Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

Many people's carts were also parked nearby, each with several bundles on it, covered with old cloth, so you couldn't tell what was inside.

Everyone is waiting for their family members to come back from shopping.

Jiang Dazhu's cart also arrived, but Jiang Dazhu's cart was different from everyone else's.

The cart was full of supplies, piled up like a small mountain, covered only by a thin layer of coarse cloth, which was not enough to cover them.

Such a spectacular scene, everyone around was watching.

The villagers of Jiangjia Village stared at the cart of grain, their eyes wide, swallowing hard. Even the people from the neighboring Zhaojia Village were pointing and whispering.

"Did Jiang Dazhu's family get rich?"

"It's not that they've made a fortune, it's that they've brought out their entire fortune!"

"This much food is enough to last for several months."

"Eat? We'd be lucky if we didn't get robbed."

Jiang Qingshan stood beside the cart, his face grim. He had just said he wanted to cover it up, but Zhou said, "Why cover it up? It's not like we stole it." Jiang Dazhu also felt that "we should let everyone see that our family isn't poor."

Now, everyone has seen it.

Jiang Qingshan felt those gazes piercing his body like needles.

He lowered his voice and said to Jiang Dazhu, "Dad, let's go. Don't stop here."

This time, Jiang Dazhu didn't argue and pushed the cart towards the group.

At this moment, Jiang Caimao, the clan leader, came over with his family. He slowed down and walked with Jiang Dazhu.

"Dazhu, you've bought quite a lot." Jiang Caimao glanced at the cart, his tone unreadable, whether it was a compliment or something else.

Jiang Dazhu chuckled: "Not much, not much, enough to last a while."

Jiang Caimao nodded without saying anything more.

He didn't leave, but instead led his family to walk alongside Jiang Dazhu's family. From the outside, it looked like the two families were traveling together.

The people of Jiangjia Village saw it all and understood.

The clan chief is "protecting" Jiang Dazhu's family, or rather, "benefiting" from Jiang Dazhu's family's influence. When the two families are together, those who want to rob will have more reservations.

But Jiang Xing felt that this kind of "protection" was useless.

Those who truly want to steal won't stop just because there's another family involved.

It's time of the Rooster (5-7 PM).

A gong sounded, and someone shouted, "All refugees, assemble! It's time for the 5 PM hour! Depart on time!"

The group began to move, but this time, it wasn't a chaotic march; someone was directing it.

Several people dressed as yamen runners stood on a high place, holding rosters in their hands, and began to shout.

"Listen up! Registration is complete. Now we'll announce the allocation results!"

The crowd fell silent.

"The southward migration destinations were divided into three routes: the first route went to Lingnan, the second to Central and Southern China, and the third to the Southwest!"

"The troops from Lingnan will proceed to the east, the troops from Central and Southern China will proceed to the middle, and the troops from the Southwest will proceed to the west! Each troop should follow its assigned constable and not get separated!"

"The journey to the southwest is the longest, taking three months! Lingnan and Central South are closer, taking one and a half to two months!"

Three months.

These three words were like a stone, crashing into the crowd.

"Three months? How far would that be?"

"Southwest? Where's the southwest? I heard it's all mountains there!"

"Will there be enough food for three months?"

"Whether it's enough or not, we have to leave. If we don't leave, we die."

The bailiffs began reading the list.

"Lingnan - Zhao Family Village, Wang Family Village..."

"Zhongnan - Liujiawan, Sunjiaji..."

"Southwest – Jiangjia Village, Zhoujiazhai, Lijia Village..."

Jiang Xing heard the words "Jiang Family Village".

The Southwest, the farthest, takes three months.

Her heart sank, but her face remained expressionless.

Beside her, Aunt Wang was already crying: "Three months? We don't have much food left, how can we walk for three months?"

Granny Zhao plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing, "Three months! My old bones will fall apart after three months of walking!"

Widow Sun also looked worried, staring at her two young children, and after a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Three months... not enough food..."

Liu was sitting in the car, and Jiang Caiyun was holding her and crying, but she was crying very quietly, as if she was afraid of being heard.

Jiang Laifu stood to the side, his expression shifting from shock to anger: "Why were we assigned to the Southwest? The farthest one! Is there some mistake?"

No one answered him.

Beside Jiang Dazhu's cart, Zhou Shi also exploded: "Three months? My Qingshan still needs to study! If we're gone for three months, what's the point of his studies?"

Jiang Qingshan and Jiang Qingyue stood aside without saying a word, clearly indicating that everyone had a low acceptance of going to the southwest.

Standing in the middle of the crowd, Jiang Caimao, the clan leader, listened to their complaints and felt that he had to say something as the clan leader.

"Stop crying. What's the use of crying?"

"The Southwest it is. Three months it is. What hardship haven't we Jiangjia Village people endured? Droughts, locust plagues, we've survived them all!"

He looked at everyone present.

"Being alive is better than anything else. Once we get to the southwest, we can settle down, clear land, farm, and make a living."

The villagers felt somewhat comforted when the clan chief spoke, at least they were all from the same village.

Third Uncle sat on the oxcart, put a pipe in his mouth, lit it, and the smoke rose up, spreading quickly in the wind.

"Why."

"Third Uncle, are you scared?" Little Niu leaned on the edge of the cart, looking up at him and asking again.

Jiang Caiquan looked down at the calf, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Don't be afraid."

The calf blinked: "Really?"

"Really." Third Uncle took down his pipe and tapped the ash on the cart shaft. "With your sister around, she can do anything."

Little Cow laughed: "Yeah! My sister can do everything!"

Jiang Xing remained silent.

She squatted down beside the oxcart, took the calf's cotton-padded coat out of the bundle, and draped it over him.

"Put it on, it'll be cold on the street."

The little calf obediently put on his cotton-padded coat, looking just like a round little bear.

They then distributed the cotton-padded coats to their third uncle and Zhang Shi. The two of them felt that they were not very cold, so they took the coats but did not wear them.

Zhang looked at Jiang Xing, her lips moved slightly, and asked, "Xing'er, are you tired?"

"I'm not tired," Jiang Xing said.

She stood up, gripped the carriage shaft, and looked ahead.

Ahead lies the official road, leading southwest.

"Third Uncle, let's go. We should set off."

Third Uncle gave the ox a slap on the back, and the old ox started to move, its cowbells jingling.

The procession began to move, with the leading officer walking at the front.