When Cheng Qinghan heard this, he suddenly remembered what A Zhu said when he was in town.
Although they had long been prepared in their hearts, the city gates were closed and the refugees were hungry and would flow into nearby villages. However, there had been no movement for so long and everyone had forgotten about it.
"Qiaoqiao, do you still have some food left at home?"
"Yes, but not much."
"Then you come home with me and take some rice with you." Cheng Qingwen pulled her towards the house and said, "You and Aunt Liu are not allowed to go out these days. Even if someone knocks on the door, don't pay attention."
“But what if refugees come asking for food after being hungry for a long time?”
"If there are two or three people, hand the food out of the window and make it clear that there is no more food left in your house. If there are more than ten or twenty people, just ignore it."
"Just, do you really let it go?" Song Qiaoqiao asked blankly with her mouth wide open.
"It's not that you don't care, but that your leftover food is enough to give them a few meals. If you give it once, you will give it a second time. If there is no food later and they are pressed, you orphans and widowed mothers will become fish and meat on the ground, and you will be cut off by others.
Already."
Cheng Qingwen sighed and said softly: "Don't worry, Yuan Qi won't ignore it. Didn't I just tell you that people have already been guarding the entrance to the village?"
"But Magistrate Wei's men haven't arrived yet. Although Master Yuan's men have guarded several village entrances, there are still several trails unguarded."
When Cheng Qinghan heard this, he immediately quickened his pace, planning to ask her to get the food home quickly.
As soon as I walked to the door of my house, I saw Cheng Huaer holding some cakes and giving them to some people in ragged clothes.
The refugees, both male and female, looked like a family, devouring the cakes in their hands.
"Auntie." Cheng Qingwen walked forward quickly, pulled the woman behind him, and put some distance between them: "Who are these?"
"They were refugees from other places. I heard they hadn't eaten for several days, so I gave them some bread."
"Didn't Lord Yuan seal the entrance to the village? Where did they come in from?"
"Brother brought us in from the back mountain." The little girl said vaguely with the cake in her mouth.
Cheng Qingwen turned her head and happened to catch the sight of the leading man staring at the woman, like a hungry wolf staring at food.
Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly said: "Auntie, Master Yuan will come over for dinner later, and he will bring three or four attendants with him."
"Ah?" Cheng Hua'er was stunned for a moment, then immediately said: "Then I'll go cook quickly."
Cheng Qingwen nodded, turned around and walked into the kitchen with Song Qiaoqiao, and brought out several bowls of water.
"How do you know you can climb in through the mountain behind?"
The leading man took a sip of water: "When I was looking for food, I saw a village here, so I wanted to try my luck, but I didn't expect to actually come in."
Cheng Qingwen smiled and nodded, and heard the man ask before she could speak.
"Are you, mother and daughter the only three in your family?"
Even Song Qiaoqiao, who was standing behind, felt something was wrong with these words. Thinking of what she had just said on the way, she shuddered.
Cheng Qingwen hid the sharpness in his eyes and sneered in his heart. He was just trying to find out the situation and make plans for the follow-up.
"This is not my family..."
"My sister's husband has not returned home yet."
Song Qiaoqiao's abrupt words made Cheng Qinghan stunned for a moment.
She half-opened her mouth and responded abruptly: "Yes, he is still outside and will come back later."
The man couldn't hide his disappointment and responded with a smile.
After eating the bread, he took the people away.
Cheng Qingwen breathed a sigh of relief. Although these people were not necessarily bad people, they still needed to be on guard against others, not to mention the words were really weird.
Now, no one dared to let Song Qiaoqiao go home alone.
She rubbed her forehead and looked at the woman's busy figure. It seemed that she had to replenish her mother-in-law's common sense.
Cheng Qingwen walked into the kitchen and said this, but Cheng Hua'er immediately refuted it.
"If everyone thought like you, you would have starved to death when I brought you to Hua County. How could there be so many bad people in this world?"
"Auntie, I'm not saying they are bad people, but I just have to be on guard against others. If they are indeed bad people, if Qiaoqiao and I had never come back, how would you have dealt with them alone?"
"Who has never been in trouble and only had a morsel of food? If you can, give it to me. You were young at that time, so naturally you can't remember the days when I took you from house to house to ask for water, but I can't forget it. Since we still have something left in our family,
What’s wrong with giving food to eat?”
Listening to her tough tone, Cheng Qingwen could only say what she said to Song Qiaoqiao again.
Cheng Hua'er sneered after hearing this, but didn't answer any more.
"Auntie, you and I are orphans and widowed. We have been living alone since then. If something happens, do you expect the Song Daqiang family, who I sent to see the officials twice, to come to rescue you, or Yuan Qi, who has no way to escape?"
Song Qiaoqiao, who was standing at the door, looked at the tense atmosphere between mother and daughter, and said awkwardly: "Huanhan, Master Yuan is here."
Cheng Qingwan was stunned for a moment, thinking that it would be a good thing if he came, just in time for him to send Qiaoqiao back.
She walked to the door and looked at the young man standing outside with a tired face and bloodshot eyes, wondering if she had seen the wrong person.
"Master Yuan, why are you here?"
Yuan Qi handed over the food box in his hand: "A Zhu was guarding the entrance to the village and couldn't leave, so I dropped by and brought him over."
"When will County Magistrate Wei's troops arrive?"
"It will take two days at the earliest."
"Why is it taking so long?"
"The village near the city gate accepted two or three refugees. The whole village has been infected with the disease. Magistrate Wei's troops went there first."
When Song Qiaoqiao heard this, she blurted out: "Then those refugees just now must also be infected with the disease, right?"
As soon as these words came out, Cheng Hua'er, who had been listening with his ears pricked up, was stunned. The spatula in his hand fell to the ground instantly, making a sound.
"Have refugees already arrived?"
Cheng Qinghan nodded.
"Give me food?"
Cheng Qinghan nodded.
"Are you sick?"
Cheng Qingwen nodded...suddenly reacted and said quickly: "No, I'm not sick."
Moanqi looked at her deeply and warned: "In the past few days, if any refugees come to my house to ask for food, bring them to the entrance of the village and I will make arrangements. Do not open the windows or doors privately to avoid contracting the disease."
Cheng Qinghan nodded and suddenly said: "Can't those refugees be sent to the government for proper resettlement?"
"Those who can be sent have already been sent. At this time, the government office is already overcrowded. A shed has been set up at the entrance of the village. If it doesn't rain, they can be accommodated for a few days. When County Magistrate Wei is free, he can send people there."
Just as Cheng Qingwen was about to speak, he saw Aunt Liu coming not far away.
"Why is Lord Yuan here too?"
"Passing by."
Aunt Liu nodded, smiled and said to her daughter: "Qiaoqiao, let's go home."
Cheng Qingwen subconsciously grabbed Song Qiaoqiao's hand and said, "How do you deal with the food of the refugees at the entrance of the village?"
"I still have some food left at home, and I have already had food cooked and delivered to the entrance of the village."
"Sir, it's not good. A refugee suddenly fainted. The doctor treated him and said it was an epidemic."
A Zhu ran over from not far away and replied breathlessly.
Widow Liu and her daughter immediately took a step back and looked at Yuan Qi with horror on their faces.
Seeing that the girl standing there didn't respond, I quickly pulled her.
Cheng Qingwan came to her senses after being pulled away like this.
Before she could speak, Yuan Qi spoke: "Don't go out these days."