Chapter 418: Wen Shan Village (2)
“We…”
“Shh!”
Lu Sheng was about to speak when the wind started blowing outside.
The old woman hurriedly blew out the lamp and instructed the duo in a low voice, “Don’t make a sound if you hear anything later. Don’t speak either.”
The duo looked at each other and nodded obediently.
Knock—Knock—Knock—
Someone knocked on the door three times.
“Grandma, are the ghosts here again?”
The two children leaned towards the old woman. One of them held her arm and spoke timidly.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here. It’s alright!”
The old woman patted their shoulders and coaxed them softly.
“It’s not a ghost outside. It’s a human.”
Lu Sheng spoke faintly.
She had caught ghosts for years. How could she not know if it was a human or a ghost outside the door?
The wind just now was just a coincidence.
Wen Shan Village was at the foot of the mountain. It was normal for the wind to blow at night.
Unexpectedly, the old woman said calmly, “Regardless of whether they’re humans or ghosts, they’re still scary here.”
Since there was a drought in Wen Shan Village, it was naturally the same for the nearby villages.
What else could they be here for?
“They eat people!”
The girl’s eyes were filled with fear.
“Eat people?”
Chu Sihan frowned.
Lu Sheng was shocked. Was it already to this extent?
“Granny, can you tell us what happened in the village?”
“What else could it be?”
The old woman said expressionlessly, “It’s been two years since the drought started. We’ve almost finished all the edible things on the mountain. What’s there to be surprised about people eating people?”
Although she said that, the old woman’s hand on the two children’s shoulders was trembling.
“Since the situation is so difficult, why did you let us in?”
Chu Sihan asked faintly.
The old woman smiled faintly. “Because there’s no more food.”
The food she had hidden had been eaten this morning.
Once the wind started blowing these few days, there were knocks on the door. She looked out from the crack in the door but did not see anyone.
There was a series of knocking sounds for the past few days, but no one was seen.
She was old and naturally believed that those things existed. That was why she hurriedly switched off the lights when Lu Sheng and Chu Sihan knocked on the door.
It was only when she saw the light from the door and heard Lu Sheng’s voice that she opened the door boldly.
“What’s going on? Doesn’t the officials care?”
Upon hearing Lu Sheng’s words, the old woman could not help but smile bitterly.
“What would the officials care? The harvest for the past two years had been halved. This year, there’s no harvest at all. There’s not even enough to pay taxes. Some even have to pay with last year’s old grains.”
“Everyone begged the officials to collect the taxes next year instead. Not only did they not receive any sympathy, but their legs were broken by the officials. They even asked people to guard the entrance of the various villages. Anyone who dared to escape and complain would be beaten to death.”
The old woman looked at the two of them with her muddy eyes and said in a hoarse voice, “You should have felt it on your way here as well. In this entire village, only the three of us are left. The others either starved to death or were killed by others. Otherwise, they’ve climbed over the mountains and left this place. There’s no one left.”
Lu Sheng frowned. “Didn’t the drought only start a few months ago?”
“There was already a drought two years ago. A few months ago, everyone saw that life was hopeless, so they started to resist. Unfortunately, the corrupt officials only cared about themselves. Why would they care about the lives of the commoners?”
Chu Sihan’s expression darkened.
The county magistrate actually did not report such a big matter. As such, they didn’t receive any news from their end.
The county magistrate of Yong Fu Town deserved to die for causing the deaths of so many people.