The sun has set and the moon has risen high. Under the bright moonlight, there were mourners everywhere outside Yuncheng, a miserable scene.
A gust of wind blew by, and the sour, smelly, moldy and other smells were mixed together, which was disgusting.
Jiang Yue tightened her mask, stood on the car, and looked toward the city gate.
The tall city gate was closed tightly, and many soldiers were standing guard on the gate tower, looking nervous and serious. I wonder if I received the news that the city next door was attacked by refugees.
The number of people seems to be larger than that of Shuntianfu City, and the soldiers are also stronger.
Countless refugees set up camp outside the city. Those who could afford it spread out mats, while those who couldn't afford to lay down on the ground to sleep.
Most of them were families sitting together, either protecting the remaining life-saving food or protecting their children. He was skinny and had a miserable face.
Hearing the sound of the car, many people sat up in shock and cast unkind glances at them.
But more people looked at the mules pulling the cart with covetous eyes.
As if sensing danger, the mule began to tap its hooves back and forth restlessly.
Jiang Nian touched the mule's back soothingly and placed the bloody sharp knife in front of him.
Those malicious glances dispersed.
The two found a rock and stopped upwind, away from the crowds.
I had rested during the day and was not sleepy yet. They sat by the car door and waited for dawn.
"Squeak--" There was a soft sound of stepping on dry leaves, and Jiang Nian looked to the right.
A tiptoeing man bent down to take a child from the arms of a sleeping woman.
Through the moonlight, Jiang Nian could see more clearly.
If he was said to be the child's father, he was dressed in tatters and his cheeks were sunken. Although the child in the woman's arms was also thin, he was wearing cotton clothes, and only his face was dirty.
Jiang Nian got out of the car, picked up a small stone, and hit it forward to the right, hitting the man's elbow accurately.
He cried out in pain, and let go of the child when his arms were sore. He turned around in horror, but he couldn't tell who had thrown the stone.
The child fell from mid-air and hit the woman. At this time, both mother and son woke up.
I saw a man in front of me with his hands half open, obviously trying to steal the child. Her expression changed and she hurriedly called someone, "Mr. sir, someone wants to steal the child!"
This sharp scream instantly woke up a large number of people, and those with children hugged their children tightly. Even those without children should hide food well.
Seeing that something was not going well, the man took advantage of the chaos and ran away.
The woman's man was strong and had a fierce look on his face. He wanted to run after her, but was held back by the father beside him. "Stop chasing him now and stay close to the child. It would be bad if they have an accomplice."
Hearing this, the two of them hugged the child tighter in fear.
After a while, the people who woke up began to rest with half-closed eyes again. This kind of thing happens three to five times a day, and it's not uncommon.
The sky was slightly bright, the city gates were opened, and the refugees were already ready to rush in.
But the soldiers lined up in two rows, pulled up wooden guardrails, and pointed their spears at the refugees.
"Stop! Anyone who comes closer will be killed without mercy!"
The refugees were in tears and looked frightened.
Then I heard the guard say, "No one who is not a citizen of this city is allowed in! Anyone who violates this rule will be killed!"
The refugees collapsed on the ground and cried loudly. I fled all the way from my hometown, thinking that I would be saved in a new place, but the result was still the same.
Someone stepped forward to curse, and the soldier in front of him pierced his chest with a long spear, and said coldly, "Whoever is dissatisfied, please try again!"
The refugees retreated one after another and returned to their original places, talking among themselves.
Some people say it is better to go back to your hometown and die at home. Some people thought that if they went south, there might be water. Some people want to stay here and wait until the day when the adults in the city show kindness...
After another half hour, it was getting brighter, and some wealthy-looking people came out of the city.
They were dressed in cotton or silk, and their faces were not as sallow as ordinary people, but glowing with oil. It was obvious that they were living a good life.
They went to a house with children, and if they were satisfied with the careful selection, they asked the parents if they wanted to send the children to follow them into the city to enjoy their happiness.
As for making a living as a maid or a servant, that's not their business.
If they agree, they can give them ten grain cakes immediately, and then they take the child away.
Ten! They can survive on just two bites a day, and ten of them can last for a month!
People with children are ready to act, and people without children are almost drooling, their eyes full of calculations.
"No! Don't take my child away! This is my child -" Some mothers were reluctant to let go, crying and hugging their children, but their fathers forcibly took them away.
"We are all half buried in the ground. What are you doing to save us?" A sixty-year-old man with white hair and beard patted his son's hand.
That was because he wanted to give up his children to save his elderly parents, but the other party thought it was not worth it.
For a while, cries kept coming, but they were stopped by the rich man wearing gold and silver, which made the officers and soldiers dissatisfied.
Jiang Yue watched coldly, the human trafficking at this time was really unscrupulous.
In fact, it is enough to make onlookers shocked by the ruthlessness and power of natural disasters, as well as the cheapness of life. Only 10 small grain cakes can take away a life.
After a while, the wealthy people returned home with their full loads, showing smiles of satisfaction. Each of them walked into the city holding two children. The child looked back at his family with tears in his eyes, but the family scrambled for the cakes in their hands without even looking at them for the last time.
When passing by the guards, the wealthy people stuffed something into their hands, and the guards didn't even mean to stop them.
In fact, it is conceivable that it is nothing more than gold, silver or food.
She leaned close to Jiang Nian's ear, and her voice was muffled through the mask, "Shall we continue walking east now?"
Jiang Nian nodded, "Yeah."
The words of the two were heard by a man in his early twenties. He came over, put his hands in front of his mouth, and whispered, "If you want to go east now, the fastest way is to go through this city. If you want to take a detour, , it will take ten more days to go.”
He looked at the tall mule and said, "Even if you have a mule, you still have to travel five days."
This man is of medium build, wearing inconspicuous dark clothes, and his appearance is ordinary and featureless. Jiang Yue suspected that this person specialized in doing some shameful things, and no one would remember him.
The two looked at each other and then asked him, "Do you have a way to get us into the city?"
The man said proudly, "There is a way."
