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墨書 Inktalez
Instead, he gazed at each hungry person with eyes full of compassion as they enjoyed their food. The meager rations in their hands, barely the size of their fingertips, were held tightly as they chewed slowly, reluctant to swallow. It was not that they could not eat, but rather that they had gone too long without food and wanted to savor this precious sustenance for as long as possible.
Once everyone had eaten enough, a boy around ten years old, standing over five feet tall, stepped forward from the crowd and offered a piece of his dry ration to an elderly man. "Grandpa, you should eat some too."
The old man struggled to lift a hand and gently patted the boy's head. "You’re such a good child, but Grandpa isn’t hungry. You should eat."
The boy did not retract his arm. "You’re lying again, Grandpa. You haven’t eaten anything for three days; how could you not be hungry? Besides, you gave me a larger portion, and I’ve only taken one bite."
As he spoke, he mimicked chewing as if he had truly devoured a large piece. However, the dry ration had been personally distributed by the old man, so he could see at a glance that the boy's food had never been touched.
"Shun Er," the old man said gently, "you eat. We rely on you to protect everyone. You need to be strong to ensure we all reach the capital safely."
Despite several invitations to share food, the old man consistently declined. Meanwhile, Dian Wei observed the boy's filial piety with great admiration. It stirred a sense of camaraderie within him, prompting him to unhesitatingly pull out ten pieces of dry rations from the cart for everyone. "You don’t need to be polite; these are ten extra rations I prepared for you all."
When leaving Xinghua Village, Zhu Ji had arranged an entire month’s worth of supplies for Chu Yan and Dian Wei, considering their substantial appetites—each needed at least four pounds of food daily. Although ten pieces of dry rations would only last two people for a day, it was enough to keep a group of starving individuals from succumbing to hunger.
The boy looked at the robust man before him with surprise, silently reflecting: truly, one should not judge by appearances.
Despite Dian Wei's unkempt appearance, his kind-hearted nature greatly improved the impression others had of him. However, the old man shook his head and returned the food cakes, expressing gratitude for the good intentions but insisting that they could not accept charity without having contributed anything in return.
Dian Wei scratched his head, puzzled by the existence of such stubborn individuals in the world. They were clearly starving. Yet in the old man, he saw a tough moral conviction that not only supported him but also served as a spiritual pillar for the entire community. If this resolve wavered, the whole group would likely crumble, potentially turning into a soulless crowd that abandoned dignity for mere survival.
At that moment, faced with the old man's steadfastness, Dian Wei fell into deep thought, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, Chu Yan had an idea. She stepped forward and said, "Old man, we actually need your help with something."
The old man sensed that these two genuinely wanted to assist him. Seeing the eager expressions of his fellow villagers, he let out a long sigh. Chu Yan and Dian Wei's proposal provided him with a suitable way out; refusing again would seem overly stubborn and unreasonable.
Thus, he replied, "What exactly is it that you need help with? No matter the difficulty, we are willing to do our utmost to assist."
Chu Yan waved her hand dismissively, indicating it wasn't a big deal. "It's just that it's getting late and not suitable for traveling. We also need to let the horses rest. So I hope to invite everyone to take a break here together. With more people around, we can look out for each other."
The old man nodded in agreement; this was a minor matter. Representing all his kin, he accepted the invitation since they had planned to rest anyway.
Chu Yan smiled reassuringly. "That's great! Since you agree, please accept these food cakes. You’re hungry; if you faint from low blood sugar, it would affect everyone else too."
The old man chuckled helplessly and finally accepted the food cakes from Dian Wei's hands, proceeding to distribute them once more. This time there were ten additional food cakes, allowing each person to receive about half a pound—a significant boost to everyone's sense of security.
Quickly, the food cakes were fairly distributed among all present. Although the portion received by the old man was still smaller than others', tears shimmered in the eyes of those who received food before they could even take a bite. The long-standing torment of hunger made them especially grateful for this assistance; however, their tears remained trapped due to prolonged deprivation of food and water.
Everyone wanted to cry but found themselves unable to make a sound. This meal was the best they had experienced in over half a month.
Upon seeing this scene, Dian Wei turned back to the carriage and retrieved several bottles of Qing Shui. Understanding the severity of the ongoing drought, they had not only prepared ample food for this journey but also brought along a significant supply of water. Especially after receiving a continuous source of water from Yun Xiao Yi in Xinghua Village, their reserves were exceedingly plentiful. Each water bottle was filled to the brim, nearly overflowing.
"Can you eat this? Here, have some water," Dian Wei said, aware of Famine's concerns. He explained, "This water is cheap and common; our local sources are abundant, so we brought plenty. You can drink without worry." He added, "Besides, if dry food gets stuck in your throat, how can we take care of you at night?"
The muscles on the old man's face twitched involuntarily. Although he knew that this strong man meant well, the words sounded rather blunt. Nevertheless, he did not refuse any further; instead, he accepted two bottles of water and addressed the crowd behind him, "Everyone stand in line; children and women drink first, and once they are done, it will be the turn of the others."
People nodded in agreement and quickly formed a line. Their movements were swift and orderly—something even the most well-trained border troops might struggle to achieve. Dian Wei exchanged glances with Chu Yan, both sensing that this group of Famine was quite extraordinary.
One by one, the Famine members lined up before the old man. Each person unscrewed the cap and took a couple of gentle sips before passing the bottle to the next person without hesitation. This same action continued until nearly twenty people had tasted the sweet water, yet not a single bottle had been emptied.
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