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

Just as everyone's mood was growing increasingly heavy, suddenly, a pale, sweaty Xiao Gou Dan came running from a distance. He practically fell in front of Sun Wan, gasping for breath and saying, "Grandma Lan Zhen, I... I can't find my second uncle and the others."

Soon after, Su Yinnan followed. Her usually clear eyes were now red, obviously trying hard to hold back tears. "Grandma, our second uncle is missing? And Uncle Zhang Kun is also missing. All the uncles in our village are missing."

As soon as he finished speaking, tears rolled down his face like beads from a broken string. The little boy quickly reached out and wiped the tears from his face.

Before Sun Wan could comfort the two children, Xiao Gou Dan interrupted, "I just asked an old lady, and she said they were all... captured by the soldiers and taken into the city. They were said to have been beaten badly..."

Although spoken softly, every word struck Sun Wan's heart hard.

Hearing this, Sun Wan was furious: This aunt is not someone you can easily mess with!

"Okay, we have to go into this Ankang City and see what it has to offer!"

These words were practically squeezed out from between her clenched teeth, and the firmness in her tone left no room for doubt.

"Goudan, Yinan, the two of you go find the small hole in the city wall. Once you find it, we can go in after dark."

Goudan responded, "Okay, Grandma Lanzhen, come with me. Usually the small holes are at the base of the east wall."

Sun Wan frowned slightly, a little puzzled: "Is there a reason for this?"

Goudan patiently explained, "Usually, children from poor families who live on the west side of the city would make it easier for them to leave the city to collect things like firewood or wild fruits. They would make a small hole in the east wall. This way, they could shorten the distance and avoid being discovered by patrols."

Sun Wan nodded thoughtfully, and couldn't help but sigh at the wisdom of these children. She followed Goudan's footsteps and walked towards the east of Ankang City.

All along the way, her ears were filled with cries and wails, and those painful sounds pierced her ears like knives.

Sun Wan tried to speed up her pace, not wanting to look at those helpless and sad people any longer, but in her heart she could only helplessly continue to move forward.

When we reached the edge of East City, there was no one around. It was empty, with only the sound of wind blowing through the dry grass.

Sun Wan looked for a relatively secluded place around and chose a piece of dry grass. There were several big trees around, but all the leaves on the trees had fallen off.

She sat down against a tree and breathed a sigh of relief. "This is fine. You two should go find the little cave."

Goudan and Yinnan happily agreed and ran away jumping.

Time passed unknowingly, and in less than half an hour, the two men ran back panting.

Goudan said breathlessly, "Grandma Lanzhen, we found a small cave and went in to take a look. There was a large yard inside, so we quickly retreated for fear of being discovered."

Yinan added, "Yes, grandma, as soon as I got in, I could smell the delicious food. I could also hear a lot of people talking in the yard in front, as if something was about to happen."

Sun Wan pondered for a moment and decided to explore the situation during the day to confirm Su Yousheng's specific location and then take action at night.

So she told the two children, "You stay here and wait for me. I'll go into the city first to take a look and find out the exact situation. Then we can start rescuing people tonight."

When Su Yinan heard this, she grabbed Sun Wan's sleeve tightly, shook her head and said, "No, grandma, we can't be separated. If you want to go to the city, we will go together."

His eyes were full of determination and uneasiness, as if he was afraid of getting lost again.

Goudan also looked at Sun Wan firmly, with the same determination revealed in his eyes.

Sun Wan thought about it and felt that what they said made sense. If they got separated again, what would happen to the two children?

She nodded, making her decision.

The three of them quickly arrived at the dog hole.

The dog hole is not big, but it is big enough for one person to pass through.

Goudan looked at the narrow cave entrance. Although he was a little scared, he still plucked up his courage and crawled in using his hands and feet.

He moved forward cautiously and finally emerged from the other end. Then he turned around gently and called out softly, "Yinan, follow me quickly. It's quite safe here."

Sun Wan followed behind. She was slightly bigger than the two children, but she still nimbly passed through the small passage and then entered the city.

This dog hole was cleverly hidden, located under the city wall, not far away from where the family lived - that was their real destination.

At this moment, the three of them had just escaped from the desolate land in the wilderness, and their bodies were covered with traces of dust and weeds.

So Sun Wan stopped first and carefully checked herself and the children's condition.

She first brushed off the most conspicuous dust and dirt on their clothes, then gently helped Su Yinan and Goudan wipe off the remaining stains on their faces, and carefully straightened their hair and tidied up their messy clothes.

She said to the two men in a serious yet caring tone, "You must dress neatly so that even if you encounter soldiers, you won't be easily captured as refugees. The situation is too chaotic right now, and any small detail could become fatal."

In order to ensure that the next journey would go more smoothly, Sun Wan took out a bunch of dry straw that she had picked earlier from the small basket she was carrying, quickly rolled it into a strong and thin rope in her hands, and handed it to Goudan to hold tightly.

Then she took out a few dry and light wooden sticks and handed them to Su Yinan to carry.

"These things may seem ordinary, but they may come in handy for us in an emergency."

She explained softly.

Then Sun Wan put the basket back on her shoulder. In addition to the items she had just processed, there were also some fresh wild vegetables in it.

So, under her guidance, the three of them began to walk along a quiet and secluded alley, passing through the winding and narrow alleys, until the view gradually became wider, and finally they arrived at the bustling city center.

The streets here are bustling and bustling, with vendors busy hawking their wares everywhere and a constant stream of pedestrians coming and going.

Shops are neatly lined up next to each other and are open for business. Various snack stalls emit tempting aromas that fill the air, and there are also stalls selling all kinds of daily necessities.

The scene inside the entire city forms a sharp contrast with the raging war outside, giving people the illusion of being in a paradise.

Witnessing this scene, Sun Wan couldn't help but sigh deeply.

My heart is filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

Although they are all citizens of this land, their fates are so different: while the villagers outside the city are still suffering from the hardships brought by the war, the people here seem to be living in another peaceful era without the invasion of gunpowder, enjoying their own quiet time.