Before confiscating their property, they emptied the imperial city and exiled them!

They followed closely in the footsteps of the officers and soldiers, and soon arrived at a manor that looked long abandoned.

The manor, like an old man who has experienced many vicissitudes, appears dilapidated.

The once tall and sturdy wall now shows signs of collapse in several places, as if it could collapse completely at any moment;

The once majestic gate is now teetering on the brink of collapse, as if it could crumble at the slightest push.

Nevertheless, hope still shone brightly in everyone's eyes.

After all, for these people who have been displaced and weathered many hardships, this seemingly dilapidated manor will become their place to settle down and make a living again.

The soldier at the front stepped forward without hesitation and stretched out his strong arm.

He struggled to push the door, which creaked and groaned loudly due to years of disrepair.

With a dull thud, the door slowly opened, revealing a scene that left everyone deeply moved.

The yard was overgrown with weeds, which grew taller than a person and almost covered all the paths.

Looking at those houses again, some of the roofs had large holes in them, and sunlight shone straight in through them.

However, just as everyone's mood was a little heavy, someone was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a crystal clear stream flowing gently along one side of the manor.

The stream rushed merrily, its ripples reflecting a mesmerizing light in the sunlight.

This discovery brought great joy to everyone, at least the water problem was no longer a concern.

"Alright, this is where you'll be living from now on!" the officer leading the way shouted expressionlessly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he didn't even glance at the pitiful people behind him again, and turned and strode away.

A group of women and children were left standing there, staring blankly at the desolate scene before them, at a loss for what to do.

"What's the difference between this place and the wilderness?" Someone in the crowd broke the silence first, muttering to themselves with a sob in their voice.

"Yes, although there are still a few rooms inside, how can so many of us fit in?" another voice followed, filled with anxiety and helplessness.

"Look at the walls of those houses, they're about to collapse. How can anyone live in houses like that?" someone else chimed in with their complaints.

Immediately, various concerns and doubts arose one after another, and the whole scene fell into chaos.

Lin Xiaoxiao gently reached out and slowly lifted the heavy sedan curtain, curiously casting her gaze outside.

However, the sight that came into view made her eyes widen in surprise—the so-called manor in front of her was nothing but a desolate and dilapidated ruin.

Disappointment welled up in her heart, and Lin Xiaoxiao sighed softly, silently lowering the sedan curtain. Then, she turned to Eleven, who was driving the carriage, and said, "Eleven, let's stop the carriage outside first."

After the carriage came to a smooth stop, Lin Xiaoxiao lifted the curtain again and stepped down. As she entered the courtyard of the manor, a sense of desolation washed over her.

The yard was overgrown with weeds. Although the weeds were withered, their abundance suggested that the garden had probably been abandoned for a long time.

These weeds grew wildly, intertwining and piling up so densely that it was almost impossible to find a place to step.

Lin Xiaoxiao carefully avoided the weeds and walked forward with difficulty.

Some of the villagers here come from Taohua Village, while others come from Gaojia Village, whose hometown was severely damaged by the earthquake.

There were approximately two hundred women and children in total.

Interestingly, they naturally split into two camps: the villagers of Peach Blossom Village to the east and the people of Gaojia Village to the west, as if separated by an invisible Chu-Han border.

At this moment, all the men in the family remained at the city gate.

All that remained were elderly and frail people. In Peach Blossom Village, the villagers now place all their hopes on the village chief's wife.

The quick-witted and thoughtful women in the village eagerly gathered around Liu Chunlan, seemingly hoping to receive some guidance or help from her.

Over the years, Liu Chunlan has been by her husband's side and has learned some ways to handle things.

She took a deep breath and calmly said, "Sisters, don't panic. Now that we're here, we have to find a way to survive."

"Although this house is dilapidated, as long as we work together, we can definitely repair it and settle down here temporarily." Upon hearing this, the crowd gradually quieted down.

Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward and said softly, "Aunt Liu is right. I think the grass in this yard, though plentiful, is excellent for kindling."

Hearing Lin Xiaoxiao's words, many people's eyes lit up. A woman from Gaojia Village chimed in, "This young lady is right, and I see there are many stones by the stream that can be used to repair the holes in the roof."

The group began to discuss the specific plans, and the atmosphere between the two villages gradually became more lively.

Seeing this, Liu Chunlan said loudly, "Let's divide into groups first. The younger and stronger sisters will be responsible for cleaning up the clutter in the house, the stronger elderly will help move stones to repair the roof, and the children will go and pull up dry grass to pile together."

Everyone responded enthusiastically and took action.

Wang Fang, the village chief's daughter-in-law, also joined in. She led several children in weeding, telling them interesting stories as they went.

Liu Chunlan was very satisfied when she saw it. Although Wang Fang's appearance was not as pretty as Miao Cuihua's.

However, he is a down-to-earth and hardworking person who takes great care of himself.

Even after learning that Miao Cuihua was staying at home because of her pregnancy, he didn't cry or make a fuss.

After a day's work, the rooms were barely tidy enough to be habitable.

However, as night fell, the peaceful atmosphere was shattered by a sudden argument.

It turns out that there was a serious disagreement among the people regarding the allocation of the houses.

It was the dead of winter, and as night deepened, the temperature plummeted, as if it could freeze a person instantly.

The biting wind, as sharp as a knife, mercilessly swept across people's faces, making them shiver.

Everyone longs to hide in a warm, sheltered house to ward off the chill of the night.

After all, in such harsh weather conditions, having a place to shelter from the wind and cold is especially important.

Unfortunately, the number of habitable houses is extremely limited, with only a handful available.

Given the scarcity of these resources, it's clear that not all of them could possibly stay there at the same time.

Thus, a fierce debate and struggle ensued over the ownership of these few houses.