When the tribal chief, wearing a straw-lined jacket, returned to the tribe, a group of children surrounded him and threw themselves into his arms, refusing to leave.
"Grandpa, my mother wants to send me away."
“My Ada said the same thing. He said it’s fine if I become a slave or wander, but I can’t stay in the tribe anymore. Grandpa, please talk to them and don’t let us leave, okay?”
The Fengshi tribe hasn't had enough to eat all winter; it's because their leader is useless.
Each child's face was so thin, almost skin and bones, that the old man said, his eyes red.
“Ada’s mother also wants you to have a good life.”
"Stop bothering Grandpa, there's some grass porridge being cooked outside, go eat."
The middle-aged men in the tribe had just finished cooking when they saw their chief surrounded by children. The men who had returned with their grandfather were in low spirits. Feng Shitai, the strongest and most powerful warrior in the tribe, had obeyed the chief's orders to stay in the tribe to protect the elderly, women, and children.
"Grandpa, what did those people say?"
The old man shook his head and said
"They said they wanted to teach us how to live, how to farm and weave, and even how to treat illnesses."
Who would believe that?
"It's better to be a slave to the nobles than a slave to the Great Yan people."
Feng Shitai remained silent, simply sitting inside the tent, letting the cold wind blow in. He and his grandfather watched the group of children enjoying a pot of grass porridge, and couldn't help but sigh.
Tribes like theirs, living on the edge of the grasslands, are left unattended. Even if the royal court wanted to help, the journey was too long, and no one was willing to send them food.
"How is Little Pebble?"
The man shook his head, his voice choked with emotion.
"The witch doctor said we won't make it through the night."
"How could that be? Wasn't that child just jumping around calling me 'Grandpa' a few days ago?"
Little Stone is the man's son. Three days ago, he suddenly developed a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea. He was taken to a shaman, but the shaman couldn't cure him. Today, the shaman gave him an ultimatum.
"This might just be his fate."
The man's eyes were filled with melancholy. He gave a self-deprecating laugh and then said...
"But Little Stone is lucky, at least he doesn't die by sword."
"That child is most afraid of pain."
The old man suddenly slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and scolded...
"What do you mean by fate? You are the most powerful warrior in our tribe. Do you still believe in Buddha like those nobles? Pack your things, take Little Stone and his mother and come with me."
Where to?
The leader took a deep breath and said
"Go and beg those people from the Central Plains."
"If they can cure the little stone, it means there's some truth to what they're saying, but you also have to be prepared for a one-way trip. Do you want to take the gamble?"
The man stood up, glanced again at the children eating grass porridge, and then spoke firmly to the chief.
"I'll go tell the child's mother to pack her things."
The chief nodded, then stepped out of the tent and gathered the tribe's able-bodied men together, saying...
"I'm going with Atai to investigate the strength of the Central Plains people. If I don't come back tomorrow, we should all pack our things and leave."
"Grandpa?"
"Grandpa, can I come with you?"
"I also want to go to Grandpa's."
The chief's head was buzzing. A group of young men in their early twenties gathered around him, calling him "Grandpa." Anyway, the message was delivered. Feng Shitai, carrying Xiao Shizi on his back and holding the child's mother's hand, waited for him at the entrance of the tribe.
The white-bearded old man looked at the pale, bloodless child, and touched his thin cheek with his wrinkled hand. Just a few days ago, the child had told him...
"Grandpa, when summer comes, I'll catch wild rabbits for you to eat."
"Let's be patient a little longer, things will get better after winter."
“Our little pebbles have suffered,” the chief said softly.
"It's not bitter... When summer comes, I'll catch wild rabbits for Grandpa to eat." As if sensing his loved ones by his side, the little boy opened his eyes with all his might and said.
"General, the old man who spoke with Miss Sun during the day is requesting an audience at the camp gate," Li Xiaocao reported, kneeling on one knee as she entered the command tent.
"What's wrong? Have you figured it out?" Huo Xiaolong asked.
Little Grass shook her head and said...
"It doesn't seem so. The old man was with a man and a child on his back. It seems like he wanted us to help treat the child's illness."
The girl in red armor tapped the table and then said...
“Set up a tent five miles from the military camp, and then take them there.”
Huo Xiaolong was also afraid, as the unconscious child she was holding was carrying the plague. So she asked Xiaocao to call Hou Xiangxiang over.
"I heard that the child is unconscious. Do you want to save him? I was afraid it was the plague, so I took him upstream of the water source."
Huo Xiaolong's move was quite wicked. "If you dare to send the plague to me, I'll make sure the entire grassland is infected, and I'll pour the water that the child drank into the water source."
"Look, they're probably desperate. Did you smell the food they were eating just now?" Hou Xiangxiang asked.
The girl in red nodded and said...
"I can smell it. It has a rather pleasant fragrance, like something you'd have with every meal."
"That's grass, cooked with brown rice and cornmeal."
"Long'er, I want to go and see."
The little girl stood below the desk, watching Huo Xiaolong. Even though she didn't want her friend to be in danger, she nodded and then said...
“I’ll go with you.”
Inside the tent, a foul odor emanated from Xiao Shizi. After tying a face mask around her own neck, Hou Xiangxiang turned and put one on Huo Xiaolong as well. Then she asked...
"What symptoms? How many days has it been?"
Sun Zixi fell asleep, and Da Ni'er came with the two of them.
The chief recognized the dark-skinned girl who spoke fluent grassland dialect, but whose only words were fighting and killing.
"He's been vomiting and having diarrhea for several days now, and the witch doctor says there's no hope."
The child's smell was the reason his excrement had stained his clothes and hadn't been cleaned promptly. The girl had someone boil a vat of water, and then added two basins of charcoal to the tent.
"Wash him clean first, then change his clothes."
"Long'er, have someone make some meat porridge."
Da Nier chimed in from the side.
"It's too much trouble in the middle of the night, I'll do it."
Upon hearing this, Huo Xiaolong hurriedly went out to call Sister Erya. Why didn't they let the child live a few more days? After eating Da Ni'er's meat porridge, she'll probably be heading straight to the underworld.
"Sir, is there any hope for Xiaoshizi?" asked the grassland woman standing to the side.
“He hasn’t eaten for too long. Let him eat something so I can take his pulse.”
It's not that Hou Xiangxiang is incurable now, but even if medicine is used on a dirty child, it will be in vain. There are countless evil spirits in his body. Even if Xiao Shizi is beyond saving, let him die cleanly and have a full meal.
Upon hearing this, the woman immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Hou Xiangxiang, muttering...
"Thank you, sir."
The little girl didn't know where to dodge, so Da Ni grabbed the woman by the collar, lifted her up, and said...
"You're welcome. Just listen to us from now on."
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