The villagers who went to procure supplies returned very late, with gloomy faces.
After queuing all day, they could only buy two pounds of grain.
Other supplies were easy to buy, just a matter of money.
But grain could not be bought even with money.
Each family rationed their existing grain stores, supplementing with dried vegetables and wild greens, which would last about three months.
It was uncertain whether they could make it to a safer area within three months.
The Village Head postponed the date for fleeing famine.
He had originally planned to leave in three days, but everyone's grain supplies were low.
If postponed by half a month, with each household sending two people to the city to queue and buy two pounds of grain per day, they could buy thirty pounds.
With two people from each family, they could bring back sixty pounds.
That would sustain them longer on the road, at least until they reached another town to buy more provisions.
The Village Head mobilized the villagers, "Starting tomorrow, each household sends two people to the city to queue for grain.
Everyone else goes to the mountains to gather whatever edible plants and bark they can find."
Someone from the crowd shouted, "Village Head, what about those of us without money to buy grain?"
"Yeah, those black-hearted bastards are selling the low-quality grain for 28 cents a pound, which we can't afford!"
"My family's savings aren't enough to buy even two pounds of rice."
The Village Head struck a gong a few times and shouted, "Quiet!"
Then he continued, "Those without money for grain, go to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables, tree roots, and bark."
Eldest Gu's family had a large number of mouths to feed, little grain stores, and hardly any money.
They were among the leading families without money to buy grain.
The idea of asking Old Gu Six for support began to take root again in Eldest Gu's mind.
Compared to starving to death, getting beaten seemed insignificant.
After the crowd dispersed, Eldest Gu gathered a family meeting at home.
"Gu Dagou, tomorrow you take Er Gou, San Gou, Si Gou, and Wu Gou to Old Gu Six's home.
You all came from the same womb, so he can't let you starve. Ask him for a hundred taels of silver.
Once you have the money, you and your brothers go queue in the city to buy grain.
Your stepmother and I will take the women of the family to the mountains to find food."
The five Gu brothers, Gu Dagou, Er Gou, San Gou, Si Gou, and Wu Gou, lowered their heads and responded, "Yes."
Their thoughts were identical to Eldest Gu's.
They felt that since their birth mother died giving birth to Old Gu Six, if it weren't for him, they wouldn't have to endure their stepmother's cruelty.
In any case, Old Gu Six was responsible for their life and death, and it was his duty.
Moreover, Old Gu Six only had one good-for-nothing daughter.
After he died, wouldn't they need their son to carry on the family line?
It was only right for Old Gu Six to give them money to spend.
Old Gu Six was unaware of their scheme, otherwise he would have spat in their faces.
"Why would I need an outsider to carry on my family line? I'll just have my daughter do it.
It's not like having a son would bring me back to life."
The next morning at dawn, Old Gu Six and his daughter Gu Chang'an left the village on their mule cart.
Gu Dagou and his four brothers pounded on the door for a long time, but no one answered.
A passerby told them, "Stop pounding, Old Six and his daughter left for the city at first light."
Er Gou asked, "Big brother, what do we do now?"
Gu Dagou spat on the doorstep and said, "Let's go to the city. That broom star and good-for-nothing daughter must have gone to buy grain. I'll catch them at the grain shop."
The five brothers rallied their half-brothers, a group of nine, and marched boisterously to the city.
However, they were disappointed, as Old Gu Six and Gu Chang'an had already picked up the steamed buns and baked buns they had pre-ordered.
Father and daughter went to the blacksmith's shop and bought two new sickles, two new hoes, and two vegetable knives.
Weapons were strictly controlled and could not be bought and sold freely.
There were no weapon shops on the streets.
According to Old Six, the weapons used by mountain bandits were self-made.
They would melt down iron tools and agricultural implements, then reforge them into swords and other weapons.
Indeed, even to be a bandit required a special skill, otherwise they wouldn't have any weapons.
Old Six also had this skill, taught by his late grandfather.
The low, locked shed in their backyard was a fully equipped blacksmith's forge.
No one in the village knew about it, as it was well hidden.
When Grandfather was alive, he often made arrowheads for his own hunting, and also sold them to others.
Gu Chang'an thought that old hunters were probably more than just hunters - they knew martial arts, hunting, and weapons crafting.
Then they went to the Cloth Store and bought two bolts of dark cotton cloth.
Gu Chang'an would use it to make bedsheets, as their current ones were only 1.3 meters wide.
The smallest bedsheets in her spatial realm were 1.5 meters wide.
They had left early, so they returned early as well, having bought all the supplies they needed.
They had considered buying more grain, but it was simply unavailable.
Rather than wasting time queuing all day for just two pounds of rice, it was better to return home and prepare the necessary supplies.
With all the steamed buns and baked buns they bought, shouldn't they make some sauce for dipping?
Didn't the bedsheets need to be sewn?
Didn't Old Six's shoe soles need reinforcing?
There was so much to do.
About ten miles outside the city, they encountered the nine Gu brothers led by Gu Dagou.
Gu Dagou blocked the mule cart, his eyes glinting with greed.
"Old Six, we have no grain at home. Quick, give me a hundred taels of silver to buy grain."
Gu Chang'an wasn't worried that her Old Six father would go soft, after all, he was a ruthless man capable of beating his own father and burning down houses.
So she remained in the cart, munching on a tomato.
She had discovered that the food in her refrigerators could regenerate - if she ate something, it would be replenished in two hours.
Of course, this only applied to the food in her refrigerators, not the pantry or cold storage room.
But even with just the refrigerators, she and Old Six didn't need to worry about starvation.
The two refrigerators were fully stocked.
The only downside was that she couldn't put anything new inside - it would just get thrown back out.
That was a bit unreasonable.
She only wished for an endless supply of shrimp and hairy crabs, but even this small desire was denied.
At least the refrigerators had boxed pork and beef, so she didn't have to worry about running out of those.
Old Six did not disappoint her expectations - he lashed out with his whip, knocking down five of the brothers.
Gu Dagou fell to the ground, cursing, "Old Gu Six, you black-hearted broom star! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for hitting your elder brother?"
The other brothers were a bit timid, still afraid from the previous beating before the new year. If not for Gu Dagou's lead, they wouldn't have dared approach Old Gu Six.
Gu Chang'an considered herself a kind person, so she decided to grant Gu Dagou's wish.
With a slight movement of her tender hand, lightning as thick as an arm descended from the sky, striking the five Gu Dagou brothers.
The other four brothers standing farther away were not spared either, each being struck in turn.
The lightning looked terrifying, but its power was only about half of what she could summon in her previous life.
The nine Gu Dagou brothers fell to the ground, hair standing on end, smoke billowing from their mouths, skin charred black, eyes rolled back, and bodies convulsing violently.
Death is not possible, but all their flesh will rot, and there's a high probability they'll see their flesh falling off in the future.
They will also lose the strength in their limbs, unable to do heavy work, so the women of the family will have to shoulder the burden of supporting the household.
Though the force of the lightning was not great, being struck twice could still kill a person.
For people like Gu Dagou, death is liberation; letting them live is the real punishment, worse than death.
They suffered greatly on the journey fleeing famine.
Old Gu Six was stunned, wasn't he?
He didn't believe it was the heavens helping him, it must have been his daughter.
How wonderful to let out a scream of joy, that such a formidable fairy is his daughter, he is so blessed!
When he worshipped, he must have faced the right direction, paying tribute to his daughter's master.
Then the immortal sent his disciple to be his daughter.
Gu Chang'an: Six Dad, you have quite the imagination.
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