Chapter 169: Factional Strife

Zhang Lan couldn’t discern the situation, but she was certain that something was amiss. “Qianqian, let’s quickly deliver your grandmother’s items and deal with the rest later.”

The mother and daughter hurried to the neighborhood office near the Zuo family’s courtyard. They found the person who had been entrusted by Wang Zhenjie. Upon seeing the mother and daughter delivering the materials, the person kindly reminded them, “I say, be careful when you go out. The streets haven’t been very peaceful these days. Once you’re done here, leave as soon as possible.”

Zhang Lan and her daughter didn’t know the specifics of the unrest, but they appreciated the person’s concern.

After completing their business at the office, they returned to the Zuo family’s courtyard. The residential area was relatively better, with at least some people visible in the yards of various homes. Wang Qian still had some items to sell, so she wanted to visit Dan Shuzhen. Unfortunately, no one was home, so she had to go to the neighboring house of the lady who often bought things from her.

The elderly lady was surprised and somewhat worried to see her. “Girl, why did you come over? Things have been chaotic around here these days. Haven’t you noticed that there are no people on the streets? Come in quickly. What good things have you brought this time?”

Wang Qian was truly touched by the kindness of the elderly lady. “Grandma, this time I’ve brought some fresh vegetables. We set up a shed in the vegetable garden and planted some early-season vegetables. I came to make some money. Do you know anyone here who would like to buy? We’ve saved some grain at home, and I thought I could exchange it for money. Does anyone here want to buy?”

The elderly lady’s eyes lit up at the mention of grain. Their household was running low on grain, and the next month’s supply hadn’t arrived yet. The girl’s visit was like a small miracle for them.

“Girl, are your things still at your relative’s house? Go get them first. I’ll go ask the neighbors. I think many people will buy them. It’s a tough time, and every household is struggling to find food. Hurry and get your things.”

With the elderly lady’s words, Wang Qian felt reassured. As long as there was demand, they could make money.

Leaving the elderly lady’s house, she hurried back. “Mom, let’s quickly get the things. I think many people will buy them. Aunt Shan isn’t home. I went to her neighbor’s house. You’ve met that elderly lady before. She asked me to come back and get the things. She’s gone to find people.”

Zhang Lan quickly took her daughter and brought the items to the courtyard of the elderly lady’s house, where many people were already waiting.

“Oh, you’re here. Hurry and weigh the items.”

Everyone was eager to buy and return home. Zhang Lan and her daughter didn’t waste time. They sold the vegetables and grain at the same prices as before. Surprisingly, many people bought the grain this time. The mother and daughter brought both fine and coarse grain to sell, with only a slight difference in price between the two.

After making their purchases, the customers hurriedly left. It took three trips for the mother and daughter to send everyone away.

Their bags were filled with cash, and the elderly lady didn’t want them to stay longer. After a few kind words, she saw them off.

As soon as they left the house, a series of loud noises erupted in the street. Each household quickly closed their doors, and people outside hurried back home. The mother and daughter also rushed back.

Coincidentally, they ran into Dan Shuzhen, who was running back. Wang Qian had never seen her in such a disheveled state, with her hair disheveled, her shoes askew, and her backpack clutched under her arm.

“Shuzhen, what’s happening? Where is the noise coming from?”

Shuzhen looked up and saw Wang Qian and her daughter. Her expression, still somewhat shaken, relaxed a little.

“Qianqian, you should go back quickly. People from two Factions are fighting in the street. They don’t care about anyone and no one dares to provoke them. I saw them fighting all over the street. You should go home quickly. I’m leaving too. Be careful and don’t provoke anyone you shouldn’t,” Shuzhen hurriedly told the mother and daughter before rushing back to her own home.

Zhang Lan quickly pulled her daughter back to the courtyard of the Zuo family after Shuzhen’s warning.

After hearing Shuzhen’s words, Zhang Lan inexplicably felt particularly afraid. She had never experienced such a situation before, so she locked the door from the inside as soon as they entered. She had decided not to open the door for anyone.

Due to the recent events, Zhang Lan and her daughter decided not to return home. They would stay there for now and only return when it was safe.

Sitting in the courtyard, Wang Qian could hear the continuous sounds from outside, as if the two groups had already started to clash.

She couldn’t help but sigh. Why were these people causing trouble? They were disrupting the peaceful life they had.

However, she still didn’t quite understand the intentions of the two groups.

“Mom, what are they trying to do? Can’t they just live and work peacefully?”

Zhang Lan, who had lived in the countryside for a long time, was also unfamiliar with the ways of the city. She shook her head. “I don’t understand either. Let’s not worry about them. As long as we can have enough to eat, that’s all that matters.”

As the mother and daughter were talking, they heard shouting and fighting in the street, along with cries for help, creating a chilling mix of sounds.

Zhang Lan quickly embraced her daughter, comforting her in a low voice, “Qianqian, don’t be afraid. Mom is here with you.”

It was impossible not to feel fear, as the sounds outside were truly terrifying. Wang Qian couldn’t understand how people could be so reckless. She wondered why they didn’t have the courage to go to the battlefield in the first place. It would have felt more meaningful to her.

She also realized that perhaps these people weren’t even born at that time. Nevertheless, she couldn’t comprehend why they would disregard life in such a way. Living is not easy, and it’s a precious opportunity. It’s unfair for it to be cut short before one can truly enjoy life.

Sighing inwardly for the injured, Wang Qian wondered how many people would remember what happened here today in twenty years.

Nestled in her mother’s arms, Wang Qian felt comforted by her mother’s soothing scent. “Mom, as long as you’re here, I’m not afraid. But we can’t go back today. The flour hasn’t been ground yet, and I don’t know how long this will last. These people are just causing trouble for no reason. I wonder who we’ve offended. We can’t even leave the house.”

Zhang Lan smiled as she listened to her daughter’s complaints. She felt grateful to have her by her side.

“Qianqian, Don’t worry. We have plenty of things at home. I’ll make noodles for you later. We’ll have a special meal together. We have food and drink, so let them make a fuss,” Zhang Lan reassured her daughter.

Although the commotion outside didn’t pose any direct harm to the mother and daughter hiding in the courtyard, Wang Qian felt a sense of helplessness and powerlessness. In this unique era, some things were truly beyond normal human comprehension. It was cruel, and human nature had become distorted.

As the distant shouts gradually faded and disappeared, Zhang Lan finally felt at ease to start cooking. At this moment, Wang Qian didn’t know which side had emerged victorious outside. However, it was either the east wind prevailing over the west wind or the west wind prevailing over the east wind. Perhaps they would know the answer tomorrow.

Wang Qian went into the kitchen and took out some flour from the space. However, she noticed that there was hardly any oil left in the kitchen. It seemed that the elderly lady was also economizing, perhaps because she had given them the oil coupons.

“Mom, if we can’t manage, we can make some noodle soup. It’s simple and easy. We can just add some tomatoes, and it’s both convenient and delicious,” Wang Qian suggested.

Since her daughter had made the suggestion, Zhang Lan didn’t insist on making noodles. They cooked a pot of noodle soup with plain water, and even saved some for the evening.

Unable to go out to sell their goods, the mother and daughter tidied up the house before sitting down to count their earnings. They had a large bag of loose change. Each of them took on a task, one counting the loose change and the other counting the bills. Seeing the neatly stacked piles of coins, Wang Qian felt a real sense of accomplishment.

At that moment, she was filled with mixed emotions, realizing how difficult it was to earn some pocket money at this time.

When the mother and daughter tallied their earnings, Zhang Lan’s face lit up with a smile. It was almost as much as a couple’s annual income.

“Qianqian, with this much money, when we go back, we’ll buy everyone a pair of shoes. I’ve noticed that everyone’s shoes are worn out, and it’s almost time to wear them. Your grandfathers’ homes are far away, so we should consider as much as we can. They are all elderly and it’s not easy for them,” Zhang Lan suggested.

“Mom, don’t forget to buy a pair of shoes for each of our grandparents. Uncle’s shoes are also worn out, and he often brings things to our house. We should buy for them too. Also, why not buy some fabric for Uncle to make some clothes?” Wang Qian added.

Speaking of Zhang Weiguo, Wang Qian felt that her uncle had made the greatest contribution. Their family never lacked seafood, thanks to Zhang Weiguo’s hard work.

The night was calm, as if nothing had happened outside. After having their meal, they saw people moving around outside. The elderly lady, who had cautioned them to be careful the day before, was standing at the courtyard gate, looking outside.

“Grandma, what are you doing here?” Zhang Lan greeted the elderly lady warmly.

Seeing the mother and daughter, the elderly lady quickly ushered them into the courtyard.

“Niece, I’ve been waiting for you. I wanted to ask if you still have any grain. My daughter-in-law’s family is running out of grain. She came to me early this morning seeking a solution,” the elderly lady explained.

Regarding grain, Wang Qian’s space still had some, but she couldn’t take it out right now. Zhang Lan smiled and asked, “How much do you need, and do you want wheat flour or cornmeal?”

The elderly lady, with a smile, replied, “We can’t afford wheat flour. My daughter-in-law’s family has many mouths to feed. Cornmeal to make steamed cornbread is good enough. Just bring me 200 kilograms of cornmeal. I have a cart, so you can push it over. I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

With the elderly lady’s guidance, the mother and daughter pushed the small cart back to the Left family’s courtyard and retrieved the grain from the space. They then delivered it to the elderly lady’s house. Both parties weighed the grain and settled the payment face to face.

Wang Qian wanted to know how the situation had unfolded the previous day and whether it was safe for them to go out today.

“Grandma, has the conflict from yesterday ended? Can we go out today?” she inquired.