“Anyone else buying? If not, get out—don’t all crowd in here…” In the spacious hall of the grain shop, onlookers were many, but those willing to spend were few. The clerk, growing impatient, began shooing people out.
At a time like this, grain shops certainly weren’t short of customers, so there was no need to put on a pleasant face.
Yet, few left. They lingered, stretching their necks, as if waiting for something.
The clerk sneered, walked over, and looked down with disdain at the man still crouched on the ground, wailing. “Instead of crying here, you’d be better off going home to pack up and beg. Grain is priced as it is—it could double several times in a single day. Who told you there’s a drought? Do you think our shop gets grain cheaply from everywhere? We buy it at high prices too. That we still have any in stock now is sheer luck, and you dare complain it’s expensive? Bah! In a couple of days, even with mountains of gold and silver, you might not be able to buy any…”
That last sentence struck everyone’s hearts like a heavy hammer.
Indeed, if the drought didn’t ease, and there was no hope for the harvest in the latter half of the year, then even with endless silver, there’d be nowhere to buy grain. By then, they could only wait for death.
Faced with this reality, even if it pained them to the core, many began trembling as they pulled silver from their robes to buy grain. However, none bought much—ten jin here, twenty jin there. No one dared to truly stake their entire fortune, still clinging to a sliver of hope: perhaps later, the court would provide disaster relief, and grain prices would fall…
Xu Huaiyi felt deep compassion in his heart, but his expression remained calm, almost cold. What could he do, even if he couldn’t bear it? He had no abilities now, was at the very bottom of society—how could he possibly care for others?
Even if he stepped forward now, earnestly advising everyone not to foolishly wait any longer, to buy grain quickly if they had money, and to flee famine without delay, no one would listen to him.
So, he could only watch, powerless.
The grain shop grew busy. Almost everyone bought the cheapest beans and sorghum, while the wheat priced at sixty wen per jin went untouched.
Xu Huaiyi numbly queued up. When it was his turn, the grain shop clerk, seeing his patched short robe, eyed him with even more disdain and impatience. “How much? Don’t even mention two or three jin—it’s not worth the trouble…”
Before he could finish, a voice spoke: “One hundred jin each of beans and sorghum!”
The clerk’s expression froze instantly.
But that wasn’t all. Xu Huaiyi added calmly, “Fifty jin of wheat. Do you have millet and red beans? If so, ten jin of each. And if there’s mung beans, ten jin of those as well.”
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Then came hushed whispers and exchanged glances. Various scrutinizing looks fell upon Xu Huaiyi, as if trying to figure out who he was to be so “flush with wealth” as to buy so much grain.
Xu Huaiyi hadn’t intended to so blatantly slap the young clerk in the face, but the look in the other’s eyes was utterly disgusting. Besides, he had planned to buy this much anyway. So, well—it wasn’t that he wanted trouble; it was unavoidable.
The grain shop clerk flushed with shame and anger, but meeting Xu Huaiyi’s calm gaze, he felt wary and ultimately didn’t dare lose his temper. He obediently measured and bagged all the grain.
Xu Huaiyi watched with interest the ancient mi dou grain measure used for weighing.
The young clerk, thinking Xu Huaiyi feared he’d short him, trembled slightly, causing the grain in the measure to mound up into a peak.
Xu Huaiyi, “”
And there's such a bargain to be had?
Several types of grains added up to nearly three hundred catties, costing him fourteen taels of silver. In previous years, that much silver could buy over two thousand catties, but now…
Xu Huaiyi led the mule, pulling several bags of grain as he left.
Along the busiest road in the county town, he went on to buy some coarse cloth, pots, bowls, ladles, and basins, as well as a small stove that could be used in the cart. He also went to the blacksmith's shop to buy a machete.
In the RV, there were items for self-defense, but they couldn't be taken out directly. So, on the surface, he still needed to prepare a few things that could intimidate troublemakers. The machete was perfect—over thirty centimeters long, sharpened, capable of chopping trees or people. It felt heavy in his hand and cost him nearly five taels of silver.
After finishing his purchases, Xu Huaiyi was starving. He bought a few steamed buns from a roadside stall and, while eating, drove the cart, preparing to head home. As he passed through the county town gate, he noticed someone eyeing the grain on the cart.
The look in their eyes was filled with ill intent.
Xu Huaiyi pretended not to notice on the surface, but his alertness was already at its peak.
Is chaos about to break out?
If they can't afford grain, are they going to openly rob?
And in broad daylight, no less…
Xu Huaiyi felt like cursing, but he wasn’t afraid. His years in the military weren’t for nothing. With his skills, he could take on four or five strong men without a problem, let alone now that he had a weapon in hand.
As he moved farther from the city gate, the number of people on the road dwindled.
Xu Huaiyi boldly took out the machete and, using a piece of coarse cloth, leisurely wiped it. The gleaming blade under the scorching sun was blinding.
The few people following him in secret couldn’t help but pause in their steps.
"This might be a tough one…" someone thought of backing out. Grain was precious, but it wasn’t worth risking their lives to steal.
But others were unwilling to give up. "So what if he’s tough? Can’t the few of us handle him alone?"
"But he has a machete…"
"We have clubs."
"But…"
"Enough, stop whining. This job has to be done, whether we like it or not. Think about how much grain you have left at home. If we don’t steal, what will your wife and kids eat? Do you have silver to buy more? In these times, if you’re not ruthless, you’re just waiting to die."
That person finally fell silent.
Stealing might lead to death, but not stealing would certainly lead to death. So, he had no choice at all.
As the mule cart slowly approached a small grove, it was stopped by someone.
Xu Huaiyi sized up the four men blocking the way ahead. They were all dressed in patched short jackets, with cloth covering their faces, revealing only a pair of fierce, greedy eyes.
"Gentlemen, why have you stopped this humble one’s cart? Is there something you need?"
The strongest of the four stepped forward, pointed at the grain on the cart, and got straight to the point. "Leave the grain. We only want the grain, not your life."
A more timid person might have obediently complied.
But Xu Huaiyi certainly wasn’t going to indulge them. "My family is also relying on this grain to survive, so I’m afraid I can’t oblige. You’d better find another way to get grain."
The other sneered. "Are you sure you won’t give it? Then don’t blame us for being impolite…"
Xu Huaiyi scoffed. "If you have the guts, just come at me."
"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Brothers, let’s go…"
The leader shouted, raising a club as thick as an arm and charging toward Xu Huaiyi. If that club landed on his head, it would surely split it open on the spot.
Xu Huaiyi sidestepped nimbly, dodging the attack, then immediately swung his machete without hesitation, bringing it down on the opponent's arm. In a moment like this, showing mercy was the last thing needed.
"Ah—" A sharp scream rang out as blood gushed forth, startling the three others who were charging forward.
This was not just a tough opponent—this was a ruthless one.
Especially with Xu Huaiyi standing there, gripping the machete, his gaze sharp and cold, like an emotionless machine harvesting lives. How could such a scene not strike fear into their hearts?
The three men paled, hesitated for only a moment, then grabbed the still-bleeding man and fled in panic.