Outside the shelter, Yicheng and Ercheng heard the familiar sounds and wisely stopped in their tracks.
Ercheng asked, “Big Brother, Uncle and Auntie are working too. Can we go in?”
Before, their parents often made similar noises in their room.
Their parents said they were “working,” the kind that was very tiring, and wouldn’t let them watch.
But something still felt strange—usually it was their mother making those sounds.
Now that Uncle and Auntie were working together, it was Uncle making the noises!
Ercheng stroked his nonexistent beard like their grandfather and said in a mature tone, “This kind of work must be really hard. Even someone as strong as Uncle is exhausted like this.”
Yicheng, already thirteen, understood a bit more than Ercheng.
He quickly grabbed Ercheng and ran away.
But this silly kid went straight to Liu Father and Liu Mother and vividly described everything he had just heard.
After hearing his description, the old couple immediately understood.
The young couple had a good relationship and were quite… adventurous. Naturally, they were happy about it.
Liu Father warned, “Ahem, Ercheng, don’t sneak over to listen again. If your uncle finds out, your backside won’t survive.”
Ercheng covered his little butt and shook his head repeatedly.
He still wanted to keep it intact.
Not listening didn’t mean he couldn’t spread the story.
Thanks to Ercheng’s big mouth, all three brothers and their wives soon learned that Liu Ji’an and Shen Qingge were “doing hard work.”
After Liu Ji’an came out of the shelter, his brothers pulled him aside and quietly advised him to take care of himself.
“Fifth Brother, you’re still injured.”
“Yeah, you should… take it easy.”
“Wait until we settle down before you two get close. Right now, you should hold back. It’s not good for the kids to hear.”
Liu Ji’an was speechless. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
That night, Ercheng’s plump little backside did not escape punishment.
His cries echoed throughout the village.
The next day, when Shen Qingge made Liu Ji’an sit on the cart to guard the luggage, the truth finally came out.
And Ercheng’s poor backside suffered again.
After traveling for half a month, the Liu Village group encountered another group of famine refugees.
Compared to them, the other group was in much worse condition.
There were almost no elderly, children, or women—where they had gone was unknown, but likely not a good outcome.
The remaining young men were thin to the bone.
When they saw Liu Village’s group, their eyes lit up—like hungry wolves spotting prey.
Shen Qingge and Liu Ji’an exchanged a glance, both noticing something was off.
Fortunately, the other group only had forty to fifty people, while their side had over two hundred.
But desperate people feared nothing.
Starving for so long, they could do anything to survive.
Shen Qingge said, “Tell the village chief. We must stay alert at night. It’s best to set up patrols.”
Liu Ji’an nodded. “Have Father inform the chief.”
After hearing them, Liu Father hesitated.
“You think they’ll come to steal at night? We outnumber them several times. They probably wouldn’t dare.”
“Starving people don’t think like that,” Shen Qingge replied.
After a moment of silence, Liu Father agreed to warn the chief.
That night, the chief arranged over a dozen strong men to stand guard.
For several days, the group continued following them but didn’t make a move.
Even when watching them eat, they only stared hungrily.
Gradually, the guards began to relax.
The more they relaxed, the more uneasy Shen Qingge felt.
After observing for days, she realized this group was unusually organized.
No chaos, no fighting over food, everyone had clear roles.
This kind of discipline was abnormal for refugees.
Late at night, after everyone fell asleep, Shen Qingge quietly left the shelter.
After a few steps, Liu Ji’an followed.
“I’ll go with you.”
“You’re still injured.”
Her tone clearly showed annoyance.
He laughed bitterly but didn’t insist.
Instead, he handed her a firework signal.
“If you run into danger, light this. Someone will come to help you.”
She glanced at him and left without asking more.
As soon as she was gone, a man in black appeared.
“Feng Yi, protect my wife,” Liu Ji’an ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
Shen Qingge approached the group’s camp and headed straight for the central tent.
She had noticed it was always positioned in the middle and received food first.
Their leader must be inside.
As she got closer, she heard voices.
“Boss, when do we act? That group looks like they just started their journey. If we rob them, we can eat well for a long time.”
“Yeah, everyone’s waiting for your order.”
“No rush. When we first followed them, they had night patrols. That means they’re cautious. The more cautious they are, the more careful we must be.”
“But—”
“Why the hurry? Have I let you starve?”
“No, no… forgive me, Boss.”
Hearing the fear in his voice confirmed Shen Qingge’s suspicions.
These people were dangerous—and their leader ruled them like a tyrant.
After waiting, she captured a straggler, knocked him out, and dragged him away.
Pressing a gun to his temple, she said, “Tell me who you really are and why you’re following that village.”