Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

The days pass quietly, the coldness of winter gradually fades away, and warmth slowly seeps into every inch of the air like a gurgling stream.

The road outside the city, which carries everyone's hopes, has been repaired for the most part thanks to the people's day-to-day efforts. The flat and solid road surface continues to extend forward, like a giant dragon about to take off.

On this day, the warm sun was high in the sky. Cheng Yuntao, as usual, organized everyone in an orderly manner and cooked lunch for the people who were building the road outside the city.

At this moment, something unexpected happened. A group of bandits, about ten people, suddenly rushed down from the distant mountain.

Although they are called bandits, their appearance does not really make people feel afraid.

The leading bandit was hunched over, his face gaunt and rough, covered in cracks. His eyes, sunken in their sockets, were dull and lifeless. His hands were skinny, his knuckles protruding, and veins visible beneath the withered skin. His arms trembled constantly from excessive weakness, and the axe twitched in his hands, threatening to drop at any moment.

He was mumbling something incoherently, his voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of forced ferocity, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was just a disguise as he was struggling to survive in desperation.

The prolonged cold disaster consumed the food stored by the bandits. In addition, the mountain roads became bumpy and muddy due to the severe cold, ice, wind and snow erosion. Many sections of the road even collapsed and were blocked, leaving almost no pedestrians.

Having lost their means of obtaining food through robbery, the bandits could only hide in the villages on the mountain and struggle to make a living. Their hope of survival became increasingly slim as time passed.

When they were filled with despair and felt that they could only wait for death in this cold and lonely mountain, a sharp-eyed bandit happened to see a figure swaying on the winding road below the mountain. The strong instinct of survival drove these starving bandits to rush down the mountain desperately, wanting to give it their all.

These bandits had thought that in this year of famine, they would encounter ordinary people like themselves, weakened and dying from hunger, and that robbing them would be easy. However, when they rushed closer, panting, and saw the crowd in front of them, everyone was stunned.

All of these people looked healthy and energetic, which formed a sharp contrast with their hungry and miserable appearance.

The bandits stood there, a little at a loss for a moment, looking at each other, their eyes full of panic.

To maintain order, the leading bandit had no choice but to bite the bullet and, in a hoarse, dry voice, recite the old robbery jargon: "I built this road and planted these trees. If you want to pass this way, you have to pay for your passage! Hand over all the food you brought with you, or don't blame us for being rude!"

His voice was trembling, and he was obviously lacking in confidence, but he was pretending to be fierce.

When the people heard this, they were briefly shocked, then looked disdainful. A few young men frowned slightly, clenched their fists, and looked as if they were ready to resist at any time.

"Robbery? Just the few of you? I'm afraid one punch from me would break all your bones!"

Faced with the hostile gazes of the people, the bandits panicked.

The leading bandit originally tried to intimidate everyone with his fierce eyes, but as the people looked back at him fearlessly, his confidence gradually dissipated and his eyes began to flicker and wander.

A small, timid younger brother behind him saw this and quickly leaned over to his ear. He lowered his voice to a very low level and urgently advised, "Brother, something's wrong. We've made a mistake. These people are not to be trifled with. Why don't we... retreat quickly? Don't risk your life here."

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at the people, afraid of being discovered.

Another younger brother also whispered in agreement, his voice trembling: "Yes, big brother, we are in such a bad condition now. If we really fight, we will definitely suffer. A good man never suffers a loss in front of him. It is better to retreat first."

The bandit leader listened to the advice of his younger brothers, gritted his teeth, and felt unwilling in his heart. However, he knew that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to them, and he was caught in a dilemma.

Seeing this, Cheng Yuntao walked steadily towards the bandits. Seeing this, the people respectfully stepped aside to make way for her.

Seeing that it was a woman walking towards them, the leading bandit leader was a little surprised, but in order to maintain his "dignity", he deliberately raised his voice a little higher and said viciously: "We have no other choice. If you don't give us food, we will die today!"

Cheng Yuntao looked calm as she took out a freshly baked meat bun from the basket beside her and handed it to the bandit leader.

The steaming hot meat buns exuded an enticing aroma, instantly arousing the bandits' appetite.

The bandit leader was a little bewildered, with a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. However, the hunger in his stomach made him ignore everything else. He reached out to take the meat bun and devoured it ravenously. While eating, he muttered incoherently: "Hmph, don't think you can get rid of me with a meat bun!"

Cheng Yuntao smiled slightly and said softly, "If you want to have enough food to eat, why not become a good person and join us to help build the road? During this period, we will provide you with food and accommodation. Once the road is built, we can also help you find a decent job."

When the bandit leader heard this, he was stunned. He never thought that in such a desperate situation, there would be someone willing to accept them and give them hope of survival.

He couldn't believe it and asked again, "Are you serious? Do you want us to sign a contract to sell ourselves?"

The bandit leader's eyes were filled with vigilance, and his voice unconsciously rose a few notes. "Let me be clear, my brothers and I were once servants in wealthy families. We were exploited and abused all day long, and we ran away to the mountains to become bandits because we couldn't stand it anymore. If we were to be ordered around by others again, we would rather starve to death!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the bandits behind him echoed him. They knew very well what it felt like to be enslaved. Even though they were now facing a desperate situation, they were unwilling to give up their freedom easily and fall into such a dark life again.

Cheng Yuntao looked calm and sincere as he spoke, "You don't have to sign a contract to sell yourself, but let me be frank. If you try to be cunning and don't work hard, you will still be kicked out."

When the bandit leader heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he couldn't wait to respond: "Okay! I do!"

He straightened his back slightly and continued, "Although we are bandits now, we have never truly harmed innocent lives. We have only robbed the property of the rich and unkind. If we were not forced into a desperate situation now, we would not think of attacking the common people and asking for a bite of food."

"If you are willing to give us this opportunity, we will definitely turn over a new leaf and be good people in the future!" As he spoke, he turned to look at his brothers behind him, and the bandits nodded one after another.