The old man was stunned by the question, and then he stepped forward with a torch and squinted at Nangong Qiao.

He circled around Nangong Qiao a few times, looked up and down carefully for a moment, and his eyes hesitated a little.

"Am I really mistaken?"

He muttered in a low voice, and refused to admit that he was really wrong, so he crossed his neck and muttered: "At first glance, he looks like a general, and the general who guards the city does not have a good thing, and he can't guard the city gate, but he is very good at bullying the people!" ”

At this time, people from the inland of the ancestral hall came out one after another, and the Lin family hugged Yunjiao and squeezed to Shen Yunqing's side from the crowd, and asked with some fear, "What are they going to do?" ”

Even if the old man came to the outside of the ancestral hall quietly at the beginning, and was so troubled by Shen Yunqing, the sleeping villagers in the ancestral hall would have been woken up a long time ago.

Not to mention those soldiers who were keeping vigil, waiting for Hu Ran's reprimand with their heads down at the moment.

Shen Yunqing tilted his head and replied to the Lin family: "Treat us as soldiers who have come to grab food." ”

Lin: "Huh? ”

"It's okay......"

Shen Yunqing saw that the old man's attitude was no longer as resolute as at the beginning, she tried her best to ease the atmosphere, and deliberately let the old man see the villagers in the ancestral hall.

Several old women stood at the door of the ancestral hall with each other's arms, looking this way.

"Uncle, look at them, if the imperial court sends troops to collect food, will it send a group of old and weak women and children?"

Uncle: "This ......"

Shen Yunqing: "And I said that we are fleeing villagers, there is evidence to prove it, we all have household registration certificates on us!" ”

"When we entered the village in the evening, we wanted to say hello to the villagers and spend the night, but no one paid attention to us, so we had to find the ancestral hall to rest for the night."

If it were someone else, maybe Shen Yunqing would not bother to explain, so he would go up and start fighting.

However, the other party is an ordinary person who farms, and it is estimated that she will not be able to make a move in her hands, and Shen Yunqing also escaped from such a village, so she can understand the mood of the old man.

The old man was completely put down the torch in his hand by Shen Yunqing's words.

At this time, a figure ran from the other side of the village, and before he reached the old man, he shouted: "Dad, the officers and soldiers are here, and my mother is calling you back!" ”

"What?"

As soon as the torch in the old man's hand was put down and raised again, he first followed the young man back, didn't take two steps and came back, and said to Nangong Qiao: "It turns out that you are really not, I am wrong, I'm sorry." ”

Nangong Qiao: "It's fine. ”

"Let's go, every time the officers and soldiers come to collect food, one or two people will die in the village." The old man dropped this sentence and disappeared into the night with the villagers who were about to come to the ancestral hall to make a fuss.

Shen Yunqing looked at the figure of the old man, and then looked at the dry branches outside the ancestral hall.

"Mother, you can move these dry branches in, they can be used as firewood, I'll go over and take a look."

If it is really as the old man said, the officers and soldiers will die if they collect food, then she will not be able to stand idly by, not only for the people of this village, but also for themselves.

Lin: "Okay, be careful. ”

Shen Yunqing ran into the ancestral hall, and she still took out a knife and a spear from the space under the cover of the back basket, which in the eyes of others, was taken out of the back basket.

No one doubted why a fleeing peasant girl would carry a weapon with her.

With a knife and a spear in hand, she ran out of the ancestral hall quickly, and shouted at Nangong Qiao: "General, which one do you want?" ”

Which of the knives or spears does he make handy?

But the other party didn't seem to intend to reach out to catch the weapon, but saw him walking slowly in the direction of the old man's walk, not like going to meet the enemy, but like going to the market.

"Keep it for yourself!"

Shen Yunqing pursed his lips and followed.

It was late at night, probably for the occasion, and instead of moonlight, there was not even a trace of stars in the sky.

The originally quiet village at the foot of the mountain became lively because of the arrival of officers and soldiers.

Every house opened its door, everyone had farm tools in their hands, and the women tied their children to their bodies and gathered at the entrance of the village, ready to deal with the officers and soldiers.

As early as when the officers and soldiers entered the boundaries of the village, some young people who had let loose run back to report the news, which gave the villagers time to prepare.

They were not preparing food, but preparing for a duel with officers and soldiers.

The never-ending requisition of food forced them to have no way to live, and they were dead on the left and right anyway, so it was better to leave a way for the children to live and kill these officers and soldiers.

Someone had already lit a large pile of firewood on the ground, and the light of the fire was reflected on the faces of the people, but it was the faces of death as if they were at home.

When Shen Yunqing and Nangong Qiao arrived, the old man was rushing back from the mountain road with his son.

"The man stays, and the old man and the woman retreat back to the mountain with the child!" As soon as he walked in, he spoke, "The number of officers and soldiers is a bit large, and we are not sure how long we can resist, everyone hurry up!" ”

There was an old man in the crowd who volunteered: "Women and children go first, we are all old anyway, and we can't escape far, so it's better to stay with Uncle Gan." ”

The old man's name is Uncle Gan, it may be the older generation in the village, seeing that the old man is about the same age as Uncle Gan, but he wants to call the old man "uncle".

Shen Yunqing stood outside the crowd, and when he saw that Uncle Gan was not reluctant, he ordered the two of them to take the women and children in the village to the mountain road.

The next thing is that Uncle Gan takes the rest of the men and digs a ditch at the entrance of the village.

It's all this time, what to do digging a ditch?

Shen Yunqing stepped forward and asked, "Uncle Gan, the officers and soldiers are coming to collect grain, what are you digging a ditch for, besides, it's this time, it should be too late to dig a ditch, right?" ”

Hearing Shen Yunqing's voice, Uncle Gan exclaimed, "Why haven't you left yet?" It's not that we don't welcome you, you have also seen it, we can't protect ourselves now, the village is not safe, girl, you can rest anywhere, there is no need to die, let's go! ”

For the sake of Uncle Gan's dedication to their good, Shen Yunqing became more and more determined - she was in charge of this idle matter.

The big deal is that a hand-wooden bow is thrown over, and she takes Uncle Gan and everyone to escape from the famine.

"Who said I was going to die? I can't get used to those officers and soldiers, and I want to find them to vent my anger, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be so miserable. ”

When Uncle Gan heard this, he paused for a moment while digging a ditch in his hand: "What? You are also forced into desperation because of the requisition? ”

"Almost!" Shen Yunqing jumped into the ditch, took a hoe in his hand, and dug together, "You haven't said what you are doing digging a ditch yet?" ”

She didn't wait for Uncle Gan's answer, and a young man next to her said quickly: "Digging a ditch is naturally hiding from people." ”

Hide from people, and don't have to dig a ditch in such an obvious place!

Although it is night, the officers and soldiers may not be able to see it, but this is the only way to go to the village, and it is better not to hide here!

Shen Yunqing felt that they were not telling the truth, but it was not important.

This ditch has been dug and is still useful.

Shen Yunqing quietly took advantage of the night to take out more than a dozen hand-made wooden bow slips from the space and put them on his body.

What she didn't know was that Nangong Qiao behind her watched all her movements.