Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Late at night, in a secluded courtyard in Tiebiguan.

Moonlight streamed through the cracks in the windowpane, casting pale streaks on the dusty ground.

"Mom, hurry up, hurry up!"

A clear, childlike voice rang out in the courtyard, filled with anxiety and a hint of coquetry.

The little girl, "Nannan," wearing patched-up old clothes, was using all her strength to pull a woman's hand and drag her into the house.

The woman was dressed in tattered clothes so large that her figure was completely obscured, and the horrific scar on her face looked even more grotesque in the dim light.

Her name is Bai Zhi, and she is Nannan's mother.

In her other little hand, Nannan was tightly clutching the roasted lamb leg that was thicker than her arm.

The warm touch and the irresistible aroma of meat that filled her nostrils made her stomach rumble loudly several times.

"Slow down, don't fall."

Bai Zhi let her daughter pull her along, her steps slow, but her eyes warily scanned every corner of the yard.

Back in the bare house, Nannan couldn't wait to place the lamb leg on the broken wooden table with a missing corner. She stood on tiptoe, her big, dark eyes filled with longing.

Her little mouth was slightly open, and saliva dripped down the corner of her mouth, but she still held it in and looked at her mother with longing eyes.

"mother……"

Bai Zhi didn't look at her daughter, but instead pulled a small knife from a rusty iron box.

The knife was as thin as a cicada's wing, gleaming with a cold, bluish light.

The handle is engraved with an intricate, unidentified pattern, making it look unlike an ordinary kitchen knife used for cutting vegetables.

She walked to the table and carefully cut a large strip of meat from the fragrant lamb leg with her knife.

Seeing her mother's actions, Nannan pouted and stomped her feet in frustration.

"Cut so much..."

Bai Zhi didn't speak, but took the piece of meat, walked to the doghouse in the corner of the yard, and softly called out to the dark figure inside.

"rhubarb."

Upon hearing the woman's voice, a skinny old yellow dog lazily crawled out of its kennel and weakly wagged its tail.

Bai Zhi squatted down and handed the meat to Da Huang's mouth.

Big Yellow sniffed the air, and its eyes lit up instantly.

It stuck out its tongue, rolled the piece of meat into its mouth, and swallowed it in a few bites.

Then it nuzzled against Bai Zhi's hand in a fawning manner, wagging its tail like a rattle.

Bai Zhi stood up, returned to the shadows under the eaves, and stared at Da Huang without saying a word.

Time passed by, second by second.

A stick of incense.

Two incense sticks.

The little girl paced back and forth inside and outside the house in a hurry, twisting the hem of her clothes with her little hands.

She would occasionally peek out to look at her mother, then at the big yellow dog that had finished eating its meat and was now lying down to nap.

In the courtyard, apart from the occasional night breeze, only the steady breathing of Big Yellow could be heard.

It was sleeping soundly, and even rolled over, lying on its back with its four legs in the air, exposing its shrunken belly.

Only then did Bai Zhi's tense shoulders relax almost imperceptibly.

She went inside, pulled out a few pieces of still-warm charcoal from the stove, set up the lamb leg, and carefully roasted it again.

The fat was rendered out, making a sizzling sound, and the aroma of meat became even richer, filling the entire dilapidated yard.

She then tore off a piece of leg meat, blew on it, and handed it to her daughter, who had been eagerly waiting for her.

"Eat."

Her voice remained cold and aloof, but a faint tenderness softened in her eyes, which were always covered with frost.

"Yay!"

The little girl cheered, as if she had received the most precious treasure in the world.

She carefully took the meat strip, not even putting it directly into her mouth, but first holding it under her nose, taking a deep breath of the aroma, and happily squinting her eyes.

Then, she opened her little mouth and gently took a small bite.

The warm meat juices burst in her mouth, and the pure, meaty aroma she had never experienced before instantly overwhelmed all her senses.

"tasty!"

"It's so delicious!"

This was the first time in her memory that she had ever tasted such fragrant and delicious meat.

Tears of happiness unknowingly slid down my cheeks.

……

After eating and drinking her fill, Nannan lay contentedly on the cold earthen bed and fell into a deep sleep.

In my dream, there were so many roasted lamb legs.

Bai Zhi tucked the tattered blanket around her daughter, but she herself was wide awake.

She sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), quietly watching her daughter's sleeping face with a sweet smile, but her own heart couldn't find peace.

She didn't know how much longer she could endure this.

To escape their pursuit, she abandoned her name and hid in various places, eventually ending up in this chaotic Iron Wall Pass with her daughter.

Although life here is precarious and treacherous, it's still better than being found by those people.

But now, that man named Lin Mo has arrived, and the situation at Tiebi Pass has changed.

This change made her feel vaguely uneasy.

"well……"

Bai Zhi sighed, her heart filled with endless sorrow.

She fell into a deep sleep after an unknown amount of time.

She didn't know how long she had slept before a burst of noise woke her up again.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The jarring sound of a gong was mixed with a man's shout.

"Wu Zhong is dead! Iron Wall Pass has changed hands!"

"The new master, Lin Mo, doesn't like killing, but he loves giving away money!"

"Tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM), at the East Gate Square, money and food will be distributed; everyone will receive a share!"

The shouts echoed again and again in the empty streets.

Bai Zhi slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked out through the narrow gap.

A group of soldiers dressed in black armor, carrying torches, marched in orderly fashion down the street.

The sound of gongs and shouts came from their ranks.

Distribute money? Release grain?

Bai Zhi's face remained expressionless, but a hint of mockery appeared in her cold eyes.

It's that same old trick again.

Newly arrived jackals often disguise themselves as sheep to lure foolish rabbits into their traps.

Only when everyone lowers their guard will they reveal their sharp fangs.

Wasn't it the same when Wu Zhong first arrived?

She had long since seen through people's hearts.

"Mother... what are they saying outside?"

The little girl was woken up by the noise. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and poked her little head out from under the covers.

"They said...they're going to give out money?"

The little girl's eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of anticipation.

She wanted to get out of bed and go to the door to take a look.

"You're not allowed to go!"

Bai Zhi's voice suddenly turned cold.

She turned around abruptly and grabbed her daughter's shoulder.

"Have you forgotten what I said?"

The little girl was startled and shrank back into the blankets, feeling wronged.

Bai Zhi didn't look at her daughter again. Instead, she walked to the door and, with a "click," pushed the already locked door bolt further in.

Then, they found a thick wooden stick and braced it against the back of the door.

"Go to sleep."

Bai Zhi didn't explain further, but showed her attitude through her actions.

No matter what happens outside, it has nothing to do with them.

This small courtyard, with her daughter in her arms, is her whole world.

As for Lin Mo, who gave her daughter a roasted lamb leg, and the noisy soldiers outside...

They are all just fleeting passersby in this cannibalistic world.