NOVEL WEB
Chapter 10
"Dad, why are your eyes so red?"
Old Gu Six filled Chang'an a bowl of white rice porridge and said, "I was melting iron in the backyard last night, didn't rest."
"You're getting old, don't stay up late, it's easy to go bald."
Chang'an glanced at Old Gu Six's thick, jet-black hair and imagined what he would look like bald.
Oh~
The image is too beautiful to look at.
Old Gu Six refused to accept his age, "I'm only 26."
"Yes, yes, you're only 26, not even at the age of maturity. If you stay up a few more nights, you might become the youngest bald man."
Old Gu Six:...
Not listening, not listening, finish your meal and go to sleep.
After breakfast, Old Six Dad went to catch up on sleep, while Chang'an went to take stock of the clothes worn by the father and daughter throughout the seasons.
She had a lot of clothes, all made of fine cotton, stuffed full in a large cabinet.
There were also several pieces of gold and silver jewelry and hairpins in the box.
For winter, she had bought three sets of thick padded jackets a few days ago, as well as two sets of padded skirts.
Old Six Dad had thirteen sets of linen clothes and two padded jackets.
Tomorrow, she would go to town to buy a few more sets of clothes for Old Six Dad.
Originally, she wanted to reinforce the shoe soles for Old Six Dad, but ended up giving up.
With her clumsy hands, she wasn't sure if the shoes she made would be sturdy enough.
The shoes she bought might last for ten days to half a month.
Don't let them get ruined as soon as she touches them.
Today, she planned to dry some dried green beans, as people on the famine relief road would add wild vegetables to their cooking pots.
Their family shouldn't be too different, so let's add some dried green beans.
She could also dry some radishes and make a few jars of spicy pickled radishes to eat with rice or steamed buns.
It's too hot to make preserved meat, but there's Sichuan-style cured sausages in the fridge.
Perhaps because they hadn't found any food in the mountains for two days in a row, the villagers didn't go up the mountain today, and she could faintly hear someone shouting, "The last well has dried up."
Men and women in the village gathered around the well, crying, with an old lady sitting on the ground slapping her thighs.
"Oh, God, you're not giving us any way out."
The village head's straight back was slightly hunched.
"The men are all going out of the village to find water, can't wait half a month to go on famine relief.
The women are going home to pack up, and will set off the day after tomorrow at the hour of the Rabbit."
The village head looked around and didn't see Old Gu Six.
He called his eldest son, "Xiaoxiao, go tell Old Six that we're setting off for famine relief at the hour of the Rabbit the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, Dad."
The people gathered around the well dispersed, those going to find water went to find water, and those going home to pack up stayed home wiping away tears and packing.
Chang'an was drying dried green beans and radishes in the backyard, and heard someone outside calling for Old Six.
She ran out, took a look, didn't recognize him, then took a second look and found him somewhat familiar, probably someone Little Chang'an had seen before.
This soft and cute little girl immediately captured Yang Poxiao's heart.
Every time he saw her, he wanted to take her home and raise her as his daughter.
He tried to soften his voice as much as possible, half squatting down to be at eye level with Chang'an.
"Little Chang'an, where's your dad?"
"He's gone out," he's sleeping, but she couldn't say that, everyone was worried about food and water.
Old Gu Six was sleeping soundly at home during the day, is that appropriate?
Chang'an's soft voice made Yang Poxiao once again have the idea of being a human trafficker.
He probably couldn't beat Old Gu Six, so he decided to have a child with his wife.
"When your father comes back, tell him that we will gather at the village entrance the day after tomorrow at the Mao hour to flee the famine."
"Okay, thank you uncle," the well was dry, they had to flee the famine early.
Chang'an thought for a moment and reminded, "Uncle, it's hot now, maybe it will be very cold in winter. You should prepare some thick clothes in advance. When we are on the road fleeing the famine, if it's cold, there will be nowhere to buy them. My father said, this is called being prepared for any eventuality."
Yang Poxiao patted Chang'an's head and said, "Alright, uncle will tell everyone to prepare, thank you little Chang'an."
He didn't think much about it, just thought it was something Old Gu Six taught her.
Old Gu Six should have prepared some cold-proof supplies, so Chang'an reminded him.
Yang Poxiao thought it wouldn't hurt to be prepared, anyway, it would probably be cold on the road in winter, no matter what.
He went back and told Li Zheng, who was thinking that most people in the village couldn't afford cotton quilts and padded jackets.
They used quilts made of reeds and coarse hemp, and clothes made of coarse hemp to keep warm.
Even if he reminded them, it wouldn't help, as they didn't have the money to buy them.
But he still had to remind them.
He once again gathered the villagers at home.
"You should find a way to prepare some cold-proof supplies, when winter comes, we will definitely still be on the road fleeing the famine. If we can't eat enough and can't keep warm, we might freeze to death on the road before reaching another place. Don't hold onto your money and be unwilling to spend it, as long as we have our lives, there's no obstacle we can't overcome."
Some families really couldn't afford it, some were just unwilling, shaking through the winter would be enough for them.
There were a few obedient ones, belonging to the three surnames of Zhao, Jiang, and Yang.
Their clan leaders also spoke up, "Those who have money can buy cotton clothes and quilts for themselves, those who don't, find help from their clan brothers. In the face of disaster, everyone should work together, any disputes can be settled after stability is restored."
The words of the clan leaders carried weight, and everyone was willing to listen.
Some people sneered, not taking it seriously.
Those who didn't listen to advice would be the first to suffer on the road fleeing the famine.
In Chang'an's home, as soon as Yang Poxiao left, Old Gu Six got up, having slept for less than an hour.
"Dad, did I wake you up?"
Old Gu Six lazily leaned against the door frame, yawned, and said, "No, who is it? Oh, right, Yang Da, I woke up as soon as he entered the courtyard."
Is his vigilance so strong? Is it okay for outsiders to approach?
"Do you want to go back to sleep?"
"Not anymore, what are you doing?"
"Drying green beans and radishes."
"Do you need help from dad?"
"No need, they're all dried, since you're not sleeping, let's go to the city."
"Is there anything else to buy?"
"To buy clothes for Dad."
"No need to go, Dad has clothes to wear, time is a bit tight, I'll sew the quilt cover and those two clothes first. Don't worry, daughter, there is still cloth in Dad's room, if there aren't enough clothes, I'll make them."
??? Is he so versatile?
"Alright, I'll go pack up."
"Okay, throw away what needs to be thrown away, don't bring everything, we can buy new ones when we get there."
"Got it, Dad."
Old Gu Six went back to the room to do some needlework, while Chang'an busied herself with packing up their belongings.
She had a space, so she could bring everything she needed.
She started in the kitchen, where she had been cooking in the space for the past two days, putting away all the kitchen items.
She couldn't put everything away, the things they needed to use regularly had to stay out in the open.
Two pots, one big and one small.
The small one stayed outside, while the big one was stored in the space, along with the large water tank. They still needed the water bucket, so it stayed out for now.
The oil and salt had to be kept outside, leaving behind a large soup bowl and a small rice bowl for the two of them to eat from.
On the road of escape, there was no time to cook properly, everything was cooked in one pot and eaten straight from it, two bowls were enough.
Thinking about the pickled vegetables she had made, she left a small bowl for them as well.
They didn't need the dish rack, they would get a cupboard when they arrived, safe and hygienic.
The cutting board, knife, and spatula had to be kept outside.