"Hello, fellow villager. I came from Qinggang and would like to stay for one night. I'll leave tomorrow."
Looking at the villagers, Lu Xin explained himself amiably.
When traveling, it never hurt to be polite.
Although the people in this village looked rather strange, all of them had drooping shoulders and bent waists. One leg supported their bodies while the other dragged behind them, leaving them hunched over. Even when looking at someone, they tilted their heads and leaned their faces slightly backward.
But Lu Xin did not show them any strange looks because of their appearances.
Living in the wilderness, they might simply be malnourished.
As he spoke, he also caught the smell of meat drifting from somewhere deep in the village, and his smile became even more sincere.
The difference between stewed meat and canned meat could not have been more obvious.
Facing Lu Xin's kind smile, everyone in the village watched him in silence.
Lu Xin continued smiling at them, his expression unchanged.
The silent, somewhat dull-witted villagers gradually began to feel uncomfortable.
Quite a few of them instinctively turned their heads away.
"Are you by yourself?"
An old man slowly emerged from the crowd. He wore a tattered down jacket, and his wrinkles were dark and deep.
"Yes."
Lu Xin looked at him earnestly. "Don't be nervous. I'm only here to ask for lodging."
As he spoke, the smell of meat drifting from nearby grew increasingly strong, and his stomach was clearly growing hungrier.
He added, "It would be even better if you could prepare some dinner. I'll pay."
The old man silently looked Lu Xin up and down, then slowly shook his head. "Come with me, then."
"They agreed just like that?"
Lu Xin relaxed.
As expected of a settlement that had been explored