"Zhou Nan, I'm your brother and the village chief, so please show me some respect.
I already made an agreement with everyone yesterday that we would cross the mountain. You woke up early this morning and started to incite the villagers. Do you really have me in your eyes?"
Zhou Dong was kind to Chaoge and the others. When facing his former villagers, he still managed to control the aura of the village chief.
He raised his voice in the crowd, his face was ashen and full of dignity, as if questioning the man standing opposite him.
“You have already left the village, and half of the villagers have died. Who knows, everyone will go their separate ways in the future. Even if you find a place to settle down, you may not be the village chief anymore.
Why should we listen to you? You are my elder brother, so what? Your decision is wrong, can't we refute it?
Everyone saw it last night. There was a leopard before we even entered the mountain. Who knows, there might be even more ferocious beasts once we get into the mountain!
Last night, many villagers and I heard wolves howling in the mountains. We would not be foolish enough to go and die.
Don’t let yourself become food for the wolves before you die of hunger or thirst. That would be unfair.
Anyway, I don't care. I won't go up the mountain. We would rather take a detour for two or three days and die of hunger and thirst than go up the mountain!"
Behind Zhou Nan stood more than a hundred villagers from Uncle Dong's village.
After hearing the argument between the two brothers, the villagers also echoed Zhou Nan's words and said that they would no longer listen to Zhou Dong!
Looking at such villagers, Zhou Dong became furious!
The village chief's authority, which had never been challenged before, now looked extremely angry!
“Okay, okay, since you are not afraid of running out of food and are willing to walk for two or three more days, then go ahead.
But I'm putting this out there. If we meet again after we cross the mountain, you won't recognize me as the village chief, and don't come looking for me if you run into trouble in the future."
Village chief Zhou Dong’s authority was challenged, and he directly threatened the villagers who did not listen to him.
Chaoge naturally would not say anything about what was going on between them.
Anyway, no matter what, she decided to go into the mountains.
In the end, most of the villagers in Zhoudong Village followed Zhou Nan. In order to travel more distance and stay less in the mountains, Zhou Dong suppressed his anger, gathered the remaining villagers, followed the pace of other refugees, and set off in a mighty manner.
Most of the refugees who were able to go up the mountain were lightly equipped and did not have wheelbarrows or carts.
A carrying pole and a backpack carry the hopes of their entire family.
Leng Xiaoran, who was going up the mountain for the first time, stumbled and was led by Leng Liecheng. Leng Furong was so tired that she was out of breath and her legs were shaking after walking on the mountain road for a while.
"If you're tired, take a break and drink some water before continuing."
Chaoge took out a bamboo tube and handed it to the three of them.
Everyone knew the importance of water, so Leng Furong didn't dare to drink it in big gulps like she did the first time. After taking a few sips, she felt that the fatigue in her body seemed to have disappeared a lot.
"I don't think this water is so precious. I felt like my lungs were going to burst, but I didn't expect that after drinking a few sips, I suddenly felt stronger."
Leng Furong, who had been living a life of luxury, wiped the sweat from her forehead tiredly. Her body seemed to have reached its limit.
Living to the age of thirteen has never been so hard.
In the past, people climbed mountains just for fun, and servants would take care of everything. But now, people climb mountains just to survive. The feeling is indescribable.
Even taking two sips of water seemed so precious, and the sadness in my heart could only be concealed with a smile on my face.
"It is said that the drought in Xilin County is significantly less severe than here. Just hold on a little longer. At this rate, we will be able to reach Xilin County in less than ten days."
Chaoge could see the bitterness in the eyes of the three siblings. Leng Liecheng was a martial artist with impeccable willpower. Leng Furong was such a delicate young lady, Chaoge knew that she had actually been gritting her teeth and holding on.
The three-year-old Leng Xiaoran would occasionally cry and clamor for his father, mother and wet nurse. Perhaps it was because he had suffered so much during these days and felt increasingly uneasy.
Chaoge was actually quite pleased with the performance of Leng Furong and her brother. If it were someone who was spoiled and capricious because of her past status, she might have given up halfway.
Even if the original owner's ghost is still around, she will not serve him!
"Well, don't worry, big sister. I will definitely make it to Xilin County."
Hearing Chaoge's encouragement, Leng Furong, who had drunk the stream water, gradually recovered some strength. She stopped resting and got up from the ground to carry Leng Liecheng's backpack.
"I'm here, second sister. I'm still a man no matter what."
Leng Liecheng also realized that her second sister could not hold on any longer.
After all, the road over the mountains and across the hills was not as flat as the official road. Even though there were only a few wild fruits left in the backpack, he knew that Leng Furong, who had never carried a backpack before, would not be able to bear it.
"Okay then, when you're tired, leave it to Second Sister."
Leng Furong did not insist. Seeing that Leng Liecheng was in better spirits than herself, she stopped being polite.
I thought I could find some wild vegetables and medicinal herbs in the mountains, but the further Chaoge went into the mountains, the more disappointed he felt.
Although the mountain is high, it is obvious that many paths have been traveled by people, which proves how many people have passed by here before.
Because of the weather, many trees have died of thirst, not to mention wild vegetables.
Even if there is some greenery, it may have been completely eaten away by the refugees who had gone up the mountain before.
"Sister, can we really find food in this mountain?
Even if there were any, they were probably snatched away by the refugees who went up the mountain earlier, right?
I see that this mountain is completely desolate and there is no greenery at all. If we don’t find food and water, we will become food for those wild beasts.”
After walking for half a day and not even halfway up the mountain, Leng Furong began to doubt her life.
She lowered her voice and asked in a low voice, as if she was afraid that her words would be heard by Uncle Dong and his family in front.
After all, she had witnessed the conflict between Uncle Dong and the villagers early this morning, and she also understood this aspect of human nature.
Not to mention Leng Furong, Chaoge also had doubts.
But we had already walked for half a day and it was impossible to go back and take the official road again.
Forget it, even if there is no food, this mountain is so big. When everyone is resting, she can find an excuse to go out and look for food, and she can also get some wild fruits from the space.
"We can't be so depressed, there are still two or three days of mountain hiking to go, we need to be full of hope so that we can persevere.
Don't worry, there is always a way out. "
After Chaoge finished speaking, he supported himself with the branches he had cut and continued to move towards the top of the mountain.
Unexpectedly, just after taking a step, a scream suddenly came from behind!
And coincidentally, the voice belonged to Leng Xiaoran.
Chaoge and Leng Furong's faces changed instantly and they turned around to look!
As expected, Leng Xiaoran and Leng Liecheng hugged each other and rolled down the mountain...
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