Chapter 4: Fleeing from famine

Chapter 4 Escape

Mrs. Gu has been saying this for three days. Gu Jinan's eyes are red with anger every time she hears it. Today, she was filled with hatred and finally couldn't help but said: "Nai, all the food we find every day is handed over to the family. If you don't give it to us, Rations, what should we give in return?"

Mrs. Gu sneered: "That's your business. Anyway, the food you find every day must be handed over. This is the rule set by the village chief."

The Gu family village was fleeing famine together. In order to survive, the village chief discussed with several clan elders that during the escape period, each household would send at least two men out to look for food. The food found could not be kept secretly, but must be given to the family. The family will hand over part of the food to the village. When there is really no food, the village will take out the food and distribute it to each household.

If anyone dares to hide food secretly and refuses to hand it over, once discovered, he will be kicked out of the fleeing team and can no longer follow the village.

The road to escape the famine was full of disaster victims, and they were so hungry that they would do anything. If a family walked alone, everything would be robbed within ten miles.

Mrs. Gu left these words and was supported by her two daughters-in-law to leave.

Gu Jinli looked at Old Mrs. Gu's straight back and narrowed his eyes. He was not allowed to give them rations and was not allowed to hide food secretly. This was to force their family to death.

 No, she must find her household registration as soon as possible and take her family out of Lao Gu's home.

Da Chu has strict household registration management. If you want to leave Old Gu's family, you must first obtain the household registration that Old Mrs. Gu has hidden. Without household registration, their family would be refugees.

Refugees are different from disaster victims. The government will resettle the victims, but they will buy and sell the refugees!

 Those without household registration can be bought and sold at will in Dachu.

 Bang bang bang bang!

The sound of banging came from a nearby rock, which was the place where the head of Gujia Village and his family rested.

“Everyone from Gujia Village, everyone from Gujia Village has gathered together and is on their way!” Gu Dafu, the eldest son of the village chief’s family, shouted loudly.

When the nearby Gujia Villagers heard the sound, they got up one after another, rolled up their mats, carried their burdens, tied grain bags, carried pots and jugs on their shoulders, supported the old man, took the children, and ran to the resting place of the village chief's house. Assemble, count the number of people, and then set off, continuing to escape eastward.

Victims from other villages also started banging their clappers and gongs to shout for people to get ready to leave.

Gu Jinli looked around and was shocked by what he saw. The victims all down the mountain started to move, carrying things on their backs and leading people, and ran towards the gathering place in their village with a huff and a puff.

Looking around, they are all densely packed with people, the size of which is no less than an army gathering.

Gu Jinli held Gu Jincheng's hand tightly. Their family had to be alert at all times on this escape route. There were so many victims, and if one of them failed, their family would have to be on the escape route.

"Xiaoyu, your injury is not fully healed yet. Brother Cheng asked your father to take care of you. Please hold your mother's hand tightly and don't let go." Gu Dashan heard the sound of bangs and hurriedly swept up the grass at home. Carrying it on his back, he tied the bamboo tube filled with water around his waist, picked up Brother Cheng, and told Gu Jinli.

Ms. Cui had already grasped the hands of her two daughters tightly, and said with fear on her face: "Follow mother, don't let go on the road, and ignore anyone who calls you. If you are in danger, call someone, shout loudly."

Gu Jinan went to the back of the palace and protected the three women in the family. On one side was a cloth bag with leftover leaves from last night, which was their lunch today. He said to Gu Jinli, "Xiaoyu, what's wrong with you?" Just tell big brother, don’t hold on by yourself.”

Gu Jinli nodded, and only had time to say hello before he was pushed forward by the people behind him.

By the time they reached the resting place of the village chief's house, most of the people in Gujia Village had already arrived.

The old Gu family also arrived, and when they saw their family of six, Mrs. Gu snorted sullenly, and the wrinkles on her face shivered because of the cold snort.

Gu Xiaomei followed with a sneer. Aunt Gu next to them glanced at them, opened her mouth, and uttered the word "bah".

Aunt Gu's family fled famine with her natal family. She was reluctant to eat her own food and kept eating her natal family's food. On the day Gu Xiaoyu was beaten, she came back from inquiring about the news from the head of the family. She heard Gu Xiaomei say something irritating and jealous that Gu Dashan despised their married daughter for eating her parents' food. She hated Gu Dashan's family to death. She was the one who beat Gu Xiaomei this morning. Tell Mrs. Gu that the fish is not dead but has woken up, and encourage Mrs. Gu to beat Gu Jinan.

Second Uncle Gu and Mr. Gu stood in front of the Gu family woman. He glanced back at Gu Jinli and said with a cold face: "Strapping your own uncle, disrespecting your grandparents and elders, being vicious at a young age, is simply insulting to the family tradition."

Second Uncle Gu heard that Gu said that Gu Xiaoyu wanted him to find food. He already looked down on Gu Dashan, and even more despised Gu Xiaoyu.

 Send him to find food?

He is a scholar, a dignified boy, how dignified is it to do things that only refugees do?

Gu Jinli really wanted to slap him in the face. It was insulting to the family tradition to have people like Mrs. Gu in the old Gu family.

Gu Dashan and Mrs. Cui were accustomed to this, so they just held the children tightly and turned a deaf ear to Second Uncle Gu's words.

Mr. Gu listened carefully to what was going on here and saw that Gu Dashan and his family did not speak back, so he remained silent.

　　Victor Gu is in his fifties, with a serious face, two nasolabial folds on his face that extend to his chin, and a skinny figure. He wears patched cotton clothes. After the Gu family villagers have gathered, he asks his eldest son to call the roll.

 After a quarter of an hour, the head count will be completed.

The village chief cleared his throat and repeated what he said before setting off every day: "Fleeing from famine is difficult. Everyone should support each other, take good care of their children, and take care of their elderly. Food, water, and salt are essential things for survival. Don't throw them away at any time! Escape from famine. There are many victims. People in the village are not allowed to cause trouble. Don’t cause trouble to the village. We are all following you on the road. We don’t wait for the team leaders. Let’s go!”

Following the village chief's announcement, more than 200 people in Gujia Village all started to move, walking from the foot of the mountain to the official road, and then walked east along the official road.

In front of Gujia Village, many victims were already on their way; behind Gujia Village, more victims were pouring towards the official road, all dragging their families, old and young. At a glance, the procession was huge. It's so crazy that you can't see the end.

Gu Jinli glanced back and forth, his heart sinking even more, he grabbed Cui Shi and Gu Jinxiu tightly, and hurried away behind Gu Dashan.

Most of the victims walked, and some took cars. Most of them were people-pulled carts, which were only available to families with better conditions in each village.

There are also some carriages passing by on the road. These are the carriages of wealthy families in Fucheng. Several of them pass by together every time. There are also a large group of servants with sticks and knives running beside the carriages. Even if the victims know that they are rich families, there is food in the carriages. Even if there is water, I don’t dare to grab it.

This walk lasted a whole day, from dawn to mid-afternoon (around 4 p.m.). I saw that if I continued walking, some people would faint, and finally some victims stopped to rest.

Victor Chief Gu saw the victims in front of him stopping, so he asked his eldest son to bang the clapper to let everyone stop and rest.

 Bang bang bang bang!

“Gujiacun people, rest where you are. Everyone, hurry up and find food and water. Prepare food for tomorrow. Have a good rest. We will gather at 9:00 tomorrow and get on the road!”

When the victims in Gujiacun heard this, they felt like hearing the sound of nature. They all collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, gasping for air.

 Gu Jinli was a military doctor in his previous life and often performed missions in the wild. However, this body was only ten years old and was very hungry. He had been walking for a whole day and couldn't bear it now. He was so tired that he sat on the ground.

Gu Dashan and Gu Jinan had no time to rest, so they took off the straw mat, bamboo tube, and half a bag of leaves, handed them to Cui, and said: "There is still some water in the bamboo tube, so save your drink and chew a few handfuls of leaves when you are hungry." To satisfy our hunger, An Geer and I will look for food. When we find something to eat, we will have a full meal."

 (End of this chapter)