Reborn before the famine, kicking away the scumbag's family and living a carefree life.

77. Seeking help

Qi Zhengyang went back and found a set of his own clothes and a tattered mat. He dressed his elder brother, wrapped him in the mat, and, along with his nephews and nieces, took his elder brother directly to the mountain.

Before the famine, when someone died in the village, the body would be kept at home for three days so that relatives and friends could come to pay their respects. When the funeral procession took place, everyone in the village would come to help, and the whole process was lively and bustling.

Now, people are starving to death every day. Everyone in the village is too busy taking care of themselves to do anything but bury their loved ones hastily.

There were a few cries before, but now when someone dies, it's all quiet, like the death of a dog, because people don't even have the strength to cry anymore.

Whether it's relatives, friends, neighbors, or family members, they all have a numb expression.

Qi Zhengyang had no more sorrow to leave for his elder brother, nor any more pity for his nephews and nieces.

Because he had a deep feeling that he was probably about to starve to death.

On the verge of death, he pondered the meaning of his rebirth.

In his previous life, no matter what, he wouldn't have starved to death.

Su Jinru would always find food from who-knows-where, such as some bitter wild fruits, some wild vegetables, some unknown vine branches and leaves, and later, some unknown roots and stems.

Although it was so bitter that it was hard to swallow, it was filling and kept me from starving, and I didn't die of poisoning like the others.

He and his children used to complain about how bad the food was, but when they saw people starving to death around them, they had no choice but to eat it, to survive.

Now, he doesn't even have anything this unpalatable.

Qi Zhengyang glanced at Du Mei, who was lying on the bed just like him, and felt extremely irritated.

In her past life, Su Jinru carried a basket on her back every day when she went out, and when she returned home, there would always be some harvest inside the basket.

But now, he dragged Du Mei out to find something to eat, and the two of them went for a walk but found nothing.

There's nothing there outside right now.

Even tree bark, grass roots, and tree stumps were taken home and cooked to eat.

I heard that leather shoes can be boiled and eaten.

Qi Zhengyang had a pair of leather shoes. When he was starving, he washed the shoes and cooked them to eat.

Although it tastes bad, it's still better than being hungry.

The unpalatable taste of these leather shoes reminded him of the grass roots that Su Jinru cooked for him in his previous life; compared to this, those were delicacies.

Even with such unpalatable leather shoes, they were only able to get through a few more days.

There's nothing left to eat in the house.

Qi Zhengyang has not eaten anything for four days.

He felt himself getting closer and closer to death.

He wasn't too afraid of death; he was just unwilling to accept it.

Why is it that even though he was given a second chance at life, his life is not as good as his previous one?

If he starved to death, what would Su Jinru think of him? She'd definitely laugh her head off!

Therefore, he cannot lose; he cannot lose to Su Jinru.

No matter what, by what means, he had to survive.

He thought of Su Jinru.

She was also reborn, so her family must have stored up a lot of food.

He was unlucky; his grain was confiscated.

Su Jinru, however, kept her doors tightly shut. It was said that very few people could enter her home, and even her parents rarely visited.

Even when she goes to fetch water, she makes sure to lock the door.

She told the public that as a single woman with two children, it was only right for her to be more cautious.

In Qi Zhengyang's opinion, she was probably afraid that the grain in her house would be discovered!

Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to build her own house at all; she built the house because she had a secret she was afraid others would find out.

He knew she was a reborn person. A reborn person, as long as they are mentally sound, would inevitably stock up on food beforehand.

Moreover, at this time in her previous life, Su Jinru knew the Minister of Armed Forces and asked him for help twice, receiving a bag of millet and a bag of rice, which allowed her whole family to safely get through the cold winter.

Thinking of this, Qi Zhengyang had an idea: why not ask his son for help?

Yes, Qi Zhengyang thought of asking his son for help.

He would never bow down to Su Jinru; he would rather die than bow down to her.

Qi Zhengyang lingered near Su Jinru's house, looking for an opportunity to contact his son.

Finally, he saw Su Jinru go out to fetch water.

As usual, she cautiously had her child lock the door from the inside before leaving. She even pushed the door to make sure it couldn't be opened again, then locked it from the outside.

Previously, Qi Zhengyang didn't think much of Su Jinru's overly cautious behavior; it was understandable that the two children were alone at home.

After all, children have no ability to resist and their skin is delicate, which some people see as a delicacy.

But now, Su Jinru's behavior seems to Qi Zhengyang as if she is specifically guarding against him.

At that moment, Qi Zhengyang saw Su Jinru walk away, so he rushed to Su Jinru's door and called out to his son and daughter.

“An Ran… An Xin… An Ran…”

All that could be heard was the sound of footsteps running towards them from inside the courtyard.

"An Ran, is that you?"

Anran recognized her father's voice.

“Dad, it’s me, Anran. Anxin is here too.”

"Anran, Anxin, Dad misses you."

The two children hadn't seen their father for a long time. Since the production team ran out of food, they no longer needed to go out to get meals every day, so the two children had to stay at home. Their mother wouldn't allow them to go out, saying that there were bad people outside who would eat children.

Every time Mom goes out, she not only locks the door from the outside, but also from the inside.

"We miss our dad too."

"Anran, Anxin, are you hungry?"

The two little ones looked at each other.

They had just eaten, so naturally they weren't hungry.

But their mother had taught them that no matter who asked them if they were hungry, their answer should always be yes. Because everyone outside was hungry, and if they weren't, they would be envied, plotted against, and their food would be stolen.

But now the person asking them this question is their father.

Will Dad be jealous of them? Will he steal their food?

Probably not!

Seeing that the two children remained silent, Qi Zhengyang knew that Su Jinru had probably taught them not to admit they weren't hungry.

Qi Zhengyang did not continue with this question.

He muttered to himself, "Dad is very hungry, Dad is about to starve to death, Dad wants to come and see you before he starves to death."

An Xin pouted, on the verge of tears.

"Dad, don't starve to death, I don't want Dad to die."

“But Dad hasn’t eaten for four days. A person will starve to death if they don’t eat for three to seven days. Dad feels like he’s about to die.”

Anran: "Dad, there's food at home. I'll give it to you so you don't starve."

Qi Zhengyang was delighted: "Really? There's food at home?"

An Ran: "Yes! There's food, sweet potatoes and potatoes."

"Then take a potato and a sweet potato and put them in your pocket. Don't tell your mother. When your mother comes back later, ask her to let you come out to see me, and then you can bring the things to me."