In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

That evening, after everyone had finished their work, Zhang Qiao, with her daughter, returned to her residence with a somewhat anxious heart.

Although Qin Shaolang only verbally gave them one meal, he actually gave them the leftover rice from lunch when they left.

After all, the weather is already quite cold. With a little storage, the rice can be eaten even if it's left out until the evening.

Inside the house, Zhang Qiao and her daughter ate dinner with pickled vegetables.

"Kid, what do you think of Qin Shaolang?"

Suddenly, Zhang Qiao asked.

The daughter was still immersed in the joy of being able to eat her fill, and had no mind to think about the meaning behind her mother's words.

"He's a good guy. Although he talks a lot of tough talk, he still provides meals."

Zhang Qiao nodded slightly.

Yes, women are inherently weak in terms of physical strength, so doing hard labor with a group of strong men is inherently less efficient.

Even so, she still got two meals.

Although she didn't get paid, she was content. After all, in the past, besides wild vegetables to fill her stomach, she could only wait for Er Mazi to return with his prey and share some leftovers to barely fill her stomach.

"Mother, did Father not come home last night?"

Zhang Qiao was stunned for a moment, and instinctively felt a little worried, but she quickly suppressed it.

She was worried because if the breadwinner of the family were gone, how would they survive?

Er Mazi was the captain of the hunting team in the village, and people would give him some face, since hunting was the most important thing after the autumn harvest.

In the past, when disputes arose with other families, the other party would usually be the first to back down and apologize because of Er Mazi's presence.

Zhang Qiao dared not imagine whether the other villagers would bully her and her widowed daughter if Er Mazi were gone.

But she doesn't want to worry now because he got a full meal at Qin Shaolang's place. He only had to work for a day to get enough rice to fill his stomach.

This is something Er Mazi has never guaranteed.

Although such days could not last long, once the earthen kiln was completed, they would have to return to their previous lives of sometimes being hungry and sometimes full.

But that's a matter for the future, and besides, she had already made up her mind.

I can't let my daughter live a life as impoverished as hers.

……

Late that night, Er Mazi returned reeking of alcohol.

He first dragged Zhang Qiao from the bed and beat her severely. Then he tried to harm his daughter, but Zhang Qiao desperately tried to stop him. The commotion lasted for most of the night.

As dawn broke again, Er Mazi glanced at Zhang Qiao, who had been kneeling on the ground all night, and snorted coldly.

"You just think I'm no match for Qin Shaolang, right? I'll kill that tiger today, collect the reward, and use it all to buy wine. I'll drink it all right in front of you and let you two heartless bastards starve to death."

Zhang Qiao only knelt down to save her daughter from being beaten, and she was already resentful.

"I asked Qin Shaolang to do some work, and I'll take my daughter out for a good meal. I won't use your services or ask you for anything, and you're still not happy about it."

Er Mazi raised his hand and slapped Zhang Qiao across the face.

"You shameless bitch, how dare you talk back! Even if you fancy Qin Shaolang, Qin Shaolang wouldn't even look at a pig like you!"

Zhang Qiao's lips twitched violently, but when the words reached her lips, they were filled with grievance.

"If you could feed my daughter and me, would I be competing with those filthy men for work? You're out drinking and eating meat, while my daughter and I are at home, without even a hot meal. Half a month ago, I begged you not to sell the grain, to leave us a way to survive, but you insisted on selling it. And now that you've sold it, you're beating me. If you want me dead, just say so, don't hide it like this!"

For a fleeting moment, Er Mazi felt as if he had woken up.

Everything is connected.

The reason for this is that all the humiliation he suffers today seems to be related to the choices he made back then.

The hand that Zhang Qiao had raised because of her stubbornness quietly lowered again.

Er Mazi reached into his pocket and carefully searched around before tossing a few copper coins onto the table.

"Once I defeat that white-browed tiger, you'll all get your share of the spoils. That white-browed tiger is incredibly powerful; it even ambushed some government soldiers, killing several of them. Without treating them to food and drink, how could they possibly defeat it and risk their lives for me? You, just bear with it a little longer."

After saying that, Er Mazi got up, put on his winter clothes, and went out of the room.

That white-browed tiger became his last hope; if he could capture it, everything would change.

When his wife returns in triumph, she will completely change her opinion of him.

Once they have the money, they will be able to get through this winter in peace, and the crisis caused by selling grain will completely disappear at this moment.

Everything will be alright as long as we can kill that white-browed tiger.

Er Mazi left with great confidence, believing that his years of hunting experience would definitely help him capture the white-browed tiger.

But in the house behind him, watching her husband walk away outside the door, Zhang Qiao's heart gradually grew cold.

He had money for drinking, but could only spare a few copper coins to send them away.

With just this little bit, you could at most buy a basket of wild vegetables, and at most, you'd be able to avoid starving.

He had no choice before, but now that Qin Shaolang is building earthen cave dwellings, he can get two bowls of white rice with lard as long as he goes to help.

That's something you could never buy with just a few copper coins.

Moreover, that white-browed tiger might not necessarily fall into Er Mazi's hands. Even if they catch prey, their situation will not change. If they don't catch prey, how will they get through this cold winter?

Reality is always a heavy mountain weighing down on beautiful fantasies.

If real-world problems cannot be solved, fantasies will remain castles in the air.

"Child, pack your things and come with me. I'll take you somewhere where you can survive."

……

In the county town, Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu arrived at the town gate. Qin Shaolang looked around and found that the place was unusually lively today.

Soldiers had already blocked the city gate, set up colorful flower arrangements, and laid out thick carpets. Even the county magistrate stood at the gate, leading a group of officials to look into the distance, eagerly awaiting what was to come.

"What's going on here?"

Qin Shaolang was full of suspicion, his brows furrowed.

Chu Wu carefully counted the clusters of flowers and couldn't help but laugh.

"The governor has arrived, the governor appointed by the Great Wei above the many county magistrates. Judging from the scale of the welcome here, it must be true."

Qin Shaolang looked at it suspiciously, and became even more puzzled.

"If the governor had planned to inspect this place, there should have been signs when we entered the county town a few days ago. Judging from this, it seems more like a sudden visit. Could it be that something is amiss?"

Thinking of this, Qin Shaolang suddenly turned to look at Chu Wu.

"Could they be here for you?"