"Don't you believe me? If it weren't for your old, weak, sick, orphaned, and widowed situation, I wouldn't have taken you in."
The old man became increasingly agitated as he spoke:
"You think because there's been a drought for thousands of miles around for so many years, and only our Nanning region supposedly had rain last year, that there isn't a drought here?
Hmph, that rain last year lasted less than half an incense stick's time. It did absolutely nothing. Those refugees who came begging were not given food, and some even resorted to violence."
Hearing this, A Jiu felt a pang of shame. No wonder this elder was so resistant to Little Yan Yan and Zhao Kun.
"Grandpa, I'm truly... so sorry. But Jiu'er swears she will never even consider stealing."
A Jiu, fearing he might change his mind and refuse to shelter them, raised three fingers to the sky and vowed.
"Alas... I see you as a sensible child. Grandpa has a word of caution: don't go out after dark. They say there have been demons and spirits causing trouble lately, and people have been killed. Sometimes, when the officials patrol and catch unknown refugees, they might take them in for questioning."
The elder was offering his good intentions.
A Jiu swallowed hard. Little Yan Yan had truly gotten them into big trouble this time.
No wonder there wasn't a soul in Tiangang Luomu Village along the way.
There were, however, a few pitiful refugees wandering outside.
"We're here," the elder said, opening the door and first leading the ox inside.
A Jiu followed closely. The courtyard was large, and though a bit dilapidated, it was kept very clean.
The bamboo enclosure in the northeast corner was likely the outhouse, with the cowshed next to it.
The old man tied the ox to a stone trough, then threw a handful of dried grass into the feeding trough.
He pulled a bamboo tube from his waist, poured some water onto the dry grass, and mixed it, muttering to himself:
"Old ox, you can't drink, but you can enjoy a meal of wet fodder today."
"If you're worried about the horse being stolen in the middle of the night, bring it in and tie it up in the cowshed."
The elder called out, and only then did A Jiu have Little Yan Yan unload the cart and bring the horse inside.
A Jiu quickly grabbed a handful of the dried grass the elder had stored and placed it at the other end of the trough for the horse:
"Grandpa, don't worry. When I have time tomorrow, I'll go cut grass. I definitely won't let my horse eat your dried grass for free."
As she spoke, she imitated the elder, opening her waterskin and pouring it all over the fodder.
The elder was about to light an oil lamp when he suddenly took a closer look:
"Girl, did you encounter a water source on the road?"
"Yes, Grandpa, that's why I filled it up so much," A Jiu replied casually. "This horse is also part of our family."
"Even so, you shouldn't waste it like that. Nowadays, even water has to be collected from the city, and sometimes you can't get any if there are too many people."
After the elder finished speaking, he went into the kitchen and lit the oil lamp. The wick crackled as if it had been doused in water.
"They distribute water too?" A Jiu's eyes widened. This policy was too humane.
Why were their lives so miserable?
"I heard that when the drought first began, the King of Nanning ordered people to travel thousands of miles via relay stations to transport water from Lingnan. An entire army escorted it," Zhao Kun chimed in.
He had been a bandit and had even considered intercepting the water. But they were bandits, and the others were the army, so they could only watch with envy.
The elder glanced at Zhao Kun, who quickly bowed and nodded obsequiously, like an obedient and well-behaved quail.
"Except for this room which is mine, the others you can assign yourselves. Anyway, it's just me, an old man, in the house."
With that, the elder stepped into the main hall and closed the door behind him, then creaked it open again:
"As for food, you'll have to figure that out yourselves. I only have half a piece of dried ration left, which I'm saving to eat when I go to collect water tomorrow."
The old man was very honest, which made A Jiu feel grateful. "Grandpa, please go about your business. We'll arrange things ourselves."
A Jiu had thought that a place with such good policies would have decent food.
She looked around. The two rooms to the east had only worn-out beds without straw mats, and the entire room was covered in cobwebs.
The stove in the kitchen was clean, but there was no oil or salt to be found.
"Sister Jiu'er, I'm hungry," Tie Hammer secretly detached himself from his mother's watchful eye, followed A Jiu into the kitchen, and tugged at her arm, shaking it.
He was afraid that if he spoke too loudly, his mother would scold him.
"Don't worry, Sister Jiu'er will go out to find food tonight. Maybe I can even find you some watermelons."