Three Kingdoms: Fusion of Entries, Change of Destiny

Chapter 130 The Chen Family's Struggle for Survival

Yuan Shu forced Xu Qiu to serve him.

One of the plans,
The plan was to massively conscript soldiers and plunder grain in Runan.

Runan was the ancestral home of the Yuan family. As soon as Yuan Shu returned, many Yellow Turban rebels and mountain bandits who had been entrenched in the area joined his army in a grand manner.

In a short time, Yuan Shu's troops were quickly replenished.

He commanded the Black Mountain Army, the Yellow Turban Army, and various mountain bandits and outlaws, becoming the undisputed "leader" of the outlaw world.

But this group of people did not engage in production, hated farming, and their favorite pastime was to plunder and seize.

After Yuan Shu forced the governor of Runan to submit to him, his band of bandits became even more unscrupulous, plundering Runan and leaving behind only ruins and desolation in their wake.

On the very day Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu, a dilapidated village in Runan was so empty and silent that it was unsettling.

Some time ago, the village was "visited" by remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and 70% of the grain that the villagers had worked so hard to harvest was looted.

They thought they could finally catch their breath after the Yellow Turban Army left, but who would have thought that the government troops would arrive so soon after?

They came shouting the slogan "Suppress the Yellow Turban rebels".

When they left, they didn't catch a single Yellow Turban rebel, but they looted all of the villagers' remaining 30% of their grain.

"Thieves come like combs, soldiers come like hairpins"—this saying, though from the Ming Dynasty, reflects a harsh reality that has unfolded countless times on this land.

After the Yellow Turbans and government troops left, the villagers looked at their village in ruins, filled with sorrow, but they could only silently endure the bitter consequences and weep.

After Xu Qiu took office and defeated the Yellow Turban rebels who had been entrenched in Runan, the lives of the people improved slightly.

But less than two years later, Yuan Shu arrived, and everyone's lives became even more difficult than before.

The grain that was just harvested this fall has been completely looted!
Winter is just around the corner, how are we going to get through the rest of the year?
There are still more than half a year left next year, how are we going to get through it?!
At the far end of the village, there stands a dilapidated thatched hut.

Inside the house, the four members of the Chen family, father and sons, lay on a pile of straw, all of them weak from hunger and dizzy.

The Chen family didn't have much land to begin with, and now that all their grain had been looted, the whole family was struggling to survive on the half-bag of grain they had stored in the cellar last year.

"Father, I'm starving!" The fifth son said weakly, clutching his stomach and curling up.

"Dad, I'm starving too!" the fourth son groaned from the side.

“What’s the use of complaining about being hungry? We don’t have much food left.” Mr. Chen was only in his early forties, but because of the hardships he had endured, he looked like a man in his sixties.

Faced with his son's words, he could only respond in the same weak and listless manner.

"These damned thieves and soldiers!" Chen Dao, the third brother, clenched his fists and cursed angrily.

"Father, why don't we go and join the Yellow Turbans? At least they'll provide food," the fourth son tentatively suggested.

"My ancestors were generals of the Han Dynasty. How dare you submit to a traitor?" Upon hearing this, Chen's father angrily rebuked him.

"I was just saying it offhand," the fourth son quickly explained.

"Shut up, save your energy. Talking more will only make you hungrier," the fifth brother advised.

The room fell silent again, but Chen's father's heart was in turmoil, unable to find peace.

His wife passed away early, leaving him to raise his five sons alone.

Two years ago, my eldest son said he was going out to make a living, and then he disappeared without a trace.

Last year, the second son also couldn't bear the poverty and hopeless life, so he left the village and disappeared without a trace.

Now, only Chen's father is left with his third, fourth, and fifth sons, struggling to survive on the meager amount of grain they grow each year, supplemented by wild grass and tree bark.

This year's situation was even worse. Just when the grain harvest was in full swing and they could have made it through another year, the Yellow Turbans and government troops looted everything.

How are we going to live from now on?

Chen's father also considered fleeing and leaving this impoverished place.

But nowadays, war is raging everywhere, chaos reigns, and bandits roam freely. If you're not careful, you could lose your life on the road.

Besides, the Chen family has no relatives anywhere else, so where could they go?
The third brother, Chen Dao, was somewhat lucky.

When he was young, he met a remarkable person who, seeing that he had good aptitude, taught him some martial arts.

Now, Chen Dao is so hungry that he's practically skin and bones. He can't even lift a gun, let alone practice martial arts.

"Why don't we take Xiao Wu and trade him for some grain?" The thought had barely crossed Chen's mind when he couldn't help but slap himself hard across the face.

How could I have such a beastly thought?

These days, everyone is short of food, so who would want a useless teenager?

It's easy to imagine the tragic fate that awaited those children who were switched at birth.

Even with the most frugal living, the family's food supplies wouldn't last until next autumn's harvest. Moreover, the whole family is too weak from hunger to farm.

Chen's father thought that if he hanged himself, he would end it all, but he didn't know how miserable his three children's future would be.

Just then, the third son, Chen Dao, suddenly said, "Father, why don't we go to Yanzhou?"

"What are you going to Yanzhou for?" Chen's father asked, puzzled.

“A few days ago, my son heard from people in the next village that Yanzhou is absorbing migrants and distributing land and houses. His family plans to move to Yanzhou next spring,” Chen Dao said.

Looking at his son's thin and small body, Chen's father couldn't help but look outside.

"Father, we don't have much food left at home. If we don't take a gamble, our whole family will starve to death at home," Chen Dao advised again.

"Alas! With our current physical condition, how can we possibly make it to Yanzhou?" Chen's father sighed helplessly.

“There is a wealthy family in Li Village, five miles away… I want to sneak in at night to borrow some travel expenses…” Chen hesitated for a moment, but still told them his idea.

Mr. Chen wanted to refuse immediately, but looking at his three sons who were starving and almost unrecognizable, he finally sighed and said, "Fine, just as you said, if we don't take a gamble, my Chen family will probably starve to death here."

After sighing, Chen's father stood up unsteadily, his back hunched, and said to Chen Dao, "I'll go cook. You can go to Li Village after you've eaten. Whether it works out or not, we, father and sons, will stay together."

Father Chen took out the last of the family's food and fed the three Chen brothers until they were full.

If Chen Dao fails on this mission, he probably won't survive.

Furthermore, the father and his two sons, having run out of food, could only join him in the afterlife.

Now, the Chen family is fighting a desperate battle; their fate is in the hands of destiny.

Under the tearful gaze of the three members of the Chen family, Chen Dao walked out of the house.

Upon reaching the door, he suddenly turned around, knelt down, and respectfully kowtowed three times to his father before resolutely leaving.

After waiting anxiously all night, Chen Dao finally returned.

He had several wounds of varying depths, but none of them were too serious.

Most importantly, he actually brought back a small bag of gold and silver jewelry!

The Chen family father and son finally saw a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation.

(End of this chapter)