Transmigrated into a seven-year-old child, my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

Li Gang hesitated for a moment, then walked up to Yan Guihua, nervously rubbing his hands: "Aunt Yan, my wife and I still want to travel with you. Is that alright?"

Li Gang's thinking was partly selfish; after all, he was taking care of his pregnant wife alone, and he wouldn't feel at ease leaving her alone if he went out to find food or something.

But it would be different if he followed Zhao Lian and the others; at least they would have someone to look after them, and he could also see that the Liu family members were kind-hearted.

Sun Shangxiang and Liu Jinzhu exchanged a glance. Li Gang had his own agenda, but they also had their own plans.

Since everyone was fleeing famine and didn't know each other, and Chen Min was pregnant and traveling slowly, if they were given a ride, they would have to take care of them if something happened on the way.

Knowing her mother-in-law was soft-hearted and afraid she would agree, Sun Shangxiang couldn't help but speak up: "Li Gang, we can travel faster. Your wife is pregnant and can't keep up with us. Why don't we each go our own way?"

Yan Guihua and Liu Laogen exchanged a glance. They had originally wanted to agree, but after hearing what their eldest daughter-in-law said, they didn't dare to say anything.

Things are different now than when I was at home. If anything happens to my husband and me, we have to rely on our sons. Besides, everyone is fleeing famine now, and it's already a miracle if we can take care of ourselves. How can we think about anything else?

Thinking of this, Yan Guihua looked embarrassed: "Li Gang, I'm getting old, and my husband and I don't really care about things anymore."

Although Yan Guihua did not explicitly refuse, the meaning behind her words was quite clear, and even the slow-witted Li Gang understood it.

He wanted to say something more, but Chen Min tugged at his sleeve and shook her head.

We were just strangers who met by chance, so why should I ask someone to give me a ride? Besides, I'm so sickly, they'll have to take care of me.

Zhao Lian turned her head away. She didn't want to say anything. After all, they were fleeing famine, and they might encounter too many things along the way. She couldn't be a pushover, so it was necessary to refuse appropriately.

Now, besides a water gourd hanging from their waist and a bundle on their back containing a few sets of clothes, everyone has basically nothing else. They also have a small amount of food left, which will probably only last for a few more meals.

After quickly packing their things, everyone set off.

They chose to stay overnight in a flat, ordinary spot on a hillside, which was some distance from the road.

From yesterday until now, waves of people have passed by below, and soon the group merged into the crowd.

As they came down the mountain, many people stared intently at them.

A gaunt middle-aged man stared thoughtfully at the water hyacinths at their waists.

The man walked up to Liu Tongzhu and said in a hoarse voice, "Brother, do you have any water? Could you give me a drink?"

Liu Tongzhu covered his nose and frowned. This man's breath smelled strongly of urine! It smelled exactly like a chamber pot that had been left to dry in the sun.

It's probably because this man hasn't showered in a long time that he smells like that.

Thinking of this, Liu Tongzhu chuckled self-deprecatingly. Not to mention others, he himself didn't know how long it had been since he had taken a bath, and he might even have that smell on him, but he just couldn't smell it.

"No!" Fearing that her honest husband wouldn't know how to lie, Jiang Si immediately refused.

"Hehe~" The man was clearly not convinced. The woman had picked up the conversation so quickly before the man in front of him had even spoken, which was obviously a cover-up.

Moreover, the water hyacinths they carried looked heavy, so they must have been filled with water.

The man glanced at Liu Tongzhu, then at Jiang Si, and noticed that their lips were not chapped at all, indicating that they had drunk water.

Looking around at the people who moved slowly and seemed listless, they were quite different from the energetic ones.

Therefore, he was certain that they had eaten something. The man didn't say anything more and followed them at a leisurely pace.

After a hearty breakfast, everyone felt incredibly energetic.

Liu Laogen and Yan Guihua walked quite quickly with the help of simple wooden canes. After eating and resting for a night, the old couple looked much more energetic.

Even the two little kids, Liu Yao and Liu Yan, stopped causing trouble, and everyone focused on their journey.

We walked for who knows how long, but the sun started to get stronger and stronger, making everyone's heads buzz and their clothes soaked with sweat, so everyone's pace slowed down.

"Mom, I'm tired," Liu Yao said, starting to complain.

"Come on! Let Daddy carry you!" Liu Tongzhu walked up to Liu Yao and squatted down.

Zhao Lian glanced at Yan Guihua and Liu Laogen, noticing their exhausted expressions, and couldn't help but say, "Third Uncle, everyone is tired too. Besides, Grandma and Grandpa are getting old. Even if we're not tired, they are. Let's all sit down and rest for a while."

Liu Jinzhu nodded: "Zhaolian is right. Even if we are not tired, our parents are. Let's all rest for a while."

Liu Tongzhu said, "Alright! There's no rush, let's take a break."

Everyone found a shady spot and sat down.

"Ah~"

Yan Guihua sighed, patting her leg with one hand, and said helplessly, "Your parents are old and useless now, they've become a burden to you, holding you back."

Liu Tongzhu chimed in, "Mother, what are you saying! Without the elderly, there are no children! They say that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. How could you be a burden? As long as you two are healthy, that is our blessing."

Zheng Xiuzhen said, "Mother, Third Uncle is right. We are too busy being filial to you to think of you as a burden!"

Sun Shangxiang untied the water gourd from her waist and handed it to Yan Guihua: "Father and Mother, you two don't need to think so much. It's a blessing that our family can be together in peace. Here, have some water first!"

Yan Guihua was relieved to find that her son and daughter-in-law were so filial after she had just casually mentioned it.

Liu Laogen reached out to take the water hyacinth, but suddenly a figure flashed before his eyes and a hand quickly snatched the water hyacinth away.

This happened so fast that no one knew what was going on.

When Liu Laogen finally realized what had happened, he discovered that the man who had asked Tongzhu for water earlier had stolen the water gourd.

The man grabbed the water gourd, ran a few meters quickly, then pulled out the cork, tilted his head back, poured the water into his mouth, and gulped it down.

Because it was poured too quickly, some water spilled outside.

"Brother, give me some water!" At this moment, two more men ran over from not far away, trying to snatch the water gourd from the man's hand. The man dodged left and right, and managed to drink a few more mouthfuls.

"Give me back my water right now!" Liu Laogen was so anxious that he tried to stand up.

Zhao Lian realized what was happening and swiftly stepped forward, snatching the water gourd from the man's hand.