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

His good intentions were met with ingratitude, and Chen Youjin, his face dark with anger, asked the remaining people, "What about you? Have you decided whether to stay or leave with me?"

Early in the morning, he sent his eldest and second sons to Baima Town and Yong'an County respectively.

As Zhao Yan had said, the area outside Baima Town was indeed filled with refugees from the south, and the scene outside the south gate of Yong'an County was even more terrifying.

According to the second brother who returned, the outside was piled with corpses that smelled of decay, and wild dogs and jackals were gnawing on bones everywhere.

vomit--

The second son took a peek from afar and then kept vomiting after returning home.

This shows how terrifying the scene was.

The magistrate of Yong'an County is a complete incompetent drunkard!

The rain has stopped, and the authorities need to send people to dispose of the bodies as soon as possible. If they are allowed to rot, a plague could break out at any time.

If we don't escape now, when will we?

A bunch of idiots!

“I don’t care what you think. First of all, my family is definitely leaving. Secondly, we’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”

Looking at the remaining nine households, Chen Youjin said earnestly, "Take my advice. Things are about to get chaotic outside. Everyone who can escape should do so as soon as possible."

"That's all I have to say. Go back and think it over carefully. If you've made up your minds, those who want to leave should wait at the village entrance first thing tomorrow morning. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

After saying this, he took a deep look at the villagers below, then walked away with his hands behind his back.

This dynasty does not prohibit people from moving around; as long as they have household registration documents, the government will accept them wherever they go.

Chen Youjin walked a short distance away, looking at the noisy crowd, and thought regretfully: It's a pity that he will no longer be the village head of Chenjiagou.

However, life is more important.

Escape is the right thing to do.

Yang family.

When Chen Lan heard that there was a plague in the south, she was terrified that things were going badly in Baima Town.

Muramasa led the way in fleeing the famine, and she really wanted to leave with him.

But the mother-in-law refused to leave, cursing all the way home, and was still cursing when she got home.

“I knew that guy surnamed Chen had no good intentions. What kind of situation is this now? He’s even encouraging the villagers to flee the famine! Flee? Where can they flee to? It’s easy for him to say. If they die on the road, they’ll just become lonely ghosts.”

Her gaze swept fiercely over the group, and she warned sharply, "I'm telling you, none of you are to stir up trouble. If you even think about it, I'll divorce her!"

Chen Lan looked down at her feet and suddenly had no more thoughts.

Wang Feng said ingratiatingly, "How could that be, Mother? Erlang and I will definitely not run away. It's so chaotic outside; home is the safest place."

Yang Dalang rubbed his hands together and said cautiously, "Mother, Alan and I will listen to you and won't go anywhere."

He was a dutiful son, used to accepting whatever came his way. He did whatever Yang Zhangshi said without daring to disobey her in the slightest.

"Hmph, you'd better be."

Yang Zhangshi snorted coldly and went inside.

It is night, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse.

Villagers who were unwilling to leave their homes turned off their lights and went to bed early.

Only a few houses in Chenjiagou still had a sliver of light on.

One of them is the home of Chen Youjin, the village head.

Despite Chen Youjin's lack of talent, he took over the position of village chief from his father in his early twenties and remained in that position for twenty years. His predictions about certain phenomena were quite accurate.

Based on the situation in the town and the county, he had a premonition that something bad was about to happen, and he immediately instructed his family to pack their belongings.

One of them is Liu Guifang's home.

Liu Guifang's husband, Chen Youshu, is a cousin of Chen Youjin, the village head.

When Chen Youjin's family was about to flee, Liu Guifang decided to go with them without hesitation.

There was no other reason than that Chen Youjin was educated, and she believed that what he said was true.

The other house with lights on was the home of Tian Xiu'e's family.

Tian Xiu'e's mother-in-law, Granny Mei, stood under the eaves and loudly instructed her eldest and second sons to move the bedding and clothes onto the oxcart.

Her husband, Chen Youzhong, squatted beside her, puffing on his pipe one puff after another.

The smell of smoke drifted over, and Granny Mei coughed uncomfortably a few times, looking displeased.

"Look at you, acting like this! If you don't want to leave, stay. Nobody's forcing you!"

Granny Mei was a strong-willed woman who managed both the household and the outside world.

After listening to Chen Youjin's words, she went home and thought about it for a long time before deciding to leave with Chen Youjin.

But Chen Youzhong was unwilling to leave.

All three sons have married and had children, and the grandsons are growing up year by year.

He felt he was living a good life, so why should he listen to Chen Youjin and make a mess of things?

But he lived a life of frustration, with no one listening to his opinions.

He was feeling frustrated, so smoking wasn't the only option for him.

The smell of smoke grew stronger and stronger. Granny Mei's eyes turned fierce. She stepped forward, snatched her husband's pipe, and threw it heavily to the ground.

"Smack! Smack! Smack! All you do is smack! Everyone's so busy they barely have time to breathe, can't you even lend a hand, you old codger? You're such a spoiled brat!"

At this moment, the second brother, Chen Feng, approached with a fawning smile.

“Mother, we’re leaving at dawn. Do you think we should ask my sister-in-law what she thinks? If she’s willing to leave, it’ll be good for us to take care of her.”

"What are you asking? Ask me nothing!"

The thought of Tian Xiu'e, that jinx, filled Granny Mei with rage.

If it weren't for her, the third brother wouldn't have died so young.

"Second brother, shut up. I've already kicked that jinx out of the house. She has nothing to do with our family anymore. If you dare to bring her here, you'd better wait and see."

Chen Feng's smile widened; naturally, he wouldn't grope a tiger's backside.

"Mom, I was just joking with you. Don't be angry. If you don't want to ask, then don't. We'll just leave on our own."

"Mother, I'll go and get busy."

After saying that, he disappeared in a flash.

The noise didn't gradually disappear until late at night.

In another place, although the lights were off, the people inside were still awake.

Chen Lan pushed the man beside her hard, and after waking him up, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Big Brother, do you really not want to escape?"

Yang Dalang squinted, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, but his mind was still a complete mess.

"Huh? What did you say?"

Chen Lan gritted her teeth and pinched the man's waist hard.

"Ouch—why are you pinching me?"

Now that Yang Dalang was fully awake, Chen Lan repeated what she had just said.

"I'm asking you, are you really not planning to run away?"

"I think Muramasa is right. If things get chaotic outside, we might not be able to escape unscathed here."

"Tairo, I want to leave here with Muramasa."

Yang Dalang was completely bewildered, unaware that the person beside him was planning to leave.

"Alan, how could you have such a thought? Didn't Mother say we're not leaving?"

Chen Lan asked calmly, "What are you thinking?"

Yang Dalang: "I... I will naturally listen to Mother. Alan, Mother said we can't leave, so we can't do anything disobedient or unfilial."

Chen Lan suddenly felt a wave of bitterness.

Yes.

In Yang Dalang's heart, his mother's words were like a royal decree, which he could not disobey.

But the thought of staying only deepened her unease.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that something big was about to happen.

Yang Dalang thought she had listened, so he reached out and patted her shoulder, turned over, and fell asleep again.

Chen Lan sighed, quietly got up, went next door, and stared at her two sons in the darkness.

Rumbling--

Rumbling--

Suddenly, her ears twitched, and she heard the sound of surging waves.