Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In the nineteenth year of the Chengqing era, a great drought struck the world.

In the first year, a peck of rice was worth a bolt of silk.

In the second year, locusts flew in clouds that blotted out the sun, and bleached bones littered the roads.

Guanzhong suffered from famine. A decaliter of millet was worth ten thousand coins. People sold their own flesh and blood; the tragedy was beyond human endurance.

At first, there were still places in the city distributing porridge. Later, the world fell into chaos, and the wealthy masters locked away their surplus grain and shuttered their doors tight.

Lan Guan had not appeared in Mei County for a long time.

I wondered if he had been murdered while out searching for food.

I heard that in neighboring Qianyin County, there were already signs of cannibalism.

At a time like this, everyone was struggling just to survive, and I had no time to worry about him.

My eldest uncle and his family had helped us a few times, but eventually, they left us to our fate.

No matter how much I pounded on their door until dark or shouted until my throat was hoarse, no one in the Li family paid any attention.

My mother and I had been starving for three days.

On the way back, I saw that the brothels and pleasure houses in the city still echoed with laughter and music.

A madam stood at the entrance, her face caked in heavy makeup. She opened her blood-red mouth and smiled at me. “Can’t survive anymore? There’s still a bite to eat here. Want to come in?”

I was so hungry. The fire of starvation burned within me, a sensation so agonizing it was enough to drive one mad.

I walked like the living dead, stopping and starting, unsure of how much time had passed.

Red-eyed wild dogs followed me along the road.

What a perfect cycle of karma.

Once, I slaughtered them to make a living.

Now, having grown accustomed to eating the corpses by the roadside, they had set their sights on me.

It was clear that Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they nourish all things, and in their eyes, there is no difference between a human and a dog.

In this world, everyone simply relies on their own abilities.

If I collapsed, I would be devoured by them instantly.

Thus, I forced myself to endure until I reached our manor. Only then did my strength fail, and I fainted from hunger.

When I woke up, I saw my mother.

She was holding a bowl, feeding me porridge spoonful by spoonful. Her eyes were red and swollen, her expression vacant.

My voice was raspy as I struggled to ask her, “Where did the grain come from?”

She wiped away her tears and said, “Your uncle sent someone to deliver it secretly yesterday.”

Ah, I was the foolish one for going to knock on their door.

With so many refugees in the city, how could they dare open their doors? It was already difficult enough for them to sneak a delivery to the manor.

Relying on that porridge, I recovered my spirit after two days.

Afterward, the first thing I did was head out again, a dog-butchering knife tucked into my waist.

In a year of famine, people seemed to have even larger appetites; no matter what, I always felt famished.

The two pecks of grain my uncle sent wouldn’t last long.

My mother cried and screamed, refusing to let me leave. “Ah Yin, stay home and be good. When the grain is gone, your uncle will send someone again.”

“A person dies after seven days of starvation. Don’t pin your hopes on them,” I said.

I had to go out and find a way to live.

The place I was going was the Yao Mansion.

Years ago, I had killed Second Miss Yao’s cat. With her status, even if she had beaten me to death, it would have been of no consequence.

Since she had let me go, I was certain she harbored a spark of kindness.

The silver collar that had once been fastened around my neck was brought to her by a servant.

Then, she saw me.

She was still seated high in the hall, squinting her eyes. Her features had only grown more dazzling, making her look even more like a fox.

“Little White, there are victims of the disaster everywhere outside, and many have starved to death. Why should this lady go out of her way to save you?”

“Because I am Miss’s cat. From now on, I will follow your lead in everything.”

I knelt before her and saw the corners of her lips curl into a faint smile. “You are of no use. Why would I want you?”

“Miss was born into a noble house and is no ordinary person of this world. You should look to the future. Little White is neither talented nor capable, but I am willing to serve as Feng Xuan as a retainer of Lord Mengchang, to toil like a horse or a dog for Miss.”

“In the future, when we store grain against the famine, I only wish for Miss to sleep soundly without any worries.”

I spoke with a face full of sincerity. Yao Jingnian looked at me and laughed, clicking her tongue. “You’re still just a little girl. Aren’t you afraid of tripping over your tongue, making such grand boasts?”

“I swear, every word is sincere. If I break this oath, may Heaven strike me down with lightning.”

“Haha, interesting. Of course I know you have some ability. After all, you even dared to kill my cat.”

She leaned forward, reaching out to pinch my face. Her expression was subtle. “Unfortunately, I am no Lord Mengchang. Though born of a noble house, I am ultimately just a woman. How boring.”

“You killed my cat-do you really think I didn’t feel distressed? It’s just that I grew up by my grandfather’s side and often heard him say that the way of an official is to first preserve the people. You were just a small girl slaughtering dogs and cats for a living. If I had killed you, my grandfather would surely have blamed me from beyond the grave.”

“Little White, I am no saint. Helping you is merely a trivial matter. Don’t talk to me about storing grain against famine. This world is difficult; just stay alive.”

At fourteen, Yao Jingnian, born of a prestigious family, possessed the pride of a noble lady.

Though she wouldn’t admit it, I knew she was someone with a kind heart.

In this year of great drought, the Yao Family of Yongzhou was the local family that donated the most grain.

Their porridge shed was also the last one to close down.

But in this year of famine, the common people could not escape it, and there was absolutely nothing to be done.