Chapter 6: Hunger and Sickness
Over the mountain...
Village chief Lai Fu shouted at the large group to move forward with difficulty, cross the top of Lizi Mountain, go down the hillside to find the official road, and then turn a corner to reach the destination.
But it is easier said than done. Everyone was thirsty and hungry, the children couldn't bear the pain and cried loudly, the adults tried their best to move their steps, and the elderly men and women really couldn't walk, and if they sat on the ground, they might not be able to get up again.
But in the empty eyes of each of the skinny villagers, there was a glimmer of hope to survive.
In the crowd, the eldest brother Ding Rongwei opened his dry and cracked lips, looked back at the hilltop where the light was rising, but saw no one.
He quickened his pace and walked to the second brother Ding De: "Second brother, the third brother and his family didn't come with us. Could they really be dead?"
Ding De didn't even bother to look at him, but continued to walk forward with the dog-beating stick: "Why, if you feel bad, go back and look for it."
"What kind of talk is that? How can I feel sorry for myself? Can't you see that my whole family is also hungry and thirsty?"
"Oh, big brother, stop pretending. Your family is the most affluent among the three of us. You started preparing to store food when the drought just started. Look at your and your sister-in-law's baskets, they are full. You are carrying a lot of bread, right?"
"Old Three, what are you talking about?"
Ding Rong quickly stopped and distanced himself from Ding De, then looked vigilantly at the villagers passing by. Fortunately, everyone was so hungry that no one paid attention to what Ding De said.
In these days, people without food will starve to death, but those who have food are in great danger.
No one dared to imagine what these starving ghosts would do impulsively when they heard that there was still food in his house.
Ding Rong was very cunning. There were three children in his family: the eldest son was seventeen, the second daughter was fourteen, and the youngest son was ten years old. They were all at the age of growing up and could eat the most. He had indeed stored some food before going out, and now it was scattered in the backpacks of his family members, and each person was responsible for carrying a portion.
But he would not give a single grain of his food to outsiders.
Even when he saw Ding Gui's family of three almost being trampled to death, Ding Rong didn't even go over to take a look, for fear that the village chief would entrust the family to his care.
Ding De, who was still walking in front, kicked a small stone fiercely and cursed. He had two children in his family, the older one was thirteen and the younger one was nine, both girls. In terms of population, his family was not as prosperous as his elder brother's, and in terms of surplus food, his family did not have as much as his elder brother's. It was really pathetic.
Now he was filled with hatred. He had worked so hard for the Ding family, but in the end, Ding Rong abandoned them all with just one word: he wanted to divide the family property, and even took away all the food and the best house in the family.
As a result, until now, the Ding family still cannot turn things around.
Fortunately, he left early under the pretext of getting married, otherwise the third brother's family would have become a burden to him sooner or later.
Sun, who was standing beside him, raised her tired hand and pulled him: "Why are you arguing with him? You might as well save your energy to beg for food later."
"Asshole! He knew the old woman was going to die this time, but he didn't want to take care of it himself and dragged me down with her. He's really a piece of shit." Ding De cursed viciously.
Sun said, "What does it have to do with you if the old woman dies? As long as she and the Third Brother's family are still alive, they should take care of her. Big brother is afraid of being struck by lightning, so he wants to drag you down with him to suffer the pain!"
Ding De cursed, "Bah! No matter how much I care about the old woman's life or death, it's not my business. If lightning strikes, it will only hit him and the third brother, not me."
"Alright, alright, save your breath by saying less. Xing'er can't walk anymore, you carry her on your back." Sun pulled her little daughter in front of the man.
At this moment, Lai Fu, who was walking in the middle of the team, turned around and shouted towards the top of the mountain: "Hey, Ding Gui, work harder, good job!"
Hearing this call, everyone turned around in surprise...
On the bare hilltop, a thin couple was seen supporting an equally thin old woman, Wang Dafeng. Beside them stood a little girl who could be blown down by the wind.
The four members of their family looked equally ragged, but their backs were straight, and in the morning light, they had a different kind of firmness.
The villagers of Aozi Village were all stunned: "..."
In fact, most of them thought that this family was doomed to die.
When they were in the village, their family was a rare poor family. Even so, they certainly didn't have much food when they set out, and then they went hungry for several days on the road. They didn't die after what happened last night. Who would have thought that they would be able to climb over this mountain and chase them.
It’s true that a worthless life is more resilient!
Inexplicably, a fleeting smile appeared on everyone's desperate faces. Without saying anything, they turned around and continued on their way.
But the two brothers Ding Rong and Ding Gong began to feel anxious.
Not dead? Will he become a burden to them in the end?
On the top of the mountain, the wind whistled past my ears.
Even though the sun wasn't scorching hot yet, the stuffiness in the air was already rising from the soles of my feet.
Ding Gui and his wife, who were each supporting Wang Dafeng, looked at each other with complicated expressions.
Looking from the top of the mountain to the foot, it seems like there is a huge group of beggars stretching endlessly.
Ding Xiaodie's voice, like a kitten, sounded faintly, "Guess how many of these people wish we wouldn't follow them?"
Yes, if there is one less group of people, they can ask for more food. At this time, let’s not say that human nature is good. It is everyone’s instinct to want to live. Who knows what is in people’s hearts?
Zhang Xiu's expression suddenly darkened...
Then I heard Ding Xiaodie say, "So we must live well, live brilliantly, and live to the fullest."
"Yes, yes, Baoer is right." Ding Gui immediately responded with a smile.
Wang Dafeng looked at the three of them as if they were monsters. Were they starving themselves to death? Did they still want to live a fulfilling life?
These people had just forced her to climb the mountain on her own, and she was now furious: "Stop standing here talking nonsense, Ding Gui, carry me on your back and walk away quickly. If you can't get any food, you'll starve to death tomorrow."
Ding Gui once promised her that as long as she was willing to climb to the top of the mountain by herself, he would carry her downhill.
At this time, he carried the old woman on his back without saying a word.
Zhang Xiu turned around and held Ding Xiaodie's hand. Since the child had short legs, she was afraid that she would accidentally step on a stone and fall.
In short, eating rabbit meat is different. Although it is not much, it finally fills my empty stomach with oil.
With oil and water, they had strength. The family of four rushed down the hillside and not only caught up with the main group, but also directly surpassed Ding Rong and Ding Gongjia and walked to the front of the group.
Looking at their backs, Ding Rong and Ding Gong were stunned: "..."
Walking so fast, are you a starving ghost reincarnated?
What made them even more uncomfortable was that when Ding Gui passed them with the old woman on his back, the old woman actually cursed, "You beast."
What does that mean? Are you scolding them?
By the time Sun from Ding De's family and Zhu from the eldest son Ding Rong's family realized that their mother-in-law was scolding them and wanted to jump up and scold back, she had already walked away.
(End of this chapter)
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