Li Lanzhen asked Han Mingjiang to tell everyone not to unload their luggage, but to just sit where they were, and if they got hungry, they could drink some water or eat some bread.
Don't bring out your own food to attract attention. Look around at those refugees, each one thin and bony, lying on the ground or leaning against a mound of earth, their eyes lifeless, their eyes fixed on the bundles or pockets of passersby.
If a passerby makes a sound, they immediately start watching closely, as if they want to rush up, take something out of the person's mouth, and eat it themselves.
Li Lanzhen was frightened by their eyes. She told the children to stay close to the adults and not to run around on their own.
The children were also very perceptive. Seeing that the crowd was staring at them as if they were pieces of meat, they all shrank back in fear and hid behind the adults.
Li Lanzhen learned from movies, books, magazines, and newspapers that among those who fled famine, there were instances of cannibalism or even eating one's own child.
But today, she felt a little scared because among the crowd, there were only young adults or a few young women, not even the elderly or children. It was impossible that no elderly or children from the whole village had been brought out. The most likely scenario was that they had been sold for food, or, in the worst case, they had been exchanged for food.
Thinking of this, Li Lanzhen felt a chill run down her spine, and her throat tightened repeatedly.
He hugged Miaomiao and Linglong even tighter in his arms.
Just as she was thinking about these things, suddenly a luxurious carriage followed by two donkey carts came rushing by, kicking up a cloud of dust as they ran fast.
They walked a short distance forward and then stopped.
A servant-like man emerged from the donkey cart, carrying a gong, and struck it three times.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Time to exchange grain! Girls under five years old can exchange for one pound of old rice, girls between five and ten years old can exchange for two pounds of old rice, and girls over ten years old can exchange for two pounds of old rice and ten wild vegetable cakes."
After Li Lanzhen heard his voice, the crowd on both sides began to make noise, and the cries of children could be heard one after another.
In the crowd in front of them, a little girl, about ten years old, shouted loudly, "Mom! Mom, I can work! I only need to drink one sip of water every three days! Don't replace me! I don't want to be sold!"
The person pulling her must have been her biological father. He dragged her away like a fierce demon. When he saw the little girl sitting on the ground and not moving, he kicked her over.
Li Lanzhen felt very sad. It was really not easy for women to survive in this era!
She turned her gaze and tightened her grip on the two little girls she was holding.
Miaomiao and Linglong were clearly terrified by what they saw, clinging tightly to her and burying their faces in her shoulders.
It seems that this way you can hide his miserable state.
At this moment, a man from Dongjiazhuang, who was following behind Hanjiacun, was also preparing to take his daughter to exchange for grain.
The little girl was probably only three years old. She was crying and shouting at the top of her lungs, "Mother, Mother, don't sell Niu Niu."
Her mother covered her mouth and wept. Finally, she broke free from her father's grasp and ran to hug the village chief's leg.
"Grandpa Village Chief, please, please save me! If you tell him not to sell me, he'll definitely listen to you. Please, Grandpa! When you get old, I'll take care of you. I'll treat you like my own grandfather. Please!"
The old village chief of Dongjiazhuang was also furious and stood up abruptly. He put the little girl behind him and shouted, "Dong Erlaizi, if you dare to sell Niu Niu for grain today, you can get out of here!"
Dong Erlaizi scratched his head and said, "Village chief, there's really no other way. We don't have a single bite to eat at home. My son is not even a year old, and he has absolutely nothing to eat. What do you suggest we do? We can't let him starve to death."
He looked at his daughter again, "I gave Niu Niu to those people, which gave Niu Niu a way to survive. In return, my son can also survive with the food we got. Isn't that good?"
Niu Niu immediately knelt down in front and said, "Dad, please, don't switch me, don't buy Niu Niu. I'll go find something to eat. If there's really nothing left, I'll cut my finger and give my blood to my brother. Please don't sell me."
Wiping away her tears, she pleaded, "My little brother has been born, I must take good care of him."
Dong Erlaizi's eyes reddened at this moment. He said, "Niu Niu, it's not that your father is cruel, it's just that there's really no other way. All the food and things in the house have been stolen. Your grandmother was also beaten to death by bad guys while protecting you and your brother."
The man buried his head in his hands and began to sob.
Niu Niu slowly scooted closer to him, hugged his head, and said, "Daddy, don't cry, don't cry. Niu Niu will think of a way. Please don't buy Niu Niu. There are only four of us left in our family. We should stay together. Please don't buy Niu Niu."
Dong Erlaizi hugged Niu Niu tightly and burst into tears.
The tragic and touching scenes here did not stop other families from selling their daughters or sisters.
For a time, the sound of weeping filled the air along the official road and beside the donkey carts.
Li Lanzhen looked up and saw more than a dozen girls of all ages being stuffed into a donkey cart. Their families carried away some grain that they had exchanged for their daughters or sisters, and a smile appeared on their numb faces as they walked away.
The people of Hanjiacun huddled together again, placing the children in the middle and holding them tightly or pulling them along.
The children were terrified by the sight and clung tightly to their parents or grandparents.
At this moment, Han Shunde and Xue Bao returned.
The news that came was not optimistic.
Han Shunde looked at his father and said, “Father, Yongkang City is similar to our Han Family Village. It’s been three years, and not a drop of rain has fallen. Grain is extremely expensive, and refugees are not allowed to enter the city. They can’t even enter if they have money.”
Li Lanzhen asked, "If they're not allowed into the city, why are so many refugees gathered here? I heard there's no water to drink either."
"There is indeed no water, but more than a dozen wells in the city have been requisitioned and controlled by the government, and water is limited every day," Han Shunde said.
Xue Laohu frowned. "I heard from them that wealthy families haul water out of the city at night. A man can earn half a bucket of water for his family by working in the city for three days."
Some wealthy families also came out to distribute porridge.
"Distribute porridge?"
Li Lanzhen was a little confused. Wasn't there a food shortage everywhere? Why was there a porridge distribution?
Han Shunde shared his guess.
"They also raised a point that I couldn't understand: they said that distributing porridge was possible, but two men in the family needed to go to the city to work for five days. In return, the family could have free porridge for five days."
Village Chief Dong's son shook his head, "I feel there's something wrong here."
No one who went in has come out yet.
The old village chief frowned and said, "There must be something wrong here. We can't have porridge today."
Li Lanzhen said, "Village chief, I think we can't stay here. Let's go hide in the mountains."
Xue Laohu said, "If we want to get to Youzhou, we must pass through Ankang City. Otherwise, if we have to cross the mountain, the journey will be even longer. Moreover, there are bandits in this mountain."
The old village chief and the others frowned, deep in thought about the problem.
Li Lanzhen added, "I am determined to go into the mountains; we absolutely cannot wait until the afternoon here."
You didn't notice how many people have gathered here. Little girls have been sold off in exchange for grain, and there aren't many elderly people left.
Those who are young and strong have probably all been taken to the city.
If the porridge vendors come in the afternoon and force us to drink it, should we drink it or not?
By the time we evacuate, it will be too late.
The old village chief nodded and said, "Let's go, let's go now!"
Han Shunde quickly informed everyone to prepare to leave.
The people of Hanjiacun and Dongjiazhuang picked up their baskets, tidied up their homes, and just as they carried their children out of the woods and ran to the foot of the mountain, they heard the clatter of horses' hooves on the official road.
They also heard the clanging sound of swords being drawn and heard soldiers shouting, "No one is allowed to run! All males over the age of 12 are to be brought into the city and arrested!"
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