Chapter 42 Disaster Victims
The small door in the alley was opened, and the women on the other side looked at each other, whispered together, and had smiles on their faces.

Along with the swirling morning smoke, the hot water vapor dispersed towards one place like clouds and mist. But it disappeared before it drifted far, just like ice and snow melting under the sun, leaving no trace.

Children wearing small jackets walked by in twos and threes, laughing and pushing wheelbarrows or holding wooden swords and branches. They played and fought in the alleys, then laughed and passed the carriage and ran to the other end of the village.

The horse shook its head impatiently at the sound of the human voice, and the bell on its neck jingled. It swung its tail and hips, and its front hooves kept stomping on the bluestone floor. A clattering sound came from it, which had a bit of the rhythm of a small drum.

The drivers sat in their carriages waiting, or curled up with their hands in their sleeves and took a nap.

Servants were coming in and out of the Li family mansion, all carrying things to the carriages. Incense burners, pots, blankets, etc., anything that was needed was needed. There were four carriages running side by side from front to back, and they were truly a wealthy family.

People who have nothing to do just gossip to each other.

The question was, "What happened to the Third Young Master the other day? Why were those officers taking him away?"

The answer was, "I heard that there was a murder case, and the government sent someone to call him away. He came back at 3 pm in the afternoon, so it doesn't seem like there was any murder."

After hearing the explanation, everyone in the discussion said "I understand" and the topic shifted to family matters.

Soon a woman came out of the house, with her hair tied up, wearing a dark blue jacket and black pants. The sleeves were rolled up on her arms, showing her smartness.

She looked through the four carriages one by one, and then asked the drivers whether they had fed the horses. After asking, she ran back to the house, and soon saw a group of people coming out of the house.

Leading the group were three men, some older and some younger, and beside them were two maids and six servants.

The middle-aged man standing in the middle was wearing a bright red coat with a mink fur coat tucked inside. He was walking in the front with a pipe in his hand.

Next came the young man in a light blue gown embroidered with auspicious clouds. He just put on a coat and quickly walked to the front of the carriage and lifted the curtain, allowing the youngest and the middle-aged man to get on.

"Father, please."

The two of them stepped on a stool and entered the carriage, and the heavy curtain was lowered. The young man asked someone to remove the stool, and then he went to the carriage at the front.

When a shout was heard, the sound of whips snapping could be heard in the cold and desolate air. The horses were puffing out white mist and slowly heading out of the alley. The sound of bells could be heard along the way, and the gate of the Li family's house slowly closed. Not long after, the sound of the side door opening could be heard, and a basin of hot water was poured out in the morning sunshine.

It was just a simple morning, and also a simple day for Li Daoxuan.

On this day, they were going to attend a banquet at Wang's house, and the father and his two sons were all dressed up to go out. Because of the divination last time, Mrs. Li and the young lady did not go with them, otherwise the four carriages would have to be added with four more.

Walking along the only stone road in the village, I saw many people coming to the market. Black, white, red, green, all kinds of people. There were even maids with banners on their heads, carrying baskets to buy something. There were all kinds of people, and it was very lively.

I don’t know if it’s my illusion, but Li Daoxuan always feels that many strangers have come to Lijia Village recently.

"I still hope nothing goes wrong," he thought to himself.

There were still a few martial artists guarding the house, unlike when Li Daoxuan stayed alone at home. After all, at that time, Master Li and Madam Li went to pay New Year's greetings separately, so they had to bring a lot of people with them when they went out.

In this day and age, no one dares to travel far without a little help. It's okay to encounter robbers who only want money, but if you encounter robbers who want money and life, you are in big trouble. Li Daoxuan opened the curtain and looked back, and heard the sound of the wheels of the carriage. It's so troublesome for rich families to go out, and they have to carry a lot of things. The two carriages at the back carried travel supplies, as well as martial artists and guards.

There were also swords and muskets placed there, so that if anything happened, they could be used as precautions in time.

It's just that these things cannot be seen in public, so they must be covered up. Otherwise, if the officers and soldiers catch them, the fine will be heavy.

There was a maid serving in the car in front, and the eldest brother sat in the front as a guide. It was also a recognition of the eldest son's status in the family and he must take on the responsibility of protecting his family.

The time in the car seemed boring, and Master Li lay on the blanket and dozed off. The maid carefully massaged his legs, and the service was quite comfortable.

Li Daoxuan was lying outside the car window, idly looking at the winter scenery outside. After leaving the village, there were gradually deserted fields, gray and white, without much vivid color.

The fields were crisscrossed with pheasants flying in to look for food, and young urchins could be seen running in the fields, blasting firecrackers in their hands.

Maybe it’s because it’s the New Year that makes things so happy. On weekdays, the family is still very strict.

It was not surprising that there were pedestrians on the road, but they were all ragged people carrying packages.

There were beggars in the streets on weekdays, and Li Daoxuan was not surprised. He would give a few coins when he saw them, but not much. But the one he saw today was a little different. It seemed that he was a family with a family, carrying a package on his back and wearing a coat, walking slowly along the way.

When they see a procession of horse-drawn carriages, they will stop and watch, and they will not beg for money with a broken bowl like beggars.

"Who are these people..." Li Daoxuan was a little confused. He felt that these people should be from other places. After all, their clothes and appearance did not match those of beggars. Few beggars would bring their families and children with them to beg for money.

The longer the carriage traveled, the more people there were on the road. They all looked sallow and tired.

Li Daoxuan had a bad feeling in his heart, thinking that this matter might not be that simple. What happened during the Guangxu period? He knew nothing about it. After all, he didn't like this era and didn't know much about it.

I only know about people like Empress Dowager Cixi, the Reform Movement of 1898, and Li Hongzhang. The events I know about are all those that humiliated the country and caused it to lose sovereignty.

If he were asked to talk about the Han, Tang, Song and Ming dynasties, he would be very knowledgeable. But if he were asked to talk about things during this period, he would be completely clueless. The doubts remained in his mind and were not resolved until he got off the bus.

When Master Li met with someone at Wang's house and talked about this, Li Daoxuan learned that it was a severe drought in the north. There had been no rain in the summer and autumn last year, and the grain harvest was poor. As the Spring Festival approached, some families had no rice in their rice jars and were starving. It was said that there were people who starved to death in Henan, and many people fled while they could still walk.

To Shaanxi, to Jiangsu. Some even reached the vicinity of Nanjing. So those who were traveling with their families were all refugees looking for a living.

"Life is hard, and this new year will be even harder." The old man who was chatting with Master Li frowned. "It is said that the drought demon appeared, and the north was barren for thousands of miles. As the saying goes, locusts will appear when the drought is extreme. I am afraid there will be a disaster."

"Many of the boxers have come to our place, saying that if you don't believe in them, you will also bring disaster upon yourself. Look at what's going on."

"Alas." Mr. Li sighed. "I'm afraid that the grain prices in Jiangsu will also rise."

(End of this chapter)