Chapter 290 The Second Chapter The Life of the People in Zhongzhou

This was the first time she had seen someone eating steamed buns in a long time.

Before, every household ate rice bran and Guanyin soil dug from Nanwu Mountain outside the city.

Many people died after eating Guanyin soil, including her parents.

Pan Dajin handed her the steamed bun and said, "This is not for sale. I'll give it to you."

The little girl quickly shook her head, thought for a moment, and raised the two coins in her hand, "Uncle, I have copper coins, I want to buy from you."

My parents said that life is difficult for every family in today's world.

Pan Dajin stood up, walked up to her, and stuffed the steamed bun into her arms without taking her pitiful two cents.

"What's your name?"

The little girl bowed and whispered, "Xiang'er."

Pan Dajin nodded and said to Xiang'er, "My last name is Pan, you can just call me Uncle Pan."

He pointed to the date tree and said, "Go sit over there and eat."

Xiang'er dragged her injured leg with difficulty and followed him to the jujube tree.

The multi-grain steamed buns contain more white flour, so they don’t irritate the throat when eaten. After Xiang’er finished the steamed buns, Pan Dajin gave her the remaining cornmeal buns.

"Where are your family members?" Pan Dajin stared at her injured leg. Judging from her injury, she must have been hit. The blood had already dried up and turned dark red.

Speaking of her family, Xiang'er's eyes turned red and her voice lowered, "They're all dead."

She sniffed.

"There was no food at home. The food in the grain store was too expensive and we couldn't afford it. They ate the Guanyin soil and died."

Pan Dajin's heart suddenly felt like it was being gripped by a big hand, and the pain was so severe that even his breathing became lighter.

"What's wrong with your leg?" he asked.

Xiang'er looked at her injured leg nonchalantly, "The nobles in the city hired people to be their servants. I worked as a servant for a few days and was paid a piece of black-faced steamed bun every day."

"Unfortunately, I ran too slow and was hit by a young man with a stick. They drove me out, but they saw that I was injured and gave me two cents."

As she said this, she touched her stomach and said, "I haven't had a full meal in a long time."

Pan Dajin's breathing stagnated.

He knew what Xiang'er meant by "being a dog or a horse".

Those people built a zoo in the city, and the "beasts" in the zoo were naturally the people in the city.

They treated the people as livestock and prey for hunting.

Pan Dajin was so angry that he gritted his teeth. He did not ask Xiang'er why she didn't go to the doctor when she was injured. If he asked this question, the answer he would get would only be more hurtful.

"There is a free clinic in the city. Do you want to go and have your legs checked?" he asked softly.

Xiang'er shook her head. "My neighbor said my leg can't be cured, so I won't go. I'll leave the chance to be cured to someone who needs it more."

Her words almost made Pan Dajin cry.

"Your leg can be cured. The doctors in Taoyuan City are very skilled and can cure it. They don't charge any money. I'll take you to try." He tried to keep his tone calm. "Really? Uncle won't lie to you."

He looked at the row of low, dilapidated houses in front of him and said, "You can also call other injured and sick people and get them treated for free."

"Those who are not sick or injured can come out to work and receive daily rations, which are the steamed buns and steamed bread you just ate."

Pan Dajin felt more and more sad as he spoke. They had never lived through such a hard time when they fled from famine.

"Really, we are good people and we are here to save you."

His tears burst out, and Xiang'er said in confusion, "Eh?" "Uncle, are you crying because of us?"

"Don't be sad. My parents said that this is the fate of us people in Zhongzhou."

"So, don't cry." She was only ten years old, and had lived half of her life in natural disasters and wars. She didn't understand any big principles, and only remembered the words her parents told her when they were alive.

Seeing this kind-hearted uncle crying for them, she remembered the words her father once used to comfort her mother.

All of this is the fate of the people of Zhongzhou.

Pan Dajin opened his mouth, but no sound came out of his throat.

After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words from his throat, "It shouldn't be like this. This is not the fate of you Zhongzhou people. No one's fate should be like this..."

Xiang'er tilted her head, "But, this is how we got here."

Pan Dajin clenched his fists and said, "I will take you to the clinic. Your leg will get better, and you will be able to eat well and go to school. You will become the person you want to be."

Xiang Er sighed, "Okay."

The uncle didn't believe that her leg could not be cured, so she went to ask him to give up.

"Uncle, Grandpa Shi and the others are also injured, and many people are sick. Can I take them with us?" She thought of the neighbors around her.

They were more seriously injured than herself, and if there was a truly free clinic, she wanted to give them a chance to get treatment.

Pan Dajin nodded, "I'll go find a carriage."

He went to the construction site to find the medical team and asked them to arrange a carriage for him to go there to pick up people.

Xiang'er took the cornmeal steamed bun that she was reluctant to eat and shared a small piece with the family. Everyone in Xiang's family worked hard to promote the free clinic that Pan Dajin mentioned.

Her intuition told her that Uncle Pan, who shared his rations with her, was not a bad person.

Everyone was skeptical, but that small piece of cornmeal steamed bun gave them some confidence.

But there are still some stubborn people who refuse to leave their homes, so the medical team has to go to their homes to provide treatment.

Xiang'er followed Pan Dajin in a carriage to the temporary medical clinic.

The clinic was quite quiet, and some young girls were playing shuttlecock in the yard.

Pan Dajin went in and looked around, but didn't see Yu Chun'er and Yu Qiu'er, not even Lu Yi and the others. He asked the person guarding the door and learned that they were at Pan Yingying's place.

He originally wanted to leave Xiang'er in the clinic, but he was worried that the little girl would be scared, so he simply took a carriage and took her to the prefect's mansion.

In the courtyard of the prefect's mansion, Batian lay on the ground with his eyes closed, allowing several little girls to comb his hair. The spring sun shone on him, making his whole body seem to radiate silver light.

Pan Yingying was sitting on a rocking chair in the corridor, holding a storybook in her hand, but her consciousness was actually writing a message to Yu Chaosheng in the space.

Everything is going smoothly on his side for now and there are no problems.

As soon as the carriage approached the prefect's mansion, Xiang'er began to shake uncontrollably.

She remembered this place because her leg was injured nearby.

"Uncle..." She was very scared.

Pan Dajin stopped the carriage and said, "I want to go in and find the doctor who will treat your leg. Are you going to wait for me here or come with me?"

Xiang'er bit her lip and thought for a long time before she whispered, "I'll go with uncle."

Pan Dajin nodded and extended a sleeve to her, "Then hold my sleeve and I will take you in."

As soon as he reached the gate, Batian opened his eyes, saw that it was Pan Dajin, and closed his eyes lazily again.

When Xiang'er saw the white tiger being tormented by the little girls, she was so scared that she hid behind Pan Dajin.

Pan Yingying came out of the space and put down the book in her hand, "Brother, why are you here?"

Pan Dajin took a step aside, revealing Xiang'er who looked timid, "I met a little girl, her foot was injured, and I wanted Chun'er and the others to help take a look."

I’ve been having a serious writer’s block lately, but I’ll make sure to update twice a day, even if it’ll be a little later.

Thanks to the guys who voted for me.

Refill.