Koi Fubao: Being loved by everyone on the road to escape from famine

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly closed the door, as if he was worried that his talkativeness would cause unnecessary trouble.

Faced with the sudden warning, all eyes turned to Xiao Zhixue, waiting for her decision.

She looked at the pot of wild vegetables that was already happily boiling, raised a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, and calmly told everyone not to pay attention to the old man's advice.

In her heart, she had already prepared to face unknown challenges. After all, she was never the kind of person who would back down when faced with difficulties.

After hearing this, the tension in the villagers' hearts gradually dissipated, and they immersed themselves in this rare rest time again.

The old man was obviously anxious about the persistence of these outsiders. He carefully opened the door again, and the eagerness in his eyes almost overflowed.

"Why don't you leave? Are you going to wait for those vicious people to come and plunder your food?"

However, before he finished his exhortation, an equally old but strong female voice came from inside the house, "Old man, how many times have I told you not to meddle in other people's business? Have you forgotten the lesson from last time?"

Then, the old woman pulled hard and the old man was dragged back into the house. The door closed heavily behind them, leaving silence.

Xiao Zhixue keenly captured the information revealed in the words of the old couple. She speculated that those people were most likely Dongchu bandits who had sneaked into Dongzhou.

The appearance of these bandits has undoubtedly cast a shadow on this land. They have no good intentions towards Dongzhou, and this small town close to the border is very likely to become one of their targets.

Judging from the dilapidated houses in the town and the difficult living conditions of the residents, the bandits might have been rampant nearby, but fortunately, the villagers did not carry much valuables and were thus spared from a greater disaster.

Xiao Zhixue had her own plan in mind. If she really encountered these villains, she would always uphold justice and never be afraid to face evil head-on, even if it meant a head-on fight with her fists.

Just as everyone was sitting around the campfire, with the wild vegetable porridge in the pot emitting tempting steam, and were about to start enjoying this rare moment of peace and satiety, there was a sudden sound of chaotic footsteps in the distance, like a sudden gust of wind, instantly tearing apart the surrounding tranquility.

Xiao Zhixue's eyes were sharp, and she immediately caught sight of a group of soldiers marching towards them. Their orderly steps carried a majesty that could not be ignored.

The leading soldier, with a stern face, stood in front of everyone and asked in a voice as strong as a rock: "Who are you? What is your purpose here?"

Their eyes lingered on the simple wild vegetable porridge, revealing obvious doubt and distrust.

Upon seeing this, the village chief stood up hastily, forced a smile on his face, and explained respectfully: "My lords, we are just a group of villagers fleeing from disaster. We passed by here and just wanted to take a short rest and fill our stomachs before continuing on our journey."

The leading soldier sneered harshly, his sharp eyes like ice as he glanced up and down at the slightly trembling figure of the village chief.

The new cotton-padded jacket the village chief was wearing, although of ordinary material, was clean and tidy, revealing a kind of decency that was incompatible with his identity as a refugee. It was obviously not something a displaced person could easily possess.

The leading soldier's eyes were filled with obvious suspicion and disdain. He exerted force suddenly, and his arm, as hard as steel, pushed directly on the village chief's chest.

The village chief staggered back a few steps and almost fell to the ground. The panic and helplessness on his face were clearly visible.

"Escape? Humph, I think you are more like spies sent by Dong Chu, trying to infiltrate our army. Come on, capture all of you, don't let any of you go!"

As the cold command sounded, the surrounding soldiers marched forward in unison like hounds receiving a signal, surrounding the panicked villagers, intending to capture them all.

Faced with this sudden change, the villagers' faces were filled with fear and despair. Some of them dropped their bowls and chopsticks to the ground with a clang, and the food was scattered all over the floor, but no one cared.

They all knelt on the ground, clasped their hands together, and begged the soldiers to show mercy, fearing that they and their families would be forcibly taken away and fall into an unknown fate.

Zhou Shuqiong and other villagers subconsciously looked for support in this chaos and panic. Their eyes were all cast on Xiao Zhixue, as if she was the only guiding light in this turmoil.

And at this critical moment, Xiao Zhixue still maintained her extraordinary calmness, with even a playful smile on her lips. Her bright eyes stared directly at the approaching soldiers without any fear.

"Since they are so rude and won't let us finish our meal in peace, why don't we go to the barracks and have a big meal of meat?"

There was an incredible calmness and defiance in her words.

"Little sister, are you really not joking?"

Xiao Tingxuan was shocked when he heard this. It was not so easy to get meat in the military camp. This was simply ridiculous.

He knew clearly that if they fell into the hands of the enemy, what awaited them would be a cold cage and endless hunger.

As parents, Zhou Shuqiong and Xiao Wei were extremely anxious. Their daughter was apparently fine a few days ago, so why did she suddenly say such unrealistic words?

Only Xiao Tingrui seemed to have an unbreakable trust in Xiao Zhixue. Since she said that he could eat meat, in Xiao Tingrui's view, nothing was impossible.

The soldiers turned a deaf ear to the villagers' pleas and ruthlessly subdued them one by one.

Fan Yanmu and his followers Ying One and Ying Two did not put up any resistance. There was a deep light flashing in their eyes, as if they were expecting to witness the true face of Gu Huairen, the real mastermind behind all this.

In this chaos, the villagers still held on to the last glimmer of hope in despair, and pleaded cautiously: "Sir, can you let us take our belongings with us so that we can have someone to take care of us on the road..."

The leading soldier named Zhang Yu glanced coldly at the daily necessities on the ground, frowned, and showed an impatient look on his face, "Be quick, don't dawdle, and don't try to take advantage of the opportunity to do anything!"

There was an authority in his words that brooked no resistance.

Under the supervision of the soldiers, the villagers hurriedly packed their simple bags, some carried them on their backs, some placed them on creaking carts, and then, under the escort of the soldiers, they were driven towards the unknown and terrifying military camp like a group of lambs to be slaughtered.

Along the way, everyone's heart seemed to be oppressed by a thick dark cloud, and the uncertainty about their future fate made them almost breathless.

However, in this depressed crowd, Xiao Zhixue and Fan Yanmu appeared unusually calm. Their eyes revealed a kind of firmness and determination, and each of them had already figured out a countermeasure in their minds.