Top-notch Little Horseman

The fire in the stove crackled and popped!

"When I went hunting today, I saw two dead people on the road!" the monkey, who had been listening silently, suddenly said.

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Today, when I went hunting, I saw two dead bodies on the road!"

He paused for a moment, his voice somewhat subdued.

"A large and a small child were found dead by the roadside, the larger one clinging to the smaller one, desperately protecting it... They were both dried up!"

Upon hearing this, no one spoke again.

The firelight shone on the monkey's face, casting his expression in alternating light and shadow.

His voice trembled slightly as he spoke again, "I went over to take a look... the little one looked to be only seven or eight years old!"

"Captain, tell me, how did the world... become like this?"

Ye Chen gazed at the fire in the stove, watching the gently flickering flames.

"At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the court was corrupt, and it was the common people who suffered the most," Ye Chen said slowly. "When the dynasty prospers, the people suffer; when the dynasty falls, the people suffer."

Ye Chen's voice wasn't loud, "Let me tell you a true story!"

Hearing that Ye Chen was going to tell a story, everyone perked up and looked at him.

Ye Chen cleared his throat, his gaze deepening as he drifted into memories.

"In a very, very far place, there is a country... That country is different from our Ming Dynasty, but there is one thing in common: the people are also starving."

"In that place, buying one pancake costs the equivalent of a whole cartload of money."

"A whole truckload of money?!" The monkey was stunned for a moment, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yes! Oh, that country is different from us. They don't use silver, but paper money. They print more and more paper money, so much so that it's worthless, like paper."

"The money that could buy a peck of rice in the morning can only buy half a peck of rice in the evening."

"People carried bundles of money to buy grain, only to find that the price of grain had gone up again when they arrived at the grain store."

Everyone listened intently, their faces filled with shock. How were they supposed to go on living like this?

Money is no longer money, and prices are rising wildly every day, making it almost impossible to survive!

Ye Chen took a deep breath, stood up, and continued, "At this very moment, when the people were struggling to survive, someone said something like this."

He said, "Selling a loaf of bread for 500,000 coins? This world shouldn't be like this!"

At this moment, the courtyard was incredibly quiet, not in a depressing way, but in a quiet where time seemed to stand still.

"A loaf of bread... costs 500,000 coins? That's 500,000 copper coins! That's way too much..." The monkey simply couldn't believe how much money 500,000 copper coins was...

Everyone fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Crackling! Crackling!..."

The fire in the stove crackled and sizzled, reaching its blazing peak and illuminating everyone's faces with a bright red glow.

"This world shouldn't be like this!" Liang Biao clenched his fist and muttered to himself.

Ye Chen didn't continue the conversation. Some words are like seeds; once planted, that's enough.

As for whether it will take root and sprout, or... what kind of sprout it will grow, that depends on how they think and make their decisions.

"Alright, we've all had a busy day, let's go to sleep early!" Ye Chen stretched and stood up.

As he spoke, he turned to Liang Biao and continued, "You can decide which rooms to stay in over there yourself, and settle down for now."

The fire in the stove gradually died down, and Ye Chen walked quietly to the front door of the main room.

He knocked lightly twice, and the door opened a crack. Qin Mengyao stood behind the door, the dim light outlining her silhouette with a soft edge.

Ye Chen slipped inside and gently closed the door.

The room was very clean, and there were two rough porcelain bowls on the table, filled with spring water and foxtail grass.

The quilts were laid side by side on the earthen bed, along with two pillows made of withered straw.

"Brother Chen, I'm a little scared today!" Qin Mengyao's voice was barely audible.

Ye Chen smiled faintly and reached out to pull her into his arms.

"When you're afraid, what comes to mind?"

Qin Mengyao parted her lips slightly and said, "I remembered you saying that after setting the grass on fire, you should go inside and barricade the door, and then we'd leave the rest to you!"

Ye Chen rested his chin on the top of her head, and there was a smell of cooking smoke in her hair.

"Brother Chen, what's wrong with this world...? Is there any way for us to survive?"

Ye Chen smiled gently and reached out to stroke her long, black hair: "This world is in chaos. If you want to survive, you have to build a new world."

"As long as I'm here, I won't let you get hurt. One day... I will overthrow this unjust world and establish a new order!"

"In that world, you wouldn't have to live in fear. You could go out in the morning and return with food in the evening. You could sleep soundly through the night without worrying about anything..."

Qin Mengyao buried her face deep in Ye Chen's chest: "I'm looking forward to it... looking forward to that day..."

As she spoke, she blew out the lamp, and they were instantly plunged into darkness.

In the darkness, their suppressed breaths mingled, and their bodies became entangled...

The air was thick with heat, and the distant howls of wolves echoed through the distance.

......

Liang Biao and his men stayed in the east wing.

Instead of going to sleep immediately, the ten of them gathered in Liang Biao's room.

The room is large enough to comfortably accommodate four people; it's like a student dormitory.

In fact, this room can accommodate eight people, or even ten if you squeeze in.

However, they didn't all stay here, since there are plenty of empty rooms available, and one room is enough for two people.

"Brother Biao, what are your plans for the future?" Liang Zhichao, Liang Biao's childhood friend, asked Liang Biao.

"This... is also a matter I called you all over to discuss together," Liang Biao said, glancing at his brothers.

Liang Zhaowu, with his scholarly face, thought for a moment, then looked at Liang Biao and asked, "Brother Biao, what exactly did Brother Ye mean by the bread and the intentional 500,000 coins he mentioned today?"

"I don't know either." Liang Biao shook his head, his gaze hardening. "But I think he might know something we don't!"

"Furthermore, I sense that Brother Ye Chen is no ordinary person. He possesses a... indescribable feeling, a powerful aura!"

"If you ask me, whatever it is, now that we've escaped, it's pretty good that we have a place to eat," Liang Zhichao said, looking at Liang Biao.

"Let's listen to Brother Ye for now, stay here, and then make further plans."

Liang Biao frowned slightly, then sighed deeply and said, "That's true! ... Now we owe him a meal, which is equivalent to us owing him our lives!"

"Brother Biao, we really don't have anywhere to go right now. Since Brother Ye is willing to take us in, let's stay for now," Liang Zhichao said after thinking for a moment.