Chapter 247

Chapter 247

The farther west they went, the colder it got.

The snow was falling harder, and the ground got slippery.

The girls went into the woods to gather dry leaves and pine needles from under the snow, while the boys took sickles and cut a large amount of wild grass from the surroundings. They spread a thick layer on the ground, tamping down the muddiest spots, then scattered more leaves on top.

The women pulled out their own mats and bedding from the carts—first a bamboo mat, then a layer of summer clothes, then a mattress, and finally the winter quilt wrapped in a rain cloth. Over the quilt, they draped another rain cloth to keep the snow from soaking through.

By the time they finished, campfires had been lit.

The men quickly set up two makeshift stoves. A few went into the forest to gather dry wood, while the rest fixed baskets, packs, and carts, checked the perimeter for safety, and fed the donkeys. Two other guys took a pot into the woods, shook snow off the heavily loaded branches until the pot was full, then carried it back.

The snow would melt and boil into hot water—it was cold, but the snow saved them the trouble of finding water.

Everyone was exhausted, but nobody slacked off. Everyone worked without needing to be told.

After two pots of water boiled, people lined up and each scooped half a bowl of hot water. They ate dry rations and flatbread, washing it down with water. After eating, they arranged for guards to keep watch, and the rest couldn't hold on any longer. They wrapped themselves in quilts and lay down, whether they were holding someone else's kid or not, adjusting to a comfortable sleeping position. Squeezed together in a pile, they felt warm, and soon snoring erupted all around.

The snores rose and fell, like a concert.

The cold wind howled, snowflakes landed on the rain cloth, and soon a layer had accumulated.

The ones who went back to look for people also returned—all three of them, safe and sound. Zhao Sanwang hadn't been caught to go mining.

Those people, whether they didn't want to cause more trouble or something, really hadn't chased them. Zhao Quan and the other guy had walked back five or six li without finding anyone, and were growing anxious. Zhao Dashan almost couldn't hold back his tears, thinking his brother had already been caught.

But Zhao Sanwang hadn't taken the main road. He had threaded through the dense forest. The former village idler was a man with plenty of cunning; he figured that taking the main road made him easy to spot, while walking through the woods would let him both catch up to the main group and hide himself. If someone came after him, he could spot them right away—whether to chase, hide, or flee, he had left himself plenty of options.

He didn't want to go mining. Now that he had someone to care about, he had to survive.

Sitting on a freezing stone, Zhao Sanwang held a bowl of hot water. The backs of his hands were red and chapped with frostbite. While crashing through the woods, he had gotten covered in snow on his head and shoulders, and had fallen several times. He looked filthy and ragged, but the smile on his face was impossible to hide. He glanced sideways at Da Luo Bo and Xiao Luo Bo, who were crouched beside him, his mood excellent: "Why are you following me? Go sleep with your mother!"

"Not sleepy yet," Da Luo Bo shook his head.

Xiao Luo Bo grabbed his brother's clothes, imitating his big brother's shaking head, eyelids half-closed, forcing himself to stay awake: "Not sleepy yet."

"Hey, you can't fool me, not sleepy." Zhao Sanwang pursed his lips and took a sip of hot water. Seeing them not moving, he put down the bowl, tucked one under each arm, and headed toward their beds. "Go to sleep honestly. If you don't eat well and sleep well, you'll end up short as adults. You said you want to protect your mother when you grow up? Short people get bullied, can't even win a fight. Who's going to be afraid of you? How can you protect her?"

"I can grow tall! I have strength, I can beat others! I can protect my mother!" Da Luo Bo kicked his legs, following him but not wanting to get too close.

"Alright, you can protect your mother, but you still need to sleep!"

The warm fire dispelled some of the chill. The thin layer of snow hanging from the treetops melted under the heat, dripping down.

Zhao Xiaobao ran out from under a tree and was unluckily splashed in the face. She shrank her neck, wiped her little face with her chubby hands, her cheeks red from sleep, and rushed to throw herself onto her father's knees: "Dad, Mom says you should go sleep. She also asks how long you can rest, whether we need to keep moving, and whether we should bake flatbread or steam corn cakes. The dry rations are almost gone!"

She had slept the whole way, never feeling the hardship of the journey. Wang and the other daughters-in-law, who had taken turns riding the donkey cart, were the same. They were now discussing with Ma Erniang and her sister, and with her mother-in-law, whether to make some dry rations.

Everyone else had rested, but these women still had energy. They checked the stored dry rations and found them running low, so they sent Zhao Xiaobao to ask.

"Look at our Xiaobao, her little face all red from sleep!" The atmosphere suddenly changed. Old Man Zhao's stern face broke into a grin that looked utterly unguarded. He lifted the child onto his lap and gently touched her cheek with his rough hand. Feeling it a little cold, he warmed it up. "Your clothes are a bit thin. Tell your mother to add a small padded jacket."

Zhao Xiaobao's lips immediately pouted as if they could hang an oil jar. Winter clothes were thick, making her look bulky and clumsy; moving was a hassle. She didn't like them at all. She wriggled to get off his knee, feeling that her father wasn't grasping the main point. She was talking serious business, but he was talking about clothes. "Dad, Xiaobao isn't cold. Xiaobao is here to deliver a message. Give me an answer quickly. Mom and the sisters-in-law are waiting."

"Alright, alright, let me answer first." Old Man Zhao chuckled. "If those bad guys haven't chased us, we'll stay put for now. Everyone is too tired; they need more rest. If your mother and the others still have energy, let them make some dry rations to store. Anyway, it's cold, they won't spoil. Whatever they make is fine."

As for whether they would still be chased, he couldn't say for sure. No one could guarantee it. But they had already traveled several dozen li, and they were still safe, so it seemed those people wouldn't come.

He thought so too—since those people only dared to trick people into the city to capture them, rather than grabbing openly outside, they must be aiming for sustained profit. Those who had suffered losses wouldn't dare to make noise, and certainly wouldn't linger. They were refugees, short on food. Knowing this place was unsafe, how could they risk losing their whole family or even the whole village for one person?

Grabbing people outside the city would spread news like wildfire; one person tells ten, ten tell a hundred. Who would dare come to Suiyun Town then?

Grabbing inside the city was the way to go. Let the meat rot in the pot. Behind the city walls and iron gates, everything was under their control. They preserved their reputation—at least on the surface. The news that Suiyun Town didn't check travel permits spread by word of mouth. Even refugees who hadn't originally planned to take this route might come from far away because of this news.

So after thinking it over, although his group had plenty of strong laborers and was tempting, they had knives. A desperate fight might not end well. And for the sake of long-term plans, as long as they weren't brainless, they wouldn't abandon a whole forest for just a few trees.

He had made it clear they wouldn't stay long in Suiyun Town, and they had left that very night, right under their noses, passing through the city gate road. As for whether they would worry about him leaking the news—that was another problem Old Man Zhao had been racking his brains over. He was both afraid they would chase them and afraid they wouldn't.

If they chased, they'd have to fight with real weapons, and there would likely be casualties.

But if they didn't chase, didn't that mean they weren't afraid of him spreading the news? The iron mine was a huge matter... The reason they weren't afraid might be because the direction his group was heading was Liangjun Prefecture?

Was Liangjun Prefecture connected to this iron mine?

Was Liangjun Prefecture safe?

This was a worry that had been lingering in Old Man Zhao's mind, but he didn't dare say it aloud for fear of scaring everyone. Now they had no retreat. Whether ahead lay a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, they could only charge forward with their heads down.

If they broke through, they would live; if not, they would die.

Of course, he hoped he was overthinking.

Even if he wasn't, he hoped that the current chaos could be their shelter. The imperial court was now just a decoration; imperial power was crumbling. Kings and lords were springing up everywhere like mushrooms after rain. Even if news spread that there was an iron mine in Suiyun Town, and that someone was mining it privately, no imperial decree would come from the capital to behead anyone.

If someone dared to enclose a mine, saying they had no ambition—even a three-year-old wouldn't believe it.

In that case, they were just a group of refugees who couldn't stir up any waves. What did it matter if they knew? What if they spread the news? No one knew how far the mining had progressed, how many civilians were in Suiyun Town, how many private soldiers, or how many weapons...

They were just ants. Though they looked like a swarm, they wouldn't catch the attention of the powerful.

No one cared about a bunch of ants.

Suppressing thousands of thoughts in his heart, Old Man Zhao showed no trace of worry on his face when facing his daughter. He simply stood up, holding her, and walked toward their nest. "Dad will carry you back."

"Go back to sleep," Zhao Xiaobao swung her little feet, happy not to have to step on the muddy wet ground. Little girls loved their shoes. "Brothers are all asleep. Only Xiao Wu and the others are on watch. They'll go sleep in the donkey cart later."

The Zhao brothers, as well as Zhao Quan, Zhao Daniu, and others, were considered the pillars of the team. Guard duty rarely fell to them. With danger all around, they needed to conserve their strength to deal with possible threats at any time. Physical tasks like pushing wheelbarrows, carrying baskets, and shouldering loads were mostly done by men like Shi Erlang and Old Man Zhou, who had strength but not much courage.

Now it was the same. Even Zhao Sanwang, after bringing Da Luo Bo and Xiao Luo Bo over, lay contentedly in the nest that Lv Xiuhong had prepared for him next to her family's nest (a few nests away). He held Xiao Luo Bo in his arms and snored loudly.

Those who had nests were resting; those who hadn't were women like Wang who still had some energy, and half-grown children like Zhao Xiaowu and Er Lai who had been tasked with watching. They could also nap in the cart loaded with firewood.

Some lay sleeping soundly, others sat rubbing their hands by the fire. In this scene, an old woman and a young boy, standing aimlessly with nowhere to go, were extremely conspicuous.

The old woman had awakened. Chen Ping'an huddled next to her, the two of them standing neither close nor far. Under the main group's neglect, this pair of "grandmother and grandson" seemed somewhat close, but compared to the father and daughter, they seemed distant.

"There's hot water over there. There are bowls in the cart. Help yourselves." His daughter kicked her legs, and Old Man Zhao let her down.

Zhao Xiaobao glanced at the old and young pair. Earlier, she had handed each of them a corn cake. Chen Ping'an had taken it shyly and said thank you. The old woman had looked at her a few times before taking it, but her gaze made Xiaobao a little scared.

Zhao Xiaobao didn't want to go near them anymore. She would have been happy to take Chen Ping'an to get a bowl of hot water, but he didn't want to come with her, preferring to shrink behind the old woman.

She had to go back to report to her mother and tend the fire.

Aunt Xiaobao had her pride!

"I... I don't want hot water. I want to find my dad." Seeing her skip away, Chen Ping'an finally mustered the courage to face the tall, sturdy old man. Although the old man said they had met before, he didn't remember it at all—no impression. But he could feel his kindness. After all the bad things he'd been through, it was rare to meet a fellow villager who made him less afraid, someone he didn't have to hide from. "Grandpa, can you... can you help me find my dad?"

He missed his father so much, so terribly much. Despite the fear in his heart, he mustered up the courage to speak.

There were so many of them, and these uncles even carried knives; they were so formidable and powerful that even his cousin was afraid of them, even more intimidating than the yamen officials.

Among the few so-called formidable people he had briefly encountered, this group of grandfathers and uncles gave him immense hope—and they were even from the same hometown.

Storybooks and teahouses always talked about 'meeting an old friend in a foreign land'...

"What did you tell him?" Old Man Zhao didn't answer, instead looking at the old woman who'd kept quiet.

His gaze wasn't cold at all, and his manner was perfectly ordinary, but the look in his eyes seemed to see right through any trick or scheme, leaving a person completely exposed.

The old woman trembled, not daring to meet his eyes. She tried to put on a brave front and wail, but her voice was so weak it carried no force: "You... you're with them! Why are you capturing us, grandmother and grandson? Are you going to force us to dig in the mines too? I won't go, and Zhu'er won't go either..."

"Spare me your tricks," Old Man Zhao said, not falling for her act. He had no desire to sort out how many of her ten sentences were true, nor to play along with her feigned madness. "I'm not a doctor; I can't cure your illness. Whether he is your grandson Zhu'er or someone else's son Chen Pingan, you know better than anyone. You and I are both refugees—to put it plainly, homeless souls. Don't try to play games with me. I'm not stupid—I'm actually a bit smarter than you. I know what an iron mine is, what happens to those who are taken, whether they can be found, and whether they can be rescued..."

The old woman, her thoughts exposed, raised her face to look at him with tears streaming down, silent yet pleading. She said nothing, yet said everything.

Old Man Zhao understood. His guess had not been wrong in the slightest. But what could he do? In this day and age, even one person struggling to survive was difficult, let alone dragging along an entire family, two whole villages, hundreds of people...

Even if he were alone, he would not stake his life for a so-called fellow townsman, a stranger he did not know. He could only guess that his interference had given her a lot of false hope.

"I don't know this child, and I have no connection with his father. We won't stay in Suiyun Town. Once everyone has rested and regained their strength, we'll continue on our journey," he said. "If you have nowhere to go, we can take you along and part ways when we reach Liangjun Prefecture. It doesn't matter if you have no rations or clothes—you can eat and drink with us, squeeze in to sleep. No one will mind. We're all poor souls; we won't refuse a small helping hand."

"But nothing more than that."

The snow fell more and more heavily, chilling people to the bone. No matter how thickly they were dressed, they could not stop their teeth from chattering.

"Ping'an, why don't you stick with us?" For this poor child who had lost both parents, Old Man Zhao still felt compassion. His mother had been taken by bandits, and his father had been seized for the mines. The outcome was hard to say, yet all too obvious.

"Child, just survive. No matter how hard it gets, grow up alive. Don't let down your parents' loving hearts."

He figured both the woman taken by bandits and the man seized for the mines just wanted their boy to survive this brutal world and grow up safe and sound. "Ping'an"—peace—was their only wish for him.