During my escape from famine, I survived by eavesdropping on the whispers of food.

"No, I didn't see anyone last night," he told Qin Shuangshuang truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuangshuang had a bad feeling and decided not to make any more food. "This incense stick didn't appear out of thin air. We didn't see anyone, which means they hid well. We can't stay here any longer. Let's leave quickly."

The commotion of looting the grain just now must have been orchestrated by people watching them. It's best to leave while they're still away.

The refugees obediently shouldered their packs and followed Qin Shuangshuang on their way. They were all on edge, afraid of encountering people who would steal their food.

They only dared to relax their vigilance when they saw no refugees or bandits by noon.

Qin Shuangshuang put down her bundle and said to them, "Eat something first, and we'll continue our journey in half an hour."

Cooking is out of the question; otherwise, the aroma would attract passersby, leaving them with nothing but dry, hard flatbread.

While they were eating their dry rations, Qin Shuangshuang wandered around the area a few more times. Just when she thought she had found nothing, a resentful voice hovered over her head.

Qin Shuangshuang looked up and saw many red fruits hanging in the air above her.

The sound originated from those red berries.

"How awful! Can't the birds flying on the road move away? We were growing perfectly well in the tree, and they just had to snatch us and eat us. Can't they go find some insects to eat on the ground?"

"Exactly, the bird is so annoying. It bit off half of my body, leaving only the other half. It's worse than killing me."

Listening to their complaints, Qin Shuangshuang stared thoughtfully at the tree trunk. After measuring it with her eyes for a while, she carefully climbed up the tree, picked a lot of fruit, put them all into her spatial storage, and then climbed down from the tree.

Over here, the refugees had all eaten their fill. Looking at the fruit Qin Shuangshuang had brought back, they were overjoyed. "These fruits are so fresh and juicy! Qin Shuangshuang, where did you pick them?"

"There were only a few fruits on the tree in front of us, and I picked them all." As long as Qin Shuangshuang saw something to eat, she would definitely bring it all back, and all the other people's plans to pick fruit were thwarted.

They took the fruit Qin Shuangshuang gave them, broke it into several pieces, and shared it with their families.

After they finished eating, they stood up, rubbing their stomachs. Just as they were about to say they would continue on their way, they saw a group of unrecognizable people running towards them.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in the group were terrified. They hid behind the strong man and pulled Qin Shuangshuang, asking, "Little girl, are they crazy?"

They're acting crazy, could it be from stealing food?

Qin Shuangshuang took two small steps forward to look, and squinted to see the wounds and blood on their bodies. She immediately became alert and said, "Everyone, be careful not to get hurt by the people coming down."

The people who ran down were wearing coarse cloth short clothes, all patched up. They were refugees just like us, running down frantically, with no food left. What else could they do but be robbed?

Thinking of the incense they had discovered that morning, Qin Shuang's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Help! Please save us!" Just as Qin Shuangshuang was trying to get away with the people, the fleeing men knelt down in front of her, grabbed her pants, and begged her for help.

Qin Shuangshuang looked at the bloodstains on her trouser legs, which he had torn off. Her legs were restrained and she couldn't move. This was no longer a cry for help, but rather forcing them to save them, which made Qin Shuangshuang somewhat unhappy.

"Tell me, what happened to you on the mountain? How do you want us to rescue you?"

When disaster strikes, Qin Shuangshuang won't show kindness indiscriminately, so if it's a difficult situation, she'll turn around and leave.

They sobbed softly, "We've encountered ruthless bandits. They've stolen all our food, and they've taken our wives away too. Can you help us rescue them?"

He was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face, but his eyes were fixed on their food; he didn't seem like someone who genuinely begged them to save people.

Qin Shuangshuang took two steps back and refused, "You said it yourself, it's ruthless bandits who rob people and food. There are so many old, weak, sick and disabled people in our team, how dare we go head-to-head with ruthless bandits? You've asked the wrong person."

Meanwhile, the thugs, having finished their robbery, returned to the place where Qin Shuangshuang and the others had rested the previous night.

"Boss, where are they? We went back to the village specifically to get the sleeping potion, but we can't find them anywhere!" the bandit leader's henchman asked anxiously.

"What are you yelling for? Do you think calling someone will bring them back? Go find them along the mountain path." The bandit leader kicked him and cursed as he led them up the mountain.

When their pleas for help were rejected, they looked at Qin Shuangshuang like she was a freak. "How can a girl be so heartless? If you're not going to help us save people, then leave your food for us."

Their ugly side was revealed. Qin Shuangshuang kicked the person who had dirtied her pants, and Lu Jun stepped forward to pull Qin Shuangshuang back.

He scrutinized the people pleading for help and said bluntly, "You are not refugees, you are ruthless bandits?"

"You little brat! You were right, now that you know we're bandits, hurry up and give us the food." Since they'd been exposed, they had no choice but to reveal their identities.

The leader said this morning that there were some big fish among the refugees who came up the mountain, and told them to keep an eye on them. They spent the whole morning watching and robbed many groups of refugees, but only managed to get some food.

They were almost convinced that their leader was wrong, until they encountered this group of people, and he saw that they had quite a lot of food in their hands.

They reached out for food, and the refugees spat at their hands, saying, "You don't have any food? But you have one worthless life, do you want it?"

During famine, they weren't afraid of being killed, but they were afraid of not having enough food.

Even if they die here today, they will not hand over the grain.

"Damn old bastards!" He looked at the food that had been spat on in his hand, disgusted and wanting to punch them to death. "Since you say it's a worthless life, then leave it here for me."

He pulled out a large machete, and the thugs behind him also drew their knives and charged at them, and a fight broke out.

After many twists and turns, the ruthless bandits who had been watching them last night also caught up with them and joined the fierce battle.

In the end, the ruthless bandits were beaten so badly they lost limbs. Qin Shuangshuang stepped forward, took out the incense she had picked up that morning, and asked, "Did you lose this? And are you a group of ruthless bandits?"

The ruthless bandit, who had been brutally beaten, turned his head away, indicating that he did not want to answer Qin Shuangshuang.

“It’s fine if you don’t speak.” She threw the incense at their feet, turned to the refugees and said, “Let’s eat something else, deal with the bandits, and then continue on our way.”

She saw it; the new bandit had brought food. She went over and opened it; the cloth bag contained a pile of flour, and next to it was a bag of rice.

After carefully putting away the two bags of food, Qin Shuangshuang smiled and took out the flour and the remaining pork, busying herself for a while.

After a long while, she finally finished preparing the food. The thugs' stomachs were whetted, and they shamelessly said...

"You took our meat patties made from wheat flour, shouldn't you share some with us too?"