"Oh, I see!"
Although Qin Yue didn't quite understand, she knew that Young Master Gu said they were on Noah's Ark, and Noah's Ark was a ship for salvation. Therefore, they should be much better off than those who didn't get on board.
"I'm telling you this because you're in charge of the village's supplies and are more important than anyone. You must do your job diligently, as the lives of the entire village are in your hands.
Keep these things to yourself and don't spread them around, to avoid causing panic."
Gu Qingcheng instructed.
"Okay." Qin Yue nodded quickly to show she understood.
Aunt Qian lived in Luota Town in the south with Xue Sheng.
Xue Sheng had transformed from a helpless infant who knew nothing into a 7-month-old baby who could babble and interact with them.
Although Aunt Qian and Huang Changsheng had lost their biological son, with the little fellow Xue Sheng as their companion, it felt like a home again.
The silver provided by the Gu family was enough for them to buy a house with a storefront in Luota Town.
While Luota Town wasn't particularly bustling, with only over 20,000 people, renting out the storefront and collecting rent, coupled with Huang Changsheng helping in other shops, life was quite comfortable.
However, the Gu family had said they would come to find them here, and they had been waiting.
Aunt Qian always held a faint sense of expectation in her heart, but with the inconvenience of transportation, she could only wait for the Gu family to arrive while taking care of the child.
Luota Town had a pure southern charm. The storefront was in front, facing the street. The shops were built in a covered arcade style. Southern regions had a lot of rain, so they were built this way, allowing people to shop comfortably under the shelter of the arcades even when it rained.
Behind the shops was a residential courtyard house with a central courtyard, where a well had been dug. There were six side rooms on either side. If the Gu Qingcheng family came, there would be enough space for them to live.
Behind the house was a dense banana grove. Along the edge of the grove, castor plants could occasionally be seen.
Aunt Qian's family had never seen these southern plants in the north. Especially when they heard that castor beans were poisonous and could be fatal if eaten, she usually didn't take the child to play in the banana grove.
However, the banana grove was a good place. Besides the ripe bananas that could be cut and eaten, the banana hearts could also be made into dried vegetables, which could be stored as a year-round dish.
The taste of bananas here was different from those in the north. They were larger, like corn cobs, but tasted sour and astringent when bitten.
Comparing the differences between the south and the north, Aunt Qian's family slowly grew accustomed to life here.
But after only half a year of stability, recently, grain prices had been soaring desperately. Previously, one shi of rice only cost one tael of silver, but now it had doubled.
Fortunately, she had learned a lot about stockpiling grain from the Gu family. She often made dried goods when prices were low, such as dried vegetables and dried meat.
Although Huang Changsheng felt she was doing it out of idleness, after the natural disaster, reuniting with his family was not easy, so he didn't blame her much.
One early morning, Huang Changsheng ran home in a panic and said:
"Wife, I heard that Wangchun City has been flooded. The entire Wangchun City is submerged. Even the officials have fled. Eight or nine out of ten people have died."
"No way? That serious? Will the flood continue to rise? Do you know if our Luota Town is safe?"
"Luota Town is located at a higher elevation, so we should be fine. But with Wangchun City flooded, food prices are likely to skyrocket immediately."
When Huang Changsheng mentioned these things, Aunt Qian couldn't help but recall the thoughtful expression on Gu Qingcheng's face when they were about to leave, knowing they were coming here. Although it quickly relaxed, she still encouraged them to come.
Although she didn't know why Gu Qingcheng had that expression, that moment seemed very important and was inexplicably etched in Aunt Qian's mind.
Now, hearing her husband mention the high terrain here, she couldn't help but think of Gu Qingcheng's expression again.
But she couldn't explain why she had such a strong memory of Gu Qingcheng's expression.
It seemed like an expression of relief after contemplation.
"Will food prices really go up?" Aunt Qian asked worriedly.
"Alas, I don't know when the flood in Wangchun City will recede. Grains have already increased in price. I need to go buy more. However, thanks to your habit of stockpiling, we don't have to worry about prices for now."
Huang Changsheng finally recognized the wisdom of his wife.
"Yes, what I have stored is enough for our family of three to eat for half a year to a year, even under extreme scarcity and with no replenishment."
Speaking of this, Aunt Qian couldn't help but feel a bit smug.
Hearing her say this, Huang Changsheng's gaze towards her turned appreciative again. Then, he opened chests and cupboards, took out silver, and prepared to go buy grain.
The next day, as Huang Changsheng and his wife were counting the grain they had bought at home, someone suddenly knocked on the door.
Since the storefront in front was rented to a shoe shop, their entrance and the shop's entrance were connected. To enter, they had to knock.
Aunt Qian hurried forward and asked: "Who is it?"
"Oh, we were entrusted by Gu Qingcheng to find the Huang Changsheng couple."
The person outside replied.
Aunt Qian quickly opened the door.
Huang Changsheng also came forward. Upon seeing them, he found several unfamiliar young men before him. A strong, robust aura emanated from them.
Huang Changsheng immediately became vigilant. These people clearly weren't ordinary. He immediately became vigilant and asked:
"Who are you?"
"Is this Aunt Qian's home? Did you used to live in Jinsha City?"
Huang Changsheng hadn't heard them say they were sent by Gu Qingcheng earlier, so seeing so many strangers, he couldn't help but become vigilant.
Could it be that their family had bought grain yesterday and someone had targeted them?
But although these people had a dangerous aura, they didn't look like bandits.
"Two, my name is Yan Xin. This is a letter from Gu Qingcheng. He said you would understand after reading it."
After speaking, Yan Xin handed a letter to Huang Changsheng.
Neither Huang Changsheng nor his wife could read. However, the owner of the shoe shop in front could read a little. Aunt Qian took the letter to him and asked him to read it.
The shoe shop owner looked at the letter and said, "This is a letter written to you by someone named Gu Qingcheng. She says she is now living in Phoenix Village and asks you to move to Phoenix Village with these young men.
Moreover, the tone of this letter is not a suggestion, but a command, and you are not allowed to disobey. If you really don't want to move, you can hand Xue Sheng over to these people to take to Phoenix Village and stay here yourself. If you regret it someday, you can go to Phoenix Village then."
After the shoe shop owner finished reading the letter, he looked at them with a strange expression. Perhaps he thought they were runaway slaves, otherwise, why would someone order them to do this and that?
Aunt Qian hadn't expected Gu Qingcheng to actually find them, and that she had already settled in a nearby place called Phoenix Village.
Aunt Qian asked Huang Changsheng if he knew Phoenix Village. Huang Changsheng shook his head and said he didn't.
Then, the young man named Yan Xin introduced himself as a villager of Phoenix Village and said that Gu Qingcheng had entrusted them with certain matters, which they would use to earn their trust.