In no time, Lin Jinyue had set up the simple telescope.

The next morning, Lin Jinyue smelled the aroma of food.

Today, Liu Dazhuang and Liu Erzhuang were on patrol ahead. The two of them were on high alert, afraid that they might be targeted by the refugees if they were not careful.

They thought they were already in a terrible situation, but they ended up becoming easy prey in someone else's eyes.

After a quick wash, Lin Jinyue called her two brothers over.

The two went to Lin Jinyue's place and noticed that the cylinder in his hand looked rather strange.

What are the glass plates pressed against both sides of this cylinder for?

Lin Jinyue demonstrated it to them in front of everyone, saying, "This thing can see into the distance, but it's not transparent yet, so it's a bit difficult to see."

Without saying a word, Liu Dazhuang climbed up a tree.

To avoid being searched, they preferred to traverse mountains and valleys rather than take the official roads.

So, since they were on high ground, Liu Dazhuang climbed up that tree again, looked through the binoculars for a long time, and then took the binoculars down.

Liu Dazhuang exclaimed in surprise, "Er Ya, how did you grow your brain? This is amazing!"

Liu Dazhuang remained stunned the entire time, looking at the binoculars, then taking them off to look with his naked eye, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

The temple in front of us, which was originally just a small dot, was magnified several times with the telescope, and we could even see its blurry outline.

Although the view through this telescope suddenly becomes a colorful blur, making it somewhat unreal, it's still convenient for checking if there are any people or military camps nearby.

Once he saw it, he was reluctant to get off.

This amazing gadget is truly incredible.

Later, when they fled to Lingnan, they built a watchtower and sent people to keep watch day and night. Wouldn't that have made them much safer?

Before anyone even arrived, they ran away. This little thing can be a lifesaver in a critical moment.

Liu Dazhuang praised the telescope highly, and the villagers took turns admiring it.

"Amazing! They can really see much farther."

"I told you studying would be useful, once we've settled down..."

“I think it’s not just about reading. Look at Er Ya, that little brain of hers. She only studied with her brother for a few days, and she already knows everything.”

The group started arguing about whether studying is useful.

Lin Jinyue found it amusing to watch from the sidelines, but once they arrived at their destination, all the children would have to go to school, and the adults would also have to learn to read and write. How could they manage without being able to read and study?

Meanwhile, the Li family was also having a secret meeting.

Seeing this, Li the blacksmith and his family felt even more at ease.

He had always known that Lin Jinyue was capable, but he never expected that she could even make such a magical thing.

Others might not understand, but Li the blacksmith knew that if used in warfare, this would be an invaluable treasure.

Li the blacksmith was a shrewd man; he knew the importance of Lin Shucheng's family. Not only did they have a doctor on the road, but they also had a genius who could make crossbows and telescopes.

The Li family stopped mentioning breaking up the partnership and instead praised Lin Jinyue for being smart and capable, saying that the child was lovable.

Even if they have to cling to this group, they will stay here no matter what.

Sure enough, Li the blacksmith's father even brought some of his family's aged wine to Lin Youcai.

Since we're all going to be traveling together, we definitely need to build a good relationship.

Actually, the villagers were quite friendly to Li the blacksmith's family, but Li the blacksmith's father, Li Gensheng, felt it wasn't enough. They had to build a good relationship with everyone on the road. Even if they suffered some losses, they had to maintain this good relationship. Otherwise, when they got to Lingnan, the people from Linjia Village would stick together and not include them in important matters. What would they do then?

That's why the Wang family is so shrewd. When Lin Jinyue is in trouble, they are the first to rush to help and solve her problems. Isn't it because they are afraid that Lin Jinyue will make big moves in the future and not include them?

Li Gensheng suddenly became anxious. Since he couldn't forge iron on the road, he could only try to curry favor with the old village chief through roundabout means.

*

Liu Dazhuang and his men were on high alert this time, keeping a close watch.

Looking at the refugees in the distance, he walked in the opposite direction before asking Lin Jinyue, "Er Ya, when are we leaving?"

Lin Jinyue then said, "No rush, let's process the grain first."

This was something she came up with on the spur of the moment that morning.

The grain that the villagers brought was not only bulky, but some of it was also difficult to store for long. Most importantly, it was too conspicuous. In this day and age, everyone is short of clothes, and they brought such a big basket of grain. Wasn't it obvious that people would come and rob them?

Lin Jinyue told everyone to quickly fry the black beans, and to make the remaining brown rice into "guardian grain".

There are many advantages to keeping grain from the mountains. Not only can it be stored for a long time, but it also looks somewhat like Guanyin clay. As long as you don't cook and eat it in front of others, you will definitely not know that it is actually grain.

She said, "No rush, Uncle. You take turns keeping an eye on things. I'll take the aunties to deal with the rest of the grain. Otherwise, it'll be too conspicuous to have so much on the cart."

Liu Dazhuang: "And these horses..."

Lin Jinyue hurriedly said, "We can't lose the horse, and we can't lose it even if we fight them to the death. In the next few days, I will optimize the crossbow design so that it won't be useless at the critical moment."

Upon hearing her words, several men from the Wang family immediately gathered around.

Wang Zhi, the head of the Wang family, said with a smile, "Er Ya, if you trust your uncle, I'll make it for you, and I guarantee it will satisfy you."

Lin Jinyue wasn't asking whether she trusted them or not. In any case, the only things they couldn't do were a few delicate little parts. Moreover, these crossbows were very complicated to make and difficult to assemble. If they made a mistake, the whole thing would have to be reassembled.

Lin Jinyue nodded: "Uncle, then the most crucial parts are entrusted to you. But, can you handle this kind of complicated one?"

Wang Zhi glanced at it and patted his chest, saying, "This is nothing. We can make it by carving a flower on it. My family has been doing carpentry for generations."

Lin Jinyue hadn't expected ancient craftsmen to be so meticulous; she had thought the Wang family could only do simple carpentry work.

Now things are much better. We have blacksmiths and carpenters, so our living standards will improve significantly after we go to Lingnan.

As Lin Jinyue said this, Jiang Yun complained, "I was hoping for a good life in the future, but now we have to hide even what we eat."

A group of women were preparing provisions for guarding the mountain; none of them wanted to waste any more time there.

It would be better to escape to Lingnan as soon as possible.

*

They hurried south for over ten days, taking turns riding in a cart. The mountain road became increasingly rugged, and everyone looked exhausted.

Their group of over seventy people, relying on binoculars and taking turns keeping watch at night, managed to evade many refugees and wild beasts from the mountains.

Jiang Yun was initially a little pained by the price of the glass, but now she realized that some money really can't be saved.

After walking for more than ten days, everyone was starting to feel the strain.

Lin Youcai couldn't help but ask, "Er Ya, where are we? How much longer until we reach Lingnan?"

Lin Jinyue wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I don't know either. I guess I've found the right location."