Zhou Mianmian was also worried, so she hurriedly followed.
Taking rapid steps with her short little legs, she finally caught up with Zhou the Third.
The other side consisted of three to five thieves wielding knives, yet her father was heading out on his own carrying nothing but a foul-smelling stick. Just thinking about it… Mianmian’s small face flushed red with anxiety.
Living in a three-and-a-half-year-old body, she was still somewhat unsteady when walking fast, nearly tripping a couple of times.
Hearing the frantic pit-a-pat of footsteps behind him, Zhou the Third knew his daughter was worried about him. He caringly lifted Mianmian into his arms and held her tight.
“You truly are your father’s little padded jacket, knowing to worry about me. Then Father will take you along to rescue him.”
Zhou Mianmian forcefully pumped her tiny fists. Just the two of us?
Zhou the Third nodded, but he suddenly made a sharp turn on the spot. Instead of heading toward the old village chief, he went in the exact opposite direction.
He then fished a fire striker out of his pocket, intending to light that ancestral shit-stirring stick.
The moment Zhou Mianmian looked at that stick, her eyes stung from the pungent odor, and she hurriedly covered them.
“Daddy, over dere.”
Before she could be knocked unconscious by the stench, Zhou Mianmian extended a fair, soft finger to point out the correct direction.
She was deeply afraid her father wouldn’t see clearly in the dead of night and would wander down the wrong path.
His daughter’s tiny voice was incredibly childish and her speech was slurred, which amused Zhou the Third.
“Good daughter, do you take your father for a fool? I can’t beat several of them at once, so I’m not going over there directly.”
Peeking through the gaps of her fingers, Zhou Mianmian revealed a pair of large, round eyes, staring with intense curiosity.
It’s good that Father isn’t a fool!
But then, how is he going to save him?
Zhou the Third snorted and resolutely lit the stick in his hand.
“Today, Father will teach you a lesson, Mianmian. Outsmarting your enemy is far more useful than brute strength!”
As the shit-stirring stick burned, it released a massive plume of foul odor.
Deft of hand, Zhou the Third used one hand to pinch Zhou Mianmian’s nose shut.
With his other hand, he hurled the brightly burning stick right toward a few women and children sitting nearby.
The flames instantly set those people’s tattered cloth bundles on fire.
The clothes of those women and children were also slightly singed. Although it wasn’t severe, it terrified them completely, and they instantly erupted into a chaotic chorus of crying and screaming.
This crying and shouting instantly startled everyone awake.
Zhou Mianmian tilted her small head in bewilderment, not understanding why her father was targeting them.
However, she quickly saw the scoundrels who had been bullying the old village chief frantically shouting as they ran over to this side.
“Mother!”
“Wife, are you alright?!”
Zhou Mianmian suddenly understood. It turned out that what her father had burned belonged to the families and luggage of those thieves.
These thieves were all fellow villagers from the same village as the Zhou family. They used to be quite honest, but now that the world was in chaos, human hearts had turned wicked as well.
Zhou the Third had recognized them long ago, so he naturally knew where their families were resting.
Since they were all fleeing the famine, who among them wasn’t dragging along a family? Seeing their old mothers, wives, and children in danger, no matter how fierce or wicked those men were, they couldn’t bear not to rush over to protect their own.
The old village chief was thus able to escape a grim fate.
Seeing that the crisis was averted, Zhou the Third cast a sideways glance, spat at them in disdain, and carried Zhou Mianmian back to the Zhou family’s camp.
“Mianmian, those people are what you call ungrateful wolves. We’re from the same village, and they usually received plenty of care from the old village chief. Yet now, for a mere mouthful of food and drink, they actually harbored murderous intent toward him. We must never become that kind of person,” Zhou the Third said, his expression rarely so solemn.
Zhou Mianmian excitedly clapped her small hands. Father is right!
By the time they returned, the rest of the Zhou family had long since been startled awake.
Seeing that Zhou the Third had actually carried Mianmian outside, Old Mrs. Zhou was so furious she wanted to pummel him.
“Things are so chaotic right now, why did you run around wildly with my sweet granddaughter? If Mianmian were hurt by an outsider, I would never hear the end of it with you!”
After Old Mrs. Zhou finished her scolding, she hurriedly tucked Zhou Mianmian into her own bedding.
Seeing that Zhou Mianmian’s eyes were rubbed red from the smoke earlier, Old Mrs. Zhou caringly blew gently on her eyes while patting her back.
She wanted nothing more than to keep her little darling safely tucked away, terrified she might suffer the slightest grievance.
In any case, as long as Zhou Mianmian was present, Old Mrs. Zhou had eyes for no one else.
Zhou the Third merely smiled. Afraid his family would worry, he explained what had happened to the old village chief, maintaining his good temper as he let Old Mrs. Zhou vent her blame.
Only after the Zhou family members calmed their emotions did they all lie back down to sleep.
Zhou the Third remained alert, sitting at the very edge to keep watch for most of the remaining night.
Fortunately, no more wretched incidents occurred through the night. Zhou the Third silently calculated that they must find a place to settle down as quickly as possible.
Otherwise, continuing to wander eastward indefinitely like this was simply not a sustainable solution.
……
The sky had just begun to brighten, and the early morning wind was exceptionally chilly.
Zhou Mianmian’s small cheeks were blown rosy by the wind. She rubbed her nose and climbed onto Zhou the Third’s back, waiting to set out.
The old village chief knew that Zhou the Third had saved his family the previous night, so before they departed, he made sure to come over to express his gratitude.
“Third Son,” the old village chief said, his face haggard and his spirit clearly fading.
He coughed for a good while before managing to utter a sentence: “If it weren’t for you, I… my family would be finished. It doesn’t matter if I die, but my wife and children still have to live.”
Seeing him looking so sickly, Zhou the Third’s heart sank. He knew the old village chief likely didn’t have many days left to live.
Thinking back to those vicious villagers from last night, he found them even more detestable and hateful!
Lacking strength, the old village chief retrieved something from his tunic with a yellowed, withered hand and handed it to Zhou the Third.
“Village Chief, what is this?” Zhou the Third accepted it; it was a yellowed letter of introduction.
Stamped upon it was a family seal bearing the surname “Shen.”
“Third Son, in Apricot Blossom Town within the territory of Lingzhou City, I have a relative who works as a head steward for a wealthy household,” the old village chief panted heavily.
Then, his voice trembling, he added, “I was originally planning to seek refuge with him. If you encounter difficulties in the future, you can use this letter to ask him for a favor.”
Finally, the old village chief raised his hand and looked at Zhou Mianmian. A trace of solace surfaced on his kindly, gaunt face.
“Third Son, for the sake of your daughter, you must ensure your family’s safety on the road ahead.”
Zhou the Third stared at the letter in his hand. By the time he raised his head again, the old village chief had already weakly walked far away, and the corners of Zhou the Third’s eyes gradually grew moist.
The old village chief was doing everything he could to repay the favor of saving his life.
“Mianmian, Father will keep this letter safe for you,” Zhou the Third said, wiping his eyes.
“If it weren’t for you last night, Father wouldn’t have woken up to rescue the old village chief!”
This life-saving merit should actually be credited to his Mianmian.
Survival was not easy. Zhou the Third hardened his gaze, and carrying Mianmian on his back, he led the Zhou family to continue their journey.
After traveling for nearly another day, the crowd of refugees finally emerged from the mountain paths.
The view before them suddenly opened up, devoid of the rugged, potholed mountain rocks, and signs of human life instantly multiplied.
Catching sight of a town appearing in the distance ahead, the crowd of refugees rushed forward frantically like famished rabbits, finally desperate to secure a mouthful of water to drink.
With so many people, chaos could easily erupt, and the Zhou family had no desire to squeeze through the crowd.
Instead, they followed Zhou the Third, walking unhurriedly at the very rear.
Zhou Mianmian was sharp-eyed. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a flash of golden-yellow on the ground. She instantly reached out with her small hand and yanked Zhou the Third’s hair.
“What’s wrong, Mianmian? Could it be that there’s more food?” Zhou the Third’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.