whole family needs to pass through here. Please do us a favor and let us get through safely.”
"You're from Shanyang City!"
Song He'er knew, of course, that they hated the people of Shanyang City and wished they could tear those local officials apart alive. How could she dare say that she came from Shanyang...?
"No, we're from the north, on our way to visit relatives in the south. You can tell from my accent that I'm not from Shanyang City, right?"
The burly man pondered for a while and then nodded: "Please don't blame us for being rude. We were forced into this situation by the government. People here have been starving for half a month. The elderly and children are starving to death everywhere!"
“I know, so I buried some cakes in a small hill about a mile away. You will surely find them when you go there.”
Although the burly man was reckless, he was also reasonable. Even though he was starving, he had no intention of taking advantage of others.
"No need. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are bestowed by heaven. Since you've come here to see me today, it means you're a straightforward person. Fine, I'll inform them that I won't take anything from you!"
Although Song He'er is not a savior, she is always willing to help some suffering people overcome difficulties within her capabilities. Moreover, these cakes have been in the space for a long time, and if they are left any longer, they may not be edible.
"No, I've already put the things down. Just follow my instructions and you'll definitely find them. Although I can't guarantee you'll have enough to eat for a few days, it will solve your immediate problem!"
After saying that, Song He'er turned and left.
The burly man watched Song He'er's departing figure and fell into deep thought.
Why do you think this little girl helped us?
"What do you think? Isn't it because they're afraid you'll steal their food!"
"Come on, let's go take a look and see if there are any cakes to eat in that clod of dirt!"
After saying this, the burly man woke up many of the refugees and, carrying hoes, headed in the direction Song He'er had pointed...
Song He'er buried the cakes very shallowly, and dozens of refugees quickly discovered them. When they were starving, they didn't bother to dig them up with hoes. They simply dug them up with their bare hands, brushed off the dust, and started eating.
"Listen up, everyone. If you encounter any people from out of town passing through here on their way to the south to find relatives, do not cause them any trouble. Let them pass safely."
The burly man's words had barely finished when they stirred up public outrage. One of the peasant women, dressed in tattered clothes, stepped forward from the crowd and said, "She said she's from out of town. Who knows, she might be one of those heartless merchants from Shanyang City. Not only did she eat our food, but she also ruined us like this!"
"She's not from Shanyang. Besides, she gave us a hundred or so pancakes. We can't be ungrateful, can we?"
The burly man's wife, holding the child, chimed in, "You're right! That girl doesn't seem like a bad person. People are beholden to those who feed them; I think we should let them pass. Why should we steal food from innocent people?"
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