Rebirth of an Old Farmer: Escape from Famine with Children and Grandchildren

The "water ghost" took great pains to climb out of the well and collapsed on the wet ground. The rain washed away the messy hair on his face, revealing a handsome face.

She took a breath, and without delay, she got up and moved towards the outside of the county government office.

Occasionally she would encounter broken limbs on the road, but she ignored them, as if she had already gotten used to it.

After leaving the county government office, the "water ghost" instantly disappeared in the vast rain.

……

On the other side, Sun Wan had already led everyone deep into the forest...

They were carrying heavy loads of food on their backs. If they set out on the road in a swaggering manner, they would inevitably attract greedy people who would rob them of their hard-earned money.

It would be better to choose a mountain path, which would ensure safety when leaving Jizhou and returning to the official road.

As soon as they entered the forest, Sun Wan urged everyone to move forward, while she and Su Rongze and others returned and erased the wheel tracks one by one.

The stone roads inside the city were as solid as rocks and left no marks even when rain fell, but the dirt roads outside the city were different. Vehicles loaded with grain left deep tracks that had to be cleared to avoid revealing their whereabouts.

They braved the rain to clear the muddy wheel tracks and painstakingly restored the fallen grass before they could catch up with the main force.

Carrying treasures with him on this trip, he did not dare to stop for a moment and went deep into the mountains until he found a hidden cave ten miles away and was able to rest.

Everyone's clothes were soaking wet, but they couldn't hide their joy. Children played around the grain cart, their excited cries and laughter echoing one after another. Sun Wan smiled softly at this, leaning over to wring out her trouser legs, then took off her shoes and socks, wrung them out vigorously, and placed them by the campfire to dry.

Everyone followed suit, but men and women lit one pile each to prevent the men's foot odor from disturbing others.

As soon as Zhang Daniu took off his shoes, the air in the cave instantly became "rich". The women coughed continuously and "invited" him out of the cave with a smile.

Zhang Daniu blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment. Taking advantage of his physical strength, he went to the forest stream to wash himself, and only returned to the cave after confirming that there was no odor.

Smoke rose from the cave, and the village chief specially allowed us to enjoy a pure white porridge feast without any wild vegetables.

Several women quickly put rice into the boiling pot, and when the rain subsided, they hurried out to collect wild vegetables to add flavor.

Soon, everyone held a bowl of thick white porridge and tasted it with satisfaction.

The warm food warmed the spleen and stomach, and with the light of the fire in the cave, everyone unconsciously relaxed, sitting or lying together, with a sense of happiness on their faces.

"To be honest, I never had such a comfortable life in the past." Er Quezi sighed. Hearing this, Zhu Xiuqin couldn't help laughing: "That's right, you were so lazy before, you didn't even turn your head when you had a cake hanging around your neck!"

Everyone laughed at what he said. Er Quezi glared at Zhu Xiuqin in shame and anger: "Xiuqin, have I offended you?"

Zhu Xiuqin, who never suffered a loss with her words, immediately retorted: "What's wrong? What I said is not true? When you were at home, you almost wanted to saw off your legs. It was your mother who told us about the pancake herself!"

"You! You...I won't bother with you!" Erquezi couldn't argue, his face flushed, he turned around and ignored him.

The villagers around laughed kindly.

Sun Wan was immersed in this harmony, and a rare gentle smile appeared on her face.

The village chief put down his bowl of porridge and tremblingly sat down next to Sun Wan. "Madam Sun, are you really worried about Duanxu and the others?" Sun Wan's smile faded slightly. "Don't worry, Village Chief. I know my own children best."

"It won't be long before they arrive."

A hint of sarcasm flashed across Sun Wan's eyes, as if there were thousands of words hidden in that subtle flicker.

---

Time flowed backwards like a stream, returning to the moment when Su Duanxu saw the visitor at the cave entrance. He was stunned at first, then jumped up with a look of surprise on his face: "Uncle, it's you!"

This uninvited guest was Sun Sheng.

Hearing his nephew still address him affectionately, Sun Sheng felt a surge of warmth in his heart. At least in this troubled world, the family bond hadn't been completely severed. He was relieved to find that his nephew hadn't been completely influenced by Sun Wan's ways.

Sun Sheng looked around the cave. Although it was not as spacious as the one Sun Wan discovered last time, it could still be considered a safe haven.

"Duanxu, look, grandma and aunt are still outside in the wind and rain. Can we let them come in and rest for a while?"

"no problem!"

Su Duanxu readily agreed, helping Xie Yulan up from the ground to make room for them. Sun Sheng's eyes inadvertently swept across the package in Xie Yulan's arms, a smile flashing in his eyes. He then turned around and carefully led Old Lady Sun and the others into the cave.

As the crowd poured in, the already small cave suddenly became overcrowded. Xie Yulan pouted and glared at Su Duanxu in dissatisfaction, but he was completely oblivious. His attention was focused on the pale, panting Old Lady Sun, and he couldn't help but feel anxious: "Grandma, how are you feeling?"

"Oh, second grandson, it's really unfair for you to ask this... I'm already 56 years old, and I've been getting wet in the rain all the way without even a raincoat. How good do you think I can be?" Song Ping's words were a little sharp, making Su Duanxu and Su Guiying feel a little uncomfortable.

"For some reason, even my brother and I haven't been favored by our mother lately." Su Duanxu sighed softly, feeling a little depressed.

Song Ping exchanged glances with Old Lady Sun, who immediately began to groan "ouch, ouch," and her body seemed to be sagging due to discomfort.

"Grandma! Are you okay?" Su Duanxu was horrified and circled around Grandma Sun in panic.

It was not surprising that Su Duanxu reacted like this. After all, since Sun Wan's husband joined the army, she had devoted almost all her energy to the fields at home and was extremely busy. Su Rongze was often the one taking care of the children.

Su Duanxu, however, was a special case. He was bright and clever from a young age, unlike his older brother's dullness, nor the younger siblings' naiveté. His little mouth was as sweet as honey, and whenever the family was struggling, he would shamelessly go to the Sun family to beg for food. Although Old Lady Sun despised her daughter's incompetence, she doted on her second grandson, delighting her daily with his caress. Any good food in the house, save for Sun Sheng, went to Su Duanxu.

Over time, the bond between the grandparents and grandchildren became several times deeper than that between Sun Wan and her. Seeing his grandmother suffering, Su Duanxu's heart was filled with sorrow.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and Song Ping quickly comforted him: "Don't worry, second grandson, grandma is just hungry, there's nothing wrong with her body."

"Ever since your mother kicked us out, we haven't even had a sip of hot water."

"It's okay for us young people, but your grandma...how can she bear it!" Song Ping pretended to cry, which made Su Duanxu feel mixed emotions, full of shame and regret.

Suddenly, he turned to Xie Yulan and snatched the package from her arms. Xie Yulan was stunned, and the package had been taken away. Su Duanxu hurriedly took out the pancake from the package and handed it to Old Lady Sun. Although Xie Yulan was furious, she knew it was too late. After all, she couldn't lose face and snatch it back.