"Good grandson, eat! There's so much here! Grandpa will eat this..." The old man's nose stung, and tears fell. He covered his face with his grimy sleeve and wiped it, then said with a smile.
"Thank you, big brother..." The child laughed happily, stuffing raw grain into his mouth. Even as he chewed, he did not forget to give thanks.
"This lowly one thanks you, sir..." Rather than taking any grain first, the old man's knees went weak and he was about to kneel. Xiao Hua hurriedly supported him, saying with a smile, "You should eat some first too!"
"Alright..." The old man had meant to stand on ceremony, but he truly could not resist the temptation of the grain. Bending down, he grabbed a handful from the ground and chewed greedily. For a moment, he felt that the entire world was filled with fragrance, and all he could hear was the sound of ravenous gulping.
Xiao Hua looked at the old man and child, then raised his eyes toward the city gate, concern lingering between his brows.
Sure enough, the several people who had been first to rush into the pile of grain had now eaten until they were choking, their eyes rolling white. They could eat no more and finally stopped. Yet they did not remain idle. They scooped up grain with both hands and stuffed it into their clothes and bosoms. How much could one person's clothing hold? Soon, a clever fellow took off his clothes, spread them on the ground, and scraped a great deal of grain from the pile, intending to tie it into a bundle and carry it away. But the garment was truly too thin and rotten. The moment he hoisted the grain onto his shoulder, the cloth tore apart, and the grain