The two of them looked at each other, only managing a forced smile in the end.
The Jin family patriarch's physique was noticeable; a stout man sitting down indicated a comfortable life. Naturally, this drew the attention of the Xue and Yu family patriarchs, who inquired about his situation. However, he skillfully dodged the important questions and gave perfunctory answers.
The Xue and Yu family patriarchs did not press further, but remained very friendly towards the two of them.
The Cheng family patriarch and the Jin family patriarch eventually realized that the other two families were penniless. Their conversations became more probing, as they wanted to borrow supplies.
Both of them claimed they had none.
They then proceeded to say they were poor themselves.
It was precisely because they needed to maintain their strength and ensure safety that their food supplies were consumed quickly.
"Look, we don't have much food left either, and we're worried about it!"
The Cheng family patriarch said this, his mind racing with calculations. He had no intention of lending them any supplies; it would be like throwing a bone to a dog, never to be returned. Nevertheless, he smiled and chatted with them.
The Jin family patriarch, being so stingy, naturally wouldn't lend supplies. He didn't even have enough for himself.
By this time,
Several months had passed since the city was breached by enemy soldiers. More than half of the food had been consumed, and they themselves had very little left. How could they possibly be willing to lend it out? The Cheng family patriarch was not a fool and naturally refused.
The Xue and Yu family patriarchs, who had initially been full of smiles and flattering them, began to wear fainter smiles when they realized they had divulged too much information, while the other two showed no inclination to help them.
As the atmosphere began to stiffen,
The Cheng and Jin family patriarchs took their leave and returned to their own caravans.
Watching their lively procession, the Xue family patriarch's heart ached with envy, and then, even more so, with resentment, feeling that he had been tricked!
"Bah! All our efforts wasted! Two heartless wretches! They only knew how to pry information out of us, but weren't willing to help us one bit! This is utter bullying! If it weren't for this era, our two families might not have lost to them!"
The Xue family patriarch's eyes were almost red, and he clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
The Yu family patriarch, on the other hand, was full of worry. He sighed and said, "In times like these, there are few who offer help in need. No one is doing well. We've only just met, so we can't really blame them for not lending us food!"
The Xue family patriarch remained dissatisfied. He grumbled in a low voice, "Look at their caravan, everyone is as sturdy as a bear cub!"
Everyone was rosy-cheeked and energetic, showing no sign of fatigue.
And they claimed they had no surplus food?
The Xue family patriarch didn't believe it!
How could that be?
The Yu family patriarch was more resigned. He just shook his head weakly, "We tried to curry favor with them, all for their capabilities and strength, and also to borrow some food. Since they are unwilling, we have no choice but to blame ourselves for not managing our caravan as well as they do."
He was too tired to argue anymore, truly lacking the energy to continue the debate.
The Xue family patriarch had also been eating and sleeping poorly for a long time. Although exhausted, his mind was highly agitated, which made him even more tired. But he was anxious!
He pondered incessantly, then looked gloomily at the jubilant Cheng family caravans nearby and said in a low voice, "Why don't the two of us just be ruthless! If we don't resort to some harsh methods in this era, we won't survive!"
Seeing the ferocity in his eyes, the Yu family patriarch shuddered. He then said, "What are you planning to do? We can't defeat them!"
Even though he had a reputation as a shrewd businessman in the past, he had never stooped to murder and robbery. Seeing his old friend about to take such a path, he felt uneasy.
The Xue family patriarch was angered by his cowardice and hissed, "Why are you speaking so loudly? Do you really want others to know we're plotting?"
He grabbed the Yu family patriarch and whispered in his ear, gritting his teeth, "If you don't take a gamble with me, look at your wives, concubines, and children. Are you going to watch them starve to death?"
The Xue family patriarch relentlessly persuaded the Yu family patriarch, "This is the way the world is now. If we don't eat them today, others will eat us later! Don't you understand?! Do you think our two families' supplies can last a few more days? Have you even thought about it?"
As he spoke, he jabbed the Yu family patriarch's chest fiercely, looking like he was disappointed that iron could not be made into steel. His eyes were bloodshot, clearly harboring malicious intent.
The Yu family patriarch was afraid of him, but he also understood that his old friend's words were not unreasonable. They hadn't gone far on this dangerous journey, and they had already lost so many people. How could they continue going forward?
Therefore,
The Xue family patriarch's plan to survive by consuming others' supplies was,
The Yu family patriarch had no choice but to accept it, even if he didn't agree.
Now, the only one he could rely on was this old friend. If he didn't stand with him, they would likely be enemies when they met again.
The Yu family patriarch did not want to fight with the Xue family patriarch, so he could only choose to side with him.
"But their defenses are so tight, with guards all around. Those burly men are always alert, and they're all so cautious. How can we break through their caravan and get the food and supplies?"
The Yu family patriarch's concerns were also very important, so he had to ask for clarification.
The Xue family patriarch was delighted that his old friend was willing to join forces with him. He then whispered his answer, "You don't need to worry about that. As the saying goes, to catch a thief, first catch their leader. We'll capture their patriarch, and then their young ones. We'll deal with them properly. If they are obedient, we will seamlessly take over this caravan!"
With so many things in the caravan,
The Xue family patriarch could already see wagons full of food and supplies beckoning him, and he began to feel lightheaded.
The Yu family patriarch also felt happy hearing this. He thought it sounded wonderful, and his gaze fell upon the beautiful young wives and the lovely young girls, his eyes starting to gleam.
His greatest pleasure in life was going to the opera houses and enjoying various kinds of women.
Therefore,
He also harbored wicked thoughts, thinking that a bandit leader occupied a mountain stronghold, neither needing to flee nor fearing fights. After all, it wasn't them who would risk their lives; they only needed to open their mouths, and some people would go out to fight.
How profitable was that?
The Yu family patriarch, who had once been quite a sensible person, now found the Xue family patriarch's words very reasonable as his thoughts multiplied. He nodded in agreement.
The two of them then began to "plot" loudly.
Of course, it wasn't that loud.
At least, ordinary people couldn't hear it unless they were very close. However, Su Miaomiao was no ordinary person, so she naturally heard most of their conversation.
Therefore,
She pulled on Cheng Hao's earlobe, leaned in, and said to him, "Those two old guys don't know what they said to those two new faces, but they've actually made them want to come and snatch our things. Look at this, it's truly unfair!"