What to do if you have too many golden fingers? Walk sideways!

Chapter 117 Disaster Victims

Gu Xi originally thought that the northwest was a bitter and cold place, and that as they headed southeast, they would become more and more prosperous.

But the reality is totally different. Instead, it becomes more and more desolate.

On the way, we occasionally saw people fleeing famine, wearing tattered clothes, hungry, and with pale faces.

Although the villages along the way were not completely empty, the population was declining.

Gu Xi was very puzzled by this, so he stopped an old man who was carrying a bag and holding his grandson on the road, dismounted and asked:

"Uncle, where are you going?"

Seeing that they were dressed as soldiers, the old man did not dare to neglect them and quickly replied:

"Sir, there was a severe drought this year. We have been tending to the crops for half a year, but the harvest is not enough to pay the rent and taxes. We really have no way to make a living in the village. We heard that there are wealthy families in the county town giving out porridge, so we want to go and ask for food, and try our luck to see if we can find some work."

It is now late summer. This place is located in the Central Plains. Gu Xi knows that there are two planting seasons a year here. When he was a child and lived with his grandmother in his hometown, this season was very busy, as they had to harvest wheat and plant corn or sweet potatoes.

So he asked:

"After the wheat is harvested, shouldn't it be time to plant autumn crops? What will happen to the land if you leave the village?"

The old man smiled bitterly and shook his head:

"Where are the seeds for autumn crops? Even if there are seeds, watering will be a problem."

Gu Xi was silent for a moment, and Chu Zhao next to him also asked:

"Didn't the government come to provide disaster relief?"

The old man sighed and said, "Sir, how can officials care about the lives of us ordinary people? In this famine year, even the taxes have not been reduced by a cent."

At this time, a young woman who was so thin that she was just skin and bones came up with the help of an equally skinny old woman. The young woman said:

"Dad, Mom is so thirsty that she can't walk any more."

It was more than just thirsty. I was already so hungry that my stomach was sticking to my back. Moreover, the scorching sun made me dizzy and even shaky when I walked.

Gu Xi hurriedly handed his water bag to the young woman.

This time she goes to Beijing, she doesn't know how deep the water is in the city. She dare not be as casual as she was on the grassland. It is better to keep the golden finger hidden as a trump card.

So now the cavalry battalion doesn’t even wear camouflage uniforms, they just wear the uniforms of the Northwest Army.

Although Gu Xi would secretly give everyone special treatment, on the surface, it was no different from other troops.

After drinking the water, the old woman felt a little better and was able to open her eyes. Gu Xi took out a few more steamed buns and gave them to them.

The whole family knelt down to express their gratitude, and Gu Xi quickly helped them up.

The old man thanked him profusely: "Thank you, General!"

But he couldn't bear to eat it all, so he only took out one of the buns, divided it into four pieces, and carefully put away the other three.

Gu Xi felt upset. Is life so difficult for the people in Anning Country?

She had been in the northwest before. Although the people in the village were poor, at least they had coarse grains to fill their stomachs and did not have to flee from famine.

Unexpectedly, the situation in the Central Plains is more difficult than that in the Northwest. Perhaps because of the presence of General Chu, the officials in the Northwest can be more restrained.

"Uncle, please eat all the steamed buns. I will give you some dry food to take with you."

"Soldier, this is not possible. With these steamed buns, our family can walk to the county town alive. It seems that you still have to march a long distance. My son is also serving in the army, but I haven't seen him for two or three years." The old man waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes full of gratitude. The soldier seemed to be a few years younger than his son, and he was not greedy.

Gu Xi took out a pack of sesame cakes, stuffed them into the old man's pocket, and said:

"Oh? Then you should accept it, just as if it were your son's honor to you. I just wonder which army your son is serving in?"

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, the old man gratefully accepted the pancake and said, "My surname is Zheng. My son Zheng Yongan is in the north. He wrote to me last year saying that they are under the command of General Gu."

It turned out to be someone from their Gu Family Army! But the old man didn't know that General Gu was no longer alive.

Gu Xi felt closer and asked hurriedly:

"Don't soldiers get paid? Why would your family want to flee from famine?"

From the original owner's memory, Gu Xi knew that her grandfather and father were both good generals who loved their soldiers like their own sons and were never stingy with their soldiers. However, it had been several months since they were falsely accused of treason and executed. She really didn't know how the soldiers in the north had been doing during these months.

Old man Zheng said ashamedly:

"This is all my fault. My son did send back some military pay last year, but after the spring, my wife and I fell ill one after another. Not only did we spend all the money, but we also borrowed money from others. In the past six months, there has been no news from my son. Alas, at this time of year in previous years, we could at least go to the fields to pick some wild vegetables to eat, but this year there is a severe drought and the wild vegetables are not growing."

The old woman next to him ate something, recovered a little, and asked with tears in her eyes:

"Sir, are you from the north? Could you help me and my family find out how my son is doing? I kneel down to you."

Old man Zheng and the young woman also looked at Gu Xi with hope in their eyes.

Gu Xi quickly supported the old woman and said:

"Auntie, I'm not from the north. We are from the Northwest Army."

The hope in the eyes of Old Man Zheng and his family was instantly shattered.

Gu Xi quickly added:

"But don't worry, I will ask someone to go to the Northland as soon as possible. Your son's name is Zheng Yongan, right? How old is he?"

Zheng Laohan and his family were immediately filled with hope and thanked him repeatedly:

"Thank you, General! My son Zheng Yongan is quite tall. People in the village call him Big Zheng. He is 26 years old this year. This is my daughter-in-law and my grandson, who is seven years old this year. If you can find him, please send him a message and tell him that everything is fine at home and ask him not to worry."

Gu Xi felt sad. His family couldn't even make ends meet, but he was still trying to comfort his son. It was really pitiful to see the love of parents in this world.

Gu Xi looked at the little grandson behind the old man again. He was thin and small, looking at Gu Xi with a pair of big eyes. If Old Man Zheng hadn't said that he was seven years old, Gu Xi would have thought that he was only four or five years old. He was obviously malnourished.

Gu Xi grabbed a handful of candy from the space, pretended to take it out from the bag on his back, squatted down, and handed it to Old Man Zheng's grandson.

"Little boy, eat it. It's candy. It's very sweet."

The little boy looked up at his grandfather and when he saw his grandfather nod, he took the candy and said politely:

"Thank you, big brother!"

Gu Xi touched his head, then stood up and said to Chu Zhao:

"Brother Chu, I didn't expect to meet Gu Jiajun's family by such a coincidence. It's reasonable for me to help them."

Chu Zhao nodded and said, "Of course. The current general of the Northland should be An Mengde, the former commander of the Imperial Guards. I'm not too familiar with him, but it shouldn't be a problem to ask someone to find out about him."

"Surname An? A member of the royal family?" Gu Xi raised his eyebrows.