Song Jin did not promise that she could completely protect the crippled man and the four children.
First, such words would sound overly arrogant.
Second, during a refugee escape, even she could not guarantee her own safety, much less while dragging along an entire family.
But guaranteeing that the crippled man and four children would at least have food to eat—that much she was confident she could do.
What she did not realize, however, was just how shocking her words were.
“You said… what?” Xiao Yanzhi froze in disbelief, suspecting he had heard wrong.
He had been convinced she came back to steal the household registration papers, yet she was saying she wanted to travel with them and only separate from him after they settled somewhere safe?
“You mean you want to continue fleeing together? And you’re willing to bring Xiao Erlang and the children along? Then after settling in a new place, you’ll formally separate and divide the household registration?”
The village chief had also assumed Song Jin returned with bad intentions. He had even been considering that, if he could not drown her, he should at least expel her from the Xiao Village refugee group.
Who would have expected such a sudden turn of events?
“Is this just another excuse you came up with to stay behind and cause trouble again? Haven’t you given up on targeting the four children yet?”
The clan elder was an old man in his eighties and held the highest seniority in the village. Everyone called him Third Granduncle. Though aged, his cloudy eyes still carried the sharpness of someone who had judged countless people in his lifetime. No one could easily lie under his watchful gaze.
Knowing full well how formidable Third Granduncle was, Song Jin could only smile bitterly.
“Third Granduncle, to be honest, after the four children snatched back the household registration papers, I regretted everything. I truly should not have taken them away. I harmed others and harmed myself as well. So from now on, I’ve decided to live honestly and openly reclaim what belongs to me.”
Straightening her back, she continued:
“I know you won’t believe my sincerity overnight, so I’ve also thought of a compromise. Right now, the fifty households of Xiao Village are fleeing together. With so many people, chaos is inevitable. If something happens, the entire group could easily get separated. I suggest dividing everyone into smaller teams. Each team can select two reliable, able-bodied adults specifically responsible for watching the children. That way, fewer children will get lost.”
“This…”
“Hm?”
The village chief and Third Granduncle exchanged glances.
The idea of smaller teams truly was a good one.
Previously, although the fifty households traveled together, every family mainly looked after itself. The moment an adult became distracted, children could easily be separated and disappear into the refugee crowds. But if they organized smaller groups with designated people watching the children, their safety would improve significantly.
“What exactly are you trying to do?” Xiao Yanzhi narrowed his handsome eyes, his gaze dark and unreadable as he stared at Song Jin.
Even though her eyes now appeared calm and open, he still refused to believe she sincerely wanted to stay and continue traveling with them.
After all, this was a woman skilled at acting—a vicious woman who had only just abandoned her husband and children. Her disgraceful history was plain for all to see.
How could someone change so suddenly?
Seeing his distrust, Song Jin did not panic. Calmly, she replied:
“If you insist I have a motive, then yes—I don’t want to become a vagrant. I want to reclaim my household registration properly and travel together with all of you for safety.”
Turning toward the village chief and Third Granduncle, she added:
“And if you still don’t trust me, I’m willing for our group of one crippled man and four children to join either your family’s team or Third Granduncle’s team. The two of you can personally keep watch over every move I make. Of course, you may discuss it first. I’ll come back later to hear your answer.”
After speaking, Song Jin turned and deliberately walked away to give them space.
She left so decisively because she was confident she could persuade them to let her stay.
Xiao Yanzhi and the four children were essentially five burdens.
In the middle of a refugee crisis, aside from her, who else would willingly take responsibility for such troublesome baggage?
In the end, the outcome unfolded exactly as Song Jin expected.
After discussing it for a while, the village chief and Third Granduncle still felt that keeping Song Jin was the most suitable option.
Right now, every household was chewing tree leaves and bark to survive. There was barely any water left, and even the animals pulling carts were close to becoming emergency rations.
Every family could barely survive on its own. Even Xiao Yanzhi’s biological father, Xiao Fugui, had abandoned the crippled man and four children without a second thought.
So who would help them without expecting something in return?
Which family would willingly share their life-saving food with others?
“Erlang, under these circumstances, aside from Song willing to pull you along, the only other option is to beg Xiao Fugui and ask him to send your elder brother over to help you.”
The village chief voiced his thoughts to Xiao Yanzhi.
Still, he personally preferred letting Song Jin stay. Even if she was a vicious woman, as long as she remained inside a supervised team and under constant watch, she would not easily stir up trouble.
“Let Song stay,” Third Granduncle declared decisively. “Your stepmother Yang finally got herself a strong laborer she can work to death. There’s no way she’ll willingly release Xiao Dalang. We’ll do as Song suggested—divide the villagers into ten teams, five households per team. Our three families will stay together, and I’ll personally help watch the children.”
With that single statement, Third Granduncle made the decision for Xiao Yanzhi.
“…I’ll follow the arrangements of Third Granduncle and the village chief.”
Instinctively, Xiao Yanzhi resisted allowing Song Jin to remain. But he also understood that the situation left him no room to refuse.
A crippled man dragging along four children—his fate was no longer his own. What right did he have to be picky?
No matter how much disgust churned inside him, for the sake of the four children—and for himself—he could only suppress his hatred and reluctantly agree with a dark expression.
“Get some rest first,” the village chief said. “Once all the men searching for food return, Third Granduncle and I will organize everyone and discuss the arrangements.”
Satisfied that the issue was settled, the village chief stood to leave. Before going, he reminded Xiao Yanzhi to endure things for now and warned Jin, Mu, Shui, and Huo not to run around recklessly. Only then did he and Third Granduncle walk toward Song Jin.
“Thank you, Third Granduncle! Thank you, Village Chief, for giving me a chance to stay. Don’t worry—if I have food to eat during this journey, Xiao Yanzhi and the four children absolutely won’t go hungry!”
The moment Song Jin learned she would not become a vagrant and could remain with the group, her face immediately lit up with joy and relief.
As long as she avoided becoming an unregistered drifter, then once this disaster passed and they fully settled somewhere, she could officially become a lawful citizen in this ancient world and finally establish a stable life.
As for whether Xiao Yanzhi and the children liked her or not, what did it matter?
Right now, they were simply surviving together as a temporary group.
“That’s enough thanking us for now,” the village chief said. “Your family has neither food nor water left, and we still have to continue traveling tomorrow. Since it’s not completely dark yet, hurry and go search for food and water. If you’re too late, even the tree leaves and bark will be picked clean.”
Although the village chief disliked Song Jin, he still could not help reminding her. After all, six human lives were at stake—he did not want them starving to death by tomorrow.
“Right, I’m going now!”
Originally, Song Jin had not felt hungry. But after the village chief’s reminder, she instantly became painfully aware of both hunger and thirst.
Watching the village chief and Third Granduncle leave, she turned back toward her family’s campfire area.
Xiao Yanzhi and the four children all wore gloomy expressions when they saw her return.
“I’m going to look for food. I’ll probably be back in about an hour.”
Song Jin had no desire to stay there and continue enduring cold stares. Tossing her bundle beside Xiao Yanzhi, she grabbed a sack and four water skins from the flat cart before turning and striding away.