Lin Rui was not as calm as everyone thought. This was the first time he had killed someone in his decades of life.
If you ask him how it feels, it's probably no different from slaughtering pigs and cows, but reason tells him that this is a human being, a living human being!
He desperately tried to convince himself that it was nothing, that he had killed not a human, but a man-eating beast. He was doing the right thing, as it was clearing the way for their oxcart to move on and avoid potential danger.
At this moment, his hands hidden in his sleeves were shaking violently!
Zhao Qing walked over to where Lin Rui was sitting and patted him on the shoulder. Lin Rui turned around and looked at him, his face pale. "Brother-in-law, is there something wrong?"
Zhao Qing: "I'm fine, but I think you seem to be in trouble."
"That's a human, not a pig, cow or sheep..." He uttered these words, his heart was conflicted and complicated at the moment, but he did not regret what he did today. In these troubled times, if you are not more ruthless than others, how can you survive!
In this world, evil people are in power. The only way to breathe is to become more evil than them.
The effect of fighting violence with violence is very obvious. From then on, Lin Zicheng, Lin Ziyang and others found that there were fewer eyes around watching their ox carts.
In the wilderness at night, the victims moved far away from where Lin Rui and others were staying. The flesh and blood of the bandits attracted many wild wolves and crows at night, and they feasted on the rotten flesh and blood of humans.
Lin Rui didn't sleep that night, and neither did any of the Lin family members. No matter if they were men or women, as long as they closed their eyes, they could recall the feeling of the hoes and axes chopping at those people. The blood splattered on their hands and faces, making them feel slightly hot. Those who couldn't handle it well, like Lin Susu, had already run to the side and vomited after chopping people.
You have to get used to it, just try to get used to it. Lin Rui does not regret the decision he made.
We stayed up until the second half of the night before falling asleep in groups of three or four. The next morning, everyone felt exhausted due to lack of sleep.
"Chief, are we still leaving today?" Lin Changtai asked.
Lin Rui hadn't slept all night, and his body was still weak. Looking at Lin Changtai, Yu Lanhua, and the others, who also had dark circles under their eyes, he paused and said, "Let's go. The sooner we get out of this arid area, the better."
"Okay." Knowing that the patriarch didn't want to delay here any longer, everyone cheered up and hurried on.
Feng Zhenniang came over and pulled Lin Rui: "Brother Rui, come here and take a look."
"What's wrong, mother?" Seeing her serious expression, Lin Rui also lowered his voice.
Feng Zhenniang glanced at the place where Cao'er, her mother, and her son were resting, and said with distress in her voice, "The big bull that saved Qingqing yesterday, I'm afraid he's not going to make it anymore."
"No longer able to do it? How could it be that you are not able to do it? Weren't you still awake yesterday?" Lin Rui couldn't help but ask.
Feng Zhenniang shook her head. "He's definitely not going to make it. He's swollen beyond recognition. Go take a look. I don't think he'll make it through the day."
In addition to Feng Zhenniang, Cao'er and her two children are also taken care of by Lin Zaozao. After all, they are Qingqing's saviors, and it is her duty as a mother to repay them on her behalf.
Lin Rui went to see Da Niu. His condition was indeed very bad. He didn't know how badly Zheng Si and Lei Da's gang had beaten him yesterday. When they first brought him to the camp yesterday, he was still conscious and begged him for a chance to live for his mother and brother. When he went to see him today, Da Niu's head was swollen like a pumpkin, his body was as thick as a bucket, his abdomen was swollen, and pus and blood were flowing from his ears.
Now the chest rises and falls very little, as if there is only incoming air but no outgoing air.
Lin Changfa and Lin Changshou came over to check on Daniu, then felt around his neck and shook their heads at Lin Rui and Cao'er, saying, "He's dead."
Cao'er and Ermao had a decent meal yesterday, so they had some strength today. They cried and clutched Daniu's clothes tightly, begging Lin Changfa and Lin Changshou for mercy: "Brother, Daniu is just sick, he's still alive, still alive! Feel his skin, it's still warm!"
Lin Changfa called his wife over: "Lanhua, Lanhua, you and Niu Qin, come over and stop them. Daniu is dead. We have to dig a hole and bury him before we leave so that he can rest in peace."
Yu Lanhua muttered, "You're so kind-hearted, why waste your energy?"
But she did not dare to disobey her husband's wishes. After all, she knew that what Lin Changfa meant was what Lin Rui meant. Now, their group of people relied on Lin Rui to get here in one piece. Unless she was stupid, she would not go against Lin Rui. She could only swallow her dissatisfaction.
"Mom, Daniu saved Qingqing after all. We should give face to the Buddha at least!" Niu Qin comforted her mother-in-law. Only then did Yu Lanhua swallow her anger and stepped forward. She and her daughter-in-law stopped Cao'er and Ermao, and then let Lin Changfa and Lin Changshou carry Daniu's swollen body away.
"Daniu, Daniu, my dear son!" Cao'er fell to the ground, crying and trying to crawl forward, but her weak body began to shiver before she could take two steps. Ermao also clutched Cao'er's clothes tightly and shed silent tears.
He knew his brother was gone, and recalled what his brother had said to them yesterday with shining eyes, that he would find a way out for him and his mother. Now his brother had done it, and he and his mother were accepted by the oxcart team. Although they had eaten wild vegetables yesterday, they filled their stomachs, and he also had rice!
But such a good life was earned by his brother at the cost of his life. He and his mother must follow the convoy and will not let his brother worry. He will take good care of his mother.
In the morning, apart from the wild vegetable porridge prepared specifically for Cao'er and her son, the other members of the Lin family ate soaked pancakes with bacon, salt and bacon added in, and the aroma of meat filled the air.
Ermao, who was enjoying the wild vegetable porridge, couldn't help but take a deep breath and whispered to Cao'er, "Mom, they're eating meat again!"
Cao'er glanced at them. The Lin family didn't avoid them when they ate meat. She gently stroked Ermao's sallow face and said, "Eat now. It's good now. Yesterday we could only eat ground soft and grass roots. Today's soup has vegetables and rice."
Thinking of the help from the Gao family and his young wife's family yesterday, Lin Rui asked Feng Zhenniang to cut a fist-sized piece of bacon and send it over to express his gratitude for this kindness.
Gao Yuliang was immediately overjoyed when he received the small piece of bacon, but he still tried to refuse it repeatedly: "Hey, we are all neighbors, why are you being so polite!"
Sanliang was not good at speaking, so he stuffed the things on them before leaving.
Gao Yumin and his sons and nephews' eyes lit up when they saw the small piece of bacon, and they couldn't help licking their tongues. Gao Zening said to Gao Yuliang, "Uncle, we haven't eaten meat for a long time. We finished the last batch of dried meat at the foot of Heshan Mountain. Let's use this bacon to have a meal today."
Gao Yumin also nodded: "Yes, big brother, everyone is starving. If not for the children, please think about my mother. She is old and still fleeing with us and suffering this kind of hardship. If she doesn't nourish her body, she may not make it to Huangmo Pass!"
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