The weather finally cleared, and it didn't snow. Tao Lengshuang decided to take Xiao Feng for a walk in the mountains, hoping to find something useful, which would be better than staying at home.
Mother and son walked hand in hand towards the foot of the mountain. Midway, they encountered Shen Ershen and Wang Sanshen, who were also coming down from the mountain.
Both women looked worried and had become noticeably thinner and more haggard.
Tao Lengshuang understood why they were like this and knew she couldn't persuade them, so she started talking about selling some items.
However, she learned something from Wang Sanshen: "Mo family, you absolutely must not sell anything in the town."
"Several people in our village, lacking clothes and food, couldn't make ends meet and sold everything they had. But they were arrested."
Tao Lengshuang was shocked and very confused: "Why?"
"They didn't break any laws, nor did they do anything wrong. They were just selling their own things, so why were they arrested?"
Wang Sanshen didn't know the specifics, only hearing that it was about selling things at a low price, breaking some rule, and that their families had to pay a ransom to get them back.
She added that if they had money, they wouldn't have had to sell everything they owned.
Tao Lengshuang suspected it might be a case of finding scapegoats. Mo Lingxi and his group were addressing the shortage of supplies and the high price of grain, which had affected certain people's interests.
She guessed that some people intended to protect themselves by using this method, and to continue profiting from the disaster.
This made Tao Lengshuang even more worried. If she couldn't sell things and supplies were scarce, what would she do when her current supplies ran out?
She had to find a solution, otherwise, she would eventually starve to death due to lack of supplies.
"Hey, who is that stranger looking for?"
Hearing Shen Ershen's puzzled question, Tao Lengshuang followed her gaze.
She saw a young man dressed in linen clothes, with a kind face and wearing boots, looking around.
He saw the three of them and walked over with a smile: "Excuse me, is this Shilipo Village?"
Shen Ershen and Wang Sanshen exchanged glances but remained silent.
For some reason, they felt that this kind-looking man was not to be trifled with.
"Yes, are you looking for someone?"
Tao Lengshuang glanced at the man's cold eyes and asked with a faint smile.
The young man said, "That's good, that's good, I haven't come to the wrong place." He continued, "A distant relative of mine... should be a distant relative, I'm not very sure."
He sighed sadly, "My family had an accident, and there was really no other way. My family asked me to come and seek refuge with this distant relative."
Tao Lengshuang had a bad feeling about this, but she showed no sign of it. "What is your distant relative's name?"
The young man shook his head, indicating he wasn't sure. "I think his name is Lingxi? I'm not sure about the pronunciation."
"My family members are illiterate. They only told me this name and Shilipo Village, and asked me to come and find him."
Tao Lengshuang quickly stopped Shen Ershen and Wang Sanshen with a look and said with surprise.
"You are a distant relative of my husband? But my husband is away on a trip, and I don't know when he will return."
Even if she tried to hide Mo Lingxi's presence in the village, it would be useless; a little inquiry would reveal it.
The young man secretly sized up the fat and ugly Tao Lengshuang, then glanced at the well-behaved and cute Xiao Feng, and already had an idea in mind.
He appeared shocked and helpless, saying he didn't know what to do, as he was a man and it was inconvenient to interact too much with women.
Tao Lengshuang's fingers moved subtly, appearing troubled. "How about this, I'll arrange for you to stay at the village chief's house?"
"We can talk about it when my husband returns, how about that?"
The young man thought for a moment and said, "Okay. Thank you, sister-in-law. I really have no other choice."
Tao Lengshuang's gaze swept over his slightly worn boots, and she said meaningfully, "We are relatives, so there's no need to be so formal."
"Come, I'll take you to the village chief's house to stay temporarily."
She told Shen Ershen and Wang Sanshen to help look after Xiao Feng, and then led the young man towards the village chief's house.
The young man said his name was Apo, and that his hometown was far from Shilipo Village. He had traveled for a long time to get here.
Tao Lengshuang noticed his energetic demeanor, showing no signs of fatigue, and smiled, asking about his family's situation.
Apo said that the heavy taxes and levies made it impossible for his family to live, so they had to send him to seek refuge with relatives to see if there was a way to survive.
He also thanked Tao Lengshuang for taking him in, saying that if she hadn't, he wouldn't have known where to go.
He then asked where Mo Lingxi had gone, when he would return, and if Tao Lengshuang was alone at home.
Tao Lengshuang knew that Apo was gathering information, so she pretended to be enthusiastic, saying that only she and a child over four years old were at home, and she didn't know when Mo Lingxi would return.
A trace of cunning flashed in Apo's eyes. He repeatedly offered his help if needed, such as chopping wood or finding things.
Tao Lengshuang readily agreed, her smile deepening.
Upon arriving at the village chief's house, Tao Lengshuang introduced Apo as a relative of Mo Lingxi's family who had come from afar to seek refuge.
Since Mo Lingxi was not at home, he could only stay at the village chief's house temporarily.
Village Chief Luo was a shrewd man. He looked at Apo's attire and listened to Tao Lengshuang's words, and understood everything.
He calmly agreed and told Tao Lengshuang not to worry.
Tao Lengshuang told Apo to stay at the village chief's house and then went to find Shen Ershen and Wang Sanshen.
"Mother!"
Xiao Feng hugged Tao Lengshuang's leg and looked up at her. "That person gives Xiao Feng a very bad feeling. Is he a bad person?"
Wang Sanshen and Shen Ershen also said the same.
Tao Lengshuang held Xiao Feng's hand and said softly, "I'm not sure, but he doesn't seem to have good intentions. Mo Lingxi doesn't have any relatives like that."
Wang Sanshen and Shen Ershen were very worried about Tao Lengshuang and her son, suggesting they go into hiding to avoid trouble.
Tao Lengshuang's eyes turned cold. "Wang Sanshen, Shen Ershen, you don't need to worry. I am a doctor, after all, and I have the ability to protect myself."
Wang Sanshen and Shen Ershen were still worried and kept urging Tao Lengshuang.
Tao Lengshuang recounted the miserable state of the Tao family after she had drugged them, which somewhat reassured Wang Sanshen and Shen Ershen.
"Mo family, if possible, you should still hide. Who knows what's going on, right?"
Hearing Wang Sanshen's words, Tao Lengshuang agreed. She was not ignorant and would take Xiao Feng and run if danger arose.
When they reached the foot of the mountain, Tao Lengshuang and the others inadvertently saw Tao Dagou and his companions playing.
The bruises on Tao Dagou's face had not yet faded. They were still sniffling, coughing, and playing with great enthusiasm, completely unfazed by the cold.
Tao Lengshuang ignored them, pretending not to see them, and led Xiao Feng with Wang Sanshen and Shen Ershen into the mountains to gather things.
However, she did not expect that in the afternoon, Tao Laoda and the others would carry the unconscious Tao Dagou and his companions to her house.
Seeking medical help!
"Lengshuang, I beg you. No matter what, Dagou is your nephew. Please save him, he's burning up."
"Lengshuang, save my Er Gou first. He's my only son."