Chapter 8
When we returned to the front of the mountain by the same route, it was already dark, the ground was covered with snow, and the moon was out. However, the valley was deep and long, with dense trees and branches. Under the moonlight, the shadows of the trees were looming, and the road ahead looked like a huge mouth that could devour people.
As if in response to the occasion, the echoing howls of wolves rang out in the mountains, one after another, giving people goosebumps.
The team moved slower and slower, and the accompanying officers and soldiers kept silent. Everyone was worried about the road ahead and kept weighing whether to stay or leave.
"Sir, I have an idea, but I don't know if it will work." Sui Yu spoke amidst the sighs.
"Just say it, just say it." The escorting soldier was delighted.
"I think we can go to the other side of the mountain to spend the night, build a snow cave with snow to shelter from the wind, and stay in it for the night, and then continue our journey after dawn. There are also white cattails over there, and we can take the fluff and stuff it into our jackets to keep warm." Sui Yu said.
"Hide in the snow? You think you're freezing to death fast enough?" As soon as she finished speaking, someone objected. A tall, thin man, thinking she was trying to show off, sneered, "Miss Jiao, please restrain your powers. You've killed enough people. Spare our lives."
Sui Hu glared at him angrily, but he had nothing to refute. He could only bow and say, "My daughter said the wrong thing in a moment of haste. Please don't be offended, sir."
The escort officer was deeply disappointed. He raised his whip and pointed it at the crowd, saying, "Does anyone have any viable ideas? Speak up boldly. If they're useful, I'll commend you for your achievements in the Western Regions. I'll definitely distribute land, houses, and fields."
Hearing this, the crowd became noisy, whispering to each other. A young woman holding a child bravely said, "The road we took earlier is sheltered from the wind. Why don't we turn around and go to Baiputang to get water candles to make winter clothes? We'll work all night and wait until dawn before continuing our journey."
This was to cut Sui Yu's idea in half and repeat it again. The escort officer's expression did not change. He looked at everyone and asked, "Do you have any other ideas?"
No one spoke anymore, most people preferred to stay overnight to get water candles from the brothel.
The eight escort officers gathered together for a discussion, and the whistleblower gave the order: "Turn back the way you came and stay in the valley tonight."
The pace of the journey became faster this time. When they reached the leeward side of the mountain, everyone kept walking and headed straight for Baipu Dangzi.
"Cousin, take Sui Hui and Sui Ling to fold water candles later. Dad, you stay and help me dig snow." Sui Yu said.
"You still don't give up? Your method doesn't work. Stop it and don't make a fool of yourself." Sui Hu said impatiently.
Sui Yu said nothing.
As they approached Baiputang, people of all ages quickened their pace and ran over. Sui Hu picked up Sui Liang and was swept up in the running. After running for a while, his son in his arms grabbed his hair. He stopped and asked what was wrong, only to find that Sui Yu had not caught up.
"I'm going to beat you to death, you stubborn ass!" Sui Hu was so angry that his heart ached. He hurriedly walked back against the flow of people. From a distance, he saw her searching for something in the snow. He rushed over and pointed at her nose and cursed, "Don't you understand what I'm saying? You have to wait until something happens before you regret it? If I didn't see you were a grown woman, I would have beaten you to the ground today."
"Don't worry about me, just treat me as if I'm dead. What happens in the future has nothing to do with you." Sui Yu retorted to him and took the opportunity to speak out what was in his heart.
Sui Hu was speechless. He stood on the snow and stared at her. When he noticed that the escort officer was watching the fun, he suppressed his temper and put Sui Liang down to help Sui Yu move the snow lumps as if nothing had happened.
Snow clumps were piled in a circle on the ground, and the frozen, hardened snow was pushed upward like mud for a wall. Sui Yu handed Sui Liang a wooden board and told him to hold it and beat the snow. In this cold and snowy weather, standing still was not an option; moving would keep him warm.
The crescent moon rose higher and higher, and some of the people who were collecting water candles came back. At this time, Sui Yu's snow house was half a person's height. She crawled in to try it out, thinking that she could close the roof.
"Without the support of beams, how can we raise the roof so that it won't collapse?" she asked Sui Hu.
"Aren't you very powerful? You still want to break off relations with me, but now you won't do that?" Sui Hu snorted coldly.
"Why do you take what I said in anger seriously?" Sui Yu's expression changed very quickly, and he was very flexible.
Sui Hu snorted again and instructed, "Watch your little brother. I'm going to break off some branches."
Building a scaffold? Sui Yu envisioned a dome, which would make the snow wall shorter. She continued digging and moving snow to press it against the wall.
After Sui Hu brought the branches over, he arranged them neatly and pressed them into the snow. Then he put some snow on top and covered it tightly to seal the top.
Sui Hu was worried about the unstable foundation, so he took a can to the swing to break ice and scoop water. To prevent accidents, he called Sui Yu and said, "Hold your little brother and follow me."
After the people left, the escort officer who was standing not far away watching the excitement ducked down and crawled into the snow cave. Perhaps because he was frozen stiff, he felt that there was no difference between inside and outside the snow cave, both were extremely cold.
"How?" someone else asked.
"Not much." said the man who came out of the snow cave.
After listening to them, others completely gave up the idea of following the trend.
The night grew colder, the howling of wolves grew farther away, and the people in the snow could no longer bear the cold. They walked back and forth huddled up, their breathless coughs echoing throughout the valley.
Sui Hu called Sui Wen'an and his two siblings to get up from the snowy drifts. On the way back, he said that Sui Yu had built a snow house. "It took a lot of effort. Let's go in and sit down later. It can block the wind at least, and it should be warmer than outside."
None of the three believed it. The snow cave was like an ice cellar, how could it be warm?
The water with ice chips was sprinkled on the ground and froze. The snow wall and the snow on the ground were frozen together. Sui Hu felt relieved and sprinkled the remaining water on the snow top and the snow wall.
Sui Yu grabbed Sui Liang and went into the snow cave, calling Sui Hui to come in as well. Sui Hui couldn't refuse, so she had to follow him in.
"It's quite cold." Sui Ling stuck her head in and then shrank back out.
"Just wait a little longer. The snow is so densely packed together that the cold wind can't get in and the heat can't get out. It will be warm in a while." Sui Yu pulled Sui Hui to stop her from leaving, and shouted outside: "Dad, my cousin and I should roll a big snowball and block the door."
Sui Wen'an put down the water candle in his arms and said helplessly: "Third Uncle, Sister Yu is making a fuss, and you just let her do what she wants."
"Just this once, it didn't work so she gave up."
Snowballs blocked the door, three people inside and three outside. Sui Yu had already compacted the snow on the ground with wooden planks. He then spread the dry firewood he'd carried from the previous post station on top of the snow, then placed the planks on top of the firewood, and then covered the planks with hay he'd taken out of his clothes. These three layers of hay served as insulation against the cold air rising from the ground. Sui Yu sat on the hay and began to rub water candles, stuffing the lint he'd rubbed into his jacket and straw trousers.
Water candle is the fruit of white cattail, a brown velvet stick that can start fire and make winter clothes. It looks like a candle but grows in water, hence the name water candle.
Sui Hui and Sui Liang were also busy rubbing the water candles, so busy that they forgot about the cold. They only came to their senses when Sui Ling leaned over the door and asked quietly if they wanted to go out.
"It seems to be warmer now, sister, come in quickly and call big brother and third uncle to come in as well." Sui Hui shouted excitedly.
Pushing the snowball aside, a slightly warm air hit his face. The three people outside were stunned for a moment. Sui Hu hurriedly shouted: "Sir, the snow cave can really keep you out of the cold. There is warm air."
Then he looked at the others who were shivering with cold and said in a loud voice, "Some people don't remember the good things they have done, and they have more evil in their hearts than us prisoners."
Sui Yu was shocked. He was speaking for her and avenging the previous ridicule.
Officers and soldiers came in one after another, and after they had a real experience, they also started to build snow caves. Others followed suit without any calls.
There were more people in the snow cave, and the hot air they exhaled gathered in the low snow cave, making the cave visibly warmer.
"Will the snow melt?" Sui Wen'an was worried that the snow cave would collapse.
"No, this little bit of heat isn't enough to melt the snow." Sui Yu pushed the person who fell on her and said, "Brother Liang, don't sleep. You'll catch a cold if you do."
Sui Hu picked up Sui Liang and held him in his arms. He lowered his eyes and asked casually, "How do you know so much? I've never seen a snowboard or an igloo before."
Sui Yu choked for a moment, then she laughed and said, "The King of Hell told me."
"Then I'll have to ask the King of Hell when I see him." Sui Hu raised his head and glanced at her.
The others couldn't hear the subtle meaning behind his words, but Sui Ling was so curious that she urged him, "Stop talking nonsense and get serious. Where did you learn all this stuff? Even my eldest brother doesn't know."
Sui Wen'an nodded.
"I'm smart and thought of it myself. Think about it, aren't rabbit holes, mouse holes, and fox holes all underground? How come they don't freeze to death in the winter? And snakes, why do they hibernate underground? They don't freeze to death in the winter because there is snow covering the ground, and it's warmer underground." Sui Yu said seriously.
Sui Wen'an thought about it, not sure if it was really as she said, but with the example of the snow cave, he praised: "Sister Yu is indeed smart."
Sui Hui agreed and said, "I thought you heard it from Aunt Dou."
Sui Hu looked down and saw Sui Liang dozing off with his eyes closed. He shushed him and warned him, "Don't mention his aunt in front of Liang Ge'er from now on."
"Wake him up, don't let him sleep. He will be cold if he falls asleep. Don't let him catch a cold." Sui Yu hurriedly changed the subject, fearing that the conversation would be about her again.
"I'll go out and give them a reminder." Sui Wen'an said.
The snowballs blocking the outside of the cave were moved away. He went out and shouted twice. Fearing that he would be disliked, he did not dare to remind each snow cave one by one. After shouting twice, he went back into the snow cave.
"I'm so hungry." Sui Ling wailed, holding her stomach.
"What time is it?" she asked again after a long while. "I'm starving..."
Sui Yu was also very hungry. In the second half of the night, her hands and feet became weak. She would pinch a handful of snow and put it into her mouth from time to time, then swallow it after it was warm. She did this until dawn.
When the whistle sounded, everyone came out of the snow cave, stuffed cattail fluff and hay into their clothes, shoes and socks, and everyone looked much stronger overnight.
The escort officer began to count the number of people. After counting back and forth twice, he found that more than twenty people were missing. They checked the snow caves one by one and pushed away the snowballs blocking the entrances. The people lying inside did not survive the winter night and fell asleep completely, and stayed at the foot of the mountain forever.
"That's fine, that's fine. I'm free now." Sui Hu sighed. After that, he heard a cold sneer behind him. Without even turning his head, he asked, "Do you think I'm wrong? After all this journey, don't you think you might as well be dead?"
"Even ants try to survive." Sui Yu replied.
"Ants are not human beings. They have no brains."
"You have brains, how did you get out of jail?" Sui Yu said disdainfully, and sneered, "You're quite good at deciding life and death for others."
Sui Hu smiled and then sighed. If he hadn't been a burden, he would have been free long ago.
They arrived at the mountain post station at noon. The escort officer asked the servants to cook a pot of thick porridge. Everyone ate their fill and fell asleep. They didn't even wake up from the cold in the second half of the night.
They set out again at dawn. This time, the escort officer took away a bag of dry food and a bag of dry vegetables from the post station in case they got lost and had to sleep outdoors. He also gave Sui Yu six hot bean cakes as a reward for her advice the night before.
In the following days, we never stopped moving towards the northwest. After walking out of the mountains and over the hills, we came to a plain that stretched as far as the eye could see.
After enduring the coldest winter, the sun warmed up during the day, its rays falling on those walking in the snow. The scorching heat surged up their ears and cheeks, and the chilblains that had been dormant all winter began to fester. Hard lumps under the skin, like spring seedlings rooted in the frozen soil, grew wildly, and the scab-covered skin was pricked, causing pain and itching.
"I'm going to die." Sui Yu slapped her face anxiously. It was so itchy that she wanted to cut off that piece of flesh.
"If it itches, just scratch it. Don't be afraid of leaving scars. It's better to be a little uglier." Sui Hu said.
Sui Hui and Sui Ling paused when they heard this, stretched their hands into the air and then retracted them. Seeing Sui Yu grabbing the snow and pressing it on his face, they did the same.
Sui Hu noticed their actions. He glanced at Sui Wen'an and asked again, "What are your parents planning on doing with Hui Jie'er and Ling Jie'er? Are they going to ask old acquaintances to use their connections and find them two decent families to marry into?"
Sui Wen'an was silent for a moment. He felt embarrassed to lie and conceal anything, so he nodded in agreement. Finally, he added, "I don't know if my old acquaintance is willing to help me. I'll only know the situation when I go there."
Sui Hu nodded, looked at Sui Yu and said nothing.
Sui Wen'an didn't say anything either.
Sui Hu's face suddenly turned cold, and his attitude changed a lot during the rest of the journey.
Sui Hui noticed this and asked her brother privately, "Did you have a disagreement with your third uncle?"
"It's okay, don't worry about it." Sui Wen'an refused to say more.
Sui Yu also noticed it, but she pretended to know nothing and did not interfere in their uncle-nephew affairs. As they were about to reach Chang'an, she was thinking about what to buy.
"Sir, how many days can we stay in Chang'an?" Sui Yu asked quietly when they arrived at the post station in the evening.
"At least one or two days, at most three to five days." The escorting officer did not hide it.
After dinner, she told the others about this and made a plan: "When we get to Chang'an, let's see if we can find a chance to hide out and buy a chicken to make soup. I'm a skeleton, and I feel uncomfortable sleeping."
Sui Hu said nothing. He took out a dime and handed it to Sui Wen'an, saying, "We've already come through the hardest part of the journey. We won't burden you any more. When we get to Chang'an, buy a pot. From now on, we'll each go our separate ways and eat our own food."
The smiles on Sui Hui and Sui Ling's faces froze. They looked around helplessly. Sui Hui twisted her hands and asked, "Uncle San, why do you say that? If you're a burden, we're the ones who are burdening you."
"Why are we going our separate ways when things are going well?" Sui Ling rarely showed any expression. She bumped into Sui Wen'an and said, "Brother, did you offend Third Uncle? Apologize now."
Sui Wen'an blushed. He didn't take the small change and lowered his voice to explain, "My father's old acquaintance was just a classmate of mine from a few years ago. They had a quarrel and it was said that it was not very pleasant. I don't know if he is willing to help us. He might even take his anger out on the three of us siblings. So I dare not promise to take Sister Yu's affairs. Please don't be offended, Third Uncle."
Sui Yu understood. She pushed Sui Hu's hand back, tried to ease the atmosphere, and said, "So it's about me? I didn't realize you cared about me so much, Dad."
Sui Hu ignored her and rubbed the silver in thought.
"The road ahead is still long. It's too early to think about this. There are high mountains in the northwest. We might not be able to climb over them." Sui Yu added. She snatched the silver and placed it in her hand. "Let's go to sleep. We have to travel again tomorrow morning."
As soon as she lay down, Sui Liang sat over and slept beside her obediently.
Sui Yu touched his head, feeling the oil on her hand. She rubbed her hands with hay, wondering to herself: Sui Hu was always so confusing. After nearly two months together, she still couldn't quite pinpoint his true nature. He loved his son, needless to say, and he cared about his daughter, but she hadn't expected him to turn against his nephew for her. What worried her most was that he had been responsible for the deaths of the original owner and her aunt. No matter the reason, he was a ruthless man. She could sense his suspicions about her, and this intimidated her, fearing he was plotting something and would strangle her to death one night.
"Why are you sighing? Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Sui Hu sat over.
Sui Yu didn't answer and pretended to be asleep. She didn't dare to talk to him for too long, and was afraid that he would ask too many questions.
At dawn, they walked for another day and entered Chang'an City. They passed through the heavily guarded city gate. The escort officer led the people to walk close to the wall, for fear that these people would offend the nobleman's eyes.
Sui Yu secretly glanced at the capital of the Western Han Dynasty. The laborers under the wall were all wearing black linen clothes. There were few girls and women. The low houses were made of yellow mud. At a glance, everything was gray.
After walking for an unknown amount of time and turning many corners, the group finally entered the post station through the back door. The capital post station had horses and cattle, and they couldn't even sleep in the stables, so they had to disperse and squeeze into two woodsheds.
"You are not allowed to light a fire in the woodshed, and you are not allowed to cause trouble. You are not allowed to go anywhere else except the woodshed. Those who violate the rules will be dragged away and beaten with a stick." A servant with eyes that reached the top of his head said loudly, covering his nose.
Those who were preparing to light a fire and cook all sighed, but more people didn't care and just spread out their straw mats and lay down to sleep.
Sui Yu stayed quiet for the day. She slept all day and when she regained some energy, she thought about using the silver to exchange for meat. If she didn't eat some meat, her emaciated body would not be able to support it.
She took advantage of the sun to scout the area like a thief and discovered that during cooking time, fewer people came here. Emboldened, Sui Yu smoothed her hair with water and asked Sui Hui to tie it into a low bun. She went to the toilet and removed the hay she had tied and carried. She even tried to wash her face when Sui Hu stopped her.
"The flesh on your face has disappeared. I'm scarier than a ghost. Which man would have bad thoughts when seeing me?" Sui Yu felt that he had overestimated her current appearance, and she washed her face before slipping away.
After this delay, Sui Hui and Sui Ling hurried back to the woodshed. They lay down on the straw mat to cover themselves, leaving Sui Hu and Sui Liang waiting outside.
Sui Yu avoided people along the way, following the direction of the laughter. If she encountered someone she couldn't avoid, she would lower her head and walk slowly behind them with a graceful demeanor. After leaving the post station safely, she quickly took a look around and chose a direction to leave.
It was getting dark, and the tempting aroma of meat was wafting from the restaurants on the roadside. Sui Yu looked at her clothes and didn't dare go in. She chose a Hu Bing stall and walked over. She didn't dare say a word, so she could only pretend to be dumb, holding up ten fingers and handing over the smallest dime.
The man baking pancakes glanced at her, baked ten pancakes skillfully and handed them to her, then lowered his head to work without mentioning the change at all.
Sui Yu had no choice but to leave with the cake in her arms. This time she learned her lesson and walked a little further to buy linen cloth. She then took a handful of copper coins and tried to ask someone to buy steamed meat from the restaurant.
Sui Yu ate steamed meat sandwiched between pancakes and squatted behind a mud wall, staring at the people on the street like a beggar. This time she finally saw colors other than black. The young woman was wearing a silk gown with curved skirts, and her every move was quite charming.
Sui Yu choked on the last bite of Hu biscuit, then wrapped the steamed meat-filled biscuit in three layers of newly bought cloth, and hurried back the same way, but slowed down when he approached the post station.
It was getting dark and the cold was coming again. The post station stood in the night. The two lanterns hanging on the wall were like the eyes of a giant beast. She looked at the swaying light and shadow and suddenly wanted to escape. She decided not to go into the cage.
The cold wind whistled past and Sui Liang shivered. He stood on tiptoe to look in the direction where Sui Yu left. When he heard footsteps, he let go of Sui Hu's hand and ran over.
"I thought you ran away." Sui Hu said.
"I did plan to do that. I'm not afraid of getting you into trouble." Sui Yu was half-joking. She took out a pancake she had been hiding in her arms and handed it to Sui Liang, saying, "Eat it quickly. It's still hot."
This time she walked in by herself, and Sui Yu still felt a lingering feeling in her heart, not sure whether it was regret or remorse.
She was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night. She rubbed the chilblains on her feet with her eyes wide open. Listening to the snoring and coughing in the woodshed, she felt at ease.
Forget it, let it be, Sui Yu thought.
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