Chapter 70 Everyone has to work

Chapter 70 Everyone has to work

We walked and rested along the way, and the weather was getting colder and colder.

Everyone was talking with a hint of white air. It was fine on sunny days, but on cloudy days there was a cold wind blowing.

A few days later, they met pedestrians on the road. They didn't look miserable, but ordinary people. Most of them had patched clothes, but they didn't look shabby. There were also people driving ox carts and mule carts. It was unclear whether they were fleeing like them or going out for something else.

In the afternoon, everyone was ready to find a place with a water source. Along the way, if they came across a water source, they would prepare water in their pottery jars and buckets and continue on their journey. The Lin family had a large water tank in their car that could hold more water. If they really didn't find a water source, they would give each family some water for drinking and eating.

We finally came across a small river, and there was already a large group of people occupying the river bank.

Lin Benshu pulled the rope tight and looked back at his father: "Dad, there is a river on the right, and the river bank is occupied. Where should we choose to stay?"

Lin Lizheng leaned out, holding onto the carriage and looking out, "It's in the fields beside the road."

Along the way, the fields were all bare. It was not good to trample on other people's fields, but fortunately there was nothing planted on them. There was no other way, as so many people and cars were blocking the road.

Sometimes there is grass and flat land beside the official road, sometimes it is higher than the fields, sometimes it is about the same height as the fields, and sometimes there is no place to sleep and you can only sleep on the official road, trying to stay as close to the side as possible.

Wandering outside, how miserable it is, without even a place to stay or a roof over your head. The sky is your blanket, the ground is your bed, and unless it is absolutely necessary, who would abandon their home and property, and risk their own life to flee to a foreign land where they are unfamiliar with the people?

Everyone divided the work into groups, collecting firewood and carrying water. Whenever they left the team to move, there would be at least ten or twenty people.

There were too many injured young and middle-aged people in the team. In addition to a few seriously injured ones, some of the slightly injured ones had their hands hit and were unable to use their strength. There were few people who could do heavy work.

Teenagers, the elderly, and women all went to fetch water, holding clay pots. Some used a shoulder pole to pass through the hemp rope on the wooden barrel. Two people carried a shoulder pole with two buckets of water hanging on it.

I would push a cart to collect firewood. When I came across an area without mountains, I would cut trees wherever I could find them. I would drag them back with the cart, chop them into pieces, and burn them. It didn't matter if the wood was wet or dry, as long as there was some firewood, it would be fine.

Work points were recorded for all workers, and no one dared to be lazy. No matter how lazy or cunning a person was, he would not dare to be lazy or slack off on the road where danger could befall him at any moment, for fear of being left behind by the team.

Lin Xianpeng came back with the water and put it down. "Father, I saw that there are more people by the river than us."

Old Man Lin: "Go and have a look, aren't you afraid of people scolding you?"

Lin Youpeng: "I haven't walked over yet, Grandpa. I'm getting water from the other side, not far away. There are people on the river bank, and there are also many people in the fields next to them."

Lin Youfu: "That's a person from a big village!"

Lin Youpeng: "There were many of them, but we didn't see many vehicles, cows or mules."

Old Man Lin: "Stay away from them and don't get into an argument."

This person, you don't want to provoke others, but others want to cause trouble.

The village we settled by the river was a big one. Although there were many households and people in the village, most of the villagers had to survive the winter. Each family had little surplus food, so when there was a shortage of food, they had to rely on wild vegetables in the spring to fill their stomachs.

After finally encountering a river, even though the weather was cold, the women still wanted to wash the dirty clothes and socks they were wearing, and if there were children at home, they would wash the children's clothes and other things, as well as pots, pans, and bowls.

The washed clothes can be dried in the oven. If that doesn’t work, just hang them out to dry when you rest at night.

It's good to have someone guarding and patrolling, so you don't have to worry about anyone stealing. There's nothing to steal from rags.

The four sisters-in-law of the Lin family came back with washed clothes, tied a long hemp rope on the RV, and connected it to another carriage to hang the clothes and pants.

Originally the awning had a place to hang clothes, but to provide it for people without vehicles, straw mats were hung on three sides to make a simple shelter for sleeping.

The washing machine in the RV was blocked by two jars of lard and pork, and it was troublesome to move it. Shen Xianglan said that it was unreasonable to use it for herself and not for other members of the Lin family! The three-kilogram washing machine would take until dawn to wash the clothes and pants of Lin Zisu's family of four.

She took her husband and son to the river to wash clothes, which shocked everyone else!

The ones who couldn't accept it the most were Old Lady Wang and Old Man Lin. It was freezing cold and they were in no mood to talk much, so the three of them quickly got the job done by the river.

Lin Zisu couldn't use her left hand yet, so she could only watch over the two large pots at home and add firewood to the fire.

The people who came back from work had red hands and noses from the cold. There were so many people that each family lit a small fire to keep warm.

The firewood-collecting team cut down four trees and hauled them back on a cart. If they couldn't use all the firewood tonight, they would put it on the cart for use tomorrow night.

Firewood and water are also hard to find, as not every place has water or firewood.

Lin Youfu came back from work and warmed himself by the fire. He heard his parents talking about his fourth brother being dragged by his sister-in-law to do laundry. He couldn't help but say, "Oh! It's so late now. You're not at home. Just wash your clothes! What's wrong with washing your own clothes? When my fourth brother was at home, he cooked for me. Why didn't I hear you talking about it?"

Old Man Lin: "What did you say? When has your fourth brother ever cooked at home?"

Old Lady Wang: "Your fourth brother has never cooked since he was a child, how can he cook? Don't talk nonsense, when did we cook at home, we always stewed it."

Lin Youcai and Lin Xianwen tried desperately to signal Lin Youfu, but he didn't see them at all and said hurriedly, "Why hasn't he cooked anything before? Haven't you all eaten it before? And you said it was delicious! The day before we fled, he was the one who cooked the chicken, duck, goose and pig offal!"

Old Man Lin and Old Lady Wang both looked at Lin Youcai, then at Lin Xianwen and Lin Zisu.

Old Lady Wang pointed at Lin Youcai and said, "You said it was the two kids who showed off their skills and did it!!"

Lin Youcai said helplessly: "Yes, I'm just helping! They are so young, someone needs to help!"

Old Lady Wang: "I don't believe you anymore! How come you have changed, Old Four? You never lied to me before!"

Old Man Lin: "Your hands are for writing! How can a scholar go into the kitchen to cook?!"

Lin Youcai: "Scholars don't need to eat or drink! They have become immortals! Studying and working don't conflict with each other. Whoever has time can do the housework! I'm not the son of a rich and powerful family. Even if I am, I still have to work on the road!"

Old Man Lin pointed at Si'er with a face full of anger: "You despise me and your mother! You despise the Lin family for not being a wealthy family!!!"

Everyone in the Lin family: “…”

Lin Youxiang pulled his father away and said, "Dad, what are you thinking about? Let's finish our dinner quickly so we can have a rest and go to sleep!"

Lin Youfu: "Every day, ouch, my body hurts again! Damn you bandits!"

Amid the noise and bustle, everyone finished their dinner and brought the small fires together to form a big fire.

The two groups of guards took turns patrolling and warming themselves by the fire. The four dogs lay by the fire, squinting their eyes to keep warm and rest.

The front frame of the carriage was supported by wood. Not far from the fire, a hole was dug and a wooden stake was buried, and ropes for cows and mules were tied to the stake.

In the darkness, a few people crept over and lay in the shadows, muttering to each other.

“They also have dogs!”

"They have so many cows and mules!"

"This group of people is very rich! With so many cars, they must have a lot of food!"

"There are many beautiful women! There were many women, big and small, at the riverside today!"

"Hey hey hey hey...you kid!"

“Hehehehe…”