There was not enough water, so people couldn’t cook. Every household didn’t have much water left, so they only dared to take a small sip. The village chief’s family also gave the mule some water, but in other households, the mule could only be thirsty.

The children didn’t know anything about it, they were playing hide and seek around the carriage.

Juhua and Zhang Laoda’s daughter Xiang’er were sitting on the loess wall turning over flower ropes. Juhua suddenly shouted: “Someone is coming.”

Gu Fei looked over and saw a woman with a dusty face standing outside half of the loess wall, holding an eighty-nine-year-old boy, and a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl standing next to her.

The woman saw everyone looking at her and smiled awkwardly: “We are fleeing from famine. Can you brothers and sisters-in-law let us ladies rest here for a few nights?”

Everyone was silent and looked at Gu Zhang.

Gu Zhang thought for a while, that there was nothing to worry about with two women and a child, and besides, the place didn’t belong to them. He nodded: “Okay.”

The woman thanked her, took the child, and walked in from the side.

It was getting dark at this time, and Uncle Ma shouted: “Light the fire.”

Gu Sanlang took a fire stick and lit some dead leaves, then added dry branches to it, and the fire quickly started burning.

Everyone sat around the fire.

The mother and son were sitting by the wall and did not come over.

It was also dinner time at this time, and every household brought out dry food to eat.

Gu Fei was nibbling on the steamed bun when she suddenly heard the voice of the boy on the wall behind her: “Mom, I’m so hungry.”

The woman lowered her head and remained silent.

The child said again: “Mom, I want to eat steamed buns.”

The woman was silent for a long time, then suddenly made up her mind. She took the two children to the fire and knelt with a plop: “Brothers and sisters-in-law, can you please do a good thing and give us some food? Yesterday, we just ate some grassroots and didn’t eat anything all day long.”

“I’ll be thankful to you, kind brothers and sisters.” The woman pulled the two children and kowtowed desperately.

Everyone who was eating solid food suddenly fell silent, and no one made a sound.

Gu Fei couldn’t bear to see it, but she also understood that there were many people like this along the way, and she couldn’t save each one of them.

She lowered her eyes and ate the pancake silently.

The woman and the two children kowtowed more than a dozen times. The village chief couldn’t help but sigh, “Stop kowtowing. Keep the strength you have for walking.”

“We are also fleeing famine, so we don’t have any extra food to give to others.”

The woman raised her dusty face and suddenly saw the white flour steamed bun in Gu Sanlang’s hand. She rushed towards him and knelt in front of him: “This young brother, my Lian’er will be your wife. All you need is to give me a bag of steamed buns or coarse grains.”

Gu Sanlang’s face turned dark. Who wants a dirty girl to be his wife?

He waved his hand impatiently: “Let’s go, let’s go, I don’t want a wife!”

Zhang Laoda next to him laughed loudly: “Sanlang, this girl is tall and has pretty eyebrows. She should be good at washing. You can earn a wife in exchange for a bag of coarse grains!”

Gu Sanlang was annoyed: “Uncle Zhang, your son is already 10 years old in winter. It’s just right to buy a child bride.”

Everyone laughed.

Gu Fei looked at the mother and son and felt unspeakably sad.

At this time, Mrs. Qian suddenly said: “You are from Xishan County, right? Your daughter is so skinny, but you still want a bag of coarse grain? I heard someone say yesterday that you can buy a girl in Xishan County with a small bucket of coarse grain now.”