Chapter 83: Food is in short supply and there is nothing to eat.

"When it comes to our lives, we'd rather believe it," Wang Pu interrupted sharply. "Besides, our relatives are all back home. Don't you understand the principle of reliance on each other?"

He slammed the bamboo stick in his hand hard, and the "bang" sound shocked everyone.

His originally gentle face was now as cold as frost. His eyes were like torches, and every word he said was like a sharp arrow that pierced through the noisy voices and reached the bottom of everyone's heart.

When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.

Wang Pu was clear-headed and showed extraordinary decisiveness at the critical moment.

"Brother Wen Jing is absolutely right." The shrewd and mellow female scholar stepped forward. "Besides, even if the court doesn't investigate, we won't lose anything!"

Everyone was talking at once, which saved Guizhier the trouble of talking.

"The passenger ship has been contacted and will depart tonight."

The night was thick and the solitary lamp at the city gate emitted a dim light.

In spring and summer, the days are long and the nights are short, so the city gates in the suburbs of Beijing are closed at midnight. The guards in black armor dare not slack off at all.

"Why did you all leave the city after dusk?" The guards were facing a powerful enemy.

More and more refugees are gathering in the suburbs of Beijing, and the situation is complicated.

The sword and shield soldiers stood in formation, revealing only pairs of vigilant eyes.

But after checking everyone's household registration and travel permits, the guards felt relieved and didn't even check the number of people.

It is not uncommon to see poor candidates and supervisors leaving Beijing.

Perhaps he couldn't afford to stay in an inn, so he decided to spend the night on a fishing boat in the suburbs.

At Caohe Wharf, the hustle and bustle of the day has receded like the tide, leaving only a dead silence.

The merchant ships moored on the shore were lined up side by side, their lights twinkling like stars. Their hulls swayed with the waves, making rhythmic creaking sounds.

Several boatmen on duty packed up the ropes and oars.

Some scholars unconsciously rubbed their hands on the cuffs of their robes, and their palms were already covered with sweat.

"Hurry up, the boat will leave if you don't get on!" the boatman shouted in a low voice.

The scholars seemed to be awakened and their bodies trembled slightly.

The bean sprout boy carried the knives, spatula, etc. on his back, held the rope on the side of the boat tightly with one hand, pushed hard with his front foot, and stepped onto the boat steadily.

"Come, I'll pull you." He turned around, stretched out his hand and shouted to the girl with ponytail.

With the little child as an example, the remaining scholars took a deep breath, looked at each other, and were no longer afraid.

Luan Shuangbai, who had already left the city and was waiting on the boat, looked at Gui Zhier across the crowd.

The evening breeze blew gently, ruffling the girl's hair.

Her disguised figure blended into the dark night. She raised her head slightly, her eyes looking towards the starry sky.

The expression under the mask was indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him.

He had no regrets about giving up his renowned braised food shop, nor did he feel any fear in facing the unknown journey.

"If your heart is free, why bother to perform virtuous deeds?" Luan Shuangbai murmured, and a trace of imperceptible tenderness flashed in his deep eyes.

The boat going to Beijing goes downstream, while the boat returning goes against the current.

The boatman untied the thick rope tied to the wooden piles on the shore, raised the sail, and the oars cut through the water, making a "swish" sound.

It disturbed the bright moonlight in the river.

When Guizhier saw the person directing the boat, she smiled with interest.

The boatman was a burly man in a coarse cloth shirt and hemp shoes. A bamboo and palm leaf hat covered half of his face, but he looked very familiar.

Especially the hands pulling the rope, they were rough and strong, with deep lines on the palms.

"It's been a while since we last met. I hope you're doing well." Gui Zhi'er approached with a smile, taking light steps and asking, "Did you expect me to return to the North?"

She felt honored to have Captain Chu Huai come to pick her up personally.

I'm afraid this is also part of King Yue's plan.

"There is no need to be suspicious, lady." The captain was still speechless.

The muscles in his arms were tensed, like a dormant dragon. He pulled the rudder sharply to the right, causing the side of the boat to rub against the river water violently and turn into the correct channel.

Seeing that Guizhier didn't reply, he frowned slightly, thought for a while and then gave a brief explanation.

"Whether she stays or leaves, the master has made preparations for both scenarios to protect the heroine." The captain was honest, taciturn and pragmatic.

"Well, then I have to thank His Royal Highness the King of Yue." Guizhier raised her eyes slightly, revealing a little white in her eyes, showing a bit of playful anger.

He turned around and went straight back to the cabin to rest.

"You don't know how to appreciate a good person." The captain once again stood there in a daze, muttering angrily.

It is really difficult to deal with the people that the master wants to win over.

After the passenger ship had traveled rapidly for several nights, the faint light of dawn quietly broke through the night sky.

Standing at the bow of the boat, I saw a faint blush in the distance, which gradually became thicker and dyed into a beautiful color.

Guizhier had long been accustomed to living anywhere in the world and stretched lazily in comfort.

As the sun slowly rose, the masts, sails and decks were all coated with a layer of gold, shining with warm light.

"Three, two, one, release!" The experienced sailor and boatman shouted and threw the fishing net high into the air.

The fishing net drew a graceful arc in the air and fell into the water.

As the fishing boat slowly moves forward, the fishing net is dragged in the water, catching fish, shrimp and other food.

In order to avoid the eyes and ears of the imperial court, the captain planned a secluded and remote route, which naturally resulted in a lack of resource supplies along the way.

"Little chef, are we having stewed fish again today?" The scholars smelled the familiar fishy smell and touched their chins.

It’s not that Bean Sprout Boy’s cooking skills are bad, but no matter how delicious the fish soup is, you will get sick of it if you drink it three times a day.

The scholars felt like they were about to grow fish scales.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I really can't find anything to eat." The boy's face flushed red, and he withdrew his hands from pulling the fishing net, twisting them in front of him awkwardly.

Seeing this, Guizhier took a few steps towards the apprentice and patted his head heroically.

"Take a break, the chef will cook today."

As soon as she finished speaking, half of the people on the boat turned their attention to her, all showing anticipation.

"Could it be that the girl can come up with something new?" General Luan relaxed his tense nerves and teased.

His face was blown by the river breeze, and it showed signs of turning wheat-colored.

This was due to observing the enemy situation from the bow for several days.

"It's not me." Gui Zhier waved her hand and pointed at Luan Shuangbai, "It's us."

Her eyebrows and eyes were curved, as if filled with honey.

Following her gaze, Luan Shuangbai saw a few scattered houses on the shallows of the river.

The houses are simple with green tiles and mud walls.

In front of the door, ducks of different colors are chasing and playing in the shallows. Some are bending their necks to preen their feathers, while others are flapping their wings and quacking.

The water bamboo in the water is slender and tender green, and the lotus leaves are crowded together, rustling in the wind.

There must be lotus roots hidden under the water, which are crispy whether eaten cold or stir-fried.

Paired with fragrant duck meat...

"No." Luan Shuangbai shook his head fiercely, trying to drive the thought out of his mind. "For our own safety, we must not reveal our whereabouts."

It is not feasible to trade with people living along the river.

If the imperial court subsequently sends out spies, wouldn't we be walking into a trap?

"That's why it's our turn to take action—" Guizhi'er proudly tossed the silver in her hand, "Let's go steal some food!"