Chapter 6

The next morning, Ji Jiu found a sack to put chestnuts in first. She burned the chestnuts before working. When she smelled the ripe chestnuts, she took them out and set them aside. Then, she continued to pack the chestnuts until the sack was full. There were still almost half of chestnuts left in the wooden box. Ji Jiu finished putting it in the kitchen and put out the stove fire. Sit and eat chestnuts before leaving the house with a sack of chestnuts.

 Ji Jiu walked to the nearest Aunt Zhang's house first.

"Aunt Zhang, I will tickle you, Aunt Zhang."

"Oh, Ji Jiu, is there something wrong? Come in first."

 Ji Jiu immediately dragged the sack into Aunt Zhang's house. Aunt Zhang saw her dragging the sack in and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Do you have anything to eat, Ji Jiu? Right now my husband and son have to go to work in the district in exchange for food. Auntie has some leftover rice. I'll give it to you to cook."

 Auntie Zhang spoke to Ji Jiu with kindness. Even though she had nothing to eat, she would still give her rice. Ji Jiu can only reflect.

"It's okay, Auntie Zhang. I can go up the mountain and collect food and bring it to my aunt. Auntie brings a basket and I'll tell you how to make something to eat. I'll have to give it to Aunt Liang, Aunt Ma and the village headman."

"Yes, yes, Auntie will come soon." Mrs. Zhang hurried into the kitchen and fetched a small basket as Ji Jiu had said. Ji Jiu opened the sack and shoveled chestnuts until the basket was full, then closed the sack.

"Auntie Zhang, these are edible chestnuts. You can bake them over a fire or roast them on a pan with a clean stone and add salt to enhance the flavor. They are delicious. If chestnuts are ripe, they will smell like roasted nuts. It helps your stomach feel full like eating rice."

 Ji Jiu hurriedly told Aunt Zhang how to make it.

"Oh, thank you very much, Ji Jiu. I'll try it. If you want me to help you collect it, just come and call me. There are hardly any villagers left in the village now. They have migrated since the water in the village ran dry. There are now less than ten households left. If there is still no water for the next four or five days, My aunt's family probably had to emigrate as well. Sigh."

 Auntie Zhang hurriedly told Ji Jiu the news. It was because the situation was so serious that there was no water to drink. Most of the villagers therefore thought of going to death. At least when evacuating to the city there were court nobles who gave them enough food and water to keep from starving. But if they stayed here and there was no water, they would probably just lie down and wait for death.

 Ji Jiu, who listened to Aunt Zhang's situation, thought hard. If everyone in the village had evacuated, how could she be alone?

"I understand, Auntie. I'll just take some chestnuts and give them to Aunt Liang. Aunt Ma and the village chief will continue first. I haven't decided on anything else yet. I'd rather wait and see the situation first."

 Ji Jiu bid farewell to Aunt Zhang and went to Aunt Liang and Aunt Ma's house and handed chestnuts to them. Then told Aunt Zhang how to do the same and hurried to the headman's house.

"Village headman. I'm calling for you." Ji Jiu hurriedly called the village headman.

"Come on, Ji Jiu? Come in." The village headman's wife hurriedly opened the door for Ji Jiu.

"Isn't the elder uncle here, Auntie?"

"I'm not here, Ji Jiu. Go in there to get food and water."

"I heard that almost all the people in the village have emigrated. What do you think, Auntie?"

"Wow, I don't even want to go, but if I don't go, we'll really starve to death. I don't know how long it will be until the rain falls. Now our village doesn't even have drinking water. I'd probably have to go find a sword and poke it in my face."

 After listening, Ji Jiu estimated that the elder uncle and his family had also decided to emigrate. She didn't ask any more. She just handed the remaining chestnuts in the sack to the elders' house and told them how to eat them and left. Tonight, she had serious thoughts about what to do with her life.