"I... I'll release them, all of them, all of them!" the leader relented.
Xiao Xi Tian: ...
If only they had known this day would come, why bother with the beginning.
A group of young wives and children disembarked from the carriage, weeping uncontrollably.
Without even a word of thanks, they grabbed their grain and scurried away.
Xiao Xi Tian felt exhausted.
The bandits, having been dealt a blow, also dispersed.
"Mom, why didn't you make them leave the carriage!"
Liu Cui Rong anxiously stomped her feet, muttering, "Our rickety ox cart doesn't even have a roof to shield us from the wind and rain, it's not half as good as their carriage."
She was carrying a daughter of the Yun family, what if something happened to her?
Gu Shi narrowed her eyes, "If you want to ride in a carriage, it's not too late to chase after them now. No one will stop you."
"Daughter-in-law didn't mean it like that, I was just thinking of you, Mother." Liu Cui Rong rolled her eyes internally.
"Boop!" Xiao Xi Tian blew another milk bubble. The big white dog heard it and wagged its tail, running over.
It stuck out its tongue and licked Xiao Xi Tian's cheek twice.
Damp and warm.
Its name was Xue Ling, the guard dog of the agricultural base.
"Wow, this big white dog is just like a little pony, it looks so majestic!" Yun Da Man circled Xue Ling, admiring it greatly.
Yun Er Man picked up Xiao Xi Tian and said with a smile, "We have to thank little Tian Bao for calling the big dog at the crucial moment and scaring away those scoundrels."
"Yes!" Zhao Gui Hua rubbed Xi Tian's little head, her face filled with doting and affection, "We must treat Tian Bao well from now on, we absolutely cannot let her suffer any hardship!"
Xiao Xi Tian giggled twice.
She liked this family.
For this affection alone, she couldn't let her family go hungry or suffer.
Liu Cui Rong snorted and said resentfully, "Hmph, people can't even get enough to eat, and now you've brought in a dog. Where will we get food to feed it!"
"No one will think you're mute if you don't speak!" Yun Er Man tugged his wife's arm.
Old Man Yun knew Liu Cui Rong's character well and ignored her. Instead, he looked at Yun Da Man, "Da Man, there are many bandits in this area. Hitch up the ox cart, and we'll travel through the night."
It was cool now, and the family had also caught up on their sleep during the day.
"Understood, Father!"
Yun Jin He sat in the driver's seat, flicking the whip to urge the ox cart forward.
Xiao Xi Tian yawned sweetly and fell asleep in Gu Shi's arms.
The big white dog Xue Ling, with its tail curled, trotted along beside the carriage, looking around, completely untiring.
Ten days later, the surrounding scenery finally showed signs of green.
A stream cut across the vast grassland, winding towards a mountain hollow in the distance.
The wild vegetables by the roadside also became abundant.
Plantain, dandelion, houttuynia, water celery, wild mountain onion, and so on.
A handful could be picked, washed clean, and eaten directly.
Many refugees chose to rest here.
Upon seeing the water, Yun Er Man couldn't help but think of his younger brother – Yun San Man.
"Big Brother, do you think Third Brother might have met with an accident? It's been over two years, why hasn't he returned!"
Yun Er Man asked stealthily, afraid of upsetting his parents.
Originally, Yun San Man had gone out to sea fishing with the villagers and had been gone for two years, with no news since.
The family had always assumed he had died somewhere.
Even though they knew it in their hearts, few people mentioned it directly.
Yun Da Man glanced at his younger brother and said irritably, "Third Brother is blessed with great fortune, he will return one day!"
Yun Er Man sighed, "I'm afraid even if he returns to Feiyan Village, he won't be able to find us."
Old Man Yun, who was following behind, happened to overhear and knocked Yun Er Man on the head with his pipe, "What are you afraid of? Your mother left a letter under the mat. If Old Third really comes back alive, he'll definitely find us."
"Father, I heard Fourth Brother also fled." Yun Er Man took his father's pipe and took a couple of puffs.
Old Man Yun scoffed, "That ungrateful wretch, wherever he wants to go, he can go. I don't care!"
Yun Da Man said somewhat helplessly, "Father, it's been so many years, why do you still blame Fourth Brother?"
"Why? When he became a live-in son-in-law, he didn't have me, his father, in his eyes!" Old Man Yun said indignantly.
In this regard, the eldest and second sons were more reliable, staying by their parents' side and living a peaceful life.
When they could no longer walk, they could still be cared for in their old age and sent off.
Xiao Xi Tian, nestled in her mother's arms, her big eyes sparkling, seemed to enjoy listening to gossip.
"Mmm, mmm!" she gestured with her little hands, as if urging, "Dad, please continue telling."
Gu Shi chuckled and patted Xiao Xi Tian, "Your fourth brother became a live-in son-in-law, so little Tian Bao probably won't see him in this lifetime."
The woman's family was in business, wealthy and influential.
But they couldn't withstand natural disasters and man-made calamities, coupled with years of war, so they also fled.
No, it should be called relocating, moving to another place to do business.
Xiao Xi Tian pursed her lips. She was a bit tired and wanted to sleep.
Just then, Xue Ling returned, carrying a plump rabbit.
This rabbit was not released by Xi Tian from her space; Xue Ling caught it herself.
"Oh, look, our little lucky star has brought us food again." Zhao Gui Hua smiled broadly.
Yun Xi Tian: ...
Sister-in-law, is it really okay to praise this baby so much?
At dusk, the warm sun slanted westward.
The Yun family found a flat area near the water and stopped to set up tents.
The hens and ducks laid eggs every day, sometimes one a day, sometimes two a day.
There were many grasshoppers in the fields.
When they had free time, Yun Jin Shan and Yun Jin He would catch some, chop them up, mix them with wild vegetables, and feed the chickens and ducks.
Dinner tonight was boiled sweet potatoes, served with salted duck eggs. The whole family ate their fill.
The sweet potatoes were taken out by Xiao Xi Tian from her space a few days ago.
Xue Ling could catch wild game on its own, and if it couldn't finish, it would bring the leftovers back to the family.
Night fell, the air was stuffy, and there were quite a few mosquitoes.
Xiao Xi Tian's cheek was bitten by a large bump, red and very uncomfortable.
She was about to reach out and scratch it when she suddenly saw Xue Ling jump up and bark twice at the reeds on the other side of the stream.
"Woof woof!"
Xiao Xi Tian blinked her eyes and gazed over, seeing several dark figures emerge.
The sound of frogs croaking by the stream was incessant and very noisy.
This also conveniently masked the footsteps of those people.
Xue Ling barked ferociously, tensed its body, and charged out at an extremely fast speed.
A man at the forefront darted out, holding a bamboo pole with a net bag tied to the end.
It could be used to catch fish, or grasshoppers.
As soon as Xue Ling reached the man, he suddenly pulled, and the large net bag enveloped Xue Ling tightly.
These people were clearly prepared.
Knowing that the big white dog was difficult to deal with, they decided to subdue it first.
"Quick, go get the ox!"
"Okay!"
The remaining two men waded across the stream and walked quickly towards the milk cow.