Chapter 220 Natural Disaster? Man-Made Disaster? Human Misfortune?
One of the survivors, who had miraculously survived, knelt down and wept bitterly.
"God, are you trying to kill us all?"
Who exactly are you trying to punish?
Why do you have to punish whoever you want? Why is it always us poor people who suffer?
Life is already hard enough as it is, first there was drought, then snowstorms, and now this cold wave. It's like they don't want ordinary people like us to survive!
"A way out?"
Suddenly, a man emerged from the nearby bushes.
"Fellow villager, you're from the border region too, right? Me too."
The weeping man looked up at the man in the grass hut.
"Yes, I am a refugee who came out to escape famine. When I came out, my family had four generations and about twenty people. But now, some have died and others have disappeared, leaving only three people. Our big family is about to perish."
No, it's not that we're about to perish, it's that we're about to. We don't know when this cold wave will recede. We narrowly escaped death last night, but we'll definitely freeze to death tonight.
The man in the grass nest looked meaningfully at the man who was crying.
"That's not necessarily true. Who knows, we might find a way to survive today!"
The weeping man wiped away his tears with his dirty sleeve.
"Fellow villager, do you know where I can escape the cold?"
We're from the same place, fellow villagers and family. Don't forget me if you find a good place to go.
The man in the straw hut shook off the dry grass clinging to his brittle hair.
"Brother, you know what? I actually know a really nice place. They have firewood and seem to have built quite a few heated brick beds."
That place is about fifty miles ahead; it's a dilapidated temple.
A group of people went there before and they cleaned it up very well.
Not only did they repair the roof, they also built a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove). A few days ago, that group of people went crazy collecting firewood, and they cut down most of the nearby forest.
At the time, everyone thought these people were crazy, why would they chop so much firewood? Now it seems they are not only not crazy, but also very smart.
I had considered going there to team up with them before, but those people were a bit xenophobic, and I was chased away every time I went.
The weeping man frowned.
"They were forced out? Then they must be incredibly strong. The two of us definitely can't beat them."
The man in the grass nest looked into the dry grass beside him.
“The two of us are definitely not enough, but there are more than just the two of us refugees on this road. As long as we gather these people together, I believe we can definitely fight that group.”
The weeping man immediately perked up after hearing the man in the grass hut's words.
"Yes, let's fight them, damn it. It's better to fight than to freeze to death here. Brother, let's go."
The man in the straw hut and the man weeping supported each other for warmth, shouting loudly on the eastward-bound road.
"Brothers who are still alive, fellow villagers, elders and folks, our way to survival has come! There are houses, heated brick beds, firewood, grain, young women, young wives, and men..."
Suddenly, a disheveled woman emerged from the hole in the ground by parting the bushes.
"Men? Where are the men? I haven't met a man I like in ages."
…………
At the temple, Shen Junshan and two guards had just returned. He frowned as he looked at the village chief and the others.
"The situation is not optimistic. There are many dead people on the road, but there are also quite a few survivors. I saw a few people who came here to cause trouble before, and I always feel that those people are a menace."
If they gather all the refugees along the way, the number will be considerable; we must prepare in advance.
Village Chief Lin's expression turned serious.
"It's a bit troublesome. Those people are facing a life-or-death situation right now. They'll definitely fight tooth and nail to survive. This battle will be tough."
The village chief looked up at Gu Xiang as he spoke.
"Butler Gu, you have more experience than us. What are your plans for this battle?"
Gu Xiang pondered for a moment.
“We currently have fewer than two hundred men here who are ready to fight, and the number of refugees is impossible to estimate, but I’m sure their numbers will exceed ours.”
However, those people live a life of hardship, often going hungry, so they might not be as physically strong as us.
I think we should take the initiative and ideally draw the battlefield outwards.
After all, these temples are full of people we care about; we need to make sure that no refugees take the opportunity to sneak in during the fight.
The village chief nodded, and was about to speak when his attention was suddenly drawn to a few small heads at the door.
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