Chapter 11 A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor—what a load of rubbish!
The intensity was greatly increased. Lin Zhaozhao was pregnant and mostly rode in a mule cart. The Lin and Li families usually traveled on foot, so although the intensity was high, it was not impossible. Only Zhang Dandan and Li Yunyun suffered from blisters on their feet and complained incessantly. After Li Minghuang refused their repeated requests to ride in the mule cart, Zhang Dandan voluntarily paid half of the mule cart fare.
They traveled in silence until sunset, when everyone was exhausted, and finally arrived at Anping County.
Anping County borders Fu'an. In the original novel, the locust plague and drought affected three provinces, resulting in countless deaths from starvation.
If they wanted to survive, heading north or south offered a slim chance of survival.
However, Anping County is in a rather awkward geographical location, situated in the heart of the country. Whether traveling north or south, one must pass through Shou'an. To reach Shou'an, one must travel through three provinces affected by the disaster, a total distance of 3,000 kilometers, which is no less than exile.
Thinking of this, Lin Zhaozhao unconsciously reached out to protect her abdomen. The road ahead was difficult, and she had to develop stealthily.
Upon arriving in Anping County, Lin Zhaozhao immediately sensed the chaos of the place: beatings, curses, robberies in the streets, and even someone being accidentally killed. Originally, the county government should have come to stop this, but unfortunately, the county government office was deserted, its signboard hanging in the air, a far cry from what it used to be.
The once bustling county town was shrouded in gloom. Old Mrs. Lin and Old Mrs. Li felt heavy-hearted and drove away in their mule cart, stopping in an open space a few miles from Anping County.
After a long day of travel, and seeing this again, everyone felt a little uneasy, unlike the lively atmosphere of yesterday; the mood was heavy.
After resting for a while, the three of them started cooking.
Working together, they ate in less than half an hour. Unlike yesterday's feast, Li Xiujuan only stir-fried some diced radish to go with the rice, and made a pot of wild vegetable soup. The wild vegetables were chopped and a little chicken oil was added. Lin Zhaozhao added bok choy and lettuce, making the portion much larger. It was so dark that it was hard to see clearly.
After finishing a bowl of soup, Lin Zhaozhao's appetite finally improved. She ate her rice with gusto, but just as she was enjoying it, a sour and foul smell wafted over. Lin Fusheng and Lin Yangyang quickly picked up the food and moved it to a safer location.
“Auntie, I’ve finally found you! This locust plague has left us with not a single grain of food. My grandson and daughter-in-law are practically skin and bones from hunger. Unlike you, Auntie, you still have enough to eat.”
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but distant relatives are not like close neighbors. If something happens to them, it depends on the villagers. Like back then, if it weren't for my youngest son, how could Fusheng have married such a good wife? And Zhaoniang, if someone hadn't taken care of her when she fell into the water that year, who knows if she would still be alive." The woman sighed, her tone rising and falling, her expression haughty.
"Then Liu Rugui, how do you think we should repay him?" Li Xiujuan helped Old Lady Lin sit down and asked with a smile.
Seeing that Li Xiujuan was so easy to talk to, Liu Rugui's face became even more smug, which made the villagers who were listening attentively feel a little better.
"I wouldn't call it repaying a favor. We people from Linjia Village aren't the type to take credit for favors. I just saw that your stir-fried radish cubes and wild vegetable soup looked good. Just give them to us. Besides, we're from the same village, so why don't we work together in the future and look out for each other?" Liu Rugui raised his chin, feeling very happy at the thought of having Li Xiujuan, a strong woman, to protect him in the future.
"You're really getting cocky when I say you're fat."
"Li Xiujuan, what do you mean?" Liu Rugui looked at Li Xiujuan, whose expression changed in an instant, and her face turned ashen.
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