A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

……

After Chen Mo left, the villagers at the village entrance did not disperse.

Jealousy grows wildly in everyone's heart.

"Where did that kid Chen Mo get the pickaxe? Those things are incredibly valuable these days!"

"He really does have eggs to eat... My kids haven't tasted the smell of eggs in three years..."

Sun Gouzi seized the opportunity, approached the group, and spoke mysteriously.

"Let me tell you, I heard from Zhao Si that Chen Mo goes to the mountains behind the village every day, and it's not just to pick wild vegetables. Maybe he's actually discovered some mysterious place where grain is hidden."

Some people didn't believe it: "How can there be so many good things?"

Sun Gouzi spat as he spoke: "Then tell me, where did his family get their grain? Where did they get their eggs? Where did they get their pickaxe? Use your brains! His father is so sick he's almost dying. If he didn't have some good stuff to keep him alive, would he still be alive?"

The villagers fell silent.

Yes, why is that?

Old Man Sun, clutching the grain sack, whispered in defense, "Chen Mo... is a good boy, he returned my family's grain..."

But his voice was immediately drowned out by the even louder murmur of the discussion.

Nobody listens to him.

……

When Chen Mo got home, he immediately used the door latch to firmly brace the broken wooden door.

"Brother, are you alright? It's so noisy outside..." Chen Ling'er was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she rushed over.

Chen Mo shook his head and carefully placed the two pigeon eggs away.

On the kang (a heated brick bed), Chen Dashan struggled to sit up, coughing incessantly.

"Mo'er, did you... slip up?"

Chen Mo nodded: "The egg is exposed, and the pickaxe is exposed too."

Chen Dashan's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Oh no... oh no... possessing a precious jade will bring disaster, possessing a precious jade will bring disaster..."

"Father, don't be afraid. I'm prepared."

Chen Mo offered a word of comfort and immediately got to work.

He tidied up the clutter at the entrance to the cellar and covered it with a pile of inconspicuous rotten firewood.

A thin layer of wood ash was sprinkled around the stove, so that anyone who walked by would definitely leave footprints.

Finally, he placed the machete and pickaxe on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), within easy reach.

He let his sister sleep in the innermost position, his father in the middle, and he himself slept in the outermost position, facing the door.

Chen Ling'er tugged at his sleeve, her voice trembling as she asked, "Brother, will someone come and take our house away?"

Chen Mo patted her head, his voice soft but steady.

"With me here, nobody can mess with us."

But he knew that if a group of people came, he alone with just a pickaxe wouldn't be able to stop them.

Late at night.

Chen Mo wasn't asleep at all; his ears were perked up.

Sure enough, rustling footsteps came from outside the courtyard wall.

He crept closer to the hole in the window and peered out by the faint moonlight. He saw two figures lurking furtively at the base of the courtyard wall.

It was Sun Gouzi and another villager.

"Is there really enough food?"

"How could Brother Mang be lying? Listen carefully, can you hear the sound of grinding grain?"

Chen Mo's lips curled into a cold smile.

He picked up a stone and deliberately banged it a few times in the stone mortar used for pounding wild vegetables inside the house.

The figure outside the courtyard was clearly delighted.

"There's movement! There's definitely movement!"

But they were soon disappointed. The sound was very dull, not at all like the sound of grinding grain, but rather like the sound of pounding some kind of root.

The two waited a while longer, but couldn't stand the cold any longer, so they left grumbling.

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

But he knew this was just the beginning.

As dawn approached, that cold voice finally emerged in his mind.

[Daily information has been updated, please select:]

[1. Under the old locust tree in the mass grave west of the village, there are three crows that have frozen to death. They are edible, but the meat is of very poor quality. (Risk: Low. The crows may carry pathogens, and the cemetery environment is gloomy.)]

[Second, in an ice hole downstream of the Qingshui River, there is a fishing basket left by a villager, containing two small fish. Note that the basket is owned. (Risk: Medium. Theft may be discovered and result in retaliation.)]

[Three, on the leeward slope of Black Wind Ridge, there are signs of wild goat activity. Note: It is far away, and the mountain road is blocked by heavy snow. (Risk: High. You may get lost or encounter wolves.)]

Three options.

Crow meat is of poor quality, but at least it's meat, and it's safe.

Stealing fish can provide protein, but the risks are too great.

While wild goats can bring a rich harvest, they also come with the highest risks. Given his current leg injury, he is almost certainly incapable of completing this task.

He needs protein to help his wounds heal.

crow.

He chose the safest option without hesitation.

[Information 1]

A scene unfolded in his mind: a mass grave, a crooked old locust tree, and three crows frozen stiff in the snow beneath its roots.

As dawn broke, Chen Mo prepared to go out.

But when he looked at his younger sister sleeping soundly on the kang (a heated brick bed), he stopped in his tracks.

Now, he's the most sought-after person in the whole village. When he goes out during the day, countless eyes are watching him.

We have to wait until it gets dark.

He lay back down, his mind racing.

The wound needs to heal quickly, which requires protein.

We must find a way to divert the villagers' attention.

The Wang family would spread rumors, and he would do the same. For example, he might spread the rumor that there were thousands of kilograms of grain hidden in the Wang family's cellar. But this was very risky; it could very well cause a riot in the whole village, and then the situation would be out of control, and no one would have a good ending.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening.

A new day brings new hunger and danger.

"Whoa!"

Just as dawn was breaking, a heart-wrenching wail suddenly echoed through the village.

Chen Mo looked through the crack in the window and saw that it was Old Man Sun's house.

Old Man Sun held the body of his youngest son, Sun Erzhu, and wept bitterly. The child had stopped breathing in the middle of the night.

A few days ago, Old Man Sun divided the half bag of grain among his family members, with each person only getting a small handful. However, Sun Erzhu was weak and ultimately did not make it through.

The villagers gathered around, their faces ashen, watching silently.

Sun Dazhu knelt before his younger brother's corpse, his eyes vacant, unable to utter a single word.

Wang Mang also arrived with his men, and gave a feigned sigh.

"Hey, Old Man Sun, I told you long ago to pawn the child for grain; at least that would save someone's life. But you wouldn't listen. And look what happened now!"

Old Man Sun suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Wang Mang. Then, he calmly turned his gaze toward Chen Mo's house.

That look in his eyes was so complex it was unsettling.

Chen silently closed the hole in the window.

A life was lost so quietly.

In the morning, Chen Mo made a tough decision, boiled a pigeon egg, cracked it, and mixed it into the wild vegetable soup.

He fed his father and sister first.

The aroma of the egg drop soup finally brought some color back to Chen Ling'er's face.