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

The sky was still overcast, the clouds were thinner than yesterday, and the sun could occasionally be seen peeking through. The snow on the ground was half a foot thick, and it crunched underfoot.

Jiang Xing stepped out of the shed, a cold wind hitting her face. She shivered. The shed had been warm and cozy with a fire burning all night, but suddenly stepping outside felt like entering two completely different worlds.

The camp was filled with the sounds of people: some were shoveling snow, some were dismantling sheds, and some were feeding livestock.

The snow covered everything; tents, carts, and oxcarts all turned white.

Third Uncle also came out, squatted at the entrance of the shed, staring blankly at the snow. His knees were stiff, and his joints cracked when he squatted down.

"Third Uncle, can we leave today?" Jiang Xing asked.

Third Uncle looked at the sky, then at the snow on the ground: "It's walkable. The snow has stopped. Although the road is difficult to walk on, it's better than walking in the snow."

Jiang Xing nodded.

Breakfast was white rice porridge with salt and diced pork. The porridge was thick and meaty, and I could taste the meat in every bite. It was the best meal I had in the past few days.

The messenger relayed the message: "Pack your things; we'll depart in half an hour!"

The crowd sprang into action, dismantling sheds, loading vehicles, and leading livestock. Chaos reigned in the snow; people slipped and fell, but got up, dusted themselves off, and continued their work.

Jiang Xing's family acted quickly. His third uncle drove the carriage, Jiang Xing helped Zhang Shi into the carriage, and Xiao Niu climbed up by himself.

The shed was dismantled, the tarpaulin was folded and placed under the car, and the thatch was stuffed into the car as a mat because they couldn't bear to throw it away.

As the team set off from the camp, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a moment before quickly retreating again.

The snow was blindingly white in the sunlight, and it crunched underfoot, leaving a trail of footprints and tire tracks.

As Jiang Xing walked along the road, he noticed that someone had stopped not far ahead. It wasn't that they were stuck in a traffic jam, but that someone couldn't move.

An old woman sat in the snow, her face pale and her lips purple. Her son squatted beside her, trying to help her up, but the old woman's legs were as weak as noodles, and she couldn't stand.

"Mother, are you able to walk?"

"I can't walk anymore... You all go... Don't worry about me..." The old woman's voice was very soft, like the wind blowing through withered grass.

"Mother! What did you say!" The son's eyes reddened, and he picked up the old lady and staggered forward.

The old woman lay on her son's back with her eyes closed; it was unclear whether she was asleep or had fainted.

Sitting on the oxcart, Zhang looked at the old woman's back, her eyes reddening.

She thought of herself; if it weren't for Jiang Xing, she might also be that old woman sitting in the snow, unable to move.

Third Uncle also saw it. His expression was calm, but he tightened his grip on the reins.

They were all old people, and they all knew that on the road of fleeing famine, the elderly were the first to be abandoned. If they could not walk, they were left behind; if they fell ill, they were left behind; if they died, they were left by the roadside without even a grave.

But they weren't abandoned.

Third Uncle glanced at Jiang Xing's retreating figure, his eyes swirling with unreadable emotions.

After walking for a whole day, the road was difficult to travel, the oxcart slipped and several people fell. Before dark, the group set up camp next to a pine forest.

The pine forest provided shelter from the wind, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of pine needles that felt soft and springy underfoot. The officials said they would spend the night here and leave tomorrow depending on the weather.

Jiang Xing found a flat spot, nothing particularly good, just an ordinary open space, big enough to park an oxcart.

"Third Uncle, this is it."

After Uncle San parked the oxcart, Jiang Xing went to chop firewood. There were many dry branches in the pine forest, and she chopped a large bundle and carried it back to the camp.

Third Uncle was shoveling snow, removing the snow from the area around the shed to expose the dry ground underneath, and then spreading straw on top. The straw would keep out the moisture, so it wouldn't be too cold for people to sleep on.

Jiang Xing took out the oilcloth, draped it over the frame, and weighed it down with stones to prevent the wind from getting in.

The shed was set up, and it was almost dark.

Jiang Xing started a fire; the pine branches crackled and popped as they burned, flames shooting into the sky, and smoke billowing upwards as well.

Dinner was cornbread with wild vegetable soup. The cornbread was made of mixed grain flour, and a spoonful of lard was added to the wild vegetable soup.

The lard melts in the soup, and the oil floats on the surface, looking very appetizing. There is no meat, but drinking the wild vegetable soup with lard makes your stomach feel full and your body feel warm.

The calf squatted by the pot, its nose twitching.

The cornbread was steamed, and the soup was cooked. We enjoyed the cornbread with the wild vegetable soup, feeling very satisfied.

Jiang Xing continued to unpack the remaining warm medicine packets and put them into the clay pot to boil. Once the medicine was ready, each person received a bowl.

The wind was howling outside the shed, but it was warm and cozy inside.