Chapter 99

Chapter 99

As the carriage entered the town, an eerie silence descended.

The entire town was frighteningly quiet; the usually bustling streets were utterly deserted.

Reaching East Street, they spotted a lone figure sitting by the roadside, mouth opening and closing as if speaking. Cao Kun called out, "Hey, brother, could you tell us how the Chen family in town is doing?"

The person didn't react. After a long pause, they suddenly opened their mouth. Cao Kun expected words, but instead, a large rat crawled out.

"Yikes!" Cao Kun shrieked, whipping the horses to speed away.

Lin Qiu, clutching his son in the carriage, trembled with fear, not daring to look outside, dreading the sight of a corpse if he were to glance up.

From the moment they entered the town until they reached the Chen residence, the short distance felt interminable. Finally, they arrived at the Chen family's doorstep.

Cao Kun gazed at the tightly shut door, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to knock.

He thought that if no one answered, he would simply turn back with Lin Qiu, fearing his cousin-in-law wouldn't be able to bear the grief of losing loved ones.

After a long wait with no sound from inside, Cao Kun turned to leave but suddenly heard a voice ask, "Who is it?"

Cao Kun froze, then quickly turned back and said, "I am this family's nephew-in-law. May I ask how my mother-in-law and aunt are doing?"

Uncle Chen, recognizing the visitor, exclaimed excitedly, "Is it the young master?"

Lin Qiu in the carriage hurriedly lifted the curtain and said, "Uncle Chen, it's me. How are my mother and Sui'er?"

"They're fine, everyone's fine. Wait a moment, I'll go call them."

Soon, Wang Ying emerged from the backyard, first stopping Uncle Chen from opening the main gate. "Cao Kun, you didn't touch any of the dead bodies on your way here, did you?"

"No, we were too busy avoiding them. Why on earth would we touch them?"

"Did you encounter any living people?"

Cao Kun replied, "We ran into a few who tried to hold up the carriage on the way, but I scared them off with a knife. Other than that, we didn't see anyone else."

Wang Ying sighed in relief and let Uncle Chen open the gate for them to enter.

"Has something happened?" Cao Kun asked after securing the carriage.

"A few days ago, an epidemic broke out in town, claiming many lives. It's unclear how many survivors remain now."

Wang Ying instructed Daniu and the others to bring mugwort. After fumigating each of the three and changing clothes, they returned to the backyard.

Their eyes reddened as soon as they saw each other. Lin Sui hugged her older brother and sobbed, "I thought I'd never see you again."

Lin Qiu held his younger brother tenderly, while Chen Rong immediately took her grandson from his arms, kissing him excitedly. "I never expected you to come. Does Xiaomai remember his grandmother?"

Xiaomai, eight months old with four tiny milk teeth, gnawing on his fist without shyness, curiously looking around at everyone.

Li Shi, seeing Xiaomai for the first time, touched the child's cheek and said, "This child is so handsome, taking after Lin Qiu!"

Once inside, everyone began to chat. Lin Qiu said, "I never imagined the flood would be this severe. On our way here, there were dead bodies everywhere, and hardly any intact houses along the roads. We were so worried about you, afraid that..." He choked up, unable to continue.

Chen Rong's nose stung, and she also shed tears. "During the flood, we happened to be at the estate. Ying'er, seeing the heavy rain, led the whole village up the mountain to safety. Coincidentally, the flood hit that very afternoon, so we managed to escape disaster."

Wang Ying asked, "How is the county town? Was the flooding bad?"

Cao Kun replied, "The county town is alright. The protective city walls diverted the water, so the flooding inside wasn't severe—it receded after a few days. My mother's old place is on higher ground; the water only reached knee-level. Our new home is lower, so we set up planks on the roof and slept there for a few nights until the water subsided."

Wang Ying couldn't help but think to himself: it seems better to live in a larger city. If they were in the county town, a disaster like this wouldn't have destroyed their home.

"Have you had enough food these past few days? We encountered several groups trying to rob us on the way."

Li Shi said, "Don't worry about food. Some of the grain stored earlier in the warehouse wasn't soaked; we have enough to last several more months."

Lin Qiu felt relieved. "Grain prices in the county are terrifyingly high now. When I left, I wanted to bring more, but at the grain shop, a dou of rice costs three hundred wen, and they limit purchases to two dou at most."

Hearing this, Wang Ying felt a stir. The experimental field had just yielded over six thousand jin of wheat, but he wouldn't profit from such a disaster. For now, protecting those around him was enough.

"With such a major flood, the government surely won't stand idly by. Perhaps they'll send aid soon."

Li Shi sighed. "Let's hope so."

Now that the whole family was together, there was nothing to worry about. That evening, Aunt Chen steamed a large pot of sugar buns—the sugar had been brought up the mountain earlier.

Everyone sat in the yard, enjoying the sugar buns under the moonlight, feeling particularly at ease.

Xiaomai fell asleep in the cradle, and Yuanbao was nodding off drowsily. Wang Ying carried the child inside while the adults continued chatting.

"Cousin-in-law, what are your plans from now on? This town is almost empty; it's not a place to stay."

Wang Ying said, "We haven't decided yet. If necessary, we might go to the county with you in a few days."

"That would be wonderful!" Lin Qiu said happily. "You'll have a place to stay in the county. Once settled, you can buy a house. Prices aren't too high now—I heard a three-courtyard house on North Street costs only six hundred guan."

Chen Rong clicked her tongue, "Six hundred guan is cheap?"

Lin Qiu nodded. "It used to be over a thousand guan. The flood drove many wealthy families away. Those without money can't afford it, and those with money have relocated elsewhere, so prices dropped."

Six hundred guan was indeed affordable, but Wang Ying preferred to develop in Jizhou Prefecture. After next year's county exam, Chen Qingyan and the others would need to go to the prefecture for the prefectural and provincial exams. Rather than traveling back and forth, it would be better to settle there directly.

However, the town was too far from Jizhou Prefecture. Without a guide, it might be impossible to reach, and who knew if bandits would be encountered on the way? It was better to settle in the county first.

After three days, everyone packed their belongings to head to the county.

Dun Zi had his wife and children at the estate, so Wang Ying didn't insist he come. The other men were also told to return, but only four went back; the remaining three refused to leave.

Tian Daniu said, "My mother told me that since the boss saved everyone, I should serve you like an ox or horse to repay you."

The other two were Ma Qianzi, who often bought ice pops from Wang Ying, and a young man named Chen Fang.

Ma Qianzi said, "My parents are gone. Staying with my brother and sister-in-law would only burden them. If you don't mind giving me food, I'd like to serve you."

Chen Fang said, "Me too!"

Having more people on the journey would provide better support, so Wang Ying took all three in.

Leaving tomorrow, unsure if they would ever return, everyone felt a sense of reluctance.

Wang Ying carried his son around the front and back yards several times, as if wanting the child to remember this place. But Yuanbao was not yet two years old—even if he remembered now, he would forget in a few years.

Well, out with the old, in with the new. He selected some old items and placed them in the experimental field as mementos.

Early the next morning, everyone set off with two carriages. Uncle Chen carefully bolted the gate, secretly wiping away tears.

He had served here his entire life. Leaving now, he wondered if he would ever return...

With a larger group following, only the women and children could ride in the carts while the rest walked behind, slowing the pace considerably.

Just after leaving the town, the carriage encountered a group of government troops. Everyone quickly moved to the side to make way.

Unexpectedly, the soldiers halted, and the leading officer pulled his horse to a stop, asking, "Is that Qingshui Town ahead?"

Cao Kun hurried forward to reply, "Yes, that's Qingshui Town ahead. We've just come from there."

The officer gripped his whip and said, "I’m looking for a family. Do you know a household in town surnamed Chen—the family of Prefect Chen Jing from Shanzhou?"

Cao Kun paused, surprised. "Y-yes, I know of them. The relatives of Prefect Chen are right here in this carriage."

Wang Ying and the others hadn’t expected these soldiers to be specifically looking for them. They hurriedly got down from the carriage.

The leading officer, surnamed Jiang, stepped forward and greeted them, saying, "I’ve been entrusted by Deputy Prefect Wang of Jizhou to come and escort you all to Jizhou for resettlement."

Wang Ying and his mother-in-law exchanged puzzled glances—they didn’t know any Magistrate Wang.

Jiang Cong took a letter from his pocket and handed it to them. When Wang Ying unfolded it, his nose stung with emotion. It was a letter from Old Liang, asking an old friend to help find his relatives and using Chen Jing’s name, which was why Jiang Cong had mentioned your fourth uncle’s name.

"Since you’re all safe and sound, come with us to Jizhou Prefecture for resettlement."

Li Shi hesitated. Jizhou Prefecture was so far away, and they were unfamiliar with the place—she was afraid they wouldn’t adjust.

"A Ying, what do you think…"

Wang Ying replied without hesitation, "Let’s go to Jizhou Prefecture."

Although the famine wasn’t yet severe in the county town, the surrounding towns and villages had been devastated by the flood, and this year’s harvest was surely lost. Grain prices were rising higher and higher, and more and more people would go hungry. If the court couldn’t provide timely disaster relief, who knows how many would starve.

Chen Rong and Lin Sui wanted to follow their sons and sons-in-law back to the county town. Wang Ying didn’t insist they stay but instead gave them all the grain from the cart, keeping only one bag for the journey.

Chen Rong asked, "If you give all the grain to us, what will you eat when you reach the prefecture city?"

"Don’t worry, Third Aunt. Food won’t be as expensive in the prefecture. Given the situation, prices in the county will only keep rising. When you get home, keep the grain hidden and don’t let others see it and become envious. If you can buy rice from the grain shops, stock up as much as possible and don’t be stingy with money."

Cao Kun nodded in agreement. He had great faith in his cousin’s wife. Her foresight and decisiveness in leading the entire village up the mountain to avoid danger were qualities even most men lacked. Her words surely held wisdom.

After traveling some distance, the two families parted ways. Chen Rong and the others took the carriage and followed Lin Qiu to the county town, while Wang Ying’s group followed the soldiers toward Jizhou Prefecture.

The journey from the town to the prefecture city was about over two hundred miles. Due to the flood, several sections of the main road had been washed away, forcing them to take detours.

Along the way, they encountered many people blocking the road trying to rob travelers. At first, they could scare them off, but eventually, even showing swords didn’t frighten them.

These people were truly driven mad by hunger, willing to risk their lives to stop the carts.

Jiang Cong shouted at them, sword in hand, but the people knelt on the ground, wailing, "There’s not a single grain left at home, the crops are ruined—we can’t go on living. Just kill me with your sword!"

As more and more villagers gathered around, Jiang Cong had no choice but to order his men to scatter a bag of millet by the roadside. The moment the people saw the grain, they rushed to snatch it up, allowing the group to take the chance to drive off.

On the thirteenth day of the eighth month, the group finally arrived at Jizhou Prefecture.

Even before entering the city, they saw a crowd of a thousand or so people outside the city—refugees from nearby counties. The city provided daily handouts of porridge, and some had even set up makeshift shelters nearby to live in.

As the carriage approached, these people crowded around again to beg for food. However, they were less aggressive than those on the road; a little threat was enough to make them scatter, and they didn’t dare block the carriage forcefully.

The city gate originally had three passages, but for some reason, two were closed, leaving only one heavily guarded gate where inspections were extremely strict. Many carriages were stopped outside.

After waiting in line for three hours, it was finally their turn. Jiang Cong dismounted and went ahead, taking a token from his pocket to show the clerk at the gate.

The leading official smiled and handed back the token, saying, "So it’s the Inspector. Recently, epidemics have broken out in many areas. We have orders to check strictly everyone entering the city. I hope you understand, sir."

Jiang Cong put away the token and waved his men through. But when it was Wang Ying’s turn to bring in the mule cart, a clerk held up a hand to stop them and asked, "Where are you from, sir?"

Uncle Chen answered, "We’re from Longquan County…"

Before he could finish, several clerks jumped up and blocked the way. "People from Longquan County are not allowed in the city. Turn back immediately!"