Chapter 86 – I’ll Follow Your Lead, Brother

Chapter 86 - I'll Follow Your Lead, Brother

"Brother, should we observe a bit more?" Mo Jiuye suggested, seeing Peng Wang's determination.

"I hope Brother Peng can make a decision before nightfall. Otherwise, it will be even more challenging for us to ascend the mountain," he said helplessly.

Peng Wang nodded. "Alright, if the rain doesn't stop in an hour, we'll follow your advice and head up the mountain."

After informing He Zhiran of Peng Wang's decision, Mo Jiuye returned to the room where the officials were staying.

Not only was it convenient to monitor the rain from there, but it also allowed him to continue persuading Peng Wang to lead everyone up the mountain.

The half-hour Peng Wang mentioned passed quickly, but the rain showed no sign of abating; it was, in fact, growing heavier.

Water had already flooded the room.

Seizing the opportunity, Mo Jiuye said, "Brother Peng, for everyone's safety, we must ascend the mountain immediately."

Peng Wang gritted his teeth. "Alright, I'll follow your advice, brother."

With that, he instructed the bailiffs to urge the others in the adjacent room to pack up and set off immediately.

He Zhiran was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. She rushed over to Peng Wang.

"Peng Brother, you should try persuading the Village Officer to inform all the villagers to head for the mountains or any elevated area. We must not stay here any longer," she urged.

He Zhiran's words carried weight with Peng Wang. Amidst the confusion as everyone packed their belongings, he knocked on Village Officer Liu's door once more.

Though He Zhiran didn't know the specifics of Peng Wang's persuasion, his expression when he emerged from the village officer's house betrayed a tinge of resignation.

Having done what he could, Peng Wang felt no guilt as he ordered the bewildered convicts to head for the hills once again.

Watching as the sisters-in-law emerged from the annex, clutching their belongings tightly, He Zhiran tried to dissuade them. "Sisters-in-law, these items are already soaked. It's best not to bring them along."

"Nine Brother's wife, these quilts were hard to come by. They can still be used after they dry out. Second Sister-in-law isn't afraid of the trouble; she can carry them," replied the second sister-in-law.

"Yes, Sister-in-law Ninth, Fifth Sister can carry them too, without fear of hardship."

"Seventh Sister can manage as well."

"..."

He Zhiran understood that her sisters-in-law, having once been nobles in the capital, didn't have a deep understanding of natural disasters.

With no choice, she patiently explained the situation.

"You all experienced it just now when traveling through the muddy roads, how difficult it is to move forward with such weight. It's even more so on mountain paths; one misstep and you could slip down entirely.

It's not a wise decision to carry such heavy and unnecessary luggage."

Although the sisters-in-law knew He Zhiran was right, they were still reluctant to part with their belongings.

Seeing their conflicted expressions, Mother Mo sternly spoke, "Listen to what the He family member says."

With their mother-in-law's order, the sisters-in-law reluctantly placed their luggage in the side rooms.

The Fang and Xie families were intelligent; though they didn't understand He Zhiran's intention behind discarding their luggage, they instinctively followed suit.

Everyone placed their belongings in the annex and, as instructed by He Zhiran, only carried their tents with them.

Seeing that everyone had assembled, Peng Wang gave the order to set off into the rain.

They trudged through the muddy village paths with great difficulty, none of them comprehending Peng Wang's decision. However, they dared not voice their discontent, instead following him with resentment hidden in their hearts.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, He Zhiran purchased two bags of charcoal from an online marketplace called Taobao. Carefully wrapping them in oilcloth, she stowed the large bundle in her personal space.

In the entire group, apart from He Zhiran carrying the oilcloth package, the most anyone else carried was a shared tent for protection from the rain.

Mo Jiuye, being meticulous, noticed He Zhiran's heavy load and promptly took it upon himself to carry it.

Reaching the foot of the mountain, they found a narrow path leading upward. Mo Jiuye, taking the lead, forged ahead to clear the way for the others.

The rest supported one another as they followed behind.

The most challenging task fell upon the He family, who had to carry the mobility-impaired He Ming up the mountain—a daunting endeavor.

He Zhiran, wishing to prevent the He family from slowing down their journey, offered them a suggestion.

She proposed removing the wooden planks from the cart and securing He Ming to them, then pulling him along with ropes.

The officials, realizing the urgency of the situation, willingly provided the necessary hemp ropes.

Despite these efforts, the He family still found themselves at the tail end of the group.

Fortunately, as they reached the midpoint of the mountain, they discovered a shallow valley not far ahead.

Based on He Zhiran's keen sense of danger, she deemed this spot ideal for a temporary refuge.

Although it lacked shelter from the elements, the absence of trees meant that there would be no risk of accidents during thunderstorms or lightning strikes.

Moreover, she was mindful of the possibility of landslides in such weather conditions.

Consequently, the valley was the optimal location to evade potential floods.

Thus, she proactively suggested to Peng Wang that they seek shelter there.

Peng Wang was initially reluctant. In his opinion, they should find a cave at least to protect them from the rain.

He Zhiran had no choice but to explain her reasoning to him.

Although Peng Wang found He Zhiran's concerns exaggerated, he eventually yielded, considering her capabilities.

To everyone's surprise, upon reaching the valley, they discovered not one, but three caves of varying sizes.

Overjoyed, Peng Wang inspected them and allocated the temporary shelters according to the number of people in each group.

Showing some favoritism towards the Mo family, he assigned them the smallest cave to occupy alone.

Despite its size, the Mo family was content, as they would be together as a family.

The largest cave was given to the members of the other three families, while the officials chose the one of moderate size.

With shelter from the rain secured, new challenges arose.

Their clothing was soaked through, and if they didn't change or dry them promptly, they could easily contract a cold or other illnesses.

Moreover, they had no food or water at the moment. An empty stomach throughout the night would be a torment for them.

He Zhiran had prepared for all these eventualities in advance.

She unwrapped the oil cloth in front of everyone, revealing the charcoal inside.

The female members of the Mo family all widened their eyes when they saw the charcoal.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, what's this?"

He Zhiran had already thought of an explanation.

"I noticed charcoal at the Village Officer's place, so I considered that we might need it on the mountain. I left a couple of silver taels behind and took these with me."

Mo Hanyue looked at her admiringly. "Sister-in-law Nine, you're incredible! How did you think of such a thing?"

"Yes, Ninth Sister-in-law. Right now, Second Sister-in-law is most impressed by you."

He Zhiran offered a warm smile to the group before retrieving a fire starter wrapped in oilcloth from her bosom. Together with Mo Jiuye, they lit the charcoal.

At the same time, Mo Jiuye couldn't help but commend He Zhiran's meticulousness.

The firewood on the mountain was likely soaked by the rain and would be difficult to ignite even if they managed to find some. With these charcoals, however, the situation was different – not only were they easier to light, but they burned for a much longer duration.

He Zhiran had purchased quick-burning charcoals, and with minimal effort, they were ignited effortlessly.