He Sheng was truly surprised that his mother’s guess was so accurate, and even more so that a group of strangers would storm in. He quickly glanced at his mother, silently asking what to do next. Wu Caiwei looked at the large rock behind them, and the other party immediately understood.
In a moment, they opened a path. A man in white, escorted by two attendants, slowly walked in.
The mud spots on his body indicated his current dishevelment. He looked at these commoners with disdain. After a brief scan, he set his sights on the middle of the cave, pointing casually. The guards immediately understood his intention and rushed forward, shoving aside the people sitting there.
Using the refugees’ blankets, they meticulously wiped the rock clean. Once satisfied it was spotless, they respectfully invited the man in white to sit.
He Sheng unconsciously moved towards the center, realizing that the spot the man had chosen was the same place he had let his mother sit that afternoon. The thought of his own family being pushed aside in front of everyone if his mother hadn’t moved sent a shiver of fear down his spine.
The refugees had never witnessed such arrogance. Though displeased, they dared not retort. They could only pick up the blankets thrown on the ground and resentfully toss them back into the crowd.
While the attention of these people was focused on the center of the cave, Wu Caiwei, with her family, quietly hid behind the rocks. The two children, being young, could no longer endure it. Jiang Shan quickly tidied up a narrow space behind them, creating a warm little nest for them, and then they secretly observed the situation in the cave.
“I’m hungry, is there any food?” The man in white touched his stomach. He looked around, but no one answered. After all, they had just suffered a flood, and food was a precious commodity, essential for survival. Why would they give it away to this stranger, especially when he was accompanied by over a dozen men dressed in black? It was impossible for anyone to have enough wealth to feed such a large group so lavishly.
Everyone instinctively clutched their own food. However, what happened next left them dumbfounded. The dozen guards, without a word, rushed into the midst of the refugees, ignoring their protests, and openly plundered their food.
They could tolerate the seizure of their seating positions, as they could simply move elsewhere. But food, once eaten, was gone. If it was all taken, their families would face certain death. No one was willing to accept this.
These men in black, who were clearly skilled in martial arts, looked at their resistance with disdain. Those who dared to resist were pushed away with a single palm strike. Some were even more severely injured, spitting up blood. This terrified the crowd. Although they also feared death, they could not survive without food.
They could only fight back desperately, perhaps to salvage some food and leave a path for their families. For a moment, the cave was filled with cries, curses, and bursts of laughter. To an outsider, it might sound like bandits had taken over the cave, and indeed, it was not far from that.
After seizing enough food, the men returned to the man in white to report.
No one had the appetite to eat, and therefore, no one started a fire. The men led by the man in white scoured the cave, taking any wood they could find, be it from broken carts or wooden chests, and splitting it for firewood. The refugees seethed with anger, but the actions of the previous night had instilled enough deterrence that they had to restrain themselves.
Soon, their meal was ready. They ate heartily, chewing on their beef jerky, while the refugees couldn’t help but swallow their saliva. That was meat; they hadn't tasted it in so long.
The cave soon echoed with the snores of the group. Only then did the refugees breathe a sigh of relief, fearing that more trouble might arise. Wu Caiwei signaled for her daughter-in-law and son to rest, while she herself leaned against the cave wall, meditating.
She knew her actions would undoubtedly arouse their suspicion, but she had no more time. They would soon be embarking on their journey, and along the way, they would encounter many dangers. Only with the ability to protect themselves would they be at ease. Besides, others might not know, but she was aware that after the flood, there would be not only plague but also war. Several feudal lords would rebel, and the court was at its most perilous. Preparations had to be thorough.
By the time she opened her eyes again, those people had already left. However, the sounds of weeping in the cave had not stopped. The reason was that the people who had defended their food the previous night were severely injured. Due to the lack of supplies and medicine, one person had even vomited a pool of blood and died on the spot. Several others had sustained serious internal injuries and could not even stand. This reminded Wu Caiwei of the original owner. Because their resting spot had been coveted by the newcomers, He Sheng, being young, had worn his hatred on his face, causing the newcomers to target their food first. In the struggle to defend it, his arm was injured.
Although the injury was not severe and would have merely required a period of rest under normal circumstances, this was a time of famine. He couldn’t use his arm effectively, and the remaining family members were mostly the elderly and weak. In the eyes of others, they were easy targets.
Now, misfortune had befallen others. Wu Caiwei felt no joy, only a pang of guilt for having implicated them. Yet, she couldn't step forward and warn them to prepare early. She lacked the selfless spirit to sacrifice herself for others.
They hadn’t eaten all day yesterday, and they couldn’t go hungry today. Who knew what lay ahead? Only by eating their fill could they muster the energy to think of solutions. The families who had lost their food, like the original owner in her past life, began to dig for wild vegetables on the mountain before the rain even stopped.
When the sun rose, a joyous surprise occurred. The rain outside had stopped. This meant the water would recede soon, and they could return to their homes and resume their peaceful lives.
Seeing the joy on everyone’s faces, Wu Caiwei shook her head. Knowing there was no immediate danger, she personally went up the mountain to dig for wild vegetables. While everyone thought she was gathering vegetables, her true intention was to collect some medicinal herbs for emergencies.
“Aunt Zhang, you recognize medicinal herbs?” The old woman next door, seeing her collecting many herbs, asked with a puzzled expression.
Wu Caiwei smiled, a little sheepishly. “I’m getting old, and I want to do something to supplement our income. Last time, I begged the doctor for a long time, and he told me what several kinds of medicinal herbs looked like. I tried my best to remember, but I’m not sure if these are all of them. I’ll take them back and have him look at them, and maybe I can exchange them for some silver to buy candy for my two granddaughters.”
Seeing that she couldn’t distinguish medicinal herbs, the villagers, who had been listening intently, relaxed and curled their lips in disdain. They had heard that collecting herbs was dangerous and didn’t yield much money. They wouldn't do it and didn’t want to. Only this diligent old woman was busy all day.
Some villagers, in small groups, wanted to go down to see the situation outside. Others, having shed the sorrow of yesterday, chatted and laughed.