I survived the famine by scavenging and supported my family.

After three consecutive years of drought, a cold wave followed, which was followed by a rat infestation. Spring was slow to arrive, and after the weather warmed up, it was the fourth year of drought.

In August, at night, the village head squatted on the edge of his own field, snapping a blade of grass.

The village chief stood behind him, gazing into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

The wife and son are both sensible and try to save money for the family. The village head, who had been smoking for over twenty years, quit completely this year and saved the money from tobacco to buy food for the family.

Recently, several families in the village have been causing trouble. The village head spat out the grass in his mouth, sighed, and said, "The Si Dan family got into a fight a few days ago... saying it was over a bowl of porridge."

"Who told them to sell their grain?" the village chief said. "They still have the energy to fight? I think they're just bored and have nothing better to do."

That's right! A while ago, Old Zhao fainted in the field. The Zhao family said he fainted from the sun. The whole family looked pale and thin, and anyone with eyes could see that they fainted from hunger.

Back when it was time to pay the grain tax, Old Zhao's family sold a lot of grain, and they even bragged about it after they sold it all.

"This year... the weather is still like this. Sigh, Lao Li, I'm really afraid we won't be able to make it through this year."

The village headman stood up, bent over, and touched the beans in front of him. The pods were shriveled, clearly indicating that there was nothing inside.

In early spring, some villagers saw that there was plenty of water in the river and thought that planting rice would make it easier to pay the grain tax. Everyone in the village advised them to be more cautious, but they wouldn't listen.

In July, the river level dropped to only one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) wide. When I went to check a couple of days ago, the water flow in that one zhang wide section had also stopped. This morning, when the village head went to check, the previously moist center of the riverbed was completely cracked.

No water means no food.

Now is the most crucial time for grain growth. Without water now, there's probably little hope for this year.

Unless God suddenly starts raining for three days and three nights.

Many villages began to hold sacrificial rites to pray for rain. Even the county magistrate went to the temple to invite a master to perform rituals, praying that heaven would send some rain to Lingbei Prefecture, no, to Fengning County.

On the seventh day of the drought, rumors began to circulate in Fengning County that "an offense against the rat god will bring divine punishment." The government arrested a group of people, but they could not stop the spread of the rumors.

The village chief snapped out of his reverie and replied to the village head, "If you can't endure it any longer, there's nothing you can do but find another place like the great-grandfather and the others did."

The village head and the village chief exchanged a glance and each sighed softly.

Just as they were worrying, a dark figure walked towards them from afar on the village road. When it got closer, they could see in the moonlight that it was a member of the second branch of the Zhao family.

Zhao Tieniu.

This is usually the time when villagers water their plants at night, but the river has dried up. Why is Zhao Lao Er out at this time?

"Village chief, village head, so you're here." Ning's father walked over, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Zhao Lao Er, the river has dried up, what are you doing out at night?" the village head asked. "Are you out for a stroll to clear your head?"

"No, I came to see you." Ning's father rubbed his hands together and said, "I went to the county town today and met a group of people who came from Tongzhou Prefecture."

"Tongzhou Prefecture?" the village head asked in confusion. "Tongzhou Prefecture is southeast of Lingbei Prefecture, separated from us by a mountain."

"Yes, I saw they were in a hurry, so I stopped them and asked them. The leader said they came from over there..." Ning's father paused for a moment, "...they fled from over there during the famine."

"Fleeing from famine?!" The village chief clenched his fists, his heart jolting.

"Yes, they started fleeing the famine half a month ago. They said that after the rat plague in Tongzhou, they encountered a locust plague not long after the beginning of spring. Coupled with the drought and the drying up of rivers, they had no food in their fields and no water in the rivers, so they could only head north."

Heading north and crossing a mountain, you'll reach the territory of Lingbei Prefecture. Fengning County is right next to this area. A few decades ago, Fengning County was under the jurisdiction of Tongzhou before being transferred to Lingbei Prefecture.

The rolling hills behind Wangli Village are a branch of the Tongzhou mountain range.

Separated only by a mountain range, I never imagined that their situation would be so dire that they would have to flee their homes.

The village head asked for more details, and Ning's father told him everything he had found out in the county town that day. When he had nothing more to say, the village head called him to walk into the village together.

Back home, the village head couldn't sleep, thinking about it over and over. The next morning, he called the village chief to go to the county town together. Before they even reached the county town, they were blocked outside the town by a long queue at the entrance of Fengning County.

Many of the people looked exhausted. The village head found a young man who seemed kinder and handed him a pancake that he had saved up that morning. "Young man," he said, "I have something I'd like to ask you."

The young man hurriedly put it away, then looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before asking, "What do you want to ask?"

The group moved a little further away from the county town gate, to a less crowded area. The village head asked, "I heard a few days ago that some people from Tongzhou fled famine and came here. I'd like to ask where you're from? Are you also from Tongzhou?"

The young man nodded, and the village head asked again, "You...your family also came here as refugees?"

"Yes..." The young man's eyes showed a moment of confusion when the words "famine refugee" were mentioned, then he bowed to the officials and said, "I am from Jingshan Village, Tongzhou Prefecture."

Then, he told the village head about his escape from famine. After getting the information he wanted, the two of them went straight back home.

The village head's house.

The village chief and elders from several major clans in the village gathered together.

"That's the situation. I'm afraid Fengning County will also be in trouble in a few days..." The village head sighed. "As the village head of Wangli Village, I am extremely reluctant to leave our village, but if we don't flee, the situation will only get worse."

Let's leave early, otherwise we might not be able to find a better place to stay.

If we walk too slowly, there will be locust plagues that could come at any time, and after the locust plagues, there will be a large number of people fleeing famine.

It wasn't just Tongzhou Prefecture; several other prefectures in the south were also suffering from natural disasters, but they were all similar. The rivers there had all dried up, and the land was so dry that the cracks could fit a foot.

The question is whether to flee the famine or not.

After much discussion, the village headman finally decided that they would flee the famine three days later.

That night, after speaking his mind in the fields, Ning's father waited and waited, but there was no movement from the village. He thought the village head was not planning to flee the famine, or that he did not realize the seriousness of the matter.

He was planning to ask again today, and if that didn't work, he would go to the county town, spend some money to get a fake household registration, and escape to another place.

The villagers banged gongs to call everyone to gather at the village entrance.

Zhao Xingmao, Zhou Lanxiang, Zhao Qi, and Zhao Ningning all rushed out to hear what the village head had to say.

At the village entrance, the village headman counted the people; two families were still missing, so he continued to wait.

"Village head, what brings you here? Is it because we're not collecting grain tax this year?"

"No grain tax? How is that possible? You're daydreaming in the middle of the night..."

"Why did you call us out here? We haven't fed the chickens at home yet..."

Seeing that the last two families finally arrived, dawdling along, the village headman struck a gong, and the village entrance immediately fell silent.

"We've gathered everyone here today for a matter of life and death."

The village head recounted the disaster that had befallen the south, and also mentioned the people of Tongzhou Prefecture who had begun to flee the famine.

Finally, he said, "Those who wish to flee the famine with us, please gather at the village entrance at 7:00 AM three days from now."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an uproar erupted at the village entrance.

Many of the bolder ones directly stopped the village head who wanted to leave, asking him what he meant by fleeing the famine and whether he didn't want to stay in the village anymore.

The village head nodded.

Some people cried and wailed, reluctant to leave the village. Others saw many people questioning the village head, only to be told that they had to flee the famine and hurried home to tell him about it.

After listening to the story, Zhao Ningning and her family of four slowly walked home.

For some reason, when they realized they had to flee the famine, it felt like a huge knife was hanging over their heads, making them extremely nervous day and night.

When the day finally came for the sword to fall, the group remained calm.

"How much silver do you have left at home?" Ning's mother asked.

Zhao Qi did the math: "I sold two prescriptions last month and spent some more money. Now I have forty taels left."

"Keep twenty taels, and we'll spend the rest!" Ning's mother hugged her daughter and son. "Tomorrow is the last trip to town. From now on, we'll have to make a living on the road."

Zhao Ningning interrupted jokingly, saying, "The West had the Age of Exploration, and we're now living in an era of great commuting by train."

Ning's mother touched her daughter's face and sighed: "Fortunately, Ningning's space can refresh and produce food. At least on the road to escape famine, the family doesn't have to worry about food."

The remaining issue is road safety.

The village headman said they were going to flee the famine, and no one in Wangli Village slept well that night.

Most people wanted to follow the village head, but a small number felt that it wouldn't come to the point of having to flee the famine. The crops in the fields weren't ripe yet, and even if this year was difficult, there would still be food in the spring. As long as they ate less, they might be able to make it through to next year.

Some people are reluctant to leave their homeland. In the past three days, Wangli Village has been in chaos. Several elderly people in the village refused to go with the villagers to escape the famine, and the younger generation took turns trying to persuade them.

Some people even bought grain to make dry rations for the journey.

The aroma of grain wafted from every household.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhao Ningning's family cooked another batch of food. Anyway, everyone in the village was cooking, and the aromas were coming from all directions, so they didn't know whose family was making braised meat.

After braising the meat, Ning's father put on an apron and personally cooked ten pots of hearty dishes: one pot of braised pork belly, one pot of tomato stewed beef brisket, as well as braised chicken with chestnuts, stewed chicken with potatoes, braised pork ribs with rice cakes, spicy diced chicken, sweet and sour pork tenderloin, braised pig's trotters...

The aroma was so strong that even when the neighbors were making meat and pancakes, the children would still clamor for some.

Everything was ready on the morning of the third day.

Zhao Ningning and her mother stored everything they could in the courtyard into their spatial storage, took one last look, and then got into the mule cart and headed towards the village entrance.

At the entrance of the village.

Those who chose to flee the famine have been digging out all the copper coins hidden in the soles of their shoes these past two days in order to go to town to buy things.

Those families with some savings, even if they can't afford an ox, can still buy a cart to push or pull. Those who can't even afford a cart can at least afford a wheelbarrow to push.

The wealthiest family in the village was the village head's family, which owned three horse-drawn carriages. However, their family was also large, with more than a dozen people traveling together.

Next is the village chief's family. The village chief and his wife have five children, who travel in two cars. None of the children are married yet; the oldest is sixteen and the youngest is only three years old.

Besides these two families, there are several other wealthy households in the village, all of whom own horse-drawn carriages, or at the very least, oxcarts.

Those from average families, upon hearing of the impending famine, gritted their teeth and bought oxcarts. At this time, the group was vast and numerous, and looking around, it was clear that families with carts made up half of the entire group.

When Zhao Ningning's mule cart was brought in, it didn't attract any attention at all.

As soon as she reached the end of the line, Zhao Ningning saw Zhou Jian and the others standing to one side with their oxen, while He Shi was still busy behind the cart.

"Uncle! Grandma!" Zhao Ningning got out of her car and walked over in a few steps. "Aren't you all ready yet? Should I call my mom and grandma over to help?"

"No need to call them." Madam He's hands moved swiftly, fastening the firewood at the back of the cart. She then wiped the sweat from her brow and said, "I left in a hurry this morning, afraid of being late, so I didn't fasten the remaining firewood properly. Now I've tightened it."

As she spoke, she took out a package from the carriage and opened it. Inside the package was a cloth with cakes wrapped in it. Madam He took out two cakes from the cloth. "Here, take these and eat them with Xiao Qi."

Zhao Ningning put her hands behind her back. "I don't want to. My family just had pancakes this morning, and I don't want to eat them now."

"Just take it, don't you listen to your grandma?" Mrs. He tried to shove it in.

Seeing this, Zhao Ningning slipped away from her like an eel and went back to find her mother and the others.

The two houses aren't far apart; they might even walk side by side later.

A few days earlier, the Zhou family had bought an oxcart at Ning's father's urging.

At that time, not many people from Tongzhou Prefecture had fled the famine, only a few had come here. Ning's father noticed this and started persuading Zhou Jian when he returned home. When Zhou Jian told He Shi about it, they saw that Ning Ning's family was modifying a mule cart every day. Without saying a word, they took out their savings and bought an oxcart as well.

They didn't have enough money, so Ning Ma specially sent them twenty taels of silver. He Shi refused for a long time, but only accepted it after she learned that Ning Ma and the others had enough money.

After buying the oxcart, Ning's father asked Zhou Jian to bring the cart to their house, and the three of them together made some modifications right there in the yard.

Rubber tires are off-limits, but hinges are fine. Even if it gets out, Ning's dad can just say he bought them in Taichung. Modern forging technology can produce something similar, though the precision and hardness might not be as good as modern manufacturing.

When the hour of Chen (7-9 AM) arrived, the village head and chief, no longer waiting for those who hadn't arrived, explained the rules for the journey of fleeing famine before setting off.

The rules are simple: those with cars go first, those without cars go last, the elderly and children are in the middle of the line, and women and men are at the front, back and sides of the line.

The caravan started moving, and soon Ningning's mule cart caught up with Zhou Jian's oxcart ahead.

The two cars were parked side by side, swaying slowly. Zhao Ningning felt anxious about the slow pace, so she jumped off one of the cars and walked slowly alongside it.

"Ningning, come here," Mrs. He called. Zhao Ningning shook her head. "Grandma—I'm really not hungry!"

There's a kind of hunger that only your grandma can tell you!

Madam He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "It's not for you to eat, come over and try on the clothes."

Upon hearing that it was clothing, Zhao Ningning quickly went over and walked to the cart. Zhou Jian reached out and grabbed her, and Zhao Ningning used the leverage to get onto the Zhou family's oxcart.

"What clothes? Grandma, why are you making me clothes again? I can't wear them all!" Zhao Ningning was good at being coquettish, and Madam He was most susceptible to this. Zhao Ningning praised her so much that she couldn't stop smiling.

Smiling, she took out a package from the carriage and said as she unpacked it, "I made this a while ago. I was busy the past few days and only had time to finish the edges last night. Give it a try."

The package was opened, and inside was a bright red outer garment, a vibrant color suitable for a young girl. Zhao Ningning sat down and compared it to the garment; the size was just right. She tried it on briefly over the outer garment, and it fit perfectly!

"My grandma made all these clothes for me. She loves me so much. When I got back, my mom was so envious."

Zhao Ningning joked.

In fact, He Shi not only made clothes for her and Zhao Qi, but also for Ning's mother. Even Ning's father received shoes made by his mother-in-law—because Ning's mother didn't know how to make shoes.

After chatting with Madam He for a while, the fleeing caravan got onto the official road and their speed finally picked up. Madam Zhou didn't let Zhao Ningning go back, saying that he had a large family and that Zhao Ningning staying here would save the mules some effort.

It didn't matter where she sat. Zhao Ningning had just received new clothes and kept praising her grandmother in front of He Shi, maximizing her emotional value.

At the back of the line.

Zhao Huilan watched from afar as Wu Ya sat in front of the cart, chatting and laughing, looking relaxed, and felt a surge of resentment.