Saying so, the man took the jade thumb ring from the old woman's hand and handed it to the young man named Zheng.
Ah Jiu was met with the old woman's huffing gaze, knowing she was still angry.
Unexpectedly, the young man named Zheng looked at it and was stunned, "This is indeed top-grade jade, hahaha..."
"Then... can we go now?" Meng Shaode could see the joy in the scoundrel's eyes.
If he could escape today, he swore he would never believe in sacrificing oneself for others again; it was all empty talk.
"Alright, you can go. If you meet any young masters on the road in the future, just don't mention seeing me, or I'll still cause you trouble."
Finally, they were leaving. Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
As the man turned to mount his horse, he suddenly stopped, checked the breathing of the youth slumped over his horse.
He yanked the youth off and threw him to the ground, cursing, "Can't take a beating, you're dead."
The youth was tall and slender, his build not as robust as a rural man's. Now, lying on the ground, blood immediately began to flow.
Ah Jiu gasped, this person was likely truly dead.
After the man rode away, Meng Shaode let out a roar, "Let's go, quickly!"
No, once he found a place to settle, he had to learn some martial arts. Back then, his body was good enough to kill many bandits while escorting goods, but now he didn't have the courage to protect his family.
"Wait." As the ox cart's wheel began to turn, Ah Jiu jumped down. She thought she saw the person on the ground's finger twitch.
"Ah Jiu, it's chaos and famine, don't meddle in other people's affairs." The terrified uncle wished he had wings to fly and had the leisure to bother with such things?
"Daddy, he's still breathing a little," Ah Jiu ignored her uncle's words.
Precisely because it was a time of chaos and famine, and the world was heartless, one must not treat life as worthless. If Heaven didn't give people a way out, people had to find their own way to survive.
"Not dead?" Meng Shaode and his wife rushed over.
The family of three looked at the young man. Although his face was dirty and bloody, the fabric of his clothes suggested he wasn't from an ordinary farming family.
He was likely from a wealthy family, captured by refugees and pressed into service.
"Alas, it's a pity. Nowadays, whether rich or poor, everyone endures this hardship. Lihua, lend a hand and move this young brother to a shady spot."
Meng Shaode called out, and the couple moved the person to the shade of the ox.
Meng Shaokang's head ached terribly. How had his second brother become so soft-hearted?
Ah Jiu quickly followed to take off her waterskin, only to find her waist empty.
"Hey." Turning back, she saw Grandma sitting behind her like a ghost, with an enjoyable look, opening the stopper and gulping it down.
Her expression was as if she had eaten honey. One gulp wasn't enough, she tilted her head back and gulped it down.
"Grandma, don't drink it all at once." Ah Jiu quickly went to snatch it. The spring was so small, and the road ahead was long.
Fortunately, Wang Shi's legs were not nimble, and she couldn't snatch it from Ah Jiu. She stared longingly at the waterskin, sadly smacking her lips and muttering:
"Give some to that little one, he's not seriously injured."
Ah Jiu shook it. There was still one-third left. Her heart ached. How could Grandma's throat be like a mouse hole?
Never mind, this little bit would be enough for the young master.
Cai Lihua held the man's head, Meng Shaode worked to pry open his mouth, and Ah Jiu carefully poured the water into his blood-stained mouth.
Seeing his throat move, Meng Shaode smiled foolishly:
"Looks like he'll be saved."
Cai Lihua fanned the young man's face with her hand.
Before long, the young man's chest began to rise and fall with even breaths, though he had not yet woken up.
"Let's go, don't take him with us. We can barely take care of ourselves, and there's no room for two on the ox cart."
The uncle was impatient, but seeing the situation, this family intended to take him along.
"You ungrateful wretch, everything is born of its spirit. How could I have given birth to such a heartless beast like you?"
Ah Jiu's family of three all looked at Wang Shi. Her words were profound and mysterious.
Looking at her, they were instantly stunned.
"Grandma, you..."