During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

Ye Cuicui quietly stuck out her tongue.

"I understand, Second Sister. I really have no feelings for Brother Dazhuang..."

No matter how serious her second sister was, she still thought that Big Zhuang was handsome, the most handsome man in the world!

Unfortunately, Big Zhuang didn't even glance at her.

If Brother Dazhuang treated her the way he treated Second Sister, how much better would that be!

The next morning, after waking up on the warm kang (a heated brick bed), Ye Qingqing stretched and prepared to retrieve the divination slips.

She paused suddenly.

Although Ye Dazhuang didn't want to know about his background, it piqued her curiosity!

To count or not to count?

This is a problem.

Ye Qingqing scratched her nose and said, "Never mind, it doesn't count."

There's no need to waste the divination slips.

I'm going to town to pick up grain today. Grain prices have skyrocketed, and the town is probably in complete chaos. I'd better be careful.

"Clang..."

The shimmering divination sticks appeared before my eyes, and after a few shakes, golden characters appeared:

[Minor Ominous Sign: Grain prices have skyrocketed, causing widespread discontent in the town. Beware of grain trucks being looted by rioters.]

[Xiao Ji: In the desolate mudflats of the Pihe River near Lijia Village, turtles hide in the mud; a small profit can be made by going there.]

[Extremely ominous: Bears are known to roam the North Peak; provoking them could be fatal.]

A group of turtles?

Old turtle, it's very nutritious!

The stewed turtle soup is rich and flavorful, especially the thick, fleshy skirt, which is soft and chewy like pudding and full of collagen.

Ye Qingqing immediately became interested and reached out to remove the little lucky charm.

As for the minor ominous sign, it was within her expectations.

Who wouldn't panic when there's a food shortage?

But how do we guard against this?

Before dawn, as the eastern horizon was just beginning to lighten, Ye Qingqing heard familiar sounds coming from the courtyard.

The chestnut horse snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently with its hooves.

She jumped up from the kang (a heated brick bed), pushed open the door, and went out. She saw her elder brother, Ye Dali, harnessing livestock to the green-covered carriage.

Ye Dali's arms were thicker than an average person's thighs, and he was known in the Kaoshantun area for his great strength and straightforward personality.

"Brother, up so early?"

Ye Qingqing pulled her sleeves up, the cool morning mist seeping into her neck.

"I heard the town is in complete chaos, and grain prices are skyrocketing. You said yesterday you were going to haul grain; how can I trust you to leave?"

Ye Dali fastened the last buckle, patted the chestnut horse's neck,

Ye Qingqing felt a warmth in her heart.

She hadn't forgotten the inscription on the divination slip: "Beware of grain trucks being looted by rioters." With her brother around, she felt much more confident, but relying on her brother alone would still be difficult against a large group of hungry people; she had to follow the rules.

"Brother, you drive the carriage, but we need to go to the escort agency to get some help first. In this day and age, our grain is like a walking piece of fat meat."

Ye Qingqing frowned and said.

Ye Dali frowned, then nodded, "Alright! Spend the money where necessary, saving lives is the priority."

After breakfast, Li Chunyan loaded the cloth and cotton, along with forty catties of pork, about ten mandarin fish, and several dozen catties of rice and flour onto the cart, happily waiting to haul the grain back to her mother.

Ye Dali gave the reins a tug, and the chestnut horse set off, its wheels rolling over the dirt road, much more stable than the hired cart.

Ye Qingqing sat in the car, lifting a corner of the curtain, letting in the cool morning breeze.

On the official road, there were even more people fleeing famine than yesterday, carrying tattered loads, their eyes listless, as if their souls had been ripped out. Soldiers set up checkpoints by the roadside, but seeing that the Ye family were familiar faces and that the carts were empty, they waved them through.

Upon entering the town, a cacophony of noise and restlessness hit you. The stone-paved streets were packed with people, and the air was thick with the smells of sweat and a faint, sour odor of rice bran.

Long lines formed outside several grain shops, but the people weren't buying grain; they were either getting numbers or causing trouble.

Several constables on the street corner waved their whips to disperse the crowd. The sharp crack startled Ye Qingqing, who shrank back. Many shops along the street were closed, and those that were open only left a crack. The panic of soaring prices spread like a plague among the crowd.

"Let's go to Anping Escort Agency first."

Ye Qingqing gave the instructions.

The Anping Escort Agency had a small storefront, and behind the counter was still that same lean man.

Upon hearing the reason for the visit, his brows furrowed. "Young lady, your wages have increased again this morning! Four times! And you have to pay half in advance. A gang of vagrants from outside town robbed grain in the west yesterday and injured people."

Ye Qingqing was prepared. She took out a cloth bag from her bosom, counted out twelve high-quality copper coins, and pushed them over.

"This is the deposit. I don't want you to risk your lives, just send them out of the area to the entrance of Kaoshantun Village."

"Show your weapons, give a few shouts, and if you can't hold out, retreat. I have a way to deal with the grain carts."

The lean man took the money and whistled.

Three bodyguards with swords led out their horses. The one in the lead, with a thick beard, nodded, and his aura immediately became more composed.

Ye Dali jumped out of the car and said in a simple and honest voice, "Thank you for your trouble, brothers."

"Let's go to Sun's Grain Shop."

Ye Qingqing said.

Sun's Grain Shop was located in the center of town, with its main gate tightly closed, leaving only a tall window open.

The waiter leaned out from under a stool and shouted at the top of his lungs, "No more food! We've run out of numbers! Hey girl, don't push your way in, there's no more food!"

Ye Qingqing squeezed to the window, looked up and handed over the document.

"Brother, I'm not buying grain. Ye Qingqing from Kaoshantun ordered grain yesterday, and we agreed to pick it up today."

The clerk took the document, examined it closely, and then withdrew it.

A short while later, the side door opened, and Sun Maocai, wearing a royal blue silk vest, came out.

He stroked his short beard, his gaze shifting between Ye Qingqing, Ye Dali, and the bodyguard, before settling on the bustling crowd in the street, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Girl, the document is real. According to the agreement, the grain should be given to you. But now the market price has more than doubled. Our boss said that the most important thing in doing business is reputation, and he will give it to you even if it means taking a loss."

But given the situation outside, can you really pull them away?

"Thank you for your concern, Manager Sun. I've hired bodyguards from Anping, and my brother will drive the carriage. Please be careful on the road."

Ye Qingqing smiled sincerely, "The Sun family has been a century-old brand, and its reputation is indeed invaluable. We can't go back on our promise to our neighbors."

Sun Maocai's beard trembled slightly at the flattery, and he clapped his hands in approval.

"Alright! For what you said, and for the Sun family's honesty in dealing with their customers, here you go! Get on the bus through the back door, and hurry up!"

The side door swung open, and the workers shouted as they carried heavy sacks of grain onto the covered carriage and the spare cart. The bodyguards helped tie the ropes, and the bearded man carefully checked the knots.

Sun Maocai personally saw her off at the door, saying in a low voice, "Girl, go back. Consider this grain a token of the Sun family's friendship with you. In these chaotic times, people who keep their word are few and far between."

Ye Qingqing bowed respectfully.

The caravan left the town, escorted by guards and horses.

A starving man on the street corner glared at him, a bushy-bearded man gripping his knife and shouting, "Anping Escort Agency on a mission! Bystanders, get out of the way!"

The horses' hooves were menacing, and the crowd reluctantly retreated.

As they traveled to a secluded section of the road, a group of vagrants wielding sticks suddenly appeared and blocked the road.

The bodyguards formed a battle formation and brandished their swords, while Ye Dali gripped the carrying pole on the cart shaft tightly.

The leader of the refugees assessed the situation, cursing and swearing as they made way. The danger passed without incident, and as the sun began to set, the outline of Kaoshan Village came into view.

The bearded man reined in his horse, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "I'll take you to your destination and then leave."