Ning Yao and her group found a village in the evening.
The village was deserted and abandoned, making it a perfect place for them to stay temporarily.
Shen Ci'an found a large house, and after confirming that it was safe, he asked everyone to go there.
“This should be the residence of the village head or village chief. There are enough rooms, but we can’t be separated. In case of any situation, we can look out for each other!” Ning Yao said.
Shen Ci'an looked around and then said, "Let's do it in the main room then. It's spacious, and the two door panels can block the cold wind."
Zhi Mei and Dong Yue brought in the bedding and laid it out.
Ning Lang carried the unconscious Zhi Lan to a corner, and then he and Ning Jin gathered dry branches to start a fire.
Shen Cile was responsible for taking care of the injured Madam Ning.
Hua Yan helped Ning Yao move the other pots and pans, preparing to start a fire and cook later.
Shen Wei and Ning Wenyi went to the village and found no living people, but they did find several badly rotten corpses.
Judging from their hair color, almost all of them were elderly.
The two exchanged a glance, sighed softly, and then dug a hole on the spot to bury them, which could be considered an act of kindness.
Back in the main room, the fire was already lit and the pot was set up.
Ning Yao carried a chicken, a bundle of noodles, half a bag of vegetables, and some other things into the main room.
"Chicken noodle soup for dinner!"
Ning Yao's words were met with cheers from everyone.
"Oh my, having my daughter around makes all the difference; we can finally improve our meals!"
"Yes, it's been a long time since I've had something hot."
"On such a cold day, a hot meal will warm you up."
"Wow, my niece is amazing!"
"Third Miss is mighty!"
Ning Yao smiled and accepted all the praise!
Shen Ci'an didn't speak, a smile playing on his lips, but his gaze never left Ning Yao.
Hua Yan remained meek and quiet, not uttering a single word.
Zhi Mei was quick and efficient in the winter, and soon the chicken soup was simmering.
Taking advantage of this break, Ning Yao set Madam Ning's bones.
"The injury isn't serious, just some minor cracks. As long as you don't strain your arm and it doesn't get injured again, I'll prepare some medicine to speed up bone healing, and you'll get better soon."
Madam Ning looked at her lovingly: "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. But it will be hard for our Yao Yao on this journey."
A rich aroma of chicken soup wafted into the main room, making everyone's mouths water.
Ning Jin sighed, "In the past, the manor was always full of delicacies. A bowl of chicken soup with all kinds of rare medicinal herbs was nothing out of the ordinary. Now, in this situation, even a bowl of ordinary chicken soup seems tempting. It just makes me realize how unpredictable life is!"
“Before I got married, I was a bit picky, but now I feel ashamed.” Shen Ci’an blushed and snuggled up to Ning Jin.
Shen Wei sighed: "This drought has lasted for half a year. We thought that the snowfall in winter would alleviate it, but who knew that the weather would rather be dry and cold than let a single drop of water fall? We don't know how long this drought will last. If it lasts for three or five years, the people of the world will suffer a great disaster!"
The room was completely silent; apart from the bubbling sound from the pot, no one spoke.
Shen Wei was right. During their journey south, they witnessed the plight of the refugees.
Whether it was a small village or a large town, they all shared two common characteristics.
First, it was empty and silent; second, it was littered with corpses.
People were displaced, and once fertile fields were overgrown with weeds, turning into a desolate and miserable scene in just six months.
If the drought really lasts for three to five years, there could be serious problems!
"The noodles are ready. Master, Madam, young masters and young ladies, you may now enjoy your meal."
Zhi Mei's voice brought everyone back to their senses.
A moment later, each person held a small bowl of chicken soup noodles in their hands.
In the winter month, I blanched some green vegetables again, adding a touch of greenery to this cold winter day.
Each person had several pieces of chicken in their bowl, with the youngest, Ning Yao, and Shen Ci'an, each receiving a chicken leg.
Ning Yao finished the chicken leg in her bowl with relish and started eating noodles.
Suddenly, a chicken leg appeared in her bowl, and she looked up at the side.
Shen Ci'an looked at her with a smile in her bright, peach-blossom eyes: "Sister, you must be tired from your journey. Eat more."
Ning Yao slowly looked away, then put the chicken leg back into his bowl.
"I've already eaten. This is yours, so you can eat it yourself!"
The smile faded from Shen Ci'an's eyes, slowly filling them with sadness and dejection: "Oh."
The boy's muffled voice reached Ning Yao's ears, and Ning Yao immediately felt a little guilty.
I glanced at him discreetly and noticed that he looked utterly dejected.
Tsk!
"You're still young and growing. You need to eat well to grow taller, you know?"
Shen Ci'an suddenly looked up at Ning Yao.
Ning Yao nodded seriously: "It's true, I'm not lying to you. If a boy isn't as good-looking as Hua Yan, he won't be able to get a wife."
Shen Ci'an's face darkened, and he looked sharply at Hua Yan before taking big bites of the chicken leg.
Seeing this, Ning Yao thought to herself: Boys really are very competitive!
However, seeing Shen Ci'an eat a chicken leg, two bowls of noodles, and three bowls of soup, Ning Yao felt a little ashamed.
"Don't eat too much, you'll feel uncomfortable if you do."
Shen Ci'an obediently put down her chopsticks and said, "I'll listen to my sister."
Ning Yao replied dismissively, "Mmm, all obedient children are bad kids."
Shen Ci'an looked satisfied.
After the meal, Ning Yao volunteered to take the shift so that the others could rest.
Shen Ci'an insisted on going together, but Ning Yao dismissed him with the words, "Staying up all night will stunt your growth."
In the end, Ning Yao stayed on duty for the first half of the night, and Shen Wei and Ning Wenyi took over for the second half, while the others got a good rest.
Ning Yao threw in some dry firewood, and the flames instantly shot up high, adding even more warmth to the main room.
The firewood crackled and popped, becoming the only sound in the night.
As night deepened and the dew grew heavy, two figures appeared on the road outside the village.
"Cousin, I'm cold and tired, I really can't walk anymore." The woman's voice was filled with exhaustion.
"Aruo, just hang in there! I saw that group of people coming this way during the day. They should be resting too. It's so late now, they're probably not far away. And they have a carriage. If we catch up with them, we won't have to walk the rest of the way ourselves!"
The man's voice was very excited, as if he had already boarded a large carriage.
The woman was too exhausted to say anything more to him; if she didn't leave, she would be abandoned halfway.
She forced herself to keep up with the man's pace.
"Aruo! There's a fire in the village ahead, they should be in there!" the man's excited voice rang out.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qianruo took three steps at a time and quickly caught up with the man.
The two entered the village and quickly approached the main room where Ning Yao and her group were.
Ning Yao, who was practicing martial arts in the secret realm with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked sharply outside.
Zhang Qianruo and the man thought they were being very careful, but little did they know that Ning Yao had already seen everything.
"Cousin, do you think they'll take us with them?"
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