The family of three mixed into the sparse crowd of villagers, continuing their journey.
As they were all villagers, they simply traveled in clusters, not like an army advancing in a unified, orderly formation.
Those with elderly people or children walked a bit slower, while the able-bodied hurried along. The straggling procession stretched at least a kilometer from head to tail.
Of course, when night fell and dangers lurked, they would generally gather together, not daring to disperse.
These ten-odd days of travel had allowed the people of Taoyuan Village to accumulate some experience in wilderness survival.
Separating at night made them vulnerable, not only to wild beasts but also to bandits who would harass and rob them along the way.
Of course, these so-called bandits were merely displaced refugees, often working in groups of three or five.
Thus, they also feared the larger groups of villagers, only daring to prey on isolated individuals. This further encouraged the villagers to stick together and not stray apart.
"Alas, this September snow is truly unprecedented. Heaven sends a sign, meaning great change, and inevitable disaster!"
As the trio traveled, they overheard elders chatting beside them.
Fortunately, their families had fled together, bringing ample luggage, including winter clothing like padded jackets. They had all changed into thin padded jackets, otherwise, they would surely have frozen.
"Who said it gets warmer the further south we go? Have we taken a wrong turn?"
A villager shivered and asked.
Taoyuan Village was a poor village, and the circumstances of the villagers were similar. In each household, it was considered good if every member had a padded jacket to wear.
Wearing new padded jackets was out of the question; they were mostly old ones that had been worn for five or six years, even over a decade.
If one were to pull back the lining, they would surely see black and stiff old cotton wadding, barely enough to keep out the cold.
Fortunately, the temperature was dropping slowly, and most people could still adapt.
The villagers, having promptly donned their cold-weather clothing and generating heat from their brisk pace, seemed relatively at ease despite the sudden drop in temperature.
"Ah, perhaps it's just this area we're passing through that's strange. It will be better once we leave.
I heard that after another hundred li, we'll reach Jinsha City, which is much better. Those with money can go to Jinsha City to purchase supplies."
Some villagers had worked as itinerant merchants and had traveled further than this. Thus, they had a better understanding of the surrounding geography and routes.
Hearing this, a flicker of hope seemed to ignite in everyone's hearts, giving them strength to walk.
Though poor at home, they were better prepared for the road. Except for the exceptionally destitute, most people would carry some valuables when traveling. Seeing that the food they had brought was almost gone, a place to resupply was a good thing.
Although they were reluctant to part with their money, their lives were more important, weren't they?
Throughout the morning, Gu Chaobei and Hu Lanfang didn't allow Gu Qingcheng to walk on her own, citing her weakness and need for rest. Moreover, she was so light now that carrying her felt like nothing to them, completely disregarding her earnest pleas to be put down.
Gu Qingcheng had no choice but to obediently stay on her parents' backs.
She found the warmth of their backs quite comfortable.
Gu Qingcheng dozed off intermittently, taking several short naps.
By noon, after a long rest, Gu Qingcheng felt that she had recovered quite well.
After walking for over five hours and covering about three li, they reached a dilapidated small village and decided to rest there.
It was called a village, but in reality, it was only five earth-brick houses of varying sizes, scattered about, and all that remained were broken walls and ruins.
Even so, some villagers, unwilling to give up, still sneaked into these houses, rummaging everywhere in hopes of finding something useful.
Naturally, everyone returned disappointed. Not a single thread was found; it was a wasted effort.
Having walked all morning, they were tired. The villagers sat by the walls or under trees to rest, usually taking a nap before continuing. As for eating, it was impossible; no fires were lit for cooking at noon.
Due to the shortage of food and clothing, everyone ate only two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Those who ate three meals were considered "top-tier" wealthy families, who would be envied and secretly cursed as spendthrifts.
The most extravagant act was boiling water to drink a few sips.
Gu Qingcheng's family took stock of the current situation and exchanged worried glances.
They usually ate three to five meals a day, not counting mid-morning snacks, afternoon tea, and pastries, not to mention snacks.
Now, after walking all morning, it was simply impossible for them to go without eating until dinner.
Hu Lanfang felt her hands trembling, her body weak. Gu Chaobei said it was due to not eating, causing low blood sugar.
Seeing the risk of fainting if they didn't eat soon, Gu Chaobei signaled to his wife and daughter.
Understanding his intent, the two followed Gu Chaobei towards the dilapidated houses.
"Old Sixth, everyone has already searched the broken houses thoroughly, and there's nothing useful. What are you going there for? If you have the energy, you might as well lie down and sleep."
A middle-aged villager called out to Gu Chaobei.
"Haha, we're not sleepy anyway. We'll just poke around. Maybe we can find some scrap wood, just trying our luck."
Old Gu Liu chuckled and made up a casual excuse.
When the villager heard that Gu Liu wasn't taking his advice, he stopped bothering to speak. Speaking was tiring enough; he might as well conserve his energy!
What was saved was life!
Gu Dou had not followed this time, as he was tired and had already fallen asleep under a tree.
The family of three walked to the back of the most distant dilapidated house from the villagers. Seeing that no one was following, they quickly took out baguettes from their backpacks and began to gnaw on them vigorously.
The three of them ate in a frenzy.
Hu Lanfang ate too quickly and choked.
Gu Chaobei quickly took out his water bag and had her drink a few sips, after which she managed to catch her breath.
Each person ate half of their baguette, and then felt their spirits immediately revive.
With food in her stomach, Hu Lanfang's hands stopped trembling, and her confused mind cleared up.
Gu Qingcheng even let out a baguette-flavored burp, with a strong aroma of garlic and cream.
She contentedly rubbed her slightly protruding belly. Alas, when hungry, who cared about dieting or restraining carbohydrates? Now, all she wanted were durian pastries, French cakes, American pies...
"Host, you have gained three Satisfaction Points, originating from the feeling of being satisfied with food."
Gu Qingcheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. So, she could earn Satisfaction Points this way, and three at once?
What was going on?
Never mind, she wouldn't question it.
What if the system realized it had made a mistake and took back two Satisfaction Points?
Wouldn't she have lost out significantly?
However, Gu Qingcheng secretly suspected that earning three Satisfaction Points at once for food satisfaction might also be related to her parents' feelings of satisfaction.
Because the food they ate came from Tmall Supermarket, they felt satisfied with the food, and the system could sense it, thus awarding three Satisfaction Points!
This was merely Gu Qingcheng's speculation; she would need to verify it through future operations.
Now, with the one Satisfaction Point she had accumulated earlier, she had 4 Satisfaction Points. Gu Qingcheng, unable to tell her parents in time, quickly entered the Tmall Supermarket.