HCB Chapter 237 Refugees
Chapter 237 Refugees
A woman bent over, expertly using a hoe to loosen the soil, muttering to herself, "This land must be prepared so that the sweet potatoes can grow well."
Taohua and Shiliu also worked tirelessly with the two teams.
On Taohua's side, she carefully demonstrated to the women how to correctly bury the sweet potato seedlings. "The pit cannot be too deep or too shallow, it has to be just right." As she spoke, she personally did it for everyone to see.
From time to time, you can hear the women communicating with each other, sharing their planting experiences and techniques.
"You've planted them too densely here. You need to spread them out more evenly."
"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I'll change it right away."
Over at the pomegranate plantation, she weaved among the crowd, constantly reminding everyone, "Everyone, be careful, move slowly, and don't damage the roots. Digging angelica is a delicate job."
Her voice was clear and loud. Her mother had said that the good life nowadays was not easy to come by. The greater the ability, the greater the responsibility. She had to protect the family business that her mother had worked hard for, so that her sisters could have a good life.
……
The team escorting the sweet potatoes was moving slowly along the winding road when suddenly a group of ragged refugees appeared in front of them. Their faces were haggard, their bodies were thin, and their eyes revealed endless fatigue and despair.
The team slowly stopped, and everyone's eyes were focused on this group of poor refugees. Chen Yonggui frowned, and a trace of pity appeared in his eyes.
Seeing the pitiful appearance of the women and children, Chen Yonggui's heart softened. He turned to his men and said, "Go, get some of the steamed buns we brought."
Soon, his men brought out a basket of steamed buns, and Chen Yonggui personally stepped forward and handed the buns to the refugees one by one.
"Take it and fill your stomach first." Mr. Chen's voice was gentle and caring.
The refugees took the steamed buns with trembling hands, their eyes filled with tears of gratitude, and they kept saying, "Thank you, Master, thank you, Master..."
The children wolfed down the steamed buns while the women wiped away their tears silently.
The men of Futian Village were filled with emotion when they saw this heartbreaking scene. Their eyes were solemn, their expressions were complicated, and their hearts were filled with thoughts.
One man couldn't help but sigh and said, "Back then, I was lucky I listened to Xiuying and defended our land instead of fleeing the famine."
His eyes were filled with relief and gratitude, and he still felt a lingering fear when he recalled his original decision.
Another man took up the conversation, his voice trembling slightly: "Yes, if we had left our homes like them, we would probably be starving and freezing in some corner of the world now."
"That's right, otherwise we would have become such pitiful refugees in the eyes of others, and we wouldn't have the good life we have now." Another man sighed, his face full of cherishment for his current life.
After distributing the steamed buns, Chen Yonggui instructed his men to point out a place where the refugees could temporarily stay, and then he led the team to move forward.
Everyone unconsciously quickened their pace, hoping to reach Chenjiazhuang as quickly as possible. Everyone's face was filled with anxiety, and their steps became faster and faster.
An older man said worriedly, "It's okay if we meet refugees on the road, we will help them if we can, but if we meet bandits, then..." His voice stopped abruptly, his eyes filled with fear and worry.
"Yes, those bandits are cruel and ruthless. If we encounter them, we may not be able to protect our cart of sweet potatoes, and we may even lose our lives!" Another man echoed, with cold sweat on his forehead.
"Don't scare yourselves! There are so many of us, and we have weapons. What are we afraid of?" a young and energetic man shouted, trying to give himself and everyone else courage. But his hand, which was tightly gripping the spear, was shaking slightly.
Everyone was silent, but they quickened their pace, wishing they could fly to Chenjiazhuang immediately.
The wind was blowing, raising clouds of dust. Everyone felt heavy in their hearts and prayed that they would not encounter bandits.
At the end of the procession, a slowly advancing cart held two baskets of pork-filled scallion pancakes, meticulously wrapped in brown paper. The aroma of the pancakes filled the air, making one's mouth water. Next to them were two large baskets of plump, white steamed buns, emitting the aroma of wheat, and a large basket of fresh, tender, green cucumbers.
This cart of rich food was everyone's dry food for the journey. Guangzongyaozu walked listlessly at the end of the team, their hands casually placed on the cart, and they moved forward with the team weakly.
The cart was pulled by a sturdy man from the village named Daniu. Daniu was tall and muscular, with a steady and powerful gait. Sweat beads oozed from his forehead as he pulled the cart, but he still maintained a brisk pace.
When Guangzong and Yaozu went out in the morning, they only hurriedly ate a mouthful of black flour porridge. Tian Guilan thought that the two of them would have food if they followed the team, and the porridge was made with clear soup, so the two sons only ate half full.
After running with the team for so long, Guangzong and Yaozu were already starving. They clutched their stomachs, their faces pale, and their steps became unsteady.
They could no longer bear it and began to shout loudly: "Oh, I'm starving, I'm starving!" Their voices were full of grievances and dissatisfaction, and were particularly harsh in the team.
Li Gang heard the two people shouting in a car in front, frowned, turned around and said loudly: "Why are you shouting! Be patient, it's not time to rest yet!" Li Gang's tone was stern, and there was a hint of impatience on his face.
He knew that the two were going to cause trouble on the road, so his father specifically told him to keep an eye on Guangzong and Yaozu before he left.
When Guangzong and Yaozu heard Li Gang's scolding, they not only did not calm down, but shouted even louder: "We really can't stand it anymore, we are too hungry to walk!" They stopped and stood there as if they were playing tricks and refused to move.
Li Gang sighed helplessly and said, "You two guys, all you do is eat! Hang on a little longer and wait until we get to a suitable place to eat."
Although he said this, he knew in his heart that given Tian Gui's nature of taking advantage, he must have not fed the child enough before leaving.
Guangzong and Yaozu refused to buy it and continued to cry: "No, no, we want to eat now, we want to eat now!" Their voices were filled with tears, attracting the attention of people around them.
When Mr. Chen heard the noise coming from behind, he frowned slightly, then waved his hand and said loudly: "Stop, stop, let the team stop for lunch!" His voice was loud and majestic, and quickly spread among the team.