Chapter 4

There is a pavilion every ten miles and an inn every thirty miles.

Passing by a wooden pavilion the same color as the snow, Sui Yu looked up at the sky. The thick clouds were dark and it was about to snow.

"Hurry up and don't rest. If we can't reach the next post station before dark, we will be fed to wolves at night." The soldiers' voices were full of urgency. If it snowed, they would be in danger of death if they had to spend the night in this desolate wilderness, even with their knives.

There was no need for him to urge them, as those on the road all knew that the weather was going to change. No one said a word, but just kept trudging through the snow with their heads down.

The prisoner walking in front trampled the floating snow with his feet. Snow grains seeped into his straw sandals through the cracks, melted, and then froze again, leaving ice chips on the soles of his sandals.

With a "bang" sound, Sui Hu raised his head slowly. He watched his cousin who was walking in front of him rolling towards him. Before he could dodge, he was knocked to the ground, and the child he was carrying was also thrown into the snow.

"Third Uncle!" Sui Wen'an reached out and grabbed Sui Liang, and then pulled Sui Hu. With his strength, the father and son stopped falling. The other man was not so lucky. He rolled down the gentle slope leaving a trail of blood, and finally hit a pile of rocks and stopped moving.

Sui Hu was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. He climbed up with snow all over his body, staring blankly at the motionless person at the bottom of the slope. He almost died.

"Uncle San, you're holding Liang Ge'er. He's crying out of fear." Sui Wen'an weighed the situation in his mind and said to the escorting officer who was approaching, "Sir, can I go down and take a look? My uncle has fallen."

"What are you looking at? You're dead. Keep going." The soldier took one look and immediately made a decision. He whipped the man and said, "Keep going. We can't delay our journey."

Sui Wen'an was hit by a whip, which broke the straw and sent it flying. He looked down the slope with a stern face, then turned around and followed Sui Hu to continue forward.

"Uncle San, please walk carefully." He warned with lingering fear.

"Okay, you be careful too." Sui Hu was frightened and tried to open his eyes wide to look at the road ahead.

The glaring red color in the snow was blinding. When the people walking behind saw it, they all hunched their necks and looked down the slope. The person lying on the stone was face down, with straw wrapped around his body, so no one could see his face clearly.

"Who fell?"

"I can't recognize him. It looks like he's not my man."

"It shouldn't be the head of my family either."

"It's not my elder brother." Sui Ling patted his frightened chest.

"Well, no, it's not Third Uncle either." Sui Hui looked carefully and told Sui Yu.

Sui Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't like Sui Hu, she had to admit that Sui Hu was her support during this exile. With a "father" around, she could sleep more peacefully.

The clouds grew thicker, and the woods grew darker. Fortunately, the snow covered the road, so they could still see the way. People in the crowd supported each other for support. Sui Yu held Sui Hui, who in turn held Sui Ling. The three of them followed the footsteps of those before them, one foot deep, one foot shallow, leaning on sticks.

"It's snowing." someone shouted.

Sui Yu looked up, snowflakes fell on her lips, turned into water and soaked into her lips and tongue, and she finally regained consciousness.

"Hurry up." The officers and soldiers urged again.

Another person stepped on empty air and fell down. The panicked shouts echoed throughout the woods, and everyone's heart tightened. Just when they thought he was another corpse in the wilderness, he climbed up covered in snow.

"I'm so scared." Sui Yu sighed with a palpitating heart.

"Mom, I'm scared." A childish voice sounded.

"There are so many people, don't be afraid, we'll be at the post station soon."

Sui Yu looked up at the road ahead, but saw no fire and wondered how far the post station was.

Snowflakes fluttered across the wilderness. Gradually, people were covered with snow, and their footprints were covered by the floating snow, making the sky and the earth merge into one color.

Sui Yu finally understood why he was exiled in winter. In this deserted place, no one would think of escaping. Following the soldiers was the only way to survive.

"We've arrived at the post station." The person walking ahead to explore the way shouted.

Everyone looked up in surprise. The post station was standing in the snow. Although there was no fire or light, it gave people hope and they had survived another disaster.

The post station in the wilderness was dilapidated, the buildings were low and narrow, and the stables were leaking snow on all sides. People had to clean up the snow piled on the ground before they moved in.

"You, you, you, and you, carry a bundle of firewood and climb up to repair the roof. If the snow doesn't stop, we can stay in this inn for a few more days." The officers and soldiers shouted under the eaves.

Sui Yu was overjoyed, and the others were also delighted. Everyone hoped that the snow would continue for a few more days to give people a chance to catch their breath.

"Come here, some of you, help me repair the wall." Sui Hu came over and called out, "Sister Yu, keep an eye on your little brother."

"Uncle San, you go and do your work. We'll take care of Liang Ge'er." Sui Hui said.

"Okay, then you keep an eye on it. I feel at ease leaving it to you." Sui Hu said and glanced at Sui Yu.

Sui Yu didn't even look at him. After the people left, she picked up the jar and went out to collect snow.

After eight days on the road, his fingers and toes were already frozen and swollen, and he had frostbite on his ears and cheeks. Rubbing them with snow warmed him, and the hard bumps under his skin itched anxiously. Sui Yu pulled Sui Liang's hand away, picked up a clump of snow, and pressed it against his ear. He said in a stern voice, "Don't scratch it. If you scratch it and it bleeds, I can't help it when I smell blood. I'll eat you when I'm hungry in the middle of the night."

Sui Liang believed it to be true. He sat on the hay and cried silently.

"Why are you scaring him? He's already pitiful enough." Sui Hui said softly.

Sui Yu wanted to say it was pitiful, since it wasn't her fault, but Sui Hui had a soft voice and spoke softly. They had been supporting each other on the road for seven or eight days, so she didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. She had to change her words and say, "I have to scare him. He's too young and doesn't understand reason, so he won't listen to advice."

"Why is Liang Ge'er so afraid of you?" Sui Ling asked.

"My aunt and I hanged ourselves in front of him. My aunt died, but I didn't. He probably thought I was a ghost." Sui Yu lowered her voice, adding a sinister expression. She suddenly jumped and pounced on Sui Ling. Seeing that she was not frightened at all, she said disappointedly, "How boring."

"I'll only be afraid when you actually become a ghost."

"Ling'er!" Sui Hui scolded, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll hit you."

Sui Ling was not convinced, so she picked up the empty can and went out to collect snow again.

"Why would Aunt Dou hang herself in front of Liang'er? Is he scared and doesn't speak anymore?" Sui Hui asked with concern.

"That should be it." Sui Yu recalled. Her memory was too chaotic. At that time, she was in a state of panic about death, and she had no memory of Sui Liang at all. She sorted it out and said, "When my aunt took me to hang myself, I was hiding from him. I don't know when he found me."

Sui Hui got what she wanted to know, and said she was guilty. Then she went to Sui Hu to explain the reason. "Sister Yu must be unable to let go of Aunt Dou's death. She was also frightened, so her temper changed. Uncle San, don't blame her."

Sui Hu nodded without saying anything. He walked along the wall in the dark, weighing the wooden board he had brought back from the woodshed.

"Sui Yu." He called out to find out the location.

"how?"

"Well, hold your little brother and stand up." Sui Hu gathered the hay on the ground, carefully laid out the wooden planks, and covered them with hay. He whispered, "Don't make a sound. The four of you siblings will sleep together."

"The porridge is ready." The postman shouted loudly.

Sui Yu stood up swiftly upon hearing the sound, picked up the jar of snow and ran away, not forgetting to say, "Sui Ling, hold your position and don't move."

She mixed into the crowd to grab hot porridge. After drinking cold porridge for two days, she realized that if she wanted to survive on hot porridge, she had to rely on snatching.

Sui Wen'an was waiting outside the door. When he saw Sui Yu, the two of them squeezed into the crowd together. He blocked the kicks and punches from someone and followed behind silently, pushing forward.

He grabbed half a pot of thin porridge. The boiling porridge water was no longer hot after boiling in the pot. Sui Yu covered his hands with his hands and followed Sui Wen'an into the stable.

"Are you back?" Sui Hui asked loudly.

"Yeah, it's hot." Sui Yu was in a good mood. She held the jar and took a big sip. The happiness of the whole day was a mouthful of hot rice. She was reluctant to swallow it. She held it in her mouth and chewed it carefully, then handed the jar to the person next to her.

Five adults and one child sat in a circle, passing the hot pot from hand to hand, taking one sip after another. When only the bottom was left, it returned to Sui Yu. The pot was hers, she was the one who grabbed the porridge, so she should drink the most.

"Lao Shi—Lao Shi—has anyone seen my man?" A panicked voice echoed from the stable. A skinny, short woman searched the crowd for answers, tripping over someone and falling flat on her face. She seemed insensitive to the pain and climbed back up to ask, "Where's my man? Has anyone seen Lao Shi?"

"Lao Shi fell down the slope." someone answered.

"You're talking nonsense, that can't be my Lao Shi."

No one said anything.

"Old Shi—how can I live—" the woman cried hopelessly. After crying for a few times, she suddenly remembered something, rolled over and climbed up, and asked in a shrill voice: "Sui Wen'an, Sui Wen'an, get out of here, you deserve to die, why don't you die, you are the ones who deserve to die."

Sui Hu held Sui Wen'an down and told him not to make a sound.

Sui Yuping stared at the figure that was getting closer and closer. As soon as the person next to her moved, she immediately looked away.

"Aunt, it's our family that's sorry to you." Sui Wen'an walked over, bent his knees and knelt down.

With a "bang" sound, Sui Yu leaned back and gasped. Sui Wen'an was hit on the head against the wooden stake, and then he was pounced on and beaten.

Sui Hui cried. She grabbed her sister who was about to fight and said, "A son must pay for his father's debts. This is what they deserve."

"That's enough." Sui Hu went to separate them, lowering his voice and saying, "Don't make trouble. If you alert the officers, we'll all be in trouble."

This sentence woke up the audience. Those who were nearby came over to pull the person away, and finally managed to pull the person away by persuading and pushing.

"I'll be out for a while, you guys go to sleep first." Sui Wen'an walked out.

Sui Hu glanced at the remaining three girls, then sat back down and said, "Go to sleep. This day is exhausting."

Sui Yu held the pot and drank the cold porridge. She took two handfuls of straw and wrapped them around her feet. She then covered herself with straw and pulled Sui Liang into her arms. She closed her eyes while listening to the crying beside her. She didn't have time to lament what had just happened. She fell into a dark dream as soon as she closed her eyes.

Sui Hui and Sui Ling also cried themselves to sleep. Sui Hu stayed by their side, still holding on. Someone came over and stopped. He sat up and asked, "Is it Wen An?"

The person standing didn't say anything, and Sui Hu didn't say anything either. The two men confronted each other for a long time, and then the person standing left.

Sui Hu breathed a sigh of relief imperceptibly and waited for a while. Sui Wen'an came in. He was still worried after hearing the voice and insisted on asking the names of several ancestors before lying down.

"Someone came before you. Judging from his breathing and body shape, he is a man." Sui Hu said.

Sui Wen'an understood and said that he would not wander around after dark.

…

I slept and woke up all night, and survived the coldest second half of the night. When I went out at dawn, I saw that the snow had not stopped yet and the snow had already accumulated over the threshold.

The servants were lazy and took the opportunity to send the exiled prisoners out to clear the snow and clean the snow on the roof. They hid in the house with a charcoal brazier to avoid the cold.

Sui Hu and Sui Wen'an were worried about the three maids staying alone in the stable because it was cold outside, so they called them out and asked them to work with them.

Sui Yu rolled up some snow and stuffed it into the cracks in the leaky wall. She accidentally found a ball of hemp rope in the snow. She called Sui Hui and Sui Ling, and the three sisters used wooden sticks to wrap a piece of wood around their feet according to the pattern on the soles of their shoes. After tying them, they hid them and would use them again when they were on their way.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Sui Yu asked, rubbing her hands. She rolled her eyes and asked tentatively, "Do you have anything valuable on you? Can we exchange it with the servants for some food?"

Sui Hui and Sui Ling shook their heads. All the valuable money they had was used to bribe the jailers.

Sui Yu sighed. She took out a piece of silver coin that was stained with grass dust from her socks, blew it carefully, and stood up and said, "What use are you guys? Just stand guard and make sure no one comes."