Armed with a machete and a gun, armed with a system, they fled the famine.

Not only can the whole family eat and drink with him, but they also don't have to do any work.

But is this possible?

Zhao Yunjie dared not think about it.

Zhao Yan patted her nephew's shoulder to encourage him: "Keep it up, you can do it."

Zhao Yunjie's eyes lit up, feeling confident that he could succeed again. "Yes, I will definitely work hard."

Zhao Yunchen looked down at the table, silently pondering his thoughts: His aunt must be under a lot of pressure raising their whole family on her own. What could he do for the family?

Zhao Yunqi also looked confused.

What can he do in the future?

Are we to work from sunrise to sunset like those big men in the village?

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that this is the only way out at present.

With a smile in her eyes, Zhao Yan looked at the boy opposite her and gently tapped the wooden table.

"Yun Chen, Yun Qi, what about you two? What do you want to do?"

“Aunt, I… I don’t know what I can do, but if my brother wants to study and take the imperial examinations, I will do my best to support him.”

Zhao Yunqi glanced at his elder brother beside him, then quickly lowered his eyes again.

The eldest brother was the smartest among them and also loved reading the most.

If it weren't for Great-Grandma's favoritism, my eldest brother's achievements wouldn't be lower than the village chief's eldest grandson.

"Yun Chen, what about you? Do you want to continue your studies?"

Zhao Yan asked calmly.

The idea of ​​urging her nephew to study and take the imperial examinations was decided by Zhao Yan after she heard that her eldest nephew had studied for two years.

She could tell that Yun Chen loved reading, but he just didn't have the opportunity because of his family background.

If he wants to continue, his aunt will definitely do everything she can to support his studies.

For people in this era, having a nephew who is an official in the family not only makes them look good, but also makes many things much easier.

However, studying is not something that can be accomplished overnight; it requires hard work. I wonder if Yunchen can persevere.

Zhao Yunchen moved his fingers almost imperceptibly, and after a long silence, he slowly shook his head.

"Auntie, I don't want to study."

Reading means spending money.

The monthly tuition fee is a burden, and there are also miscellaneous expenses such as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, which also require a lot of money.

His aunt had already worked so hard to raise them, and he couldn't selfishly agree to do what he wanted.

Zhao Yan was slightly surprised, but quickly understood.

"Yun Chen, are you worried about money?"

Before Zhao Yunchen could answer, she continued, "You don't need to worry about the money. Your aunt is naturally strong and always has a good catch when she goes hunting in the mountains. Even though I've only been awake for less than a month, I've already saved up quite a bit of money. It won't be a problem to support you until your exams."

"If possible, your aunt hopes you will all go to school..."

"No."

"I do not want."

"No."

Three urgent voices suddenly interrupted Zhao Yan's unfinished words.

Zhao Yunchen's eyes were red-rimmed, his large eyes staring straight at the person opposite him, his voice slightly choked with emotion.

"Auntie, please stop talking. I... I don't want to study anymore. Once my leg heals, I'll go to town to work."

His aunt spoke lightly, but he knew that the mountain was not safe; there were large insects in there.

He had thought it through. Although he was only twelve years old, he was tall and he could find odd jobs in town.

Thinking of the dangers on Yulin Mountain, he advised, "Aunt, once I've made some money, we'll buy a few acres of fertile land in the village. With us here, we'll make sure you and Xiaomi don't go hungry."

"What if we encounter another year of famine?"

Zhao Yan met his gaze calmly, intending to press him for an answer: "These past two years have been marked by drought, but what if we encounter natural disasters such as earthquakes, torrential rains, floods, or plagues?"

"By then, it's uncertain whether crops will even grow in the fields. If there's no harvest and people have nothing to eat, the world will descend into chaos. Even if you want to go to town to work, you'll have to be lucky enough to do so."

Speaking of this, she suddenly became worried.

I heard about the floods in the south when I was in town, but I don't know how it is now. Has the government allocated funds for disaster relief?

In this era without mobile phone communication, Zhao Yan couldn't get timely news from the outside world. Although she was anxious, there was nothing she could do.

She became even more determined to send her three nephews to school.

Studying leads to success!

You must study and take the imperial examinations!

Only by getting close to those in power can she obtain useful information immediately.

Otherwise, being completely in the dark like this, she couldn't help but feel anxious.

"aunt……"

Zhao Yunchen couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Alright, don't cry," Zhao Yan patted her eldest nephew's shoulder and said in a deep but firm voice, "Study, all three of you must go to school."

"Your aunt doesn't expect you to do anything in particular, but it's never a bad thing to study more. Once your leg is healed, your aunt will send you to school."

Zhao Yunchen wiped away his tears and nodded heavily.

"Yes, I will definitely live up to my aunt's expectations."

Zhao Yunjie and Zhao Yunqi also expressed that they would "definitely study hard with the teacher and never slack off."

After the important matters were discussed and decided, Zhao Xiaomi woke up from her afternoon nap.

Zhao Yan didn't go anywhere in the afternoon; she spent the whole afternoon playing with the children in the yard.

……

midnight.

The night was dark and the wind was strong; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Zhao Yan was awakened by the urge to urinate. She pushed her daughter to the inside of the bed, and despite her exhaustion, she got up and groped her way to the outhouse at the back of the yard.

I had only taken a couple of steps when I suddenly felt the world spinning around me.

not good!

It's an earthquake!

Zhao Yan rushed to the bedside and wrapped her sleeping daughter, blanket and all, in her arms.

As he rushed outside, he shouted, "Yun Chen, Yun Jie, Yun Qi! Get up! There's an earthquake! Don't take anything, run out of the house right now!"

The three Zhao brothers slept in a room on the other side of the main hall.

Zhao Yunchen was the first to wake up. As soon as he heard his aunt say there had been an earthquake, he quickly woke up his two brothers beside him. Without caring whether they were awake or not, he grabbed their clothes and pulled them into the yard.

Zhao Yunchen found Zhao Yan and her daughter in the middle of the courtyard and rushed over with his two sons.

"Auntie! There really was an earthquake!"

He felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his face turned pale.

"Auntie, the earthquake you mentioned yesterday, it really happened today! Could it be...?"

"impossible!"

Zhao Yan quickly interrupted him.

How can it be?

She was just giving an example yesterday; how could natural disasters possibly occur one after another?

If that were the case, wouldn't it be like the end of the world?

Zhao Yan couldn't help but shudder at the thought.

"Don't worry, the earthquake has stopped, but just in case there are aftershocks, let's stay in the yard and not move."

Zhao Yunjie and Zhao Yunqi had fully regained their senses and nodded blankly upon hearing this.

A small head peeked out from under the covers. Zhao Xiaomi asked in surprise, "Mom, why am I in the yard? Why am I not sleeping in bed?"

Zhao Yan wrapped her daughter up tightly in the blanket and patiently coaxed her, "Xiaomi, be good. We'll go back to sleep when it's okay."

Not yet.