It turned out that although the refugees were blocked outside by the high city gate, they did not intend to stay put. Instead, they thought of other ways. After all, there is strength in numbers. They soon found a dog hole covered by weeds by the city wall. Unfortunately, the dog hole was too small.
Although they had been hungry for a long time, most of them were adults whose skeletons were already set and were simply not strong enough to fit through the dog hole.
After much deliberation, they decided to send a few children in to scout ahead first.
Suddenly, the heavy burden fell entirely on the shoulders of the young orphans, led by Zhao Ping.
They ran wildly through the streets of Chang'an, stopping at every stall they came across and making sure to take something with them. However, they never forgot the purpose of their trip, which was not just to fill their own stomachs; they also had to bring things back for others.
And so, they set their sights on Tianxianglou, the most common restaurant on the street.
This is the main store.
Although news of the refugees gathering outside the city had already spread throughout Chang'an, and every household had made preparations to deal with it, they were still at a loss when the refugees actually broke in.
Driven by Zhao Ping, the orphans started smashing things in the shop and even broke into the kitchen. They packed up and took away anything edible, whether raw or cooked.
Upon receiving the news, Xu Yuehuai rushed back and was furious to see the chaos at Tianxiang Tower.
This took her a lot of effort!
She looked at the third child and said angrily, "How come you can't even catch a bunch of kids?!"
Although she was angry, she also knew that these refugees had experienced life and death, and seeing so much food, they would risk their lives to get their hands on it.
"They're too agile. Even if you manage to grab them, they'll slip away in a flash, like eels," the third brother said helplessly, shrugging.
Xu Yuehuai didn't say anything more, but began to pay attention to the whereabouts of the group. In the end, she found that the group of people followed the lead of the short-haired man. In this way, as long as they could catch him, the group would fall apart.
She hesitated for a moment, and just as the others were looking at what she had in her arms with smug satisfaction, she rushed forward and grabbed the man with the crew cut by the collar from behind.
Zhao Ping was lifted up like a chick, but he still didn't forget to yell, "Let me go! Which bastard dares to ambush me!"
"You, a mere brat who hasn't even grown his hair yet, dare to call yourself 'I'? I bet you haven't even grown your hair yet," Xu Yuehuai quickly said.
She always has a way of making sarcastic remarks.
Without Zhao Ping, the remaining orphans lost their leader and were all captured in no time.
Just then, Jiang Shichen returned from outside.
Looking at the orphans, he felt as if he were seeing his former self. If it weren't for his capable grandmother, he would probably have ended up like them.
He couldn't help but step forward: "Grandma, they are quite pitiful, why don't we keep them?"
This was the first time Xu Yuehuai had ever heard him speak like that.
Once she saw the emotion in Jiang Shichen's eyes, she understood a bit more. However, she didn't agree to the matter. Instead, she went up and ruffled his hair.
Then, she took the crew-cut guy to the backyard.
"Let me go! You filthy woman, do you dare not resort to underhanded tactics? Let's have a fair and square match!" Zhao Ping continued to shout.
He had defeated many people along the way, and he absolutely could not bear to be defeated by a woman. Not to mention, he was anxious because his uncles and aunts outside were waiting for them to take the food out.
"Hmm." Xu Yuehuai raised an eyebrow at him, but showed no intention of letting him go. "How did you get into Chang'an? How much did you steal after you came in? Did you hit anyone?"
"None of your business!" Zhao Ping's face was full of disdain.
Xu Yuehuai was not angry. To deal with such a person, as long as you can prove that you are stronger than him, you can make him submit.
She loosened the ropes binding Zhao Ping, and before anyone could react, she quickly subdued him: "What? Do you submit or not?"
"I'm not convinced! Come at me again if you dare!" This is precisely the kind of person who refuses to admit defeat.
Xu Yuehuai shrugged and continued to compete with him. However, after three or five rounds, Zhao Ping no longer had the strength to shout.
Xu Yuehuai handed him a bowl of water: "How much did you loot after you entered Chang'an?"
"I don't remember."
This time, Zhao Ping obediently shook his head.
They would rush over and rob anyone they saw, and had no idea how much they actually stole.
"But we didn't hurt anyone."
Xu Yuehuai remained silent.
Just then, Zhou Wan came in and said in a low voice, "Mother, the people outside have been settled, but I heard that the guards at the gate can no longer hold them back. I'm afraid those refugees will break in soon."
"Where is the Prince? Hasn't he arrived yet?" Xu Yuehuai frowned.
Zhou Wan shook her head and remained silent.
Xu Yuehuai pondered for a moment before finally speaking: "Kid, do you still dare to steal things in the future?"
“We have hands and feet, and we were honest farmers before. If we weren’t really desperate, who would resort to such robbery!” Zhao Ping’s tone was full of resentment.
What he said is true. If they had even the slightest chance to survive and be independent, they would never have come to this.
“If you promise never to steal or rob again, I can let you work here with me and earn a living with your own hands. No one will look down on you anymore.” After Xu Yuehuai finished speaking, she clearly noticed that Zhao Ping’s eyes lit up.
Zhao Ping immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "Thank you, shopkeeper, thank you, shopkeeper... but..."
He still had something on his mind.
"The shopkeeper is a very kind person, but could you please not only take in a few of us? We also have uncles, aunts, and uncles outside. They are all very hardworking. Please be kind and let them stay as well. I guarantee they won't cause you any trouble."
Xu Yuehuai shook her head.
She's in business, not charity. Besides, even if all the branches of Tianxianglou were combined, they couldn't accommodate that many people.
“I’m just a restaurant owner, I only earn this little bit of money every day, barely enough to make ends meet. I can’t possibly keep all of you here. If you have a guilty conscience…” Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Ping interrupted her.
"Then I won't stay. Can someone else stay instead?" His eyes were firm, clearly he wasn't joking.
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