Exile at the start? Milkball filming, hoarding billions of resources

Shen Yu stood in front of her younger siblings and spoke gently.

"We have only been in northern Xinjiang for a short time, and you probably don't know us. However, my uncle is Su Shaoqing, the former prefect of Guanyang. We heard that many elderly people in Guanyang have gone missing, and we guessed that they might have gone into the deep mountains, so we came to try our luck."

Shen Yu gave a wry smile.

"I didn't expect to encounter wild boars so soon after I reached the foot of the mountain."

The old man's expression changed slightly upon hearing the name Su Shaoqing.

"So you're saying you've come looking for complete strangers, not your relatives."

Why put yourself in danger for the sake of strangers?

He waved his hand solemnly.

"Alright, alright, stop looking and go home now."

As the old man spoke, he wrapped the rope around his armpits and tied it in a knot at his shoulder to secure it.

He dragged the wild boar along, talking as he walked.

"These mountains are very dangerous. If those old people really go into the mountains, they definitely won't survive."

"You're wasting your time looking."

Shen Zhaoning lowered her head, looking somewhat disappointed.

"Is he...dead?"

Shen Yu held her sister's hand tightly and gritted her teeth.

"Sir, those people aren't dead, are they?"

Do you know where they are?

The old man stopped and looked at Shen Yu in surprise.

"Young friend, what makes you say that?"

Shen Yu stared intently at the old man's face and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Because you didn't seem surprised when we came looking for someone, and even asked us for our grandfather's name."

"You seem to assume that we're here to look for our elderly relatives."

The old man vehemently denied it.

"I thought I was about the same age as your grandfather, and maybe I knew some of your elders, so I just asked casually."

At this moment, Xiaoman scurried down from the tree.

He leaned close to the old man and smelled him again and again.

"You smell like the owner of these clothes; you've seen him before!"

Upon hearing her two older brothers' words, Shen Zhaoning hurriedly stepped forward and grasped the old man's rough hands.

She tilted her fair, delicate face up and pleaded in a drawn-out, childish voice.

"Please, tell us their location."

"Their families are heartbroken and are searching for them everywhere."

The old man sighed.

"What's the point of bringing them back?"

"The heavens haven't sent rain yet, and the crops in the fields have all withered and died. Going back would only be a burden on my family. It's better to stay in the mountains, live one day at a time, and save some food for my family."

Children, with a sense of gratitude, wish to support their parents.

But parents also have a deep love for their children and don't want to be a burden on them.

Both sides have their own choices, yet their hearts are connected to the same source.

Shen Zhaoning's eyes stung even more.

"But...things haven't gotten to that point yet, have they?"

She held the old man's hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

"I guarantee there will be a solution."

The old man looked at Shen Zhaoning's slightly red eyes and gently patted her head.

"What can we do? We can only prolong our lives for a few more days."

"Go back, and don't come back."

The old man personally escorted the little ones down the mountain, then slowly carried the wild boar away into the wilderness.

The first thing Shen Zhaoning did after descending the mountain was to go find her uncle.

The gatekeeper couldn't stop smiling when he saw Shen Zhaoning coming over.

"Young Miss, you've finally arrived! Madam was just talking about you!"

Shen Zhaoning hurriedly inquired with the gatekeeper.

"Where is your uncle?"

"As for the study, the young master has been spending all his time there these past few days, pondering something. He doesn't seem to be in much interest. Miss, you mustn't bother him, or you'll get a scolding."

The doorman's words were a bit of an exaggeration.

Su Shaoqing was always gentle with Shen Zhaoning and her brother, wishing he could spoil the two little ones rotten.

Even if Shen Zhaoning demolished the study, she wouldn't utter a single word of objection.

Shen Zhaoning ignored the gatekeeper's words and went straight to the study.

Su Shaoqing, wearing a patched robe, sat at the table with disheveled hair, poking his head with a pen, his hands and face covered in ink.

Countless papers were scattered on the table and the floor.

Shen Zhaoning almost didn't recognize that this was actually her handsome and upright uncle.

I almost thought he was some kind of lunatic.

Shen Zhaoning picked up the paper from the ground and found that it was a map of Guanyang, with many places marked.

Shen Zhaoning quietly picked up the papers from the ground and placed them on the table.

Su Shaoqing heard rustling sounds inside the room, frowned and looked up, only to be met with half of a fair and lovely little face.

He put down his pen and suddenly smiled.

"Why is Tuantuan here?"

"Come here, let your uncle give you a hug."

He opened his hand and saw the ink stains on his fingertips, only then realizing how terrible he looked.

Embarrassed, he withdrew his hand and handed the pastries on the table to Shen Zhaoning.

"Tuantuan, have some snacks first, I'll go tidy up."

Shen Zhaoning couldn't understand what Su Shaoqing was doing, but she could roughly sense that her uncle was worried about the people of Guanyang.

Her uncle hadn't lied to her.

He really didn't give up on Guan Yang.

Su Shaoqing changed into clean and presentable clothes, tied her hair neatly, and washed her face before coming out.

He asked with a smile.

"Does Tuantuan miss her uncle?"

"Your uncle has been busy with some things these past few days, so he hasn't had a chance to visit you. How about I come to see you when I'm done?"

Shen Zhaoning would never argue with an adult over something like this.

"Uncle, don't worry, Tuantuan is broad-minded and won't hold a grudge over something like this."

She sat up straight, her tone serious.

"I came to find my uncle because I want to work with him to save Guanyang."

The little guy sat at the table, only the top of his head showing. If his hair were combed low, not even a single strand of hair could be seen, yet he was saying that he wanted to save Guan Yang.

This scene is just too funny.

Apart from the days immediately following his resignation, during which he idled away his time to lull the inspector into a false sense of security, Su Shaoqing had actually been searching for water sources and pondering how to alleviate the drought.

During the day, he would sit in his study to determine where there could be a water source, and at night he would take Lu Yu to dig holes everywhere.

He searched Guanyang almost from top to bottom, but still couldn't find any spring.

His spirits were almost worn down, and he even felt a sense of defeat, as if the heavens were going to destroy Guan Yang.

Now, hearing four-and-a-half-year-old Tuantuan say that she wants to save Guanyang.

A glimmer of hope rekindled in his previously gloomy and dejected heart.

Even children haven't given up, so what reason does he have to give up!

Su Shaoqing smiled and deliberately teased Shen Zhaoning.

"Okay, then tell me your plan and let me see how we can cooperate."

Shen Zhaoning sat up straight, trying to look Su Shaoqing in the eye.

After trying various methods, he found that he could only look up at Su Shaoqing, so he simply stood on the stool.

"First, we need to make sure everyone has enough to eat."

"I can provide rice and water."

Su Shaoqing asked, suppressing a laugh.

"There are 200,000 people in the northern frontier, and 50,000 of them are in Guanyang. These 50,000 people need at least 800 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain a day. If we want the people to be stable in the long term, we need to prepare enough grain for at least a month. Can Tuantuan produce that?"