Yun Jinshan looked speechlessly at his mother and silently put down his bowl.
Yun Erman glanced at a patch of dry riverbed not far ahead. "Dad, I'll go over there to see if there's any green grass to gather for the cattle."
Old Man Yun grunted, tore off a piece of chicken breast, and handed it to Madam Gu. "Have some to fill your stomach!"
She hadn't even finished her confinement month, yet she was living a life of displacement. Old Man Yun felt very bad.
"You eat too." Madam Gu broke off half the chicken and put it into Old Man Yun's hand.
Zhao Cuirong snatched a chicken leg and wolfed it down leaning against a tree root.
The eggs were cooked, and everyone got one, but it still wasn't enough to fill their stomachs.
Little Xi Tian pouted her rosy little lips and looked in the direction her second brother had left, a thought stirring in her mind.
As soon as Yun Erman reached the riverbed, he was stunned by the sight before him.
Below the riverbed, a patch of lush green tender grass was growing, rippling like waves in the breeze.
Not only that, but there were also dozens of eggplant seedlings along the edge of the tender grass.
The plump, ripe purple eggplants swayed gently, clearly ready to be eaten.
Yun Erman's face was full of shock, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak.
This riverbed had been dry for several years, and countless refugees passed by it every day.
If there had been fresh tender grass and eggplants, they would have been eaten by donkeys, horses, cattle, and mules long ago.
How could it have been their turn to pick them?
"It's Little Sweet Treasure, sister has blessed the whole family again!"
Yun Erman was so excited that he turned and ran back.
Little Xi Tian was lying on the ox cart, letting out milk burps, when she was suddenly scooped up by the rushing Yun Erman.
"Haha, little lucky star, how can your second brother dote on you!" Yun Erman kissed and shook her, his face flushed with excitement.
Little Sweet Treasure hugged her second brother's neck and giggled happily.
Madam Gu quickly snatched the child back and glared at Yun Erman. "What are you doing? Don't scare your sister!"
"Mom, we have food now."
Steamed eggplant was delicious, especially dipped in soybean paste, far better than wild vegetables.
Although it wasn't as filling as staple food, it could at least stave off hunger.
The whole family looked at each other, confused.
When Yun Erman returned with a sack of eggplants, and Jin Shan and Jin He returned carrying tender grass, the whole family instinctively looked at Little Xi Tian.
"Moo, moo..."
The big dairy cow ate the green grass and eggplant seedlings, wagging its tail as if very satisfied.
Refugees passing by stared at the Yun family from afar, feeling very resentful.
What luck did they have to pick such large eggplants?
Besides, who would plant eggplant seedlings in the wilderness!
"Erman's wife, steam the eggplants, and scoop out some of the remaining soybean paste. Let's rest here tonight!"
"Okay!" Zhao Guihua nodded.
"Erman's wife, go pick some dry firewood to help your elder sister with the fire."
Liu Cuirong heard this, pouted, and said, "I'm dizzy, I think I have heatstroke, I'll lie down for a while."
She hated tending the fire and cooking the most.
Her mother-in-law was really something, not letting her rest for a moment.
Yun Erman trembled with anger and slapped her.
With a crisp 'crack', Liu Cuirong's eyes went starry, and blood streamed from her nose.
"Lazybones, we are fleeing from disaster, not playing house. Even mother can't get you to do anything now, do you want to go to heaven?"
Yun Erman cursed angrily, clenching his fists until they creaked.
What sin had he committed in his past life to marry such a foolish woman?
Little Xi Tian blinked her bright, sparkling eyes and silently watched Liu Cuirong.
"Wuwuwu, my stomach hurts, my stomach hurts, wuwu!~"
Seeing everyone's cold gazes, Liu Cuirong decided to throw a tantrum, clutching her stomach and rolling on the ground.
"Harlot! I'll beat you to death today!" Yun Erman's anger flared, and he kicked her.
Liu Cuirong wailed at the top of her lungs, her nose and tears smearing her face, her body covered in dirt and grass clippings.
"Wuwuwu, ugh! Ugh!" She pretended to vomit, probing her throat for a long time, but nothing came out.
Yun Jinshan frowned and stepped forward to help her up. "Mother, please get up, stop this!"
Liu Cuirong flung Yun Jinshan away and spat fiercely at Yun Erman. "Pah! Beat me to death then, I'm pregnant with your daughter anyway!"
"Harlot, do you think I dare not?" Yun Erman gritted his teeth, his temples throbbing.
Old Man Yun, annoyed by the commotion, tapped Liu Cuirong's head with his pipe. "Aren't you going to get up quickly?"
Liu Cuirong blew her nose and grumbled as she got up.
Although she was unreasonable, she couldn't defy her father-in-law.
Little Xi Tian clicked her tongue in resignation and stopped looking at her.
After lunch, the family looked for a cool place to nap.
The steamed eggplants filled their stomachs, and the remaining ones would last them for several days.
In the evening, colorful clouds flew, and the sky was filled with red clouds.
The sound of horse hooves came from afar, like the clash of metal and horses, startling the refugees who gathered together, looking around vigilantly.
A moment later, more than ten burly men galloped over, followed by a blue cloth carriage.
They waved whips, wore coarse cloth and linen, and carried weapons of various lengths at their waists.
They clearly looked like mountain bandits.
Among the refugees were many young wives and children in their early years.
As long as they were captured and taken back, young wives could be sold to brothels, and children could be sold to wealthy families as maids or servants.
They could earn a lot of silver by reselling them.
The mountain bandits surrounded the refugees and began dismounting to rob them.
The Yun family had set up a tent in the distance, avoiding this crisis.
"Haha, this young lady is quite good-looking. Tie her up and take her back, she can be sold for at least two taels of silver."
The bandit leader leered with a sinister smile and reached out to grab the woman.
"Get lost, stay away from my wife!" The woman's husband, holding a carrying pole, blocked his wife behind him.
The leader was furious. "You dog, if you don't move, I'll break your dog legs!"
The man's expression was firm, and he refused to budge.
Then tragedy struck.
He was beaten by the mountain bandits until his head was bloody and his skin was torn, clearly on the verge of death.
Not only that, but the mountain bandits began to snatch the refugees' food and luggage.
Young and beautiful wives and children were all stuffed into the carriage.
For a time, the mountain road was filled with wails, both desperate and pitiful.
Seeing that most of the people had been captured, the leader mounted his horse, intending to leave.
"Boss, it looks like there are still people over there."
A subordinate pointed to the big willow tree at the foot of the mountain slope and said sinisterly.
The leader looked over and saw that there were indeed seven or eight people there.
Not only were there delicate young wives, but also two half-grown boys, who should be able to fetch a good price.
Beside the willow tree, a black and white spotted cow was grazing.
The leader gasped, "To see such a fat cow in this day and age! If it's slaughtered, it can yield at least five to six hundred catties of beef!"
Thus, the group of mountain bandits set their sights on the Yun family's wives and dairy cow.