Several members of the Tao family were no match for the large group of villagers. To make matters worse, several of the women in the village were skilled at shouting insults, effectively overwhelming the Tao family with their tirades.
The Tao family, unable to retaliate against the verbal onslaught, turned to the middle-aged man for help, urging him to deal with the villagers and secure their position as village chief.
The middle-aged man, with evident impatience, told them to get lost.
The Tao family, trembling, retreated to the side, no longer daring to utter another word.
Witnessing this scene, Tao Lengshuang scoffed. She thought only the greedy and ignorant members of the Tao family would believe they had found a patron, and that they would soon face consequences.
However, the Tao family was not easily manipulated or bullied.
"I see you are all quite busy, so I won't disturb you further. I hope you all fare well."
She cast a meaningful glance at the middle-aged man before leaving with Xiao Feng and Shen Ershen.
That look sent a chill down the middle-aged man's spine, reaching his crown and causing him to shiver. This village woman was indeed not a simple character, just as that person had said.
Tao Lengshuang was unaware of the middle-aged man's thoughts.
Upon seeing him, she suspected that his master was the one who had been secretly harming her.
She still needed to investigate whether his master was indeed the culprit.
"The man from the Mo family, he looks like a steward from a wealthy household. You must not provoke him," Shen Ershen warned, her concern evident.
Tao Lengshuang smiled and assured her she wouldn't, but her mind was already racing, contemplating how to uncover the identity of the middle-aged man's master.
As a mere village woman with no capable subordinates, this task seemed rather difficult.
"By the way, do you know if there's a shortage of supplies in town?"
Shen Ershen's question shifted Tao Lengshuang's attention. She quickly asked, "Shen Ershen, what's happening? Has something gone wrong again?"
Shen Ershen sighed repeatedly, her brow furrowed. "It's all because of the construction of the royal villa and this heavy snowfall."
"Yesterday, someone from our village went to town to sell goods. They returned late at night and told everyone this morning that after struggling for half the day, they only managed to get two jin of rice and flour, at a price much higher than usual.
Now, people in town and the surrounding villages are worried about snow disasters and more heavy taxes, so they are hoarding rice and flour, hoping to get through the winter a little easier."
In previous winters, households would set aside some silver for unforeseen circumstances.
This year, no one was saving money; they were all focused on buying more rice and flour.
Tao Lengshuang's heart grew more anxious. As she had predicted, supplies were becoming increasingly scarce, and prices were rising.
If this continued, the cost of supplies might skyrocket, and they might not even be able to buy rice and flour.
"We need to find a way to stock up on rice and flour," Shen Ershen said.
Tao Lengshuang agreed, but the problem was the lack of availability. Prices were high and quantities were low; most were snapped up by people in town. Some went to Dongdu to buy, where prices were even higher, and they were often driven away.
Tao Lengshuang's brow furrowed as she pursed her lips, thinking of a solution.
She did have some supplies, but she wasn't sure how long they would last.
Moreover, she dared not reveal that she possessed any supplies.
She glanced at the mountains, where a light snow was falling, and gritted her teeth. "Shen Ershen, since it's still early, would you like to go into the mountains with me to gather some things?"
Shen Ershen readily agreed, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the mountains. "We're struggling to survive, what more is there to fear than death?"
Tao Lengshuang shared this sentiment. Life was already difficult, so she didn't care about the dangers in the mountains. "Shen Ershen, let's bring a basket, a sharp sickle, and some dry rations. We'll return by evening."
Shen Ershen agreed and hurried home to prepare their supplies.
Tao Lengshuang returned home to prepare with Xiao Feng. Unwilling to leave Xiao Feng alone, she repeatedly instructed him to stay by her side. She placed him in the basket and went out.
At the foot of the mountain, she met Shen Ershen and Liu Shi with their son. The group found a less-traveled path and headed into the mountains.
"We'll pull up anything that's useful," Shen Ershen said, picking up anything she found useful. "Even if we can't sell it, it's good to have at home."
Tao Lengshuang felt the same way, but what she wanted most were various edible and usable items.
"Let's go deeper into the mountains and see if we can find any small animals that haven't hibernated yet."
She knew how to set traps, but with the snow, traps would be useless.
Upon hearing this, Shen Ershen's spirits lifted even further. "If we can catch any small animals, we won't sell them. We'll keep them to eat ourselves and get through this harsh winter."
She remembered something. "When we came, we met Wang Sanshen. She was in a hurry to go to the village chief's house, saying she wanted to borrow some silver."
She sighed. "In five days, everyone will have to go and build the royal villa."
Mentioning this, Shen Ershen and Liu Shi's eyes welled up with tears.
Tao Lengshuang understood the mother and daughter-in-law's worries but was powerless to help. Her own family was struggling to survive, so how could she help Shen Ershen? Moreover, she couldn't possibly ask Mo Lingxi for help.
Fortunately, Shen Ershen and Liu Shi soon regained their spirits and diligently searched for edible and usable items.
Even Xiao Feng and Zhuzi didn't play; they sensibly helped with the search.
As they busied themselves, they no longer felt the cold.
After working hard for a long time, Xiao Feng suddenly exclaimed with joy, "Daddy!"
Tao Lengshuang looked up.
She saw a man dressed in homespun cotton clothes walking towards them through the wind and snow. A faint mist swirled in his dark eyes, adding a touch of desolation and coldness, making him appear even more noble and unapproachable.
She indifferently withdrew her gaze and calmly pulled up medicinal herbs, placing them in her basket. "Xiao Feng, be good and look for things. We can't waste time."
What was so good about that scoundrel?
Xiao Feng obediently replied with an "oh" and continued to search for useful items.
"What are you looking for?"
Mo Lingxi nodded towards Shen Ershen and her daughter-in-law, then squatted beside Tao Lengshuang.
Tao Lengshuang silently moved away from him, took Xiao Feng's hand, and continued searching elsewhere, not even sparing him a glance.
Sensing her displeasure and knowing the reason, Mo Lingxi rubbed his nose and walked over. "I'll help you."
Tao Lengshuang still ignored him, lowering her head to teach Xiao Feng how to identify medicinal herbs.
Xiao Feng glanced at his father, then at his mother, and decisively stood by his mother's side, lowering his head to listen obediently to Tao Lengshuang.
The man, abandoned by both his wife and son: "..." Was this his own doing?
He rubbed his temples and squatted down again, softening his tone. "Tao Lengshuang, let's talk properly later."
Tao Lengshuang didn't think there was anything to discuss with Mo Lingxi and expressed her displeasure with a cold face.
Just then, Xiao Feng pointed ahead and exclaimed excitedly, "Rabbit!"
Before he could finish speaking, he saw a familiar figure flash by.