The journey had been uncomfortable, with the faces of the travelers covered in grime.
“Hey! There’s water here!” Xu Jin leaned over to look into the well, but it was too deep and dark to see clearly, so she retracted her gaze. Mimicking Lin Ya, she splashed some water on her face and went outside to call the others inside.
“The water down there is a bit murky; it can be used to wash our faces. I’ve already filled some for drinking.”
Xu Yue cheered at the sight of water, carefully dipping a cloth in it to wipe her face, wary of using too much.
“Are we staying here tonight?” Xu’s father asked.
Lin Ya nodded. It felt safer in an empty place, and resting for a night would be good.
“Dad, the mule seems exhausted,” Ren Zhao said, leaning against Lin Ya and pointing at the panting mule with sympathy.
“Let’s give it some water; it must be thirsty,” Zhang Shi said, taking a bowl and filling it with water to offer it. Ren Lin held a bit of beans but couldn’t reach the mule.
“Ajin, can you help take the cart down?”
“Okay.”
After a good meal and a night of rest, they continued on their way. Fortunately, no bandits were chasing them, likely due to the main characters’ storyline.
[Host, you’re quite clever.]
“So what happens next?”
[Originally, bandits would appear in the plot too, but not this early—it would only happen when the main characters meet. I can’t say any more for now.]
“Alright.”
As they drew closer to Qingzhou Prefecture, the number of refugees fleeing increased. Along the way were ragged and emaciated disaster victims. They were wrapped in torn cloths, sewn together with needles and thread, and their shoes were in tatters; some could only use cloth strips to wrap their feet, wearing straw sandals beneath.
The biting cold wind felt like a knife, cutting through everyone equally. Most faces showed a numb fatigue, with murky eyes reflecting a glimmer of hope that they could fill their stomachs once they reached their destination.
“Dad, are you tired?” Ren Lin, perched on the mule’s back, pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Lin Ya, her innocent eyes showing concern.
“I’m fine,” Lin Ya replied as he took the handkerchief and wiped his face. He paused for a moment, noticing the black and yellow stains on it, then discreetly tucked it into his chest pocket.
“Grandpa and Uncle seem exhausted. Dad, can I get down and walk? It’ll give Grandpa a chance to sit,” Ren Zhao asked softly as he looked back.
Hearing this, Lin Ya turned and saw the two figures leaning against each other, their legs trembling. A pang of sympathy hit him.
These two really did seem weak.
Xu Jin supported Xu’s father against the cold wind as they moved forward. In truth, Lin Ya could walk comfortably by himself, but Xu’s father leaned heavily on him, forcing him to bear the weight of two people alone. Soon, he was short of breath, and his legs were shaking with exhaustion.
However, glancing at Zhang Shi and Xu Yue, who were keeping pace, he sucked in a deep breath and continued to plod along behind the mule with difficulty.
Lin Ya shook his head, feeling somewhat helpless.
He thought they should have let them occasionally walk alongside the cart earlier, so they wouldn’t be in this predicament now.
Their mule cart had broken down a short distance down the stony road, and without tools, they couldn’t repair it. Hence, they had to abandon it and proceed on foot. Fortunately, the mule could still carry some of their belongings, and having the two children ride on it was manageable.
As for the others, they could only keep moving with the crowd.
To be honest, the mule cart had held up surprisingly well until now; although the stony road was somewhat even, the wooden wheels had been replaced twice. Thankfully, Lin Ya had brought spare parts; otherwise, they wouldn’t have made it this far.
“Mom, are you alright?” Xu Yue asked quietly, carefully supporting Zhang Shi’s arm.
Zhang Shi took a breath and felt a bit of swelling and pain in her legs, and her feet hurt a little from the stones, but she could endure it, so she shook her head. “We’ve only just begun; we’ve only been traveling for over two hours. It’s still far from where we need to go. My shoes are getting thin, so when we stop later, I’ll have to pad the insides with cloth.”
Not just her shoes, but her clothes were getting thinner too. As she walked, Zhang Shi contemplated that when they stopped, she’d tear apart the two cotton quilts to sew the stuffing into her clothes. The remaining fabric could be made into bundles or more clothing to help stay warm at night.
From what she’d heard from others along the way, after walking for another ten days or so, they hoped to reach a place under Qingzhou’s jurisdiction. At that point, they would see if they could find a place to settle.
The sky was overcast, and soon white snowflakes began to fall. It wasn’t until they felt the cold on their faces that the travelers realized it wasn’t goose feathers but snow.
The closer they got to Qingzhou, the more water sources seemed to appear, so people weren’t in dire need of water. However, as they watched the snow fall, the look of worry grew among them, with family members in thin clothing revealing desperate expressions.
As snowflakes continued to descend, Lin Ya scanned the nearby mountains and forests, keenly noticing a large boulder in the distance, where a narrow dip formed below—a good spot to shield against rain and snow.
It seemed quite deep; accommodating dozens of people shouldn’t be a problem.
Taking advantage of the fact that the crowd had yet to stir, Lin Ya stopped and waited for others to draw closer.
“Ajin, you take them over there first while I help Dad. Little sister, you and Mom go ahead.”
“Alright, but brother-in-law, there are already people over there. Is that okay?” It was clear the good spot for shelter wouldn’t escape notice; many others had spotted it too and were rushing that way.
Even some had been urged to follow.
“It’s fine. Let’s stop here; this snow won’t likely let up anytime soon. If we keep pushing through the snow and someone gets sick, it wouldn’t be worth it.”
Xu Jin was a bit hesitant because they had encountered many disaster victims wanting to rob them along the way, and Lin Ya had chased away those who tried to steal at night. After Xu Jin noticed this, they had been even more vigilant in avoiding others, usually finding another place to rest.
But such a good spot nearby was hard to find, and Lin Ya was left with no choice. Even though he brought plenty of medicine, he couldn’t guarantee that it would surely cure any sickness, especially since prolonged travel would inherently weaken their health.
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