Chapter 5: Chaos

The further they walked, the more refugee groups they encountered. The Su family mixed in among them. Looking around, the gray, dusty refugee groups looked like ants, each person with a sallow complexion and a thin, gaunt body from hunger.

Some people took advantage of the chaos to make money from the disaster, setting up stalls along the road and shouting about buying and selling people. Many, desperate for a mouthful of food, sold their sons and daughters. In the end, when food was still not enough, even those who sold their children fought among themselves.

In times of disaster, human life was cheaper than food.

Old Madam Su glanced indifferently and quickly looked away, urging the children to move forward and not to look.

Just as she was about to cover Su Huan’s eyes in her arms, she noticed Su Huan’s pure, clean eyes, like black grapes, watching the people selling their children with a look of compassion.

Old Madam Su was startled and remembered what Su Yanhe had said about “the little sister being able to understand people’s speech.” She tentatively asked, “Huan-jie’er? Are you feeling sorry for them?”

Su Huan withdrew her gaze and grinned, “Yi-ya～”

There was no trace of compassion in her eyes anymore.

Old Madam Su breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she had been mistaken. Otherwise, if her granddaughter could already understand the ways of the world right after birth, that would be too monstrous!

Thinking it over, Old Madam Su took out a sachet embroidered with koi playing among lotus flowers for Su Huan to play with. The sachet had a tassel made of hemp thread and a few polished phoenix tree seeds dangling from it. Su Huan had always liked little trinkets like this in her past life. Now, getting the sachet, she grabbed it in her hand and played happily.

Seeing this, Old Madam Su fondly said, “Huan-jie’er is so good! Once we get to the county town, Grandma will get you a rattle-drum. That thing is really fun! It makes lots of noise when you shake it!”

Su Huan’s eyes sparkled, “Yi-ya～”

Jin Yuegui muttered quietly, “Even the rabbits aren’t enough to exchange for food, and you’re still thinking of buying her toys.”

Old Madam Su shot her a glare, “No one will think you’re mute if you don’t speak.”

Jin Yuegui was about to retort when a commotion suddenly broke out behind them.

Everyone turned their heads and their faces changed dramatically.

The group who had been selling people earlier, seeing no more children were being sold, pulled out long knives from under their carts and started killing the disaster victims who had exchanged their food, reclaiming the food by force!

“Father!!”

“Mother!!”

The children, witnessing this scene, turned pale with fear, screaming heart-wrenchingly as they tried to rush over, but the traffickers yanked them back and showed the contracts, “Running? See the fingerprints on this? Your parents already sold you to us! Where do you think you’re going?”

With that, the traffickers kicked the fleeing children back to the stall and continued robbing the food.

Some people, out of fear, abandoned their food and fled for their lives.

Some clung to their food desperately, unwilling to let go even in death.

A few who tried to retrieve their children ended up dead under the traffickers’ knives as well.

In no time, the rain on the ground turned blood red.

Zhang Xiaolan and Liu Yingying couldn’t hold back and vomited on the spot.

Old Madam Su’s face turned grim. She immediately climbed onto the one-wheel cart to protect the goat, chickens, and rabbits, and gave the order, “Go! Quick, go! Those people are bandits! They’re not here to do honest trade!”

This wasn’t the first time they’d encountered such a thing. Once the bandits finished robbing the other refugees, they would surely target any refugee groups still carrying food.

The Su family was large and thus an obvious target. They could be next.

Hearing Old Madam Su’s words, everyone snapped out of it. Su Lao’er and Su Lao-san pushed the one-wheel cart with all their strength, nearly making it fly.

Su Lao-si and Su Lao-wu stayed behind to cover the rear. Jin Yuegui, without waiting for Old Madam Su’s order, fled ahead on her own. Wu Chunhe clutched Su Yanhe tightly, Zhang Xiaolan held onto Su Yanqi, and Liu Yingying clung to Su Yanxing. The family ran frantically through the heavy rain.

Su Huan noticed one of Su Yan’s family members staring blankly at Jin Yuegui’s fleeing figure, almost being left behind, and she cried out anxiously, “Yi-yi-ya-ya!”

Old Madam Su turned back and nearly fainted from anger. She grabbed an egg and smashed it against the boy’s forehead, cursing loudly, “Yan Jia’er! What are you standing there for? Want to die? Get over here!”

Su Yan Jia touched the eggshell on his forehead, his heart warming, “Got it, Grandma!”

With that, he ran forward determinedly.

The whole family didn’t dare breathe heavily until they had escaped five miles away and finally dared to stop and rest.

Old Madam Su, needing to both carry the child and protect the goat and chickens and rabbits from falling out of the cart, had been jostled terribly the whole way. As soon as they stopped, she placed Su Huan on the one-wheel cart, her legs giving out. She bent over and vomited up everything she had eaten that morning, her face deathly pale.

The other Su family members didn’t look much better. The earlier scene had been too horrific; they would never forget it for the rest of their lives.

After throwing up, Old Madam Su instructed, “Everyone rest for a bit, drink some water. Fourth daughter-in-law, you take care of Huan-jie’er and the fifth daughter-in-law. Second and third daughters-in-law, take out the dried fish from yesterday and cook some fish soup for everyone. Roast all the leftover sweet potatoes too. Yan Jia, Yan He, help tend the fire. Yan Qi and Yan Xing, stay by my side and don’t go anywhere!

Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth sons, keep watch nearby. Send two people ahead to scout. Even though that group didn’t catch up, there might be more of their gang up ahead. If they’re few in number, we’ll kill those villains! And maybe snatch a few weapons! If they’re many, we’ll detour around! If I’m wrong, after eating, we’ll hurry on and continue fleeing!”

Everyone, hearing her orders, immediately perked up and set to work.

Su Huan noticed Old Madam Su’s pale face and reached out worriedly, “Yi-ya!”

This time, Old Madam Su seemed to understand her. She waved her hand and said, “Heh, Grandma’s fine, Grandma’s just fine!”

“Yi-ya! Yi-ya!”

Su Huan cried out insistently.

Old Madam Su quickly asked Liu Yingying to check if Su Huan’s diaper was wet and then to give her some goat’s milk. But the goat, frightened earlier, wasn’t producing any milk now.

Old Madam Su frowned, “This is bad. Without goat’s milk, what will Huan-jie’er eat?”

Li Sumei, struggling to sit up, said, “Mother, let me nurse her.”

Old Madam Su, forcing herself to endure her dizziness, said, “Lie down! Get your strength back first before you feed her.”

Su Huan, seeing Old Madam Su’s poor condition, cried even harder, “Yi-ya! Yi-ya!”

Liu Yingying, hearing her voice getting hoarse, quickly brought her over, “Mother, I don’t think Huan-jie’er’s diaper is wet, and she doesn’t seem thirsty or hungry. She probably just wants you to hold her. Please hold her.”

Old Madam Su had no choice but to lean against the cart, both angry and amused, and hugged Su Huan tightly, pinching her little cheek, “What’s wrong? Scared, huh? Don’t be afraid, Grandma’s here. Grandma will protect you.”

“Yi-ya～”

Su Huan called out softly, holding Old Madam Su’s hand and sending a little bit of spiritual energy into her body.

She was still young, and protecting Old Madam Su was protecting herself too. At least for now, nothing could happen to Old Madam Su.

As the spiritual energy entered her body, Old Madam Su gradually felt better and her complexion improved significantly.

Liu Yingying breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly thinking of something and saying, “Mother, don’t people often say that children’s eyes are spiritually sensitive? Maybe you were frightened just now and caught something unclean, and little Wuya saw it and is helping drive away the evil spirits!”

Li Sumei thoughtfully added, “That makes sense. Besides, Wuya is wearing a patchwork garment made from scraps gathered from the common people. Such ‘Hundred Families Clothing’ has been known since ancient times to bless and ward off evil.”

Hundred Families Clothing?

Su Huan grabbed at her swaddling cloth, inspecting it. No wonder it felt so comfortable—it was imbued with the collective positive energy of countless people.