Qian Ningshuang obediently walked back, but she truly remembered the man named Guda. At the very least, he was willing to communicate, unlike the other refugees, who did not even want to speak.
Moreover, he was not completely numb.
Time crept forward bit by bit. They spent one night and one day waiting like this.
On the evening of the third day, after Qian Ningshuang and Tian Yao were once again taken out to search for food and had returned, Qian Ningshuang was trying to speak with Guda when—
A young man dressed relatively decently compared to the refugees arrived before the tent with a wooden stick and several lackeys. Without a word, he kicked the tent down.
"Old Li! Time to pay your debt!"
Seeing this, the surrounding refugees merely hid inside their tents without making a sound.
The refugees sharing Old Li's tent all retreated, fear in their eyes. Qian Ningshuang and Tian Yao also followed the crowd and stepped back a few paces.
Only the middle-aged man named Guda did not move. Instead, he stood up, as though he wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.
Facing this young man, Old Li's eyes were filled with terror and pleading. His grandson, Xiao Li, was so frightened that he hid behind Old Li.
The young man first swept his gaze around. Seeing that no one spoke up and everyone had backed away, he nodded in satisfaction.
Then he turned back to Old Li.
"Debts must be repaid. Half a month ago, you borrowed half a sack of coarse rice. It's time to return it."
Old Li remained as he was. He hesitated for a long while, and only when the young man was clearly growing impatient did he hurriedly say, "Master Huang, can you give me