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As the sound of the wheels approached, the people sitting outside the city gate turned their heads to look.
The sun had already set lower than the city tower, casting flickering shadows on the Shen family and their companions.
Those sitting outside the gate couldn’t clearly see how much the Shen family and their group had brought with them, but they could tell from the sound that there were quite a few carts.
Carts…there must be food on them.
The Shen family and their group had already sheathed their knives before reaching the city gate, afraid that the authorities would see them as troublemakers.
However, seeing the gaze of those people, they had no choice but to take out their knives again.
The gleaming blades reflected a cold light, causing the onlookers to avert their eyes slightly.
Even so, the Shen family and their group halted their footsteps.
They took a few steps back before coming to a stop.
Zhao Shi lowered her voice and asked, “What’s going on? I see those refugees being kept outside the city gate.”
Grandpa Shen said, “Let’s stop here for now. Second and third sons, along with Ji Xun, you three come with me to gather information.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Shen Yun quickly stabilized the cart and jumped down, joining Grandpa Shen’s side.
Shen Ming and Ji Xun also walked over, and the four of them headed towards the city gate.
The remaining people didn’t unload anything from the cart and anxiously waited in place for Grandpa Shen and the others to gather information before making a decision.
Shen Yu’an looked at Fei Yanchen, who had been by her side all along, and asked, “What do you think is going on?”
Fei Yanchen spoke up, saying, “There are too many refugees, and the city can’t accommodate them all. It seems that someone has found a way to temporarily manage these refugees.”
Shen Yu’an was thinking along the same lines.
Dashan County was the first city they encountered on their journey south, so many people who chose to head south would likely consider it their first choice.
Just by looking at the number of people outside the city gate, it was clear that many people had made the same plan.
Shen Yu’an asked again, “What do you think, should we stay here or continue heading south?”
Fei Yanchen smiled. Despite the freckles that Shen Yu’an had drawn on his face, his eyes sparkled brightly.
“Of course, we should continue heading south. While some people in the city have found a temporary solution to stabilize the refugees, it’s not a long-term solution.
If the refugees revolt, the situation will be even worse. Even if we enter the city, it won’t necessarily be better. So it’s better to leave early,” Fei Yanchen replied.
Shen Yu’an nodded and said, “I’ll talk to Grandfather and the others about it when they come back.”
Just as she finished speaking, she lowered her voice and asked, “Did you remember something?”
Fei Yanchen glanced at her with lowered eyes and said half-truthfully, “I remembered some things. It seems that I have some knowledge about the situation in Great Wei.”
What he remembered were fragments from his intermittent dreams.
In reality, his lost memories hadn’t been recovered yet.
“So, you remembered who you are now, right?” Shen Yu’an asked.
After a moment of silence, Fei Yanchen’s low voice sounded, “Yes.”
Just as Shen Yu’an was about to ask more questions but hadn’t figured out how to phrase them, Grandpa Shen, who had gone to gather information, returned with the other three people.
Upon their return, everyone quickly surrounded them, eagerly asking about the situation.
Grandpa Shen motioned for everyone to calm down.
The four of them then shared the information they had gathered.
“We found out that most of the people outside the city gate have come from our Lord’s fief,” they said.
“There are quite a few people outside the city gate. I took a quick look, and there are nearly a thousand of them. The city can’t accommodate so many people, so they are left outside,” one of them explained.
Song Shi asked, “They can’t just leave everyone outside, right? Would they be willing to wait outside?”
Shen Yun replied, “Not everyone is prohibited from entering the city.”
As everyone looked at him, Shen Yun continued, “Those who want to enter the city can do so, but they have to pay ten taels of silver per person. Once inside the city, they have to find their own way to settle down. Alternatively, they can be taken in by influential people from the city.”
“They said that every morning, wealthy households from the city come out to distribute porridge. These people have been surviving on that daily meal,” they explained.
“However, more and more people are gathering outside the city, and now the porridge is running out.”
After they finished speaking, Zhang ManCang, an elder, spoke up.
“Ten taels of silver per person! Even if you manage to enter the city, the authorities won’t provide any assistance. You still have to find a place to live and settle down, which requires spending money. It’s like a bottomless pit.”
Silence fell among the group once again. A couple of taels of silver could sustain a large family for a whole year, and now they were expected to pay ten taels just to enter the city gate!
Grandma Shen pulled Shen Yu’an aside and asked in a low voice, “My dear Yu’an, how much silver do we have left? Is it enough for all of us to enter the city?”
Most of the family’s silver was currently in Shen Yu’an’s possession, as she was in charge of managing it. That’s why Grandma Shen asked this question.
Certainly, they had enough silver, but Shen Yu’an had no intention of settling down here. She made up her mind to continue heading south with everyone!