I survived the famine by scavenging and supported my family.

After inspecting the land, Granny Qian and the others walked back satisfied.

The money was still at home. When Wang Xiufen asked about it, Granny Qian said she had to go home and discuss it with her other son and daughter-in-law.

If she wants, she can come and talk to Xiufen.

Wang Xiufen, who had been so eager, immediately turned cold. She didn't try to stop Granny Qian or even offer to see them off. She just stood at the village entrance and waved.

Granny Qian was still engrossed in those few acres of paddy fields when she stopped halfway through her walk.

Old Zhao, who was following behind her, almost bumped into her. Seeing that the old woman had stopped, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Granny Qian slapped her thigh and said, "I've forgotten how to get back!"

Wang Xiufen led them along a narrow path, where the trees on both sides of the path grew almost identically.

The three of them wandered around and eventually ended up on the main road.

Fortunately, they still remembered how to get to Yikang County by the official road. Granny Qian breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that it was getting late, they had to go back as soon as possible.

Following the official road, the three of them arrived smoothly at the entrance of Yikang County.

When I came a few days ago, there were only a few groups temporarily stopping outside the city gate.

Those with some money went straight into the city.

With the city gates closed, all that's outside are refugees; standing at the crossroads, all you see are filthy backs of heads.

Granny Qian smacked her lips and said, "Luckily, we were able to get in."

She was so happy when she left the city that she forgot where the cave was and she'll have to look for it again.

As she spoke, she squeezed through the crowd, with Old Man Zhao and Old Man Zhao following closely behind.

There were so many people that there wasn't even a place to put your feet down. Granny Qian walked very carefully, afraid of accidentally stepping on someone.

A child was vomiting bile. The old woman Qian had just stepped onto the solid ground when a mouthful of bile was spat onto her foot, making her so angry that she jumped up.

"Are you trying to kill me! Didn't you see this old woman passing by?" Granny Qian disgustedly took off her shoes, squatted down, grabbed a handful of dry dirt from the ground next to her, and wiped the shoes clean.

Finally, shake off the soil. The dry soil will wash away most of the water, leaving only a stain.

The child was still nauseous, and the old man holding him apologized profusely.

"My dear sister, I'm so sorry, but my grandson felt nauseous this morning for some reason..."

Granny Qian glanced at them and saw that the father and son had sunken cheeks, were so thin they were skin and bones, and were wearing only thin, tattered clothes with empty sleeves.

He clearly looked broke.

Unable to get anything in return, Granny Qian waved her hand and said, "Get out of the way! Don't get in my way!"

The old man, holding his grandson, moved to the other side.

Granny Qian put on her shoes and walked forward awkwardly.

Once they reached the base of the city wall, they began searching for holes in the wall.

Granny Qian searched carefully and was lucky enough to find the cave entrance where they had come out after circling around halfway.

However, when they came out, there were not many people outside the cave entrance, but after a while, a team appeared outside the cave!

The fact that there was a hole in the wall couldn't be exposed, so Granny Qian had no choice but to pull the old man and the eldest son to sit not far away, pretending that they were a family taking a break while fleeing famine.

They waited until dark before sneaking into the city.

As soon as Granny Qian returned home, she couldn't wait to tell the two strong men who had stayed at home about the paddy fields.

They have a large family, so they estimate they'll need to buy at least four or five acres of land.

If I find them again in the future, I'll buy more.

As she was inside the house dreaming about the future, Granny Qian suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

Thinking that she might be tired from going out today, Granny Qian went to bed early.

Ms. Wu didn't even have time to tell her about changing beds.

After sleeping all night, Granny Qian still felt a little unwell.

Since there was no need to rush, Granny Qian sat in the main room and directed her two daughters-in-law to do chores.

Cao Rouan also sat down on the side.

Throughout the journey, she hadn't done much work due to her pregnancy, and now, sitting down, she was stroking her large belly.

In her mind, she praised the unborn child in her belly over and over again.

They praised the children for being lucky, as they found a place to stay just one month before their due date.

This way, her child wouldn't have to be born on the road while fleeing famine.

After the child is born, the family will buy a few acres of land and slowly save up some money to build a house. Then the Zhao family will be settled down.

Cao Rouan had a good plan in mind.

Suddenly, Granny Qian, who was sitting next to her, slumped and leaned against Cao Rouan.

Cao Rouan was startled and reached out to support her, calling out, "Zhao Wenyuan! Zhao Wenyuan!"

Zhao Wenyuan, who was in the yard, rushed over. Cao Rouan said, "Quickly help the mother up!"

Zhao Wenyuan helped Granny Qian sit up straight. Granny Qian said drowsily, "Oh dear... what happened to me? Was I asleep?"

"Grandma, if you're sleepy, go back inside to sleep. What kind of behavior is it to sleep in the main room?" Zhao Wenyuan said, helping Granny Qian up.

Granny Qian had the same idea, and was helped back into the house to lie down.

Coming out of the house, Zhao Wenyuan shook his head and asked his wife with concern, "Rou'an, were you scared?"

"No." Cao Rou soothed her stomach. When Granny Qian collapsed on her, she was so startled that her stomach tightened, but she felt better after realizing that Granny Qian was alright.

To avoid trouble, she kept quiet.

"December is almost here, you need to be careful this month," Zhao Wenyuan said. "Here's what we'll do: during the day, I'll follow behind you and protect you at all times!"

Although Zhao Wenyuan standing behind her was of little use, Cao Rouan was still quite pleased to hear it. She gently pushed him and said coquettishly, "I don't need you to come with me!"

The two chuckled in the yard, which Zhao Huilan could see from the path behind the yard.

—What a bunch of idiots.

After cursing in her heart, Zhao Huilan waited for the two people to leave before quietly leaving the courtyard.

The old woman kept all the money in the house. After moving to the city, apart from buying some grain and renting this small courtyard, the old woman kept the rest of the money tightly under her control, not letting a single copper coin slip through her fingers.

But it doesn't matter, Zhao Huilan secretly took the old woman's silver when she was in the cave, and she hasn't spent it yet!

To hide this little bit of silver, Zhao Huilan secretly searched for a place to hide it, living in constant fear of being discovered.

Finally, we've arrived at a place where we can spend money.

Seeing that no one was taking care of her at home, Zhao Huilan sneaked out today hoping to use the little money she had to buy some food.

While the Zhao family was happily thinking about buying land to farm, Zhao Huilan was not so optimistic.

I haven't heard anything about the village head's family wanting to stay!

Following the crowd, Zhao Huilan arrived at the front of the grain shop.

When it comes to food, buying grain is still the most cost-effective option.

Holding the silver in her hand, she considered it for a moment: it wouldn't be appropriate for her to take out the pancakes to eat while walking, so she might as well buy some rice and noodles and make fried rice and noodles.

If her family didn't give her any food, she would secretly stuff a handful into her mouth and chew it slowly, so it wouldn't be easily noticed.

After making up her mind, when it was Zhao Huilan's turn, she bought some mixed grain noodles and mixed grain rice.

She spent all the money, and all she got in return was a small bag of grain.

Clutching the grain tightly, Zhao Huilan returned home furtively, hiding the bag in the haystack behind the latrine.

When it was late at night, she got up, cooked the rice and noodles, and put them back in the bag.

Before leaving, Zhao Huilan grabbed a handful of rice and stuffed it into her mouth. Chewing the rice, she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

—It's so good to have something to eat!

The next morning, Zhao Huilan was awakened by a tearing pain.

Seeing that she was awake, Zhao Qian released his grip on his sister's mouth and ran away shouting.

Zhao Huilan was furious. She sat up and heard Zhao Qi bury his face in his mother's arms, exclaiming, "Mom! My sister's mouth smells so good! Did she eat something delicious?!"

Zhao Huilan was startled when she heard what her younger brother was shouting.

Sun pulled the child away from her arms and said, "What's so delicious! Are you hungry? Come on, the food is ready, Mom will take you to eat."

"Oh! Oh! Time to eat!" Zhao Qian skipped over to the main room to eat.

Sun casually called out, telling Granny Qian and Zhao Huilan to get up and go eat.

Zhao Huilan climbed off the bed, and only after getting off did she see that her mother-in-law was still fast asleep next to her.

—What's going on?

Zhao Huilan woke up late because she had gone to make fried rice and noodles in the dark last night.

Grandma didn't work in the dark, so why is she getting up so late?

Zhao Huilan gave her a couple of gentle nudges, "Grandma! Get up and eat!"

Granny Qian mumbled a response, showing no intention of getting up.

Zhao Huilan went to the main room first. After waiting for a while, she still hadn't come to serve the food. Zhao the eldest got up and said, "I'll go call Mother again."

He called out to her, but Granny Qian still didn't get up.

Impatient Zhao Laosan followed, and only after pushing his mother did he realize something was wrong.

Granny Qian was completely dazed and couldn't even open her eyes!

This isn't sleeping! This is clearly being sick!

Zhao Laosan: "Mother is sick! No wonder she can't get up."

Touching his mother's forehead, then his own, Zhao Laoda muttered, "She doesn't have a fever!"

"Let's go eat first, and then we'll take her to see a doctor." Zhao Laosan pulled Zhao Laoda back to the main room.

Old Zhao took the initiative to divide the food among themselves. After everyone finished eating, Zhao Laosan and Sun Shi helped Granny Qian up, while Zhao Laoda squatted by the bed and carried her on his back.

They called on Wu, and the group went together to find a clinic in Yikang County.

When we arrived at the clinic, there were so many people that we couldn't even squeeze in.

Old Zhao was anxiously carrying Granny Qian on his back.

"There weren't many people a few days ago! How come there are so many people today!" Zhao Laoda muttered.

"You all help Mother wait outside, I'll squeeze in and ask around." Zhao Laosan stuffed the silver in his arms to protect it and squeezed into the clinic along with the crowd.

The clinic was packed with people, with not even a place to stand. Standing inside, Zhao Laosan felt as if he were suspended in mid-air, and could only move forward with the crowd.

"Stop pushing! Stop pushing!" the doctor yelled. "I already told you we're out of medicine!"

"How can there be no medicine!"

"Doctor, please take a look at my grandma! She's been in a coma for days!"

"Yeah, being unconscious isn't the problem, but after my dad woke up, he started vomiting bile, he vomited everything he ate, and he even had blood in his stool, boohoo..."

Zhao Laosan, squeezed in the crowd, listened with alarm.

What does it mean to vomit acid and have bloody stools after waking up?!

"Everyone says there's no medicine, but with you all crammed in here, I can't conjure up any medicine!" The doctor was utterly helpless.

They didn't have much medicine in the first place. Several groups of people came to buy it a few days ago, and the county government officials came the next day and bought almost all of the remaining medicine.

The city gates were closed, so there was no way to get some herbs from the branches in other counties.

The doctor thought to himself: I'm not opening the door tomorrow, no matter what. Today he just came back to get something, and as soon as he opened the door, he was almost trampled to death!

After kicking the person out, he locked the door and hurried back to his residence.

Those who couldn't get medical treatment dispersed again. Zhao Laosan remembered there was another clinic, so he called Zhao Laoda to carry Granny Qian to another one.

This place isn't much better off either.

A large crowd still thronged the shop entrance. Fortunately, the shop still accepted patients. The Zhao family waited in line for a while, and when it was their turn, the doctor glanced at Granny Qian and asked, "How many days have you been asleep?"

Sun ate and slept with Granny Qian. After calculating, she said, "Today is the third day."

The doctor quickly wrote a prescription and handed it over, saying, "The consultation costs fifty coins. Go get the medicine over there."

Zhao Laosan reluctantly paid the consultation fee and took the prescription to queue up to get his medicine.

Sun and Wu helped Granny Qian up, and then Zhao Laoda carried her home on his back.

It would take a while to get the medicine, so Zhao Laosan waited while watching the doctor examine the patients.

Most of the patients who came for treatment today had family members who had been in a coma for several days.

Thinking of this, Zhao Laosan patted the man standing in front of him on the shoulder and asked, "Brother, are you also here to get medicine for your family?"

"Yes," the man sighed, "you've seen it too, haven't you? Many of these people have family members who have been in a coma for the past few days."

Zhao Laosan pressed on, asking, "Is it the same in your family?"

The man nodded. "My father has been asleep for two days."

Zhao Laosan also chimed in about his mother sleeping for three days. When it was the turn of the people in front to get their medicine, Zhao Laosan shut his mouth and stood at the back to watch.

As he looked at the prescription, Zhao Laosan's expression changed, and he took the prescription and left.

When they got home, Zhao the eldest saw that his third brother's hands were empty and asked, "Third brother, where's the medicine? Did that pharmacy sell out too?"

Old Zhao shook his head. "It's not that we're sold out! We're just afraid there won't be enough suckers to go around!"

"I looked from behind, and what that person was giving the people in front were just tonics, not medicine for treating illnesses at all!"

After getting a prescription, each packet of medicine cost ten taels of silver. It was when Zhao Laosan heard this that he ran away as fast as he could.

He was afraid that if Granny Qian drank the ten taels of silver and woke up, the first thing she would do was break his legs.

"Then! What about our mother?" Old Zhao looked worriedly into the room. "We can't just let her sleep like this, can we?"

"That's all we can do." Old Zhao shook his head, went back into the house, and returned the silver to Old Zhao.

Upon hearing that a packet of medicine cost ten taels of silver, Old Man Zhao agreed with Zhao Laosan's approach. After a moment of worry, he said, "Give your mother more hot water; she might recover faster."

They continued to feign illness on Granny Qian, and the streets outside became increasingly deserted.

It's not that there are fewer people in the city, but rather that some of them have fallen into a deep sleep.

After waking up from a deep sleep, he had a high fever for several days, and was vomiting and passing blood in his stool.

The child that Granny Qian met that day has now vomited nothing more and can't pass anything either.

He was so thin he looked like a sheet of paper. His grandfather held him, and even in his dazed state, he didn't forget to wipe his grandson's mouth.

More and more refugees outside the city are falling ill.