Chapter 717: Fleeing from Famine 22
In the evening, Sun Chunfeng cooked a pot of porridge that looked like clear water, with only a few grains of rice in it. The Zhu family heard the commotion of the Geng family cooking, and the Zhu family’s eldest daughter-in-law, Tian Guilan, came knocking on the door, hoping to borrow some food.
Sun Chunfeng looked troubled, "Gui Lan, my family doesn’t have food either. I only cooked a pot of water, and there aren’t many grains of rice in total. See for yourself."
She opened the lid so people could see.
Tian Guilan glanced into the pot, and there was only a small handful of rice tossed into the water, easily countable with two hands.
Tian Guilan pursed her lips, somewhat disappointed.
Sun Chunfeng covered the pot again and added, "Gui Lan, our village’s well water has risen. If you’re tired and don’t want to fetch water, you can scoop a basin of water from my house to use first."
"Better not, my spouse has already gone to fetch water."
Seeing no advantage to gain, Tian Guilan twisted her skinny waist and left.
Sun Chunfeng hurriedly closed and bolted the courtyard gate from inside, then went to the kitchen and brought a small basin of cold mixed jelly ear salad into the main room.
Sun Chunfeng whispered to her mother-in-law, "Mom, you were really right. Tian Guilan came to borrow food. Luckily, I intentionally put just a small handful of rice in the pot, so she felt embarrassed to ask after seeing it."
"Hmm, before the relief food arrives, you have to cook cautiously in the future. Never let anyone know our family has food, especially the source of the food. Keep your mouth shut tight, not a word should leak out, or our Geng family won’t be able to stay in Fengling Village."
"Mom, I understand the importance. I absolutely won’t tell anyone."
Sun Chunfeng promised. She was never a talkative person, let alone when it concerned the life and death of her family. She was even less likely to speak out.
The five children and Geng Dalin had also been warned and threatened.
Fortunately, although the five children were still young, they were tight-lipped and wouldn’t speak carelessly.
After eating, Yuan Chun left the table to her daughter-in-law to clean up. She trembled as she went out to find the village chief.
"Mom, I’ll go with you," Geng Dalin said. "Eldest brother and sister-in-law haven’t returned. They must have gone to the Du family. Mom, let’s go to the Du family and ask. If eldest brother and sister-in-law are staying at the Du family, we won’t leave the door open for them tonight."
"Alright, you’d better stay home. You’re the only man in the house. Stay to protect the children and Chunfeng. I’ll go find the old village chief."
"Mom."
"Go back. I’ll be back soon."
Yuan Chun had just stepped out of the courtyard when she saw the old village chief coming.
The old village chief asked, "Sister Geng, are you heading out?"
"Village chief, I really was going to find you," Yuan Chun said. "I wanted to ask, the villagers have all returned, but why haven’t my eldest son and his wife come back?"
The village chief sighed heavily and told her with a solemn face, "Sister Geng, I came to tell you about Da Zhuang and his wife... They... They suddenly got struck by lightning on the way back, along with the people from the Du family and the Old Fan Family."
"Wh-what?"
Yuan Chun staggered backward a few steps, looking stricken, and fell to the ground, speaking weakly, "Village chief, are you telling the truth? Did my eldest son and his wife really... really get struck by lightning?"
"Sister Geng, it’s true. The villagers all saw it with their own eyes. Da Zhuang and his wife were turned to ash by the lightning, leaving no remains behind. The people from the Du family and Old Fan Family were also struck and turned into charcoal, but at least they left behind remains, which we buried on a small slope over there."