Chapter 27

Now tired and hungry, arguing further would just be a waste of time.

Ding Xiaodie knew the honest personalities of Dabao and Erbao. Since they’d insist on only taking one portion, she said, “Alright, we’ll do it your way today. Yesterday you two took two portions, today we’ll take two portions, and next time it’ll be your turn again. How’s that?”

Dabao scratched his head. “Xiaodie, you’re really fair about this.”

This little girl was really clever—there was no way he and his brother could outtalk her.

Ding Gui clapped his hands and said, “It’s settled then. No more arguing, let’s go!”

As for tomorrow—well, they’d deal with that when it came. Dabao and Erbao felt deeply grateful to this father and daughter duo. Without them, just relying on the brute strength of the two brothers, they never would’ve found food.

The four of them returned loaded with goods, cheerfully walking back to the street.

But as they walked, they suddenly realized something was wrong.

Where was everyone?

Even though only villagers from Aozi Valley were staying in the town, it was still odd that not a soul was outside. Everyone was desperate for food, so of course they’d be wandering about trying to find something to eat. Yet now, no one was on the streets, and it was eerily quiet—like the entire place was soundless.

Wasn’t that just weird?

What was even more unsettling was that they occasionally spotted villagers peeking furtively out their windows.

What was going on?

Erbao whispered, “Bro, do you think they know we’ve got food and want to steal it?”

Everyone was starving. They all knew how jealousy felt.

Dabao was dumbfounded. He was a little panicked and didn’t know what to say, so he looked to Ding Gui. “Uncle, what’s going on?”

Ding Gui was at a loss for words. “…”

As someone who had just transmigrated here, he understood even less what the villagers were thinking. But he did know one thing: human nature couldn’t stand trials. If they pulled a rabbit out of their clothes right now, he had no doubt the villagers would immediately charge out to snatch it.

Among the four, only Ding Xiaodie remained calm. She glanced around and waved her small hand. “No talking. Speed up. Everyone back to your houses—now. Quickly!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted her short legs and ran toward their home.

Ding Gui quickly followed.

Dabao and Erbao were a beat behind, but once they got what was happening, they dashed back to their house as well.

“Mom! Mom!”

Ding Xiaodie rushed inside, frantically looking around. Whatever else might happen—even if the sky was falling—right now, she only cared about one thing: her mother had better be safe.

Compared to his daughter, Ding Gui couldn’t even manage to call out. When someone is extremely tense, sometimes words just won’t come out.

Just as the father and daughter ran upstairs in panic, they saw someone exiting Zhang Xiu’s room…

“Mom!”

“Wife!”

The two were so relieved to see her safe and sound. The little one hugged her leg, and the big one pulled his wife into his arms. It had scared them half to death.

Zhang Xiu was confused. “What’s wrong with you two?”

At that moment, Wang Dafeng also came out of the room and saw the scene. “Tsk tsk tsk, shame on you, you little turtle! Hugging and clinging to your wife in broad daylight—Xiaodie is right there watching! No decency at all!”

The Ding family trio: “…”

Fine, they stepped apart. Otherwise, Wang Dafeng might stomp the floor so hard she’d break the boards.

Then Ding Xiaodie asked, “Mom, what happened? There’s no one on the street. Is everyone in the village okay?”

Zhang Xiu sighed and told them what had happened: Laifu had been taken away by a mysterious man on horseback.

She was exhausted. After Laifu was taken, no one in the village had comforted Yangshi, so she went over to check on her. Then she had to coax Wang Dafeng out from under the bed with lots of gentle words.

If that old woman kept hiding under the bed, she’d suffocate or get sick eventually.

“The village chief was just taken away like that?” Ding Gui found it unbelievable.

Ding Xiaodie was shocked too. “In times like these, someone still has the resources to keep a horse? I thought only the military had them now. But you said the man didn’t seem like a nomadic soldier from Mo City.”

Hearing her daughter say this, Zhang Xiu’s face changed, a hint of unease creeping in. “Now that you mention it, I do feel uneasy. You’re right—these days there’s no water or grass. How could ordinary people afford livestock? Could they really have been nomadic soldiers in disguise?”

“But if they were targeting the villagers, why only take the chief? That doesn’t make sense,” Ding Gui said seriously. “They wouldn’t be so polite about it.”

While the family worried about Village Chief Laifu, Wang Dafeng stood to the side, squinting with her triangular eyes, sizing up the father and daughter.

Her cloudy eyes seemed to have a built-in scanner. First, she noticed the woven basket in Ding Gui’s hand. Then she looked at Xiaodie—clearly, the girl had something hidden in her clothes. Otherwise, her back wouldn’t be so bulky.

The more she stared, the more her eyes lit up—almost green with greed.

Terrified of hunger, she would go after anything she thought was edible, no matter what.

Almost like possessed, Wang Dafeng suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Ding Xiaodie’s thin arm. “Xiaodie, did you bring some food back for Grandma? Come on, give it to me, good girl. Grandma is starving!”

Ding Xiaodie rolled her eyes. “Grandma, we had millet porridge this morning, remember?”

Compared to yesterday, being able to drink a bowl of porridge was already a big step up.

“I know, but I’m still hungry. I ate, and I’m still hungry.” Wang Dafeng’s face, like dried bark, was full of pitiful expression.

Ding Xiaodie didn’t actually mind sharing food. They brought back two rabbits, originally planning to have a good rabbit stew that night. But after what happened with Laifu, no one was in the mood to eat.

Still, she knew the rabbits couldn’t stay hidden. So she pulled one out from under her clothes and handed it to Zhang Xiu. “Mom, let’s cook rabbit tonight.”

“Rabbit!” Seeing meat again, Wang Dafeng’s eyes lit up with excitement. She immediately reached for it. “Great! Meat! There’s meat again!”

The expressions of the Ding family sharply contrasted with Wang Dafeng’s.

That old woman hadn’t changed one bit—she still had no compassion and only ever thought about food.

At that moment, they seemed to hear voices from the street.

Ding Xiaodie quickly ran into the room and looked out from the second-floor window. The door to Village Chief Laifu’s house across the street had opened.

Dabao and Erbao were knocking on doors in a panic.

“Uncle, can one of the men in your house come with us to look for my dad?”

“Sir, we can’t be without our father. And the village can’t be without him either. Please, we’re begging someone to go with us!”