"Hello, sir."
Ning Chuan stopped about three steps in front of the old man, bowed respectfully, and spoke politely and clearly.
The old man stopped as well, steadying his wheelbarrow. He wiped the thin sweat from his forehead with the towel around his neck, then smiled as he sized up Ning Chuan and glanced at Ning Dazhuang, Liu Lan, and Ning Xiaohe behind him. His voice was hoarse but amiable. "Ah, good, good. Little fellow, where have you come from, and where are you headed? You all look unfamiliar."
Ning Chuan was delighted. The old man had taken the initiative to ask—this was a good sign.
He hurriedly gave the explanation he had prepared beforehand. "Sir, we came from the south. Our family suffered a disaster, and we plan to seek refuge with relatives. But after walking for so long, we seem to have gotten a little lost. We don't know where we've arrived or how far the nearest town is."
Ning Chuan deliberately kept the exact location of "the south" vague and used "suffered a disaster" to explain why the whole family had relocated. It was reasonable and unlikely to arouse suspicion.
"A disaster, huh..." Sympathy appeared on the old man's face, and he sighed. "These days, no one has it easy. You came from the south? Then you've traveled quite a ways, haven't you?"
"Yes, we've been walking for many days." Ning Chuan followed his lead, letting a touch of confusion and worry appear on his face at just the right time. "Sir, do you know where this is? Is there anywhere ahead where we can rest?"
The old man raised a withered hand and pointed first in the direction Ning Chuan and the others had come from, then ahead. "This is Black Stone City's territory. Go another