Heavenly Blessed Baby: Fleeing Famine, Busy to Prosper!-Chapter 132: Live or Die, It’s None of Their Damn Business
Everyone’s movement stopped simultaneously, and they all looked at Qi Dalang.
Qi Dalang felt everyone’s gaze and couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He scratched his face and awkwardly said, "I, I was just speaking casually, don’t look at me like that."
"You brat, with your grandpa, your second uncle, and fourth uncle around, why does it have to be you? Hurry over and watch the fire!"
Wang Daya scolded her eldest son irritably.
Seriously, at this time, they didn’t even know how they were going to get through such a cold night, yet they still had the mind to worry about others.
Qi Dalang hung his head and didn’t dare to make a sound.
The others also resumed their respective tasks.
Qi Cheng knew that his eldest grandson was responsible and, being the eldest child in the family, he often took care of his younger siblings, so he had the softest heart.
That he would have such a suggestion did not surprise Qi Zheng.
However, when it comes to helping others...
Qi Quanjin felt the same way.
He was aware of Qi Dalang’s soft heart, but he dared not help people casually.
Those people didn’t seem like many, but if you add them all together, they were actually more than their group.
If they ended up latching onto them, even if they could overpower them, it would still take effort.
Moreover, with the elderly and children around, if they got scared or hurt, it would be bad.
Qi Quanjin went over to the older men and whispered, "Dad, uncles, let’s just focus on protecting ourselves for now. If it gets to a life-or-death situation, we can assess based on our situation whether to help or not. What do you think?"
Watching people die without lending a hand isn’t easy to do.
However, with the example of the people from Yongping Village, even if they had a soft spot, they had to do it appropriately and at the right time.
Everyone nodded in agreement with Qi Quanjin’s words.
Yi Meng pursed her lips, wanting to say that kindness wasn’t always a good thing, but she held back.
Besides, they didn’t have that much stored water left. Even if they wanted to help, they couldn’t do much. When distributing ginger water later, they’d try to use it all up so there wouldn’t be any left, making it impossible to help even if they wanted to.
Yi Meng didn’t see anything wrong with being selfish in this way.
After all, when these elderly, weak, and women were bullied before, those people just watched without saying a word for justice, and even ran faster than anyone else when the officers came to inquire.
At this moment, Qi Manman suddenly said, "Dad, don’t help!"
The crisp voice instantly drew everyone’s attention.
Only to see the little bundle wrapped tightly in Mrs. Qi’s arms, with only a small face showing.
Because she was wrapped so tightly by Mrs. Qi, the little girl’s chubby face was even more plump.
"Manbao, why not help?"
Qi Quanjin didn’t rush to scold his daughter for interrupting but instead asked patiently.
Qi Manman pouted, unhappily saying, "They wanted to hit Mom, they’re bad people! No help!"
With that said, Qi Quanjin and the others’ expressions changed instantly.
Qi Quanjin asked Yi Meng, "Wife, what’s going on? Who wanted to hit you?"
As for someone trying to seize their spot, everyone tacitly agreed not to tell the men who were out gathering firewood.
Now that Qi Manman had brought it up, everyone felt a bit helpless.
A child couldn’t be told she said something she shouldn’t have.
Yi Meng gave Qi Manman a reproachful look before recounting the evening’s events.
Even though they knew that the perpetrator had been taken away by the officers, Qi Quanjin was still incredibly nervous. He checked his wife over several times until he was sure she was really alright before he regretfully said, "If we’d known earlier, we shouldn’t have sent so many of us out to gather firewood."
As soon as he said this, Qi Zheng’s face darkened instantly.
This brat, was he questioning his father’s arrangement?
Yi Meng felt a little embarrassed under Qi Quanjin’s gaze, and she mockingly scolded, "What ’if we’d known earlier’? We’re fine, aren’t we? Alright, the matter’s over, turn the page. After all, that bastard’s not going to have a good end either. Come, sit by the fire!"
Qi Quanjin obediently sat down, but he pulled his wife down with him.
The other men also hurried to check their own wives.
Although Manbao didn’t mention others getting hit, and Yi Meng didn’t bring it up, they weren’t at ease until they could see for themselves that their wives were alright.
However, after all this, even Qi Dalang felt that they shouldn’t help those people.
Life or death, what did it have to do with them?
The weather was getting even colder.
After drinking the ginger soup, everyone felt a lot warmer, but they could still clearly feel the wind getting stronger.
"Let’s hope daylight comes soon! Once the city gates open, second brother, accompany Mr. Yin into the city to sell the ginseng."
Qi Quanjin, holding half a bowl of ginger soup, said to Qi Ercai, "After selling it, Mr. Yin will stay in the city, and you bring the silver out."
"Alright."
Qi Ercai had no objections.
Yin Cheng nodded as well.
Going into the city, coming out, and then going back in, even if it was just a turnaround, still required lining up for inspection and paying the entry fee again.
Since money was tight, naturally, they tried to save as much as they could.
"It’s snowing."
Someone suddenly said this, and only then did everyone notice the cool dampness on their faces.
Looking up, they indeed saw snowflakes falling.
"Is there any oiled paper left? Quickly bring it out to shield the children!"
Qi Quanjin hastily called out.
They couldn’t light a firepit in the carriage, and even if they used a brazier, the temperature wouldn’t get much higher.
They couldn’t dismantle the carriage, so they could only use the remaining oiled paper to cover the children’s heads.
As for the adults, they couldn’t be bothered anymore.
The snow began suddenly, but the speed of it intensifying was even more sudden.
Just after the children’s heads were covered with oiled paper, the snowflakes turned into heavy snowfall, cascading down like feathers.
The wind did not diminish and, mixed with the snow, it stung painfully on the face.
Qi Quanjin hurriedly led more people to add firewood to the surrounding fires.
With the wind so fierce, a slight mistake could extinguish the fires, especially with the heavy snow, which made it even more likely to snuff them out.
They had plenty of manpower and firewood on their side, so they could burn it without worry.
But those farther away weren’t so lucky.
Firstly, they didn’t have much firewood, and secondly, they didn’t have anything to shield against the wind and snow, so just noting the cries of alarm, the fires went out one by one until the other side of the city gate fell into darkness once more.
People screamed and shouted.
Some struggled to relight their fires, but the wind and snow were too fierce; fire starters or flints simply couldn’t successfully ignite the bonfire.
Eventually, someone couldn’t endure any longer. Hunched over with a small child, braving the wind and snow, they passed through the city gate and headed toward Qi Quanjin and his group.
Qi Quanjin, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, immediately alerted everyone to be on guard when he saw someone coming over.
