Early the next morning, at dawn, the fleeing team set off again.
After experiencing the bandits, everyone's speed became much faster.
After walking for several days, everyone always thought that even if they couldn't hit a town ahead, they might come across some village or something so that they could exchange some food.
But he didn't expect that along the way, many people died on the roadside, and even the bones became dry. It was so hot that there were no flies on the corpses.
"The book says that desert walkers will look like this after they die of thirst. There will be no flies or maggots, and they will become mummies."
Han Yiyun frowned and told everyone that these corpses on the science popularization road were not rotten.
"Yiyun, please stop saying a few words, let's see what your mouth is like."
Zhan Dayou pushed the cart and spoke helplessly to dissuade him.
Zhan Qingyue followed step by step beside the cart, the soles of his shoes almost melting.
There are no mountains or forests around, and the red sand and cracked soil on the ground all reflect the seriousness of the drought.
The shrubs growing on the hillside were so droopy that a single spark could burn the entire forest.
At noon, the team finally found a shady place, and everyone began to prepare lunch and take a short rest.
However, many people sighed and sat motionless in the shade with sad faces.
"Master, we don't have much food at home, and we don't know when we will encounter the town. Let's just drink some porridge today."
"My dear, go and see if there are any edible leaves and vegetables around. It's okay for us adults to be hungry for one or two meals, but we can't starve the children. It will be troublesome if the root of the disease is established."
Similar conversations occurred one after another throughout the team.
At Zhan's station, Song Cuihua frowned and poured the last bit of rice in the rice bag into the bowl. After thinking about it, she grabbed another handful and took it back.
While eating, Zhan Qingyue looked at the porridge with many rice grains in the pot and couldn't help but sigh.
"Mom, our family doesn't have much food?"
Song Cuihua was stunned, thinking she was starving: "Yueyue, don't you have enough to eat? Eat this bowl, mother. This bowl is thicker to resist hunger!"
With that said, he was about to pour the porridge in his bowl to Zhan Qingyue, but was stopped by Zhan Qingyue.
"Mom, that's not what I meant."
She looked around carefully and found that everyone was busy. She quickly took out a few konjac from the space under the cover of the medicine box.
This was originally found in the forest. Zhan Qingyue had been keeping it in the space, thinking of taking it out when needed.
When Dai Zhan's family members saw that what she brought out was konjac, they were all shocked. Zhan Dayou and Brother Zhan hurriedly hid the konjac in the fire pit, for fear of being seen by others.
"Yueyue, where did you get konjac?"
Song Cuihua asked in a lowered voice. The konjac dug last time had been eaten long ago.
Zhan Qingyue hurriedly made a gesture of silence and explained to everyone: "I left it here specially. There are not many things. It is enough for our family to barely fill our stomachs. Don't let anyone know."
The Zhan family members nodded repeatedly. At this time, one more ration would mean one could live one more day. It was a matter of family and life, so one should not be careless.
With this successful experience of helping out, Zhan Qingyue would always take out something and give it to Song Cuihua to make at every meal time.
Sometimes it’s a few konjac, sometimes it’s a few pounds of brown rice.
After a while, the people in the team were so hungry that they were reduced to skin and bones, their eyes were sunken, and their faces were sallow.
On the other hand, the Zhan family members were all glowing and full of energy, which made them stand out among the crowd.
With the same land and water, the only explanation why Zhan's family could be so well fed is that his family is not short of food.
Similar remarks quickly fermented within the team, making many people jealous.
On this day, the team had just settled down and were preparing to rest and cook.
A woman with a sallow complexion and hands like bamboo poles came to the Zhan family's residence holding a thin and small child.
She knelt down first with a plop, then glanced around the Zhan family with tearful eyes, and finally fixed her eyes on Zhan Dayou, who was in charge.
"Uncle Zhan, please save our mother and son."
She cried and wiped away her tears, and murmured: "We have had several meals of water and rice without even touching our teeth. I'll just starve to death, but the child is still young. Uncle Zhan, please be merciful and lend me some food." When I get to the place, I will repay you like a cow or a horse."
Zhan Dayou had a sad face and quickly stepped forward to help the person up.
"It turns out to be Xia Hong's niece. Hey, your husband's family is also useless. It's really wrong for you mother and son to run away together. You've suffered a big crime."
Xia Hong saw that there was a danger in borrowing food, so she took advantage of Zhan Dayou's help to stand up, and once again expressed her determination to return the food.
"Uncle Zhan, your whole family is a good person, please show mercy..."
Zhan Dayou's brows could kill flies, his face was dark, and he kept sighing "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa".
"Xia Hong, just wait for me..."
"no!"
Before Zhan Dayou could finish his words about borrowing food, Zhan Qingyue refused.
"Dad, how can we have any food at home? Are you confused?"
Zhan Qingyue has a tough attitude, not to mention Zhan Dayou's face.
If I lent food to this person named Xia Hong today, Li Hong and Liu Hong would probably come out tomorrow.
It's nice to say that you will pay back the food later. Dou Mien's allusion must not be forgotten, so you can't be soft-hearted from the beginning.
"Zhan Qingyue! Why are you so cruel? They are orphans and widowers. What's wrong with borrowing some food? At worst, I can just eat less!"
Brother Zhan growled at Zhan Qingyue.
He had always disliked Zhan Qingyue's behavior of meddling in things in front of outsiders and having big ideas. Now, even his own father's ideas were being interfered with.
Zhan Qingyue gave Brother Zhan a sad look, and she became less and less fond of this second brother with his elbows turned outward and short-sightedness.
Han Yiyun had been paying attention to Zhan Qingyue, and saw that after she rejected Xia Hong, her eyes looked into the swaddling clothes from time to time, and there was a touch of unbearable uneasiness in her eyes.
"Miss Yue, Brother Zhan, Uncle Zhan, I beg you to save us two. We will just borrow a little food, just a little, and kowtow to your family."
Xia Hong knelt down again with her child in her arms and kowtowed several times.
"Hey... people's hearts are all made of flesh. I have an idea, Xia Hong, why don't you come and work at Zhan's house? Work in exchange for food. Although you won't be full, you won't starve to death."
Han Yiyun looked at Zhan Qingyue calmly like a spring breeze, his eyes filled with stars.
"Sister Yueyue, in your opinion, what do you think of this move?"
Zhan Qingyue frowned slightly and looked at Han Yiyun. This was a good method. It was a well-known method, and it would make sense to others if they saw it. There was no need to worry about the risk of defaulting on the account.
"Xia Hong, right? Are you willing to work at my house in exchange for food?"
Xia Hong nodded quickly, there was no way she wouldn't want to.
Zhan Qingyue said in a sharp tone: "You must follow me into the mountains to find food at any time. The mountains are dangerous, so you have to think about it!"
