With no income coming in and grain prices rising, Zhao reduced the amount of food she used for cooking. Besides herself, she could eat more. Each person only had half a pancake and a bowl of unidentifiable batter. Even if they had just finished their meal, they were still hungry.
Kang Yueran continued to secretly give extra meals to the people in the second house. Sometimes it was peach cakes, saying that they bought them in town; sometimes it was mixed flour buns, saying that they were given by Cheng the shopkeeper; sometimes it was eggs, saying that they exchanged them for wild rabbits with the villagers...
After drinking the spiritual spring water and filling up most of their stomachs, the people in the second house looked less sick.
When I went to deliver the prey to Manager Cheng again, Manager Cheng said that the dried meat was selling very well.
Kang Yueran frowned. People were having a hard time, but dried meat was still selling well. Did it mean that many people were planning to leave? After all, dried meat was very suitable for eating on the road.
Bashun came over and handed Manager Cheng a small bundle. Manager Cheng placed the bundle on the table and opened it. "This is the money I owe you for selling the dried meat. I gave you 20% of it."
"Uncle Cheng, we agreed on a 10% commission, and it wouldn't take thirty taels..."
"And there's the wild boar you just sent. We can kill it and make it into dried meat to sell. Yueran, don't refuse. Just take it when I give it to you."
Seeing that Kang Yueran refused to take it, Manager Cheng became anxious, "Just take it when I told you to. I've been running the restaurant for so many years and I don't need your little money."
Kang Yueran took the bundle and thanked him, then asked, "Are there many people in town who want to go out for shelter?"
Shopkeeper Cheng's face was filled with sorrow. "There's a locust plague in the south. All the crops that haven't been harvested have been eaten by locusts. When the news got to us, the price of grain changed almost every day."
He sighed deeply, "I've also decided to take my whole family to Xuzhou Prefecture for temporary refuge. Yueran, Anzhou is likely to be in chaos for a while, so you have to be careful!"
Shopkeeper Cheng went on to discuss the recent situation, "Too much rain caused landslides, and many people died in two villages in Gaofeng County.
Several merchants in our town were robbed in the middle of the night, resulting in numerous casualties. The county magistrates came to question them briefly and then left without finding anything.
I heard that at first, there was a wealthy family outside our Changming County that was giving out porridge, and the hungry victims all rushed over. As a result, there were so many people that fights broke out over the porridge, so the county magistrate canceled the porridge distribution. Now you have to pay money to enter the county."
The more he spoke, the more Kang Yueran's heart sank.
Fengtou Village is some distance away from Dayan Mountain, and there are many trees on Dayan Mountain, so it should not cause landslides.
However, there is a river at the end of Fengtou Village, and the water level has risen a lot due to heavy rain.
The wealthy families have become more aware of the dangers. If the victims cannot rob the wealthy families, will they turn around and rob the villagers?
Kang Yueran thought of her own family. Mrs. Ye was ill, and her two younger brothers were still young. Mrs. Zhao and the eldest wife were not only of no help but also a burden.
No, we have to separate the family quickly in the next two days. What happens after the separation? She suddenly thought of Kang Yuanchen. Well, she could discuss it with Kang Yuanchen.
After leaving the Bi Guang Tower, Kang Yueran found a deserted place, took out a crossbow and ten arrows from the space, and returned to the Bi Guang Tower to give them to Manager Cheng for self-defense on the road.
Shopkeeper Cheng was so moved that he shed tears when he saw the crossbow. At this time when everyone was in danger, Kang Yueran was willing to give him such a good thing. His friendship with the father and daughter was not in vain.
Kang Yueran made a special detour to the grain shop. The price of grain had doubled, but there was still a long line in front of the shop.
She went to a grocery store and bought thirty sheets of waterproof oil paper. The salt sold in the space mall was much finer and whiter than the salt sold in the store, so she bought another three pounds of salt to avoid being exposed.
It hadn't rained for two days, and the clouds in the sky were very low and thick, giving her the feeling that it was the calm before the storm.
After returning to the village, she went to Kang Yuanchen's house first.
Kang Yuanchen's father was gone, and only his mother, Huang, and his younger brother, Kang Yuanwu, were left at home. Huang welcomed Kang Yueran into the courtyard, held her hand, wiped her tears, and spoke of Kang Youan's goodness.
Kang Yuanchen said with red eyes, "Why didn't someone as good as Uncle An live long? Uncle Ping deserves to die..."
Huang scolded, "Don't talk nonsense. If someone hears it, it will be terrible and will cause trouble for Yue Ran."
Kang Yueran said, "Everyone has their own destiny. My father has gone to heaven to enjoy happiness."
Huang wiped her tears and said, "That's the right thing to think. Your father is enjoying his life now. He will protect you."
Kang Yueran hummed, not wanting to continue the topic, "I came here today because I want to ask my aunt something."
"What do you mean by asking for help or not? Your business is our business. You decide!"
"I went to town today and met Shopkeeper Cheng. He said that rice crops in some parts of the south have been hit by locusts, and the price of grain here has been rising.
The disaster victims were starving, so they broke into several wealthy homes in the middle of the night and robbed them, injuring many. Huang was horrified. "Has this...come to the point of robbery?"
Kang Yueran continued, "Yes, so many wealthy families either hired experts to protect their homes or prepared to move their families out for shelter. I wondered if the disaster victims, unable to rob the wealthy, would turn around and rob us."
Kang Yuanchen said, "Don't worry, Yueran. If you dare to come to our village, I will definitely protect you."
Now that I've laid the groundwork, it's time to get down to business. "You all know my family's situation. If someone were to come and rob the village, my grandmother and uncle would definitely not protect us. So, I want to split up and move out of that house.
But there are no extra houses in the village, so I want to borrow a room from my aunt’s house. I know that my family is in mourning and it is not easy for them to…”
Huang interrupted Kang Yueran, "What's the big deal? Your father was a good man when he was alive, and he is a good ghost after his death. Maybe he will bless us for your sake.
"Yue Ran, feel free to move in. My house is small, so let Yuan Feng and Yuan Hao sleep with Yuan Chen, and you and your mother can sleep in the same room with me. That's perfect!"
Kang Youan helped Huang's mother and two of her two children, not only because he was kind, but also because the mother and two of her two children were honest and loyal people.
Kang Yueran was touched, "Thank you, auntie!"
"Why thank me? Our two families get along well, so we should help each other. But Yueran, have you thought about how to propose a separation? Your grandma won't agree easily."
The net had been cast for a long time, and it was almost time to reel it in. "That's not up to her."
Kang Yueran put down three pounds of salt and the oilcloth, "Put it here first, otherwise you won't be able to take it out when you take it to that house. Aunt, I'm going back to divide the family first."
Go back to divide the family? Huang was stunned for a moment, "Dividing the family is not a trivial matter, you have to be careful."
"I save it!"
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