The appearance of Zhong Lin and his brother was not unusual. After all, many people were fleeing like this. The only difference was that they were not as haggard and emaciated.
Although Zhong Lin and Zhong Shi looked quite frail, they were much stronger compared to those refugees who were emaciated with sallow faces.
Zhong Lin, with a wary expression, used some old clothes to cover the bag of meat and signaled to Little Stone with his eyes.
Little Stone, being clever, tilted his body to press the food bag beneath him.
Zhong Lin recalled the classic line from his past life, "In times of disaster, humans are no longer humans. As long as there's food, they can do anything."
This food was the very basis of survival for the brothers, and they would not allow anyone to take it away.
Zhong Lin silently pushed the wheelbarrow forward at a slightly faster pace than the others, but without attracting attention.
Unknowingly, there were fewer and fewer refugees around Zhong Lin. Turning his head, he saw all had been left behind, yet he kept moving, walking faster and faster.
Suddenly, a disheveled figure darted out, pouncing on Little Stone like a mad dog, or more precisely, on the bag beneath Little Stone.
"Second brother!"
Little Stone cried out in shock, but still held onto the bag tightly without letting go.
Almost simultaneously, Zhong Lin drew the machete from his waist and slashed diagonally with a swift motion.
Thud!
The machete, sharpened by Zhong Lin, cut across the person's abdomen, leaving a trail of blood.
"Ah!"
A piercing scream rang out, followed by the refugee falling to the ground, his abdomen slashed open, revealing wriggling entrails within.
Zhong Lin didn't strike again but instead picked up Little Stone, holding him in his arms. He pointed the machete at the refugee on the ground, ready to act again at any moment.
The refugee lay on the ground screaming in pain, terrifying the surrounding people who quickly backed away in fear.
Zhong Lin could then see the person's face clearly: a young man, not very old, with sunken eyes and cracked lips, clearly in a state of prolonged hunger.
After a while, the young refugee stopped screaming and lay motionless on the ground.
Already on the brink of starvation, being slashed by Zhong Lin meant he couldn't survive in such circumstances.
Zhong Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the area. All the refugees who met his gaze were filled with fear and dared not approach.
"Let's go!"
Putting Little Stone back on the wheelbarrow, Zhong Lin pushed through the crowd, striding forward.
Little Stone clutched the bag of food like a little wolf dog guarding its food, baring his teeth at those around, looking fiercely cute and menacing.
"Young brother."
Just as Zhong Lin stepped out of the crowd, a voice called from afar, followed by a middle-aged man approaching, cupping his hands in greeting.
Zhong Lin scrutinized the middle-aged man, who was rough in appearance, wearing hemp clothing and a face full of stubble. With a cleaver at his waist and arms thicker than average, he didn't look like a fleeing refugee.
Zhong Lin discreetly gripped his machete with his right hand while his left hand reached for the leather bag filled with stones.
"What's the matter?"
The middle-aged man saw Zhong Lin's defensive gestures, spread his hands to demonstrate harmless intentions, and smiled, "Young brother, no need to be anxious. My name is Zhu Jie, from Zhu Family Town. We are not refugees, just relocating with my clansmen to Black Mountain County. I saw your skill earlier and thought we might team up, mutually supporting each other. What do you think?"
Zhong Lin glanced behind the middle-aged man, noticing four flat wagons in the distance. Each wagon was pulled by a yellow ox, with people sitting on the front and rear wagons. In between, there were four large wooden boxes and some children and women.
Surrounding the wagons were six men, each carrying weapons, mostly hunting knives and bows.
Zhong Lin understood that this group was likely also heading to Black Mountain County to escape the disaster. However, compared to ordinary people, they were better off, not suffering from hunger or cold.
They approached Zhong Lin likely because they feared other desperate refugees on the road, thinking an extra person meant more strength.
Zhong Lin didn't know these people and didn't want any trouble, so he directly declined, "Thank you for the invitation, but no need."
Seeing Zhong Lin's refusal, the middle-aged man quickly added, "Young brother, don't refuse just yet. To reach Black Mountain County, you must cross two mountains. The first one is plagued by bandits and robbers. With just you and your brother, it will be hard to stay safe. I'm not bluffing. There's a Fu Niu Village behind. The villagers were slaughtered by the mountain bandits, and none survived."
Zhong Lin's eyes narrowed. Fu Niu Village? So it was true. Yesterday's feeling wasn't wrong—the village really was attacked. No wonder there wasn't a sound or a trace of people at mealtime; they were all killed.
"Young brother, how about you…"
"No need, goodbye."
Zhong Lin didn't continue talking to the middle-aged man and left, pushing the wheelbarrow away, leaving the man visibly disappointed, eventually turning and walking away helplessly.
Zhong Lin glanced at the departing middle-aged man. Bandits were terrifying, but those people were not to be trusted either.
Joining them might indeed increase the chance of survival, but he could also become their scapegoat. If he were alone, it wouldn't matter much—he could run if needed. But since he had Little Stone with him, it wasn't so simple.
Shaking his head, Zhong Lin quickened his pace, bypassing the refugees and turning into a roadside forest, swiftly moving through the trees until he stopped by a small earthen slope.
"Let's settle here! Little Stone, gather some firewood."
Zhong Lin skillfully built a stove with stones, took some smoked meat and brown rice from his bag, and put them in the pot, pouring water from his canteen over them.
He started a fire with some dry leaves, and soon Little Stone brought over some branches he picked up in the forest.
Soon, the food was ready. The smoked meat's fat permeated the rice, and the salty, savory flavor merged with the rice aroma, boosting their appetite. The two brothers enjoyed their meal with much satisfaction.
For the past few days, they've had meat every meal. While it may not be entirely nutritious, they were certainly not lacking, and both had started to gain some weight, no longer looking skinny like before.
After eating, they didn't start traveling immediately. Instead, Little Stone stood watch while Zhong Lin took a nap. Two consecutive nights of watch duty left him severely sleep-deprived, and he needed to be well-rested in case they encountered bandits, ready to flee at a moment's notice.
Lu Xun once said, encountering a tiger doesn't mean you must run fast enough to escape, just faster than the others.