met free Chapter 114 A few days of peace, a few days of travel
Chapter 114 A few days of peace, a few days of travel
The stars were still visible in the sky, and the moon still hung high in the sky. The prisoners, carrying their bundles and pushing their carts, walked forward under the supervision of the yamen runners and soldiers.
According to regulations, the daily journey should be no less than 50 li (approximately 25 kilometers). Yesterday, I walked at least 70 li (approximately 35 kilometers), and no more.
Today's number is probably no less than yesterday's. Just look at the way the constables are acting today. They've been waving their whips non-stop since they set off, making a cracking sound as they whip the air. If they were to actually hit someone, they would definitely be torn to shreds.
Having learned their lesson, no one will dare to test the whip again; they will keep their heads down and obey orders without question.
The constables urged them to hurry, and those with family members helped and protected them, speeding them up.
Whether they were alone or arrogant, they gritted their teeth and kept up with the group, absolutely daring not to fall behind.
As dawn broke, the Wen family's cart, lagging behind at the end of the procession, was gradually spotted by the yamen runners and soldiers following behind. These men spoke in a strange and unrestrained manner.
"Look, that cart in front, it's really ugly."
"Ah, haha, hahaha..."
"Oh dear, there are plenty of branches, why didn't you stack them more evenly..."
Is it really that hard to find some branches that are even on one side?
It's probably because they encountered a peculiar soldier who couldn't tolerate disorder or chaos.
"Oh dear, with my short temper, I can't stand this eyesore of a cart."
"Bear with it, their cart isn't in your way. Otherwise, you can move to the front."
"That's right, you can't stand it, go and switch places with the person in front."
Wenwen overheard the discussion behind her and quietly glanced back.
It was the Zhao brothers who spoke up for justice once again, and their family showed their favor once more.
It seems that the older brother has always remembered the kindness shown to his younger brother in saving his eyes.
On their journey into exile, the Wen family received even more kindness.
The laughter and chatter of the soldiers behind attracted the attention of the prisoners in front of the Wen family, and many of them turned around frequently.
When their gaze swept across the crowd and landed on the two poorly dressed handcarts...
Instead of mocking looks, they cast envious glances at me.
Ever since Wenwen sensed the gaze of the prisoner in front of her, she has been using her spiritual power to explore her surroundings.
Judging from the attitude of the prisoners ahead, it's probably related to the straw sandals and treehouse from yesterday.
Although this cart isn't very attractive, its advantage right now is that it can provide shade from the sun, and it can also keep out the rain when it rains. It meets these two most important needs, so what more could you ask for?
Envious prisoners, those with the means, set out with their families to collect withered branches and leaves along the way, piecing them together to create an even uglier cart.
When word of the prisoners' bandwagoning reached Lord Zhu's ears, he simply turned a blind eye, remarking only, "Don't delay the journey, don't run away, let them do what they want."
So today, the ugly carts in the exile procession all looked the same, which made even the eccentric soldier who couldn't stand the disorder eventually lose his temper. He could only tell himself that he would get used to it.
The phrase "you'll get used to it" applies not only to soldiers but also to exiled prisoners.
As the sun began to set and the evening glow appeared, the sky gradually darkened, but the yamen runners still hadn't given the order to rest.
Some prisoners were too exhausted to walk any further, so they mustered up their courage and asked.
"Sir, how much further do we have to go?"
"Sir, why don't we rest a bit before continuing? We really can't walk any further."
The yamen runners were more patient today; surprisingly, they even answered my question.
"There's a riverbank ahead; just walk there."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt that hope was within reach.
Huffing and puffing, without needing any urging from the officials, he lifted his heavy steps, using his last breath, and hurried to the riverbank.
As before, the area outside the riverbank was marked out. After receiving their coarse bread, each family went about their own business, eating, resting, and making their own arrangements. They just needed to set off on time the next morning.
As always, the entire Wen family came out.
Some were fetching water, some were cooking, and some were building houses.
When Wenwen woke up in the morning, she took advantage of the darkness to collect most of the building materials, leaving only some branches and leaves on the surface.
Now that we're in a new place, all we need to do is gather some branches and leaves that we can use outside.
The Wen family has now become a trendsetter; any slight movement they make will attract many followers.
Just like now, the house is set up and the food is prepared. In order to keep a low profile, the family even eats their meals indoors, no longer in public as before.
From the outside, you can't see inside. Wenwen and her family ate their fill inside.
After eating and drinking their fill, the Wen family members each had their own things to do.
Sleeping bags and backpacks still need to be made, and mats are also urgently needed. The women's hands are busy with their work, and their mouths are also busy. If you listen carefully, you can hear a few recitations.
Goodness, he's holding a needle and thread while reciting a mantra; he's truly a promising talent for multitasking.
Among the male members of the Wen family, some read books, while others meditated and cultivated themselves.
The teacher, taking advantage of the children's high spirits, was responsible for teaching a few of them to memorize the mnemonic rhymes.
Anyway, nobody's idle.
During her rest at night, Wenwen would also take the opportunity to go into her spatial dimension and work hard for an hour or two.
This cycle repeated itself endlessly; they rushed about during the day and secretly studied with their families at night.
In this environment, the Wen family members diligently and tensely replicated their lives from the previous day.
Several days passed by in this uneventful journey.
The next morning, before dawn, all the prisoners set off again.
As always, under the starry sky, walking on the dark road, soldiers and yamen runners urged him on.
Since we're heading north, it was noticeably colder this morning than yesterday.
A cold wind blew by, and ordinary light clothing was no longer enough to keep out the cold. People with extra clothes quickly put on thicker clothes as a precaution, because it's always better to be warm than cold.
The Wen family members were the same; they wore slightly thicker clothes under their linen clothes, and on the outermost layer was the prison uniform worn by all the prisoners. This prison uniform was so loose that it was impossible to tell how many layers the prisoners were wearing.
Besides, nobody cares how many layers you wear. Only you know if you're cold. Who cares about you? You're lucky if they don't try to steal it.
As dawn broke, after crossing a hillside, an endless grassland appeared before the group.
A narrow, winding path stretched out into the distance through the middle of the meadow.
Looking at the vast grassland, the constable encouraged everyone, "Hurry up and cross this grassland. There's a water source ahead where we can rest."
Upon hearing this, all the prisoners rushed in, completely ignoring the narrow path in the middle.
That's how it is. Originally, there were no roads in the world, but as more people walked on them, roads were formed. This path is no exception.
A large group of people stepped onto the grassland, creating a cacophony of voices and footsteps.
Suddenly, several rabbits jumped out of the bushes ahead. The bushes weren't tall, and you could see the rabbits' escape trails from a distance.
"Oh dear, there's food in this meadow."
"Brother, hurry up."
The sudden appearance of these rabbits has made many people's mouths water.
This also gave the prisoners a glimmer of hope for the grassland.
The group walked faster and faster, and soon all they could see was grass. They were surrounded by grass, and they had finally entered the heart of the grassland.
The constables and soldiers who were at the forefront chasing the rabbits had a good haul.
Meanwhile, some lucky prisoners, while reaping rewards, were also exhausted and panting for breath.
Just as these people slowed down slightly, the prisoner at the front suddenly pointed ahead and shouted,
"Oh no! There's a wolf!"