As the saying goes, one never forgets their homeland after laying down their arms.
Who would willingly leave their hometown and live a life of displacement unless absolutely necessary?
But where else could they go besides Feiyan Village?
"Do you still remember your second uncle?" Old Man Yun asked.
Yun Erman thought for a moment, and he had a slight impression.
"Your second uncle separated from the family and lived on his own early on. Although contact has been infrequent over the years, letters have never stopped. We can go and seek refuge with him!"
Yun Erman let out an "Oh."
Since his father had made the decision, he had no objections.
At dinner, Old Man Yun shared his thoughts.
Everyone in the family, except for Liu Cuirong, expressed their agreement.
Even Little Sweet Treasure, with her innocent and pure smile, opened her small mouth.
Her bright, sparkling eyes curved like two little crescent moons.
"I'm pregnant, I can't walk too far!"
Liu Cuirong clutched her belly, her eyes rolling almost to the heavens.
Madam Gu frowned, "No one is asking you to walk. Tomorrow, your father and Daman will prepare an ox cart to take the whole family."
Besides, you weren't exactly diligent even before you got pregnant.
You spent your days lying on the kang, eating when you were hungry and sleeping when you were tired, never lifting a finger to help the family, had you?
Little Xi Tian turned her big eyes. To escape the famine, they needed to prepare some food.
Otherwise, the family would starve before they even found a place to settle.
She closed her eyes and her consciousness returned to the agricultural base.
Then, with a "swish," the window lattice seemed to be hit by something, startling the entire family.
"Cluck cluck cluck!"
"Quack quack quack!"
Cackling sounds came from the yard.
"Quick, go out and see!" Old Man Yun was the first to react, dropping his pipe and rushing out.
Madam Gu followed, carrying Little Xi Tian.
They saw more than ten hens and ducks had entered the small courtyard, all of them plump and fat.
Yun Jinhe ran to the corner and picked up a handful of eggs, "Grandpa, Grandma, the chickens are laying eggs, haha!"
"Look, there are duck eggs here too!" Yun Jinshan shouted.
Liu Cuirong's eyes lit up, and her legs immediately became agile, "Oh, we have duck eggs to eat."
She grabbed a basket and rushed over, scaring the chickens and ducks into flapping their wings and flying in all directions.
Little Xi Tian turned her head away helplessly, pouting her small lips, too lazy to look at her.
One day later, the Yun family left Feiyan Village, driving an ox cart.
They were fleeing the famine.
Outside Feiyan Village lay an endless expanse of wilderness and loess hills.
Gazing into the distance, it was bleak and desolate, with dry sand everywhere.
Madam Gu sat on the ox cart holding Little Xi Tian, with chicken cages and duck cages beside her, from which came occasional clucking sounds.
Yesterday, Yun Daman had slaughtered four chickens and two ducks.
Zhao Guihua had made them into smoked and roasted chicken for the family's rations.
Now, there were still two hens and two ducks left in the cages, to lay eggs.
"Grandpa, when will we reach Uncle Grandpa's house?" Yun Jinhe wiped a bead of sweat and asked, looking up.
Old Man Yun held his pipe and walked slowly beside the ox cart.
At present, apart from Madam Gu, Little Sweet Treasure, and the pregnant Liu Cuirong, who were eligible to ride the ox cart, everyone else had to walk.
The ox cart was piled high with luggage, leaving no room to sit.
Old Man Yun glanced at Yun Jinhe and sighed faintly, "Your uncle's house is far away in Dashui Village in the northern frontier. We still have a long way to go."
Jinhe asked curiously, "How long will that take?"
Old Man Yun took a puff of his pipe and patted the large cow, "At this pace, it will take at least one to two months."
"Ah? So long?" Yun Jinhe was somewhat despairing.
Yun Daman, upon hearing this, tapped the back of his son's head, "What's wrong? Do you think it's too far?"
"I'm just afraid my sister will suffer," Yun Jinhe said aggrievedly.
Little Xi Tian snuggled in her mother's arms, sucking her fingers, her moist, big eyes darting around, thinking about something.
Madam Gu bounced her daughter and gently kissed her, her eyes full of love and gratitude.
She knew that those hens and ducks were treasures her daughter had conjured, and even the large cow pulling the cart owed its existence to her daughter's efforts.
To put it bluntly, without these things to help, the family wouldn't even have the means to flee the famine.
"Wuwu, wah, wah!~" Little Xi Tian suddenly burst into tears.
Yun Daman quickly pulled the reins, stopping the ox cart.
"What's wrong, little sister?" Yun Daman asked.
Madam Gu chuckled with a hint of exasperation, "Little Sweet Treasure peed!"
The baby blushed, turning her head away.
So embarrassing!
The further north they went, the drier the air became.
Along the road, they saw groups of refugees, all dusty and disheveled, looking extremely miserable.
Some pushed handcarts, some carried shoulder poles, some led donkey carts, all hurrying northwards.
These refugees came from the surrounding small villages.
The reason they were heading north was that the capital of the Liang Kingdom was in the northern frontier, a place free from war and prosperous.
On the third day, at noon.
The scorching sun made the family listless.
Their throats felt like they were on fire, dry and parched.
"Let's rest ahead!" Old Man Yun pointed forward.
A large willow tree stood there, with shade beneath it.
The ox cart rumbled over the uneven mountain path, making the pots and pans on the cart clang.
Liu Cuirong had done nothing for the past two days, feigning sleep on the cart.
Now that it was lunchtime, she suddenly sat up and looked at the cloth bundle beside Madam Gu, her eyes gleaming.
The bundle contained smoked and roasted chicken, emitting a rich aroma of meat.
"Oh, these days, my small body is about to fall apart from the jolting."
Liu Cuirong stretched, licking her lips, "Mother, quickly take out the chicken and duck meat to share. Your daughter-in-law's belly still carries your granddaughter."
Madam Gu looked disgusted, "You didn't show your face when there was work to be done, but you're more eager than anyone when it comes to eating."
With that, she handed Little Xi Tian to Old Man Yun and casually picked up the cloth bundle, "Daman's wife, tear the chicken meat and distribute it to everyone, and boil some water to cook a few eggs."
The duck eggs were mainly for pickling.
"Understood, Mother." Zhao Guihua took the cloth bundle, set up the large pot, and gathered firewood to boil water.
"Erman, unload the ox cart and let the cow rest too."
"Alright!"
Little Xi Tian, after two days of bumping around, was also quite hungry.
Old Man Yun took a bowl of fresh milk and slowly fed it to her.
"Wow, little aunt looks so lovely, like a big porcelain doll."
Yun Jinshan propped his chin with his hands, watching Little Xi Tian drink milk, and couldn't help but rub her little head.
"Mmm, mmm!" Little Xi Tian pushed the half-finished bowl of milk towards her nephew.
Yun Jinshan was flattered and excited, "Grandpa, look, little aunt likes me."
"Your aunt is giving it to you, so drink it!" Old Man Yun said with satisfaction.
This scene was witnessed by Liu Cuirong, who complained with great dissatisfaction, "This wolf cub, even the mother hasn't had milk, and you're slurping it up."
Truly ungrateful, raising you for nothing.