Chapter 15 Preparation
We have finally lived through decades of peace. Do we really have to escape famine again when we get old?

Mrs. Zhao was worried that her daughter had no experience, so she gave her a few more suggestions, "Also, buy more sugar and salt."

Pan Yingying nodded, "Don't worry, mother. I know. Once there is any news, I will ask Chaosheng to come and inform you."

As soon as Pan Yingying and Yu Chaosheng left, Zhao hurriedly called Old Man Pan into the house and told him what her daughter had just said.

Old Man Pan took two puffs of the dry tobacco that Yu Chaosheng had just given him as a gift, and made a decision with a serious face.

"We won't go up the mountain today. The eldest, second and third sons and I will go to the city to buy food and one, no, two ox carts. We will ask the eldest son's wife to go back to her parents' home, and the second and third sons' wives will go out to collect eggs. You stay at home and take care of the little ones."

The family of the second daughter-in-law Liu Juhua asked for a betrothal gift of ten taels of silver from the Pan family, but did not even give a torn quilt as a dowry. The two families have had no contact for many years. The third daughter-in-law Zhao Meixiang is an orphan, and the family property left by her parents was divided up by her eldest uncle and second uncle. Zhao could not bear to see this and took her back.

All in all, only the eldest daughter-in-law Zhang Xiaoye and her parents' family are left.

Zhao was the one who made the decisions on small matters at home, so naturally she had to listen to Old Man Pan on such big matters. She had no objection at all and took out all the money hidden in the box, keeping a small half and giving the rest to Old Man Pan.

……

……

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the middle of the night, someone banged on Yu Chaosheng's door.

The person who came was Yu Laoer. He looked very ugly, dishevelled, and there was a lot of blood on his collar.

Before Yu Chaosheng could say anything, Yu Laoer grabbed his arm in a hurry and said, "Quick! Pack your things! We have to leave now!"

Seeing that Yu Chaosheng didn't react, he slapped him on the back again, "Those refugees have reached Anping County!"

Pan Yingying, who came out to see what was going on, exclaimed, "How come it's so fast?"

Yu Lao Er shook his head in pain, "The county magistrate of Anping County is a worthless person. He ran away with his family half a month ago!"

Now that things were getting better at home, he was thinking about going to the county town to visit his mother and elder brother, and tell them about the reformation of the third son. However, he only had time to see his mother for the last time.

The refugees rushed into the county town. Yu Lao Da fled with his wife and children, leaving Wang behind. When Yu Lao Er arrived, Wang was only breathing her last breath. She simply left her last words before passing away.

He did not dare to delay. He carried Wang's body on his back and drove the ox cart all the way, and finally returned to Taoyuan Village in the middle of the night.

Pan Yingying looked at the ox cart parked not far away and pursed her lips.

Yu Chaosheng hesitated for a moment and said, "Second brother, go back and inform the villagers. I will bury mom and dad together."

Yu Lao Er wanted to say something, but he couldn't bear to see his mother die without a burial place, so he could only grit his teeth and say, "I will come to help you after I notify the villagers."

Yu Chaosheng went over and carried the stiff old lady on his back, while Yu Laoer drove the carriage to the village entrance and rang the gong hanging on the tree.

Pan Yingying did not go with Yu Chaosheng, but hurried back to the house and put all her things into the system space.

Her family had previously bought a horse-drawn carriage. After thinking about it, she decided not to care about anything else and bought another ox-drawn cart from the system mall. She loaded the concealed bundles and iron pots that had been prepared long ago on the ox-drawn cart, locked the door, and drove the carriage to Panjiaao.

The Pan family was sleeping soundly, and Pan Yingying knocked and shouted to wake them up.

"We'll set off in about an hour, and we'll have to leave tonight." Pan Yingying dropped a thunderous sound.

Zhang Xiaoye burst into tears. It would take her an hour to go to her mother's house and back, and she would never make it in time.

Pan Yingying also thought of this, so she drove the carriage here specially.

"Brother, drive the carriage to inform my sister-in-law's family."

"Dad and Mom, please notify everyone here. I have to hurry back. My mother-in-law is gone, and Chaosheng is busy burying her. The house needs to be cleaned up." After she said that, she turned around and disappeared into the night.

Zhao stamped her feet. She had been planning to go over to help, but this girl ran too fast!

Seeing that his family members hadn't moved for a long time, Old Man Pan shouted angrily, "Hurry up and move! Are you waiting to be hacked to death by bandits?"

……

……

Taoyuan Village is not big, with about 50 households and a total population of no more than 200 people. When the gong sounded, people got up one after another and went to the village entrance.

Yu Lao Er was already sweating with anxiety. When he saw Xiao Wang coming from afar, he hurriedly shouted to her, "Go back and pack your things! We have to leave tonight! The bandits have reached the county town!"

Little Wang staggered and almost fell. After she came to her senses, she turned around and ran home.

Yu Lao Er had talked to her about this before, and the third brother had privately asked her to buy more rice, grain, salt and sugar, because the situation outside was becoming more and more chaotic, and who knows when the chaos would spread to their place. They didn't expect that day to come so soon.

Fortunately, she followed the example of the third son's wife and usually packed up some important things that could be used, so she only had to pack up some small things when she went back.

Halfway through her run, she suddenly remembered that she had to notify her mother's family. After thinking about it, she quickened her pace and ran back home. She asked her two daughters to pack up first, and then she went to the village entrance and asked her husband to go to Wangjia Village as soon as possible.

Yu Lao Er hurriedly finished explaining at the entrance of the village, and then he saw Xiao Wang coming back, "Why are you here again?"

Little Wang ran over and grabbed his sleeve, almost catching her breath, "Hurry, hurry to my mother's house!"

Yu Lao Er pushed her and said, "I know! I was just about to go over there! Go home quickly, and remember to take the children and stay close to Lao San and his wife!"

Little Wang nodded, knowing that now was not the time to talk nonsense, "Go quickly and come back soon!"

The two of them then went their separate ways.

When Pan Yingying returned home, Yu Chaosheng was sharpening his shiny sword in the yard.

Seeing her come back, he threw Pan Yingying's knife to her. He had already sharpened it.

"Have you gone to inform your parents-in-law?" he asked.

Pan Yingying nodded, "What else do you want to buy?"

Her heart was pounding like a drum and she desperately needed to do something to distract herself.

Yu Chaosheng raised the sword and looked at it. His slightly upturned eyebrows were reflected on the blade. He couldn't help but sigh, "Brother, why are you so handsome?"

Pan Yingying: ...

Her fist hardened.

Yu Chaosheng waved his hand and bought five broadswords, a crossbow and 500 arrows in one go. The journey of escape would surely be very chaotic, and they would need to have a certain ability to protect themselves. These five broadswords were prepared by him for the Pan family and Yu Laoer.

Seeing how generous he was, Pan Yingying decided not to stingy anymore and bought a large bag of rat poison from the mall.

Yu Chaosheng: …

He gave a thumbs up and commented, "Sister Pan, it's amazing!"

This woman is as cruel and stingy as ever!
A packet of that old rat poison was only 5 wen, and a big bag of 100 packets cost less than one or two taels of silver in total.

(End of this chapter)