newbobooks Chapter 262
Chapter 262
After that, Nalan Yin did not cause any more trouble and arrived in Hongcheng smoothly.
At this time, Hongcheng was desolate due to the frost and snow disaster. The once bustling streets were deserted, and a thick layer of snow was piled up on the road. No one was sweeping it, which seriously affected normal driving.
Nalan Jingwen simply got off the carriage and walked to his lodgings. He stretched out his hand towards the carriage, and Liu Qingxu was startled for a moment. Then he realized what was going on and gave up his place.
Nalan Yin, supported by Nalan Jingwen, got off the carriage and stood beside her with her eyes curved in a smile. She was wrapped in a fluffy cloak, her beautiful face completely hidden in the fox fur, only her eyes and smooth forehead were visible.
Nalan Jingwen led him forward. The snow was too thick, so the servants quickly swept it away, barely managing to clear a path.
The streets were deserted, with many shops either closed or wide open, but the inside was empty.
As Nalan Jingwen walked forward, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper, so angry that he couldn't see anyone at all.
Nalan Yin seemed to have kicked something and exclaimed, "Sister!"
Nalan Jingwen looked over and saw a servant bend down and pull a long object out of the snow. He brushed off the snow and, with a serious expression, handed it to Nalan Jingwen.
"Miss, these are human bones."
Nalan Yin saw that it looked like a frightened little rabbit, and it kept burrowing into her arms.
"Sister, I'm afraid."
Nalan Jingwen calmly pulled the person out, saying, "Stop pretending."
Nalan Yin pursed her lips and remained silent.
Looking at the scene behind him, Liu Qingxu was somewhat dazed, his eyes filled with panic and desolation.
Nalan Jingwen continued walking forward when suddenly a figure fell straight down in front of them from beside a pillar. Everyone instinctively took a step back, and the servants drew their swords and immediately went to stand guard. But the person had only fallen in front of them and did not move at all.
A servant stepped forward to check her breathing. "Miss, she's dead."
Just as Nalan Jingwen was about to speak, a figure rushed out from behind her and knelt down beside the person on the ground.
"Aunt Zhao!"
Liu Qingxu held the woman in his arms, his face full of disbelief and his eyes reddening.
"how so……"
Nalan Jingwen walked to her side, "You know her?"
Liu Qingxu looked at her blankly and nodded.
"Aunt Zhao sells sweet cakes. When I was little, my mother never allowed me to eat snacks, but Aunt Zhao would always secretly slip me sweet cakes."
"I've been eating this for years..."
Liu Qingxu looked down at the person in his arms, who had already frozen stiff, and choked out, "I'll never have any more cookies..."
Nalan Jing sighed and ordered his servants to give the man a proper burial, then forcibly pulled Liu Qingxu up from the ground.
"Condolences."
Liu Qingxu looked at her with tears in his eyes, his lips trembling as he couldn't utter a single word.
Nalan Jingwen patted her shoulder, "Let's keep going."
Nalan Yin glanced at her as she passed by, as if she were thinking about something, and then quickly jogged up to catch up with Nalan Jingwen.
As they walked, the more they went, the more horrified they became. Corpses were everywhere, buried under layers of thick snow. The shops were dilapidated and desolate, and there was hardly a single living person to be seen.
Nalan Jingwen wanted to find someone to inquire about the situation, but he couldn't find anyone.
Finally, they saw figures. The group went forward and saw a group of ragged people surrounding a large pot. Their eyes were blank and their expressions were wooden. The pot was steaming, and something was cooking in it. The water was boiling continuously, and a fishy smell wafted over.
Nalan Jingwen heard the people around her instinctively cover their mouths and noses, but she remained calm and whispered something to the people next to her before walking towards a little girl huddled in a corner.
Although Nalan Yin didn't like the smell, he still went with Nalan Jingwen. Now, disasters were raging, people were suffering, and the people were burning, killing, looting, and abusing. They were doing everything they could to survive, just like in a chaotic world. He was afraid that those people would suddenly attack and hurt Nalan Jingwen, so he wanted to stand by her side.
A servant ran to the carriage and brought back a plate of pastries, which immediately attracted the predatory gazes of the people around him. They stared intently at the pastries in Nalan Jingwen's hand, and if it weren't for the many servants guarding him, they probably would have already rushed forward to snatch them.
Nalan Jingwen squatted down and placed the pastries in front of the little girl. The little girl looked timidly at the well-dressed woman and shrank back into the corner.
"Don't be afraid, here, have some."
Nalan Jingwen pushed the pastries a little further over.
The little girl must have been starving. Although she was afraid that the other person was a bad guy, she was so hungry that she couldn't care less about anything else.
Nalan Jingwen just watched her wolf down her food, choking on it as she ate, her face turning red, but she still kept stuffing it into her mouth.
She took the tea offered by the servant and placed it in front of her. The little girl picked it up and drank it without thinking.
Actually, drinking tea on an empty stomach after not eating for so long is bad for the stomach, but the conditions are limited right now. Nalan Jingwen only has hot tea, and the water from before has frozen into ice and won't thaw anytime soon.
Nalan Jingwen watched quietly, without urging her, her gaze calm. Only after she finished eating did the little girl seem to finally react, curling up again and looking at her timidly.
"Don't be afraid, I just want to ask you a few questions."
The little girl looked at her hesitantly, and after a long while, she nodded gently.
"What's your name?"
"Changle..."
She opened her mouth, but the sound seemed to be squeezed out of her throat, hoarse and mocking, probably because she hadn't spoken for a long time.
Nalan Jingwen touched her dirty little face and asked, "Are your family still alive?"
Chang Le looked at her, then shook her head and pointed to the group of people behind Nalan Jingwen.
"younger brother."
Nalan Jingwen and his group looked over and saw that the group was full of adults, with no children. Nalan Jingwen frowned, and then heard the little girl say, "Little brother, in the pot."
After saying that, she lowered her head again, looking at her fingers without saying a word.
Liu Qingxu had already composed himself and followed. Upon hearing what the little girl said, he froze, and a look of shock appeared in his eyes.
Nalan Yin, however, seemed to have seen it all before. He glanced at it and then looked away, feeling completely numb.
In such chaotic times, what's so strange about cannibalism?
This little girl was lucky to escape being eaten because she was a girl, but if there's no more food, things might change.
Humans are inherently repulsive, selfish, and despicable animals.
Nalan Jingwen's expression was not good. The disaster had become so severe. If Nalan Fengxing hadn't hesitated for so long, he might have been able to save more people before the disaster worsened.
Has the government distributed grain?
The little girl just stared at her silently, her eyes filled with a lifeless numbness.
Without saying a word, Nalan Jingwen already understood.
She stood up, instructed her servants to investigate the situation, and made sure the little girl was settled before heading towards the post station.