Gu Huanxi was about to take an afternoon nap when Xu Huaiyi returned with a grave expression. Seeing her lying on the heated brick bed, he asked in confusion, “Why not sleep in the RV? This bed is so hard…”
“I’m getting used to it first. We can’t rely solely on the RV. If we become too dependent, how will we manage our lives here?” Noticing his troubled expression, Gu Huanxi didn’t press him immediately. “Go take a shower to cool off first, then we’ll talk.”
Xu Huaiyi nodded. Feeling sticky and uncomfortable all over, he slipped into the RV. About ten minutes later, he emerged wearing shorts and lay down beside her on the heated brick bed, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan.
Gu Huanxi turned on her side and asked, “Is the situation very bad?”
Xu Huaiyi gloomily replied, “Yes,” and recounted in detail everything he had seen and heard in town. He concluded with deep concern, “Wife, I’m afraid this place will soon descend into chaos. It’s not just natural disasters but also man-made calamities. Earlier, I checked the village well—the water level has dropped drastically. Uncle was there too. When I asked him about his plans, he was still hoping for disaster relief aid and wanted to wait another three months. But in three months, will we even be able to leave?”
Gu Huanxi frowned. “Didn’t you try to persuade him?”
Xu Huaiyi sighed. “I told him what I heard in town, but he seemed only half-convinced. He probably still has some hope in the Imperial Court. As long as there’s even a sliver of hope, he doesn’t want to leave…”
“That’s understandable. Leaving one’s homeland is hard. If they can survive, who would want to leave?”
“But this time is different from before. In previous years, when droughts struck, the court provided relief because the affected areas were small and manageable. Now? Over a dozen prefectures and states are suffering. How can the court fill such a massive gap? Especially with the Tartars invading the Northwest—I heard the grain collected has been sent there as military provisions. How could there be any left to care about the people’s survival?”
“When it rains, it pours…”
“Exactly. And it seems there’s more. I heard a traveling merchant hinting vaguely that the Imperial Court is embroiled in a fierce struggle over the appointment of the Crown Prince. With that going on, they’re even less likely to care about anything else. How would those lofty nobles care about the lives of ordinary people? ‘Why not eat meat porridge?’ Damn it, I never thought we’d end up in such a situation.”
Gu Huanxi pondered for a moment and said, “The current Emperor is the grandson of the founding emperor. It’s said he was personally tutored as a child and is considered a wise ruler. He shouldn’t be that foolish…”
Xu Huaiyi snorted. “Who knows? Maybe he was wise before, but now his mind isn’t what it used to be. Isn’t that a common plot in TV dramas? A ruler is heroic and brilliant in his youth, but as he ages, he becomes suspicious, seeing every son as a thief coveting his throne, leading to bloody conflicts…” He paused, then continued in a more serious tone, “Wife, getting involved in a succession struggle is too dangerous. We must stay far away from it.”
Gu Huanxi replied helplessly, “A succession struggle? You really dare to imagine such things. That’s a high-stakes game—not something just anyone can get involved in.”
Xu Huaiyi chuckled.
After chatting with his wife for a while, Xu Huaiyi felt much lighter. For dinner, he showcased his culinary skills, preparing several hearty dishes. The couple enjoyed a satisfying meal together.
Especially that tomato stewed beef brisket—Gu Huanxi ate two full bowls with rice. Her constitution had been weak, so at first she didn’t dare eat and drink too much, fearing her stomach wouldn’t handle it. After a few days of careful adjustment, she had gradually adapted quite a bit and now dared to nourish herself freely. The effects were naturally obvious: not only did her complexion look better, but the places that needed to fill out had quietly become fuller.
Now when she moved around the courtyard, she no longer had to stop and catch her breath after every three steps.
Walking briskly and energetically was just around the corner.
The next day, before the sky had fully brightened, Gu Huanxi urged Xu Huaiyi to get up. After breakfast, while it was still not too hot, she pushed him to head to the county town.
The county town was much farther than the market town. Relying solely on his two legs, it would take over two hours. Luckily, he had been eating well these past few days, otherwise Xu Huaiyi suspected he would have collapsed from exhaustion halfway.
Even so, by the time he saw the city gates, his legs were already trembling.
The county town was livelier than the market town, with people coming and going. There were no obvious signs of chaos yet, but many shops were deserted, with only the grain stores crowded with people.
Xu Huaiyi squeezed into the crowd. Without even needing to ask, all sorts of news poured into his ears.
"Sorghum is already thirty wen per jin…"
A cry of shock rang out. Someone widened their eyes in disbelief and questioned, "How much? Thirty wen? Wasn’t it just twenty-five yesterday?"
Someone immediately rolled their eyes scornfully. "Why don’t you say it was twenty the day before yesterday?"
Someone cursed angrily, "Damn it, the price changes every day. Who can afford to eat like this?"
Among the crowd, someone from a well-off family chimed in mockingly, "If you can’t afford it, don’t come here to join the commotion. If you don’t buy now, who knows if it’ll be thirty-five wen tomorrow?"
There were also honest folks who cautiously asked, "What about beans?"
A kind-hearted man earnestly advised, "Beans are twenty wen, wheat is fifty wen. If you still have silver on hand, hurry and stock up a bit. Don’t hold back any longer. Look at this weather—is there any sign of rain? Without rain, the fields will yield nothing. If you don’t prepare some grain, what will you eat and drink in the second half of the year?"
But the other person slapped their thigh, wearing a mournful expression, and said, "Oh dear, it’s so expensive. How can anyone afford it?"
Immediately, someone watching the commotion added, "Hmph, you should be grateful there’s still grain for sale here. I’ve heard that in some places, grain stores have long since shut down for good."
Hearing this, someone quietly asked, "Is the court really not going to allocate grain for relief? Our county office has grain reserves too…"
Before they could finish, someone nearby poured cold water on the idea. "Don’t daydream. The grain has all been transported to the Northwest. It has to go to the soldiers at the front first—how can they fight on empty stomachs? I’ve heard those Tartars are savage and bloodthirsty. If they really break through, who among us would fare well?"
This wasn’t exactly a secret anymore. After he spoke, most people weren’t surprised, but the hope in their eyes faded, replaced by a sense of discouragement. "Sigh, but our situation here is also desperate. If there’s no relief, I’m afraid we’ll starve to death before the Tartars even break in."
Xu Huaiyi listened for a while, then with a simple and honest expression, bluntly asked, "Since it looks like we can’t go on like this, why doesn’t anyone think about fleeing the famine right away?"
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, followed by a barrage of lectures directed at him.
"Flee famine? Do you think fleeing famine is a way to survive?"
"Exactly, and where would we even flee to? Over a dozen prefectures and counties around here are all suffering from disasters. Wherever we flee, we'd still be starving and waiting for death. Might as well stay at home and tough it out. Once the rain comes, things will slowly get better."
"Right, I'd rather starve to death at home than die on the road fleeing famine, ending up as a lonely ghost, unable to even be buried in the ancestral graves. Wouldn't that be even more miserable?"
Xu Huaiyi pursed his lips. "Fleeing famine isn't that terrifying, is it?"
Hearing this, someone immediately sighed in despair. "Fleeing famine—nine out of ten don't survive. Isn't that terrifying? Unless we're truly at the end of our rope, we must never take that path. That road is a gamble with our lives."
Xu Huaiyi, "…"