The next day, Jiang Yunzhu helped Chen continue making sorghum cakes. It took a lot of time to grind 50 kilograms of sorghum rice into flour and then make it into cakes.
In the meantime, Chen and Jiang Cheng discussed it and then left.
Jiang Cheng ran straight to the west of the village, stopped in front of a vermilion door and knocked on the door.
After a while, a man came out of the door. When he saw Jiang Cheng, he immediately held the door and said, "My family is out of food. Our mother didn't eat last night and is still hungry!" From the look of his face, it seemed that he was afraid that Jiang Cheng would come in or ask him to borrow food.
This man is Jiang Cheng’s brother Jiang Hai.
Jiang Cheng looked at his slightly bulging belly. It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed. Jiang Hai took over the job of Jiang's father and worked as the shopkeeper of a restaurant in the town. He lived a prosperous life. Even if he had suffered a disaster in the past two years, it wouldn't be like this.
"Who is it?" a woman in the yard asked loudly, and then added, "No matter who it is, there is no grain to borrow from us. We can't even get enough to eat!"
"I know." Jiang Hai replied and looked at Jiang Cheng. What he meant was, you heard it, our family still can't get enough food!
Jiang Cheng knew this would be the result.
"I want to see mother." He said in a muffled voice.
He was about to leave here, and he didn't know if they would meet again in this life. He thought that he should at least meet with Old Mrs. Jiang and say something.
"To see mother?" Jiang Hai sneered. He naturally thought that Jiang Cheng didn't get any favor from him, so he wanted to borrow money from Old Lady Jiang.
"Mom, my second brother wants to see you." He was still holding the door and shouting inside.
"Now that you know you want to meet me, why didn't you think of having me as your mother when you married that daughter-in-law?" Old Mrs. Jiang said with full energy.
At first, when Jiang Cheng wanted to marry Chen, Old Lady Jiang disagreed a hundred percent. But in the end, Jiang Cheng still married Chen. Old Lady Jiang directly divided the family and separated them out, giving them nothing. She also looked down on Chen and Jiang Cheng.
"Mom." Jiang Cheng shouted outside the door.
"You got married and forgot your mother. I don't have a son like you." Old Mrs. Jiang scolded.
Her words were very hurtful. How could Jiang Cheng have forgotten her? Over the years since they got married, every time the Jiang family made something delicious, they would remember her first.
Jiang Cheng was filled with indignation. He fell to his knees and kowtowed to Old Lady Jiang.
Jiang Hai was inside the door, looking at him as if he was watching a joke.
After kowtowed three times, Jiang Cheng looked up and said, "Mom, I'm leaving." What he meant was that he was leaving Changfeng Prefecture.
"Go away!" Old Mrs. Jiang just said, and never came out to see Jiang Cheng from beginning to end.
Jiang Cheng looked steadily into the yard, stood up and walked away.
In a dilapidated small courtyard in the south of the village, the scene was completely different at this time.
Chen closed the door and told Old Man Chen in a low voice that she was leaving. Finally, she said, "Dad, please come with us."
At first, Mr. Chen and Mrs. Chen also fled here. Later, Mrs. Chen married Jiang Cheng, and Mr. Chen has been living alone. Two years ago, he had problems with his eyes and couldn't see clearly. Usually, Mrs. Chen took care of him. Now that Mrs. Chen left, he was left alone. Isn't that waiting to die? That's why Mrs. Chen said so.
"No, you guys go. I can survive alone." Old Man Chen shook his head.
He is old and his eyesight is not good. If he follows Chen, wouldn't he be a burden to her
“Dad…” Chen already had a plan in mind, so she didn’t say anything else.
Old Master Chen seemed to remember something and went into the inner room. After a while, he came out with a cloth bag and handed it to Chen.
Chen opened the cloth bag and saw a silver hairpin and some small change inside.
She recognized that the hairpin was her mother's relic.
"I should have given it to you a long time ago. I always wanted to keep it by my side, just like your mother was still alive. Now you are leaving, take it with you." said Old Man Chen.
Chen's tears couldn't stop flowing. She put away the cloth bag and became more determined in her mind.
In the evening, the Jiang family was ready for everything. As soon as the sun set, everyone went to bed.
At Chou time the next day, which was a little after two in the morning, the Jiang family got up, picked up their things, and quietly left home.
The moment the door was locked, Chen's tears almost fell again, but this time, she held back. She couldn't cry!
Jiang Cheng was also feeling bad, the road ahead was long and his burden was even heavier.
For a moment, he really wanted to go back and stay. What if the next year was a good year? But he also knew that he couldn't gamble because he couldn't afford to lose.
On the contrary, Jiang Lin and the other three children were very excited. Perhaps in their eyes, this was just a long journey.
"Let's go." Jiang Cheng said.
The family quietly went to Mr. Chen’s residence in the south of the village.
Jiang Lin climbed over the low wall quietly, went in and opened the door, and Jiang Cheng and others went straight into the yard.
"Who?" Mr. Chen's eyesight was not very good, but his ears were extremely sensitive. As he was old, he was easily awakened, so he asked in surprise when he heard the noise outside.
"It's me, Dad." Jiang Cheng replied.
Old Master Chen was extremely surprised. What happened? Why did he come here at this time
Feeling uneasy, he quickly got up and opened the door.
"Dad, come with us." Jiang Cheng said in a low voice.
Only then did Mr. Chen understand Chen's plan. It turned out that she had made up her mind to take him with her from the beginning. She just didn't tell him yesterday because she was afraid that he would refuse. Moved and sad, Mr. Chen didn't want to leave with Chen anymore. He just urged them to leave quickly, otherwise it would be bad if they were seen by others.
Of course Mrs. Chen refused to leave and insisted on taking Old Man Chen with her.
Mr. Chen disagreed.
The two people were pulling and tugging.
Jiang Yunzhu was anxious watching from the side. She thought they should take Mr. Chen with them. Mr. Chen only had poor eyesight, but he was still strong and had no problem following them.
But if he were allowed to stay, the disaster would be even worse next year and he would starve to death.
"Grandfather, if you don't leave, we won't leave either." She said to Old Man Chen sincerely, "Dad and Mom must take you with us, and that's what we mean."
"Yes, grandpa, just come with us, I'll support you." Jiang Lin and others said immediately. After that, the three of them surrounded Grandpa Chen, some held his arms, and one pulled his legs, dragging him out.
Mr. Chen choked up and said, "Good boy, I'll go by myself."
He finally understood the intentions of Chen and others and decided to go with them.
He didn't have much to pack. He had already given the most valuable things to Chen yesterday. He took the clothes he had with him and followed Chen and others out.
The family continued to move south, planning to leave the village from the south and then continue south.
It was three o'clock in the morning, it was still completely dark, and there was no one on the road.
Just as they were about to leave the village, a female voice hesitantly asked, "Sister Chen, is that you?"
Chen was startled. "Who?" she asked in surprise.
A woman came out from the corner over there carrying a bucket of water.
In the dim light, Chen recognized her and breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out to be her.
The woman's surname was Liu. She married into Jinniu Village at the same time as her, but her life was much more difficult than hers.
It is said that she used to work in a brothel. The villagers don't understand why the second son of the Lu family, who is so good-looking and from a wealthy family, went out and married such a woman.
Maybe this woman is particularly good at that? After all, she came from that kind of place. Everyone made malicious guesses.
Because of this, no one in the village was willing to talk to Liu, and she usually stayed at home and never went out of the house.
Days like this were peaceful.
But last year, the second son of the Lu family died of illness, and Liu became a widow with a child.
There are always a lot of gossips about widows, especially when she is pretty and has that kind of experience, it seems like she is born to be flirted with.
No wonder she came out to fetch water at this hour, Chen sighed. She and Liu had no friendship, but this time her family was out of rice. She borrowed from everyone she knew but couldn't borrow a grain of rice. Who would have thought that she would meet Liu on the way back and she would be willing to lend her some.
Chen was grateful to Liu, but also deeply regretted having believed the rumors and not spending more time with her.
When we bought some grain the day before yesterday, she was the first one to return the grain. It was not easy for her as an orphan and a widow.
"Sister Chen, what are you doing?" Liu spoke very nicely and softly.
Chen pulled her aside. Seeing that they were about to leave the village, she didn't want to hide anything from her, so she told her about their plan. Finally, she said to her, "Sister, make plans early. What if there is another famine next year..."
She didn't need to say anything, Liu's face turned pale.
She had a hard time even in a peaceful year, but if it was a year of famine, even if she had money, she would probably be eaten alive.
Chen stopped talking here and turned around to leave with Jiang Cheng and others.
"Thank you sister-in-law for your reminder. You are so kind. Yuan'er and I will definitely repay you in the future." Liu said from behind.
Chen waved her hands. She couldn't help her at all, so it wasn't much of a favor.
After leaving Jinniu Village, there was a vast wilderness in front of them. After walking for a long time, Chen suddenly asked Jiang Cheng, "You said Yunxiu, what will happen in the future..."
Jiang Cheng knew that she must have met Liu and thought of Jiang Yunxiu, and was afraid that she would end up in that kind of place.
"No." Jiang Cheng comforted her.
Chen nodded.
The Jiang family left, and they left a letter under Jiang Yunxiu's pillow, explaining where they were going. In fact, they also left a letter for Jiang Yunzhu in her dream, but she didn't see the letter at all.