Lu Qing couldn’t bear it in his heart, but he knew that in the current situation, all those people outside were here because of him. He couldn’t step forward, so he could only wait for Du Hangwu to handle it.
Outside, Du Hangwu ordered the two thieving children to be tied up and guarded while he and his men quickly approached the Lu family’s tent.
At this point, the refugees were still kneeling and bowing before the Lu family’s tent. What had started as pleas to save the children and ask for food had now escalated, with some even starting to beg for money.
Human greed is limitless. Knowing the Lu family’s background and hearing of the benevolent master within, the refugees naturally wanted to seize the opportunity to get some benefits.
The guards began to drive the people away. “Move along! Get out of here!”
“If you don’t leave, don’t blame me if this blade finds you!” The cold gleam of the knives scared many into retreating, but some remained, standing their ground.
Suddenly, a frail little girl pushed to the front, clinging to the leg of one of the guards, crying, “Please, sir, help my mother! She’s dying!”
Annoyed, the guard raised his knife, ready to strike and scare these people off. But before he could swing, Lu Zhou stepped in and stopped him.
“No need for bloodshed. Just drag her away,” Lu Zhou said, unable to stand the thought of harming the child.
As a father with a daughter of his own, far away in the capital, Lu Zhou couldn’t help but think of her. He didn’t know if the Lu family’s misfortune had affected her or whether her in-laws held it against her. Seeing the little girl now made him think of his daughter, and he couldn’t stand by and let harm come to her.
Du Hangwu signaled his men, and two guards stepped forward to carry the girl away. However, sensing Lu Zhou’s soft heart, the girl clung even tighter to his leg, crying so hard that she could barely breathe. “Please, sir, I beg you!”
Lu Zhou looked troubled.
At that moment, Lu Yang stormed out of the tent, clearly irritated that his sleep had been disturbed. “What’s all this noise? The old man said if they don’t stop causing trouble, just kill them all! Out here in the wilderness, who’s going to know?”
Lu Yang was already twice the size of an average man, and with his fierce expression, he looked utterly terrifying. His words immediately frightened many into retreating.
The little girl holding onto Lu Zhou’s leg fainted on the spot.
Soon, the other prisoners gathered around, sleeves rolled up, all looking just as fierce and intimidating.
“Hah! Why not just kill them all? Not much meat on them, but it’ll fill our bellies!” one prisoner joked.
“I say we roast this one,” another chimed in.
For over a month, these prisoners had been envious of the Lu family’s good fortune and the luxuries enjoyed by the Liu family. Now, they saw this as the perfect opportunity to curry favor with the Lu family, hoping to bask in the blessings of the so-called “Lu family god.”
The sight of the prisoners made the refugees shiver in fear. Some began to retreat, but a few still refused to leave, standing tall. “Killing is against the law!” one shouted.
A burly prisoner let out a cold laugh. “I slaughtered an entire official’s family of twenty-seven just half a year ago. What’s a few more dead bodies?”
That statement hit the refugees like a bucket of cold water. Of course-these prisoners were murderers and criminals, exiled for committing heinous crimes. There was no reasoning with them.
The refugees’ courage evaporated, and they quickly backed away. The more timid ones fled entirely, while the braver ones were dragged off by Du Hangwu’s men.
Before long, peace returned to the front of the Lu family’s tent. The Lu family members immediately thanked the prisoners who had helped. “Thank you for your assistance tonight. We’ll be sure to repay the favor in the future.”
The prisoners, eager to win the favor of the Lu family, replied, “We’re all in this together. It’s only right to help each other out. No need to mention it.”
Some of the prisoners, who had been saved by the Lu family’s intervention before, felt a bit guilty. They hadn’t thanked the family properly when the so-called “god” had miraculously intervened to save them. Now, having merely scared off the refugees, they were being personally thanked by the Lu family, which was more than they expected.
Even in misfortune, the Lu family still maintained their impeccable manners.
Lu Xingyao, always quick to understand the situation, had a few family members bring out some compressed biscuits and chocolate to distribute among the prisoners. The Lu family had always followed a principle: never provoke others unnecessarily, but always repay kindness.
Given that these prisoners had gone out of their way to help, it was only fitting to offer them something in return.
The family members handed out the snacks. “Just a small token of our gratitude. Thank you again for your help tonight.”
Thanks to Gu Xingzhao’s frequent deliveries of energy-restoring snacks to the Lu family, every prisoner who helped got a piece of compressed biscuit and chocolate.
The prisoners were pleasantly surprised by the Lu family’s generosity. They had only helped a little, and yet the family was giving them so much in return.
Overwhelmed with emotion, they thanked the Lu family profusely. Many of them regretted causing trouble before. If they’d known, they would have sided with the Lu family from the start, like the Liu family, enjoying food and drink all along.
Clutching their newfound food, they reluctantly returned to their camps.
Some were too reluctant to eat, hiding the food in their clothes. Others carefully unwrapped the packages and tasted a bit. The sweetness of the white chocolate melted in their mouths, soothing the bitterness they had felt for so long. One prisoner, remembering his pre-exile life, began to cry.
“It’s so sweet… really sweet.”
Others tried the compressed biscuits, finding them dry at first. But after a few sips of water, they realized it was quite filling. For over a month, they had subsisted on coarse bread, always feeling hungry. Now, for the first time in a long while, they felt full, and even warm.
A small piece, yet it could fill their bellies.
This truly was food from the gods!
Many of the prisoners secretly vowed to stick close to the Lu family from now on, hoping to share in their divine blessings.
Those prisoners who hadn’t helped earlier, now watching others receive the Lu family’s gratitude, scoffed.
“Sold out for a bit of food. Spineless.”
Nearby, another prisoner wiped away his tears. He knew the insult was directed at him, but he didn’t care. If only those mocking him knew the sweetness of the Lu family’s kindness.
At this point, survival mattered more than pride.
Lu Xingyan emerged from the tent, glancing at the little girl who had clung to Lu Zhou but had been frightened unconscious by Lu Yang.
The refugees had fled, leaving the girl behind. Du Hangwu was about to drag her away.
Lu Xingyan spoke up. “Master Du, my father wishes to see the girl.”
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