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

When they returned to the camp, Aunt Wang was tidying up the kitchen utensils, and the adults were still gathered around the fire talking in hushed tones. When Shen Dehou saw her return, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if he wanted to ask something, but in the end he just pushed the fire poker in his hand into the fire to make room for her.

Jiang Xing sat down, took the hot water Zhang handed him, drank a sip, and then looked up.

Seeing Jiang Xing's serious expression, the adults in each family naturally knew that she must have something to say, so they all coaxed their children to sleep and gathered around the fire, trying to stay as close as possible to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from overhearing.

Jiang Xing recounted the key points of Ma Dadan's words to the families. He didn't hide anything from them, including the quota allocated by Liu Tong, the events before and after the New Year, and the price of two taels of silver per household.

The area around the fire remained quiet for a while.

Shen Dehou spoke first, his voice unhurried: "Whether we leave before or after the New Year, it's fine with my wife and me. Let the young people go first."

Widow Sun, holding Niu Niu, whispered, "I'll listen to Sister Jiang. It would be great if we could leave before the New Year, but if there aren't enough spots, I'll wait until after the New Year. Anyway, we'll have shelter and food, so we won't freeze to death."

Doctor Gu never offered his opinion proactively. After all, when he decided to go with Jiang Xing, he had already made up his mind: "I will listen to Jiang girl. Wherever she goes, I will go."

Aunt Wang glanced at Wang Laoshi, who muttered, "We'll listen to Jiang Yatou too," and Aunt Wang nodded in agreement.

Before Granny Chen could speak, Madam Hu couldn't sit still any longer. She nudged Chen Junsheng with her elbow, but he ignored her. She then looked at Granny Chen, but Granny Chen didn't look at her either. Madam Hu grew anxious, her lips pursed, and she said, "Then we won't stand on ceremony. My mother-in-law is old, and our whole family, young and old, really can't handle it. How about we take the remaining spots?"

Upon hearing this, everyone else tightened their lips and remained silent. Jiang Xing glanced at Madam Hu and raised an eyebrow.

Granny Chen quickly pinched Hu Shi and glared at her fiercely: "Shut up, say less and listen to Jiang's arrangements."

Hu was glared at by her mother-in-law, and swallowed the words she was about to say. She shrank her neck and muttered, "They're the ones who won't leave, so we can't let it go to waste." Chen Sumei sat on the far side, never looking up from beginning to end, but silently moved the basket of wild vegetables she was holding behind her.

Jiang Xing's gaze swept across everyone's faces.

Although several families expressed their willingness to wait until after the New Year, their willingness was her business, and her decision was another matter. Human nature is such that people may say they don't care, but they will care in their hearts. If she doesn't care today, when the list is actually published, seeing other families leave before the New Year while her own family has to wait another year in the cold wind, she can't help but feel a subtle resentment.

Jiang Xing's gaze slowly swept across everyone's faces. The firelight illuminated her expressionless profile, as well as every face waiting for her to speak.

"Three spots," she said, her tone neither too loud nor too soft. "My family will take one, my third uncle will take the second, he's too old to stay here doing nothing."

Uncle San had been looking down, with his hands on his knees, his thumb rubbing against his other thumb. Upon hearing this, his fingers suddenly stopped.

A slow, gentle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, a small curve that seemed to push up the deep lines of his face. He said nothing, simply lowering his head again and continuing to slowly rub his thumb against his own, though that hand trembled slightly.

No one was surprised by what Jiang Xing said. Everyone with eyes could see how Jiang Xing treated his third uncle and how his third uncle treated their family along the way.

"There's one left," Jiang Xing said.

A dry branch snapped in the fire with a crack, sparks flew up and fell back down, and no one dared to speak at that moment.

"For Sister-in-law Sun."

Shen Dehou was the first to raise his head. He glanced at Jiang Xing and then slowly nodded, the movement very light, as if to say, "That's how it should be."

His wife, sitting beside him, nodded and whispered, "Guiqin has had a tough time; it's what she should do."

"Girl, here is two taels of silver from me. Keep it safe and remember to add it to my list tomorrow." Doctor Gu was truly direct. Without saying a word, he took out two taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to Jiang Xing.

Aunt Wang was taken aback for a moment. She subconsciously turned her head to look at her child, Shitou, who was curled up next to her legs and dozing off. His little face still had mud marks left from when he fought with the calf for grass earlier that day.

She moved her lips and turned to look at Widow Sun. Niu Niu was asleep in Widow Sun's arms, and Tie Dan was leaning on Widow Sun's arm, his little head drooping down little by little.