Chapter 706: Fleeing from Famine 11

Chapter 706: Chapter 706: Fleeing from Famine 11

"Mom, why did you sit down?"

As he put his little son onto the cart, Dalin was about to drag it forward when he turned around and saw his mother sitting down.

Dalin said urgently, "Mom, everyone in the village has left. We should go too. There are wolves in these mountains, and if we move too slowly and get chased, it’ll be dangerous."

"With me here, what are you afraid of."

Yuan Chun said faintly.

She looked at Du Jincui and Geng Dazhuang, saying, "Eldest son, eldest daughter-in-law, starting today, I don’t plan to flee with the villagers. If you want to follow the big group, you two go ahead. I and the second son with his wife will take the five children back to the village. I’d rather starve at home than starve outside."

"Mom, aren’t we following the village chief and the villagers?" Sun Chunfeng, holding his twin daughters by the hand, looked stunned at his mother-in-law.

Yuan Chun feigned a weak gesture, sighed, and said, "We’ve been walking for three days. Not even wild vegetables, not a leaf to eat. Today, we just managed to fetch a mug of water. If we keep going like this, we’ll either starve or die of exhaustion. I’m old; I don’t wish to die outside. When I’m gone, I want to be buried alongside your father. Don’t let me die outside; or when I go to the Underworld, I won’t find your father."

Dalin, the most obedient and filial, upon hearing his mother’s words, quickly said, "Mom, then let’s go back to the village. If we must die, let’s die together."

"No such unlucky talk! Mom is old, and frail; she might not withstand this disaster. But you two, you’re young. You must live strong. The five kids at home rely on you. You have to live well, even just for them."

"Mom, you’ll be fine; you’ll live a long life." Dalin said, eyes reddened and choking up.

Sun Chunfeng’s eyes reddened too and silently shed tears.

Du Jincui, looking incredulous with her pigheaded face, said, "If you want to go home, then go home. Dazhuang and I are going to flee. Xiao Wu and Xiao Yu will go with us. I can’t let my children return."

There’s no food left at home, and none to be found around the village. Going back means death. She’s got only two kids; she won’t let her daughter go back with her mother-in-law and brother-in-law’s family to die.

However, Yuan Chun ignored her.

Yuan Chun, the matriarch of the Geng family, made the decisions.

When the villagers had gone far, Yuan Chun’s family remained seated without moving, prompting Du Jincui to panic, "Mom, you’re really not leaving? Are you truly going back to the village to wait for death?"

Geng Dazhuang also said anxiously, "Mom, there’s nothing to eat in the village; going back means waiting to die. We should flee; maybe we’ll find food and survive. Mom, let’s go."

"I’m not leaving; I don’t want to die outside." Yuan Chun looked at the pair of clever ones, "I know what you’re thinking. You’re afraid I’ll take all the bran. Rest assured, I will give you your share. But Xiao Wu and Xiao Yu, I must take."

Yuan Chun took half a bag of bran and found a small cloth bag. She poured out half of it and handed it to Geng Dazhuang, "This is all the food we have; I’m giving you two half. The other half, the eight of us will eat; let’s see how many days it can last."

Du Jincui wanted to take all the bran, but she knew the old hag wouldn’t agree, neither would Dalin or Sun Chunfeng.

Besides, she was scared now.

She dared not.