chapter 11:song yu

Chapter 11:famine

Lin Yue woke early and stepped out of the room, rubbing her eyes. The first thing she noticed was Li Wei in the courtyard, practicing his martial arts. His movements were swift and precise, his body glowing faintly with inner energy. Beside him was a pile of scrolls, likely detailing techniques for cultivating fire-based inner energy. Lin Yue watched him for a moment before heading to the kitchen, where she found food already prepared and a neat stack of clothes laid out for the children.

A soft smile spread across her face. "He's really gotten used to this," she thought, recalling how he must have adapted to taking care of the children while she was in confinement. Unlike many patriarchal men of this world, Li Wei didn't shy away from household tasks.

She gathered the children's dirty laundry and tossed it into the washing machine. Not long after, the house became lively as the children woke up one by one, their laughter and chatter filling the space.

"Where's Fei Feng?" Ren An shouted, his small voice echoing down the hallway.

"And I'm hungry!" Ling Xue declared, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Lin Yue's heart swelled at the sight of her children acting like normal kids after the horrors they had endured in the past. "They're finally starting to heal," she thought.

After breakfast, Lin Yue sent the children off with Fei Feng, who, as usual, complained about how much work they were.

"They're like little terrors! Can't I just train in peace?" Fei Feng grumbled dramatically.

Lin Yue laughed, pretending not to hear his complaints. "I'll add more herbs to the inventory for you later, how about that?" she teased.

Fei Feng huffed but grudgingly went along with the children.

---

Later, Lin Yue and Li Wei left the space and decided to explore the town they had seen earlier. Upon entering, they immediately noticed a stark difference from the previous village. This town was far less prosperous, with beggars lining the streets and many shops, including taverns, closed.

As they walked, a commotion caught their attention. A man lay collapsed in front of a hospital, clutching his throat and gasping for air. People had gathered around him, murmuring but doing nothing to help.

"Help me!" the man croaked, his voice barely audible.

Lin Yue hesitated, her gaze fixed on the struggling man.

Li Wei noticed her hesitation and turned to her. "Can you save him?" he asked, his voice calm but urging.

Lin Yue nodded slowly. "Yes, I can," she replied.

Li Wei placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Then do it. Saving a life might bring us good karma."

Encouraged by his words, Lin Yue stepped forward and knelt beside the man. She quickly assessed his condition and realized he was choking. Without wasting a moment, she performed first aid: she stood behind him, wrapped her arms around his abdomen, and delivered a series of quick, upward thrusts just below his ribcage. On the third thrust, the man expelled the obstruction from his throat—a small piece of dried meat.

He coughed violently but began to breathe again. "Thank you! Thank you!" the man gasped, tears streaming down his face.

A doctor from the hospital rushed out, bowing to Lin Yue. "Thank you for saving him," he said gratefully. "You've saved not only his life but my reputation as well."

Lin Yue offered a polite smile. "It was nothing. My name is Luo Yin, and this is my husband, Li Wei."

She paused, then added with a playful glint in her eyes, "And this is Datou."

Li Wei's eye twitched at the nickname, but he said nothing.

The doctor introduced himself as Song Yu. "I'm the only doctor in this town," he explained. "Since the Great Famine started, many have moved here seeking refuge."

Lin Yue's brow furrowed. "The Great Famine?"

Song Yu nodded grimly. "Yes, it began six years ago. The entire continent hasn't seen a single drop of rain since then. Crops have failed, rivers have dried up, and countless lives have been lost."

Lin Yue and Li Wei exchanged shocked glances. They had just come from the mist forest, where water was plentiful and rivers could be heard flowing.

"We're new to this region," Lin Yue said carefully. "We haven't heard much about the famine."

Song Yu smiled faintly. "You must have come from a place of great fortune, then. This village is one of the better ones. Despite the famine, we've managed to maintain some semblance of life here."

Lin Yue nodded, her mind racing. She had brushed off Song Yu's earlier questions about their origin, but now she was beginning to understand the dire situation they had entered.

Through their conversation, they learned that the kingdom they were in was called Tianxian, and this province was known as Jin Province. Song Yu shared stories of the hardships the people had endured and the resilience they had shown in the face of adversity.

As the sun began to set, Lin Yue and Li Wei decided it was time to leave. They thanked Song Yu for his time and quietly slipped out of the town, storing their car back in the space before returning to rest for the night.