In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 596 Grave

Why bring this up?

His wife, Wang Yi, said dismissively, her face pale and her voice weak and feeble.

When people don't eat enough, their bodies don't get enough nutrition, making them more susceptible to various diseases.

In fact, she had fallen ill a month earlier. The illness and hunger had already taken their toll on her body, and she was aware that she was not long for this world. Therefore, after discussing it with her husband, she decided to forcibly drive Zhang He out of the village.

"Cough cough cough."

Wang Yi coughed violently a few times and said, "It's God and the court that are not giving us a way to survive, it has nothing to do with you, the head of the household."

"Ugh!"

Zhang Qi gently patted his wife's back to make her feel better, then helped her back to their drafty home, where they lay on the bed, awaiting death.

Wang Yi was exhausted and near death, and Zhang Qi wasn't in much better shape. In order to leave the last rations for Zhang He on his journey, he hadn't eaten a single bite of food for three days. By now, his stomach was completely empty. He had tried gnawing on tree bark, wild grass, and even secretly dug up and ate some clay...

Unfortunately, this did not alleviate his hunger, nor could it prevent him from dying.

"Husband, do you think our son will survive?"

Wang Yi, lying on the bed, was coughing violently as she spoke, her face as pale as paper.

"Certainly possible."

Zhang Qi seemed to be answering his wife's question, but also comforting himself: "He's still young, and he has a long road ahead of him. He will definitely survive."

"That's good!"

Having received the answer she wanted, Wang Yi finally closed her eyes, ending her life, which was not long but extremely uneventful.

Two days later, Zhang Qi, who had buried his wife with his own hands, finally collapsed beside her grave.

These great parents, who were willing to starve to death so that their son could live, finally came to the end of their not-so-long lives.

Fortunately, they died in one place; unfortunately, it wasn't until three days after they died that the villagers discovered Zhang Qi's body.

Looking at Zhang Qi lying beside the small mound, the villagers felt a mix of emotions.

Since the cold disaster struck, they have become accustomed to the pain of separation and death; almost every few days, a relative or friend passes away...

Zhang Qi and his wife are not the first, nor will they be the last...

"Ugh."

Village chief Zhang Hao sighed heavily and said, "Let's all lend a hand and let Zhang Qi rest in peace."

The villagers nodded and worked together to bury Zhang Qi next to the small mound, and then...

The village returned to peace, with every household keeping their doors tightly shut to minimize physical exertion and conserve food.

Zhang He was unaware of all this, but the moment he set off, he had already foreseen the outcome of being separated from his parents forever. That's why he refused his parents' suggestion. He only agreed to set off after his father took out a wooden stick and beat him until he was covered in bloody marks. Before leaving, he even turned back and kowtowed to his parents.

Recalling his parents' voices and smiles, a tear slid down Zhang He's cheek. His parents had worked hard for half their lives, and all they wanted was to have enough to eat and wear.

However... even this simplest request has become a luxury, what a despicable world!

"village head."

Zhang He looked up, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and asked the village chief, "Where are my parents buried? I want to go and pay my respects to them."

"You come with me."

The village chief turned and led the way. Before long, the group arrived at two small mounds.

Looking at the simple, unadorned mound before him, which didn't even have a tombstone, Zhang He's eyes were filled with sorrow, and he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Father, Mother, I've come to see you."

The man did not shed tears, but he did not go to the sad place.

Zhang He, who was not afraid of death and dared to risk his life for a way to survive, could no longer suppress his grief when he saw his parents' graves. Tears fell like broken beads, nourishing the soil beneath his feet.

Looking at Zhang He kneeling on the ground, the villagers had very complicated expressions.

In the past few years, they have lost far too many relatives, friends, and neighbors.

Zhangwang Village once had a population of over 700, but now... there are less than 300 people still alive. It's no exaggeration to say that nine out of ten houses are empty.

Everyone present had experienced the loss of a loved one, so they could understand Zhang He's feelings at this moment.

"Sigh, what a terrible world this is."

"Damn it, God! And this damned government, they won't give us a single way out!"

"Zhang He is now quite successful, dressed so well and with so many subordinates. It's just a pity that his parents can't enjoy this blessing."

"My parents also starved to death. What a damn world."

"..."

A sense of sadness spread through the crowd. Whether it was the villagers of Zhangwang Village or the skinny monkey who came with Zhang He, everyone recalled bad memories, and a look of grief was hidden in everyone's eyes.

"Your dad is just too strong-willed."

The village chief stood beside Zhang He and said softly, "If he had asked me for help back then, I might have been able to help him out. It's just a pity... he was too stubborn. He would rather starve to death than ask the villagers for grain."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He shook his head. He knew the situation very well. Every household had no surplus grain, and even the village chief's family didn't have much. His parents were about to borrow grain from the village chief, but they wouldn't be able to borrow much. At most, they could borrow a pound or two of grain, which would barely last them two or three days, and still wouldn't change the fact that they were starving.

Not to mention... at that time, my mother was seriously ill, and even if there was food, it wouldn't have been enough to help her recover.

"village head."

At this moment, the skinny monkey walked over with a sorrowful expression and asked the village chief, "Where are my parents' graves?"

"There!"

The village chief pointed to a small mound less than ten meters away on the right and said, "Your parents starved to death at home. When we found them, their bodies were already cold, so we buried them in a mound."

Upon hearing this, the skinny monkey, with tears in his eyes, walked step by step to his parents' graves. Overwhelmed with grief, tears streamed down his face.

"Father, Mother, I wish you were still alive!"

The skinny monkey said with great sorrow that his family's situation was similar to Zhang He's. In order to let him live, his parents gave him all the last bit of food they had left, and then drove him out of the village, heading south in search of a way to survive.

Fortunately, he met Zhang He from the same village on the road, and together they fought for their lives, transforming from a starving refugee into a martial artist and merchant.

Unfortunately, although he is now successful and living a good life, his parents have passed away and were unable to wait for him to return and fulfill his filial duties...