Lu Wenzhi was seething with anger, already contemplating how to deal with Shen Qingwan, that wretched woman.

Upon arriving in Changping County, the village head planned to take everyone to replenish their water and food supplies.

They initially thought that leaving Youzhou would bring some relief, but the situation in Linzhou turned out to be even worse.

Changping County was the first town they passed through upon entering Linzhou.

Outside the town, there were emaciated refugees resting everywhere.

Along the way, they saw child traffickers shouting, offering ten pounds of coarse rice for a girl and eight pounds for a boy.

The situation in Changping County seemed even more severe than in Youzhou.

Old Madam Lu and Old Man Lu supported each other as they walked forward.

The refugees eyed their convoy, especially the livestock carts, with greedy gazes.

The village head told everyone to go buy supplies and fetch water.

Shen Qingwan entrusted the two children to Old Madam Lu and Old Man Lu while she took her second brother-in-law, Lu Wenguang, and Bai Yong’an into town to find water.

Their food supplies were dwindling rapidly, but water was even more scarce.

If Shen Qingwan hadn’t occasionally refilled their water jars, they would have run out long ago.

Upon entering Changping County, they found that very few shops were still open—only a handful of grain and food stores remained in business.

Shen Qingwan walked over to check the grain prices and was shocked. “Did I read that right? Coarse rice has gone up to thirty wen per pound?!”

She hadn’t expected food prices to rise so quickly—it was almost as expensive as pork.

Bai Yong’an sighed, deeply moved. “With the ongoing war, grain prices are naturally high. Add a year of natural disasters to the mix, and food becomes more valuable than gold. I fear this isn’t even the peak price yet. When food supplies run out, prices will skyrocket even further. In the end, even if you have money, you may not be able to buy food at all—that’s the most terrifying part.”

Shen Qingwan glanced at Bai Yong’an, sizing him up. “I assume the Bai family has stockpiled a significant amount of grain?”

Bai Yong’an let out an awkward chuckle and lowered his voice. “Our Bai family specializes in the grain business, so of course, we’ve stored some. But our supplies are limited—we can’t save the entire world.”

Shen Qingwan wasn’t naive.

She knew the Bai family wouldn’t donate their grain to refugees.

Merchants prioritize profit above all else.

Just look at the noble families—none of them hesitate to use any means necessary to secure their wealth.

As the saying goes, “Without extraordinary means, how can one amass great fortune?” If they weren’t ruthless, they would be trampled underfoot.

If the Bai family had indeed hoarded grain, they were set to make an enormous profit this time.

Although they were making money off a national crisis, if it wasn’t the Bai family, it would be someone else. So why shouldn’t they be the ones to benefit?

“I see now why Second Master isn’t distressed about losing the Qingan Bank—you don’t care about a little money,” Shen Qingwan teased.

Bai Yong’an shot her a glare. “Nonsense! Of course, I care. But what can I do? That being said, the Bai family is definitely going to profit handsomely this time. When we reach Licheng, just tell me how much grain you need. Since you saved my life, I’ll make sure you have enough.”

Bai Yong’an patted his chest, speaking generously.

Shen Qingwan quickly thanked him.

“Eldest Sister-in-law, I just checked, and even water costs money in town—fifty wen per bucket! What should we do? Should we look elsewhere for a water source?” Lu Wenguang ran back, his face filled with anxiety.

Shen Qingwan furrowed her brows but decisively said, “Buy it. Even if it costs fifty wen per bucket, we have to get it. If we move forward and find no other water sources, we won’t make it to the next town.”

Lu Wenguang thought for a moment and then nodded. “Alright, I’ll go stand in line for water while you two buy grain.”

He picked up two empty buckets and left.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingwan and Bai Yong’an went to purchase more food.

They had lent most of their grain to the villagers, so they needed to restock.

Money wasn’t an issue for Shen Qingwan, so the price surge didn’t affect her much.

However, since she was buying a large quantity, she had the shop assistant use a cart to help transport the goods outside the town.

Seeing a steamed bun vendor, Shen Qingwan couldn’t resist buying a few.

At thirty wen per meat bun, the price was outrageous, but she didn’t mind—her two little ones loved them.

She had discovered a certain joy in feeding the children, and she was becoming more attentive to their needs.

Bai Yong’an sneaked a few buns as well before heading back with Shen Qingwan.

He was already in his forties, yet this was the first time he had eaten in secret.

The villagers were too poor—if they openly ate meat buns, the hungry gazes would be unbearable.

Shen Qingwan also ate two before returning with the remaining buns.

The grain shop assistant followed with the cart, but before they even reached the outskirts of town, Shen Qingwan spotted Old Madam Lu, Old Man Lu, and Lu Jiaojiao inside a clothing shop.

Seeing her, they quickly waved her over.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, come take a look. Which pair of shoes is better? Third Brother said his soles are worn through and asked me to buy him a new pair. We haven’t had time to make shoes on the road, so we have to buy ready-made ones. I also noticed that Second Brother’s shoes are torn, so I figured I’d buy a pair for him too. What do you think?”

Shen Qingwan’s mood soured instantly. “Mother, just pick whichever. They’re all the same.”

Old Madam Lu knew that her eldest daughter-in-law disliked Third Son, but she was caught in the middle and found it difficult to balance both sides.

She quickly bought two pairs of shoes for fifty wen and then rejoined the group to head back.

Just as they reached the outskirts of town, they saw Zhou Huiniang rushing toward them, nearly in tears.

“Sister-in-law, Xiaoyu and Xiaochen are missing!”

Shen Qingwan’s expression changed immediately. “What did you just say? How could they be missing?”

“Father and Mother left with Jiaojiao not long ago. Xiaojuan needed to relieve herself, so I took her away for a moment. I asked Third Brother to watch the mule cart. But when I returned, the two kids were gone! I asked Third Brother, and he said he didn’t see anything. But Auntie Wang said she saw him taking the children away, yet he came back alone!”

Zhou Huiniang wiped the sweat from her forehead, clearly panicked.

Shen Qingwan rushed to the mule cart, her eyes locking onto Lu Wenzhi.

Lu Wenzhi avoided her gaze, looking guilty.

Li Qiujun also averted her face, her expression uneasy.