As soon as the Lizheng left, a smile flickered across Gan Fanren’s lips; there wasn’t a trace of sadness left on his face.
Gan Tian was stunned.
【My dad is actually a Best Actor!】
【Amazing. With just one sentence, he got Grandpa Lizheng to deal with Wang Lishi for us. My dad is mighty!】
Gan Fanren didn’t know what a “Best Actor” was, but he figured it was a compliment.
As soon as he received the silver from selling the rice, Gan Fanren placed it inside Gan Tian’s swaddling clothes.
【Silver! I love silver the most!】
【Daddy is so capable, he actually earned so much silver.】
The Lizheng was as good as his word. The next day, he indeed opened the ancestral hall and gave Wang Lishi twenty strokes of the paddle in front of the entire village.
The Lizheng also declared that Wang Lishi’s family had to guarantee the safety of the Gan family. If the Gan family encountered any danger or lost any property within a month, Wang Lishi would be held responsible.
With this warning from the Lizheng, Wang Lishi’s family finally quieted down.
They had no choice but to be quiet.
The Lizheng’s paddling was very heavy this time. Wang Lishi’s buttocks were beaten to a pulp, and she couldn’t get out of bed for a month. Her screams were more piercing than those of a pig being slaughtered for the New Year.
Gan Tian was so happy her mouth grew sore from grinning.
During this month, Gan Tian ate and slept, and slept and ate. She became round and plump, looking like a white, tender little steamed bun. Anyone who saw her praised her for being adorable.
Whenever her two brothers finished school, the first thing they did was come to find her.
Life was simply too comfortable.
However, her eldest brother was a bit strange. He would often stare at her in a daze. Then one day, as if he had suddenly made up his mind, he ran up to her.
“Sister, don’t worry. No matter what you are, you are my sister. I will definitely protect you.”
He was acting all mysterious, and she had no idea what he was talking about. As her brother, if he didn’t protect his sister, was he planning to bully her instead?
Gan Tian’s eyes widened in horror.
Surely her big brother wasn’t so insane that he wanted to bully a baby who wasn’t even a month old yet?
In her anger, she spat at her big brother several times.
Even after being spat on, Gan Huaizhong wasn’t angry. Instead, his gaze towards her softened significantly.
During these days, Gan Fanren didn’t spend his time studying; he was busy preparing food.
He made steamed buns, stuffed buns, and dried meat. He made anything that could be stored for a long time. These items filled several large bundles.
Gan Tian breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Fortunately, she was just a small baby. Otherwise, just carrying these bundles on the journey would probably tire her to death. She had thought about exchanging a suitcase from the Supermarket to lighten her parents’ burden, but a suitcase—with its plastic and wheels—was too advanced for this era. She was afraid her father would be caught and treated like a monster, so she could only give up on the idea.
When they left, they did so silently, without disturbing the villagers. Only the Lizheng knew they had departed.
By the time Wang Lishi had recovered from her injuries and charged into the Gan family home in a rage, all she faced was an empty house.
“I don’t believe it. Did the Gan family really leave so cleanly that they left nothing behind?”
As Wang Lishi spoke, she began rummaging through the rooms.
Just as she opened the bedroom wardrobe, a piece of wood tied to a rope swung out and smashed into her. She let out a shrill cry, clutched her head, and ran outside, only to step right onto a hunting trap. The spike pierced through her foot.
She collapsed on the ground, wailing desperately. By the time she finally fainted from the pain, no one had come in to save her.
In the end, Wang Lishi crawled out of the Gan family house by herself. When she emerged, she was covered in blood. Because she didn’t receive timely treatment, that injured leg was completely ruined.
There were two roads to Wangdu: one was the official road, and the other was a small backroad.
As the name suggested, the official road was maintained by the government. A certain tax would be collected, but it was flat and safe, and bandits rarely appeared there. The backroad was the opposite; although there was no fee, it was easy to encounter bandits, and the path was muddy and difficult to traverse.
The Gan family was not short on silver, so naturally, they wanted stability and chose the official road.
Wangjiacun was situated on high ground, so while they were in the village, they didn’t feel much. It was only after leaving Wangjiacun that Gan Tian realized the impact of the floods was much greater than she had imagined.
The official road, which had originally been repaired, was now mostly washed away by the floodwaters, leaving the path covered in fallen rocks. Many houses had been reduced to ruins. The further they went, the more people they saw on the road.
However, their condition was not as good as the Gan family’s. Most were dressed in rags and were gaunt and thin.
“Old uncle, where are you from? Why do you look so haggard?” Gan Fanren couldn’t help but ask an old man for information.
“We are from Tao County. The floods submerged everything there a few days ago. The houses were all washed away, and a century of family heritage was destroyed in an instant. Not a single grain of rice was left.”
The old man suddenly began to cry. “My wife and children are all dead. I am the only one who survived.”
Most of the people on the road were like this. Most had no choice but to leave because of the floods and were heading to seek refuge with relatives.
There was almost no one in as good a state as the Gan family.
Gan Fanren led his family to a corner to rest. Just as they had done in the cave before, they used mud to make themselves look dirty.
“Don’t walk too fast in a moment. Learn to sway while you walk, like those people.”
Those people hadn’t eaten for a long time and were dizzy with hunger. Their steps were uneven, making them look like they were swaying. The Gan family felt a bit awkward at first, but they got used to it after a while.
When it was time to eat, Gan Fanren didn’t immediately take the food out of the bundles. Instead, he observed quietly. Only when he saw someone else eating meat buns did he take out meat buns for his family.
Meat buns spoiled easily, and he had made many, so they would go bad if they weren’t eaten soon. His cooking skills were average, but he was great at seasoning fillings. The buns he made were so fragrant that one would wish to swallow their own tongue along with them.
The aroma of the meat buns made many people swallow their saliva.
A dark-skinned, sturdy man walked over and said in a clear voice, “Brother, does your family have any spare buns? I would like to buy some for my elderly mother.”
As the man spoke, he pointed to an old woman resting under a tree.
“My mother is of advanced age and has had no appetite throughout the journey. I hope you can do me this favor. If there is a place where I can be of use in the future, just say the word.”
【Although this man looks sturdy, his lips are chapped and his eyes are dull. He’s probably starving himself, yet he is so filial.】
Gan Fanren wasn’t short on buns and generously took out two.
“It’s just two buns, no need for talk of repayment.”
Gan Fanren’s buns were very large, about the size of a fist. Let alone an old person, even an adult would be full after eating two.
The man’s lips trembled slightly. He felt around his body, then lowered his hands in embarrassment and cupped his fists toward Gan Fanren.
“I will never forget your great kindness, sir. I am Li Zhi.”
【Li Zhi? Is he the Li Zhi who scared off thirty thousand Chu Liang soldiers by himself?】
【It’s said that he is extremely filial. Because the male lead’s family gave his mother a drink of water during the Fleeing Famine, he worked himself to death for the male lead’s family.】
【The male lead gave a drink of water, and he was willing to give his life. Doesn’t that mean my dad’s two big buns can buy the lives of his whole family?】