Lin Rui felt heavy-hearted after hearing this. Linjing was like a balloon being roasted on a fire, and it might suddenly explode one day.
According to the measurement unit of the Lin Dynasty, one dou could be exchanged for about ten kilograms of rice. Human life was worthless in troubled times. Even if a man offered a price of one dou of rice, he would still try to lower the price based on the fatness, thinness, beauty or ugliness of the living thing he bought. Most of the time, half a dou of rice was exchanged for a life or a slave.
There weren't as many refugees along the way as there were at the outskirts of the capital, but you could still see these skinny and hungry people intermittently along the way.
Lin Rui had a bad feeling. Seeing that there was no hope for the border crossing to Linjing to be opened, these refugees had no choice but to change their route to survive. This route was to Longting County, and perhaps the prices in Longting County would be inflated soon.
"Sir, sir, please be kind and give us something to eat!" A woman with a rag wrapped around her head and sunken eyes came forward with an equally hungry and skinny baby in her arms to stop the tall horse led by Gao Shu.
Lin Rui just leaned out to look, but saw Gao Shu whip out the big knife from his waist and without hesitation slash at the woman holding the baby: "Get out!"
The woman fell to the ground in fear, uttering a short scream: "Ah!"
Gao Shu and the other seven escorts stared with their eyes and held knives, looking very imposing. They protected Lin Rui behind them, looking ready for battle.
The woman was so frightened that she trembled, and was finally dragged away by the same ragged man.
These refugees did not dare to besiege Lin Rui and others anymore, and they scattered like birds and beasts.
At this moment, a delicate cry was heard: "Do you still have any conscience? Don't you see that the child in her arms is about to starve to death? God is merciful, and it's not that you can't provide food for her, but you just stand by and watch coldly, endangering the lives of this poor mother and child!"
Lin Rui was stunned. Which saint came?
Gao Shu and the others did not respond to the woman's words. They sat quietly there to rest, waiting for the horses to eat and rest before continuing on their journey. Lin Rui also kept silent to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But I did see the woman who was talking. She looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. She was wearing silk and satin and dressed in a pretty and charming way. Her little face was fair and rosy. She was obviously the daughter of a wealthy family and was well taken care of even in this troubled time.
At this moment, she was sitting in the carriage, lifting the curtain and glaring at Lin Rui and the others. Seeing Lin Rui's gaze, she became even angrier: "What are you looking at? I'm talking about you!"
Lin Rui didn't argue with this little girl who was only in junior high school in modern times. He just reminded her, "The world is in chaos now, there are too many refugees, and wealth should not be shown off. If you want to live a good life, you have to be content."
"Who are you? Tell me to behave myself?" The little girl felt that Lin Rui was so ignorant that he dared to lecture her. She immediately called the guards around her and said, "Catch him and beat him up!"
The little girl was surrounded by more than a dozen guards, a nanny, and a maid. Most of the guards protected her, and four were responsible for escorting the supplies in the carriage behind. Seeing the young lady make this request, and looking at the several burly men around Lin Rui, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk up to his young lady to apologize: "Young lady, it's better not to get into trouble when you go out now."
Another guard also clasped his fists and reported, "The men with swords next to you are obviously martial artists. We still need to escort you back to Longting County. The master said that Linjing is not safe now. Miss, we should avoid trouble."
Lin Rui felt that he had been unlucky. His well-intentioned reminder was considered a provocation by the spoiled girl.
"Useless thing!" Miss Jiao was so angry that she slapped the guard in the face. The guard tilted his head slightly, but still stood there motionless, looking as if he was apologizing.
"Mammy, please get some food for this poor mother and child." Miss Jiao looked at Lin Rui provocatively.
"Yes, miss."
The nanny got off the carriage, walked to the second carriage, took out some cakes and handed them to the refugee family of three. For these ladies living in ivory towers, the worst food they had eaten was some cakes. Could they really be expected to eat dry and hard cakes like stones?
The woman held her child and her husband, knelt down and kowtowed to Miss Jiao: "Thank you, living Bodhisattva, thank you, living Bodhisattva!"
Miss Jiao seemed to be very touched by their gratitude and then she lowered the curtain.
"She is indeed a rich lady who knows nothing of the sufferings of the world!"
"There are so many refugees in the world, can she save them all?"
Several bodyguards were talking in low voices here. Lin Rui saw the refugee family of three wolfing down the cakes while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. The cakes given by Miss Jiao were limited in quantity and could not do much for the refugees' stomachs that had been hungry for too long. Their greedy eyes were once again fixed on Miss Jiao's carriage.
He saw the couple whispering to each other, and then hurriedly running into the mountains.
Are there any methods or people in the mountains that can help them get food?
Lin Rui felt that he could not stay here any longer. For safety reasons, he immediately stood up and asked Gao Shu to put on the saddle again and set off immediately.
Gao Shu frowned: "Master Lin, we just..."
Lin Rui nodded: "I know, we must go, find a more secluded place to rest."
Gao Shu also knew that Lin Rui was not the kind of person who would act without a purpose, so he immediately stood up and told everyone to clean up quickly.
Before leaving, Gao Shu kindly reminded Miss Jiao's guards, but was met with a cold and disdainful look. Gao Shu was not angry. They were not on the same page. He had done what he should do. There was no need to argue with them.
Gao Shu found a secluded place to rest. There was a large bush about halfway up the mountain. After getting out of the car, he immediately cleared a space for Lin Rui to sit comfortably.
Gao Shu and his men did not provide such considerate service. Moreover, as bodyguards, they had always been exposed to the elements and had a rough life. They sat down on the grass and were pricked by the sharp thorns in the bushes, which made them grimace in pain.
After a lot of chaos, they finally rested and Lin Rui quickly ate some of the bread prepared by San Liang. In fact, he was not very hungry. He secretly ate a lot of snacks from the house along the way.
The vacuum-packed paper bags of garlic scallops, salt-baked chicken legs, and braised duck feet were all thrown into a trash can, but they would return to their original state the next time I entered the house.
"Help!"
"Quick, escort the lady away first!"
"Puchi!" is the sound of a sharp blade piercing through a human body.
A deadly chaos was taking place at the foot of the mountain. Countless disheveled and emaciated refugees were like starving wolves in the mountains, staring at the carriage that was leaving in front of them.
"There's food in the carriage. We can't die in vain, brother. Come with me and kill them!"
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