"Are you planning to take your daughter to the North? Have you considered going South instead? Although it's quite chaotic there right now, the environment and climate are not bad."
Wan Ke earnestly suggested to Old Gu Six to consider the South. Their escort agency had also moved there, and it was a waste for someone as skilled as Old Gu Six not to take advantage of this.
By the way his eyes were darting, Old Gu Six knew he was not up to any good and rejected him emotionlessly, "No."
"Ah, don't be so hasty. The North is really cold. If not for yourself, consider your daughter, won't you?"
Old Gu Six patted Chang'an's head, unmoved, "I'm afraid you don't need to worry about that, Wan Ke."
They were just acquaintances, not friends, and he had no intention of reminiscing with him. After putting Chang'an back on the mule, he left.
Wan Ke didn't stop him. Where others wanted to go was their own business. He had just given what he thought was the best advice. If Old Gu Six didn't listen, there was nothing he could do.
He really wanted to be friends with Old Gu Six, but unfortunately, he wasn't interested. It seemed like Old Gu Six didn't want to get too close to anyone. No matter how familiar they were, he would always maintain a certain distance.
Old Gu Six had set a threshold in his interactions with people. He wouldn't cross it, and neither could others.
Watching the father and daughter's retreating figures, Wan Ke smiled helplessly, turned his horse around, and returned to the caravan.
Perhaps they'll meet again if fate allows.
Before nighttime, Chang'an and Old Gu Six arrived at a deserted town. There was no one left in the town, the streets were covered in yellow sand, the clay walls had collapsed in many places, the thatched roofs had fallen to the ground, the doors and windows were in tatters.
The people of this town must have fled from famine a long time ago. They chose a house with relatively intact doors and windows to stay in.
The doors and windows were indeed intact, but there was no roof. However, the walls hadn't collapsed, which was quite good. They couldn't be too picky.
Now it was just her and Old Gu Six, Chang'an took full advantage of the space, and they had a small barbecue at night.
Lamb skewers, beef skewers, roasted eggplant, and corn were all on the grill.
After a round of operation, very good, she taught Old Gu Six the skill of barbecuing. When they got to the North, they could set up a barbecue stall to sell skewers.
"Dad, is it delicious? In the future, we can sell barbecue at the market." Chang'an flipped the lamb skewer in her hand, grinning foolishly.
"Not bad, we can set up a stall during farming downtime. It's easier than going hunting in the mountains."
"Do you want to make a fortune?" She asked casually, somewhat carefree.
Old Gu Six thought carefully before answering Chang'an, "No, I used to practice hard so I could protect you and your mother. Now, I just want to find a quiet and stable place with you, with decent scenery to settle down."
He didn't have any ambition, neither to achieve a great career nor to make a fortune. He might have had such thoughts when he was young and reckless. But when the Gu family could no longer bully him, he no longer expected anything from them. The urgent desire to become successful gradually disappeared.
"Well, if you don't, you don't. To cultivate a field well is also an achievement," in this era of scarcity, cultivating a field well is not a simple matter.
It seems she forgot to tell Mu and the others about planting sweet potatoes.
No matter, once they begin cultivating sweet potatoes and potatoes, they will surely promote it. They will find out eventually.
Barbecue should be accompanied by beer, she didn't stock up on that, but she did have Happy Fatty Water. She and Old Gu Six's father each had a can.
"My girl, what is this?" Cool and sweet, it even fizzes when you drink it.
"Coke, do you like it?" Chang'an gulped down a mouthful, sighing contentedly. It had been a long time since she had last drank it, and today she finally gets a taste.
"Tastes good."
Old Gu Six tilted his head back and 'glug-glug' finished a whole can in one go.
In the evening, the father and daughter each lay on a grass mat on the ground, hands cushioning their heads, legs slightly raised, even the angle of their shaking legs was the same. Their movements were not just similar, they were identical. Without any doubt, they were blood-related.
They gazed at the stars and planned their future. Old Gu Six gently said, "Find a small village with not too many people and settle there. Buy some fertile land, cultivate the fields, do a bit of hunting, occasionally go to town to sell some barbecue. Life doesn't need to be rich and glamorous, simple and plain is good."
Chang'an agreed with his idea. After all, her mission was to protect him until his natural death. As long as he didn't court disaster, anything was fine.
She was not a career-oriented person, not to mention she had no plans to marry. She wouldn't even have any descendants, so why bother with a career?
Was she supposed to work herself to death, then leave her property to strangers after she's gone?
So, what was she after? Was she just looking for something to do because she was bored?
She was a selfish person, without such noble virtues. How could she build a career and then donate it to the country?
If she were still in her original world, she might have done so.
But here, she was not even sure if this world truly existed, or if it was just one of the countless small worlds in the universe.
However, Chang'an still felt it wasn't real enough, like a virtual world. She had no interest in making a fuss.
Live as easily as possible, as if starting a retirement life.
The father-daughter duo made their way leisurely on their own refugee path. Along the way, they even saw people who had originally fled from the northwest and were now returning.
"Madam, where are you from?" Chang'an helped a woman who almost fell. Compared to the groups of people, she seemed too weak.
They were all women, in tattered clothes, withered looks, numb expressions, even despair.
The madam sat down with the help of Chang'an's hand, her voice very soft, as if it would dissipate with a gust of wind. "We were originally fleeing from the northwest, but we didn't expect to end up back here."
Chang'an squatted next to her, asking in confusion, "Where did you go? Why did you come back?"
"We went to the south, but we didn't know there was a plague there. My two sons were infected with the plague and died there.
Then we left the south and wanted to go to Lingnan. But before we left the southern border, there was a war. My husband was captured and forced into the army. He was killed on the spot for refusing.
I was the only one left in our family. We heard that Lingnan was also very chaotic, similar to the south. So, everyone decided to return to our homeland."
"But what good does it do to return? With no grain, no water, and the land parched, isn't it just waiting for death?"
Looking at these people, for some reason, Chang'an felt a suffocating sensation in her heart.
"Why don't you go north?"
Madam shook her head, laughing lightly, "Since I've come back, I won't leave. I have no concerns left in this world. How long I can live is up to fate. I don't want to struggle anymore."
"Which village are you returning to?"
"We can see it from here."
Chang'an looked in the direction she was pointing, right where she and her father had taken a rest, a place without a memorial archway or a stone monument, the name of the village unknown.
She helped Madam up, "Shall my father and I take you back?"
Looking at the sincere gaze of Chang'an, such a soft-hearted young girl, Madam was reminded of her deceased daughter. Any words of refusal she had, ultimately remained unspoken.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded, with Chang'an's assistance, she slowly walked towards the village in the distance.
