Chapter 6
With the hot food in her stomach, her body, which had been tense all day, relaxed and became heavy. Sui Yu felt tired and sleepy. Grasping at this trace of sleepiness, she crawled under the straw, curled up her hands and feet, closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Sui Wen'an stayed by the crater where sparks of fire still lingered, and said to his two sisters, "You two should go to bed too. It's cold at night, and you won't be able to sleep for long. Take this opportunity to catch up on some sleep."
"Can the fire be kept on? We can boil some hot water to drink in the evening." Sui Ling asked.
Sui Wen'an shook his head. First, there was no firewood to burn. Second, the stable was full of hay. A spark could start a fire. They could not afford the consequences.
Everyone was asleep, and the sound of snoring could be heard from the stable, accompanied by the sound of wind and snow, which was a rare moment of peace.
Sui Wen'an used a stick to stir the ashes in the pit. When the last scarlet spark disappeared, he picked up the jar and went out, filled it with snow and poured it into the pit, and finally covered it with the soil he had dug up earlier.
"Uncle San, I'm going to patrol the fire pit. You stay here and guard it," he said.
Sui Hu nodded and reminded, "The fire pit with firewood is where people left the fire on purpose."
"I know."
Sui Wen'an went out again and filled a can with snow. He poured snow into the fire pit where the remaining fire had burned out, and covered it with soil. He then surrounded the fire pit with snow where there was still charcoal.
The person who was sleeping was awakened by the noise he made. Without waiting to see his movements clearly, he thought that he was trying to put out the fire he had left on purpose, so he got up and kicked it.
"Uncle, don't get me wrong, the fire is not out." Sui Wen'an staggered, and he explained in a gentle voice with a frustrated look, pinched the last handful of snow to patch the crack, picked up the jar and left.
The volunteer then saw the circle of snow piled around the fire pit and realized that he had misunderstood. However, seeing that Sui Wen'an was wearing prison clothes, he did not apologize. He turned away, threw a few pieces of firewood into the fire pit, and fell back to sleep.
The cold wind that came in when the stable door opened and closed annoyed the person sleeping near the door. He was about to lose his temper and curse, but when he saw the soldiers standing outside the door, he instantly became honest and kind.
"Sir." Sui Wen'an greeted with lowered eyebrows.
"What crime?"
"The criminal's father was the former prefect of Yu County." Sui Wen'an said ashamedly.
The bearded soldier's expression suddenly changed when he heard this. When he spoke again, his gentleness vanished. He said coldly, "You will be responsible for watching the remaining fire for the next few days. If there is any fire, the blame will be on you."
Sui Wen'an bowed calmly and agreed. After the others left, he continued to fill the snow. When the smoke-smoking fire pit was surrounded by a circle of snow, he finally took the jar and sat back on the straw bed where his family slept.
"Is it still snowing outside?" Sui Hu knitted the soles of his shoes without raising his head.
"It stopped for a while, then it started snowing again." Sui Wen'an took off his straw sandals and shook off the snow, saying worriedly, "If it snows for a few more days, by the time we set off, I'm afraid the snow will be up to our thighs."
Sui Hu stopped what he was doing and didn't speak for a long time. When he lowered his head to weave the sole of the shoe, he forgot which piece of grass to move. He sighed and had to take it apart and weave it again.
Sui Wen'an picked up a handful of rice straw from under the straw mat and sat down to learn how to weave shoe soles with Sui Hu.
Time passed in the wind and snow. The remaining warmth from the cooking fire in the stable gradually dissipated, and the cold air came again. The sleeping people were woken by the cold, and they huddled under the straw and coughed heart-wrenchingly.
Sui Yu felt the straw covering her body being disturbed in her sleep. She slowly regained consciousness. Just as she was wondering if Sui Hui had sat up, she felt her trouser legs being rolled up. She snapped her eyes open and kicked forward, sending the straw covering her legs flying. Dust billowed, causing the others to sneeze.
"Why are you touching my trouser leg?" Sui Yu glared at Sui Hu angrily.
"Are you scared? Let me see how that thing on your leg is made. I'll make two for your little brother." Sui Hu said.
"Just poke a row of holes in the cloth, string a hemp rope through it, and tie the two pieces together." Sui Yu sat up, untied a straw tube on his legs and handed it over, saying, "That's all the cloth left. Divide it among you."
"Thank you, Sister Yu." Sui Hui was very happy. Now she didn't have to take off her bellyband.
It was getting dark, and the light in the stable was dim. Sui Yu looked around and saw that most of the people were still lying down. Those who were sitting were pounding their chests and coughing. She thought to herself that after all, they were raised in wealthy families and had good physical conditions. They had endured all these days in the cold and snow without getting sick.
The sound of the sackcloth being torn attracted the attention of others. Those who were nearby asked, "Where did the cloth come from? What are you doing?"
"I want to add more layers of cloth to the shin guards and stuff more grass into the interlayer." Sui Hu replied.
"Do you have extra cloth? I'll make one for the child too."
Sui Hu refused without mercy. He understood what Cao Tong should do, so he handed Sui Yu's to her and asked her to put it on quickly.
"Dinner is almost ready. You and your cousin will have to fight for it later," he said.
"I know." Sui Yu said in a long voice. She tied her laces and sat cross-legged. She inquired again: "Did Wang Jiyan bring you food the night before you left?"
Wang Jiyan is the original owner’s ex-fiancé.
Sui Hu glanced at her, put down the cloth in his hand, and said, "Make two straw tubes for your little brother, and I'll give you half."
Sui Yu shook her head, "I don't want it, you can continue."
She felt relieved after confirming that he had the silver. She kept two children's bracelets for emergencies, and the rest of the silver could be used to exchange for things.
There was a sudden rustling sound on the roof above my head, and the next moment, there was a "bang" outside the stable. The snow on the roof slid down.
Sui Wen'an was just wondering whether he should clear the snow off the roof when he saw Sui Yu suddenly stand up. He didn't know when she put on her shoes, but she picked up the pottery jar and rushed out.
"It's time for dinner." The people in the stable rushed out.
Sui Wen'an also hurriedly strode after him, and soon returned with Sui Yu at the same pace.
It was another meal of hot porridge. After eating, the stable was completely dark. Sui Yu pulled Sui Hui and Sui Ling out and hid under the wall to take care of their urgent needs before lying down in the stable.
After checking for fire hazards, Sui Wen'an still felt uneasy. He was afraid that the accumulated snow would collapse the roof, so he climbed onto the roof of the stable at night and pushed the snow down tremblingly.
"After all, he is the descendant of a powerful family. His comprehensive abilities are beyond the reach of ordinary people. What a pity." A voice was heard from a room.
"Take better care of him? Let him go to the Western Regions alive? If this man dies on the battlefield, he can also help kill several Hun bandits." said the bearded man.
"become."
…
The snow continued to fall for three days. On the evening when the snow stopped, the cold winter sun shone out for the first time. The dazzling light fell on the white snow, making it difficult to open one's eyes.
"The snow is so thick, how are we going to get through the rest of the journey?" The applicants who were pushing carts with their families were worried.
Even the escorting officers and soldiers were worried. If they insisted on setting off, they would have to wade through the snow all day and most of them would probably freeze to death. But they had to go because there were volunteers and pardoned criminals waiting in Chang'an.
Whether you leave or not, you won’t be able to complete the task.
It was getting dark and dinner had not been served yet. Sui Yu asked Sui Wen'an to carry the jar and go out with her. She pulled two wooden boards from under the straw mat and ran away amid Sui Hu's low scolding.
The wooden board was tied with hemp rope under her feet. Because it was too long and wide, Sui Yu had difficulty walking. She called Sui Wen'an to support her and walked step by step to the base of the wall covered with thick snow.
"Cousin, let go. Look, I didn't sink. Just watch me take two more steps." Sui Yu walked while holding onto the wall. The wooden board pressed on the snow, causing the snow to sink slightly. However, it stabilized when it sank to half a finger's length.
Sui Wen'an understood and said happily, "Tomorrow when we set off on our journey, we'll tie some planks together so we don't get stuck in the snow. I'll go tell the others."
The people in the stable came out, and the noise alarmed the officers and soldiers in the house. After they came out, they saw Sui Yu walking on the snow dragging two wooden boards. Not to mention his legs, even his feet would not sink into the snow.
"I was really confused. I didn't think of this idea." An elderly soldier was delighted. "Where are the servants? Take out all the planks you have. We will continue our journey tomorrow."
"Sir, can you please say something to me?" Sui Yu called out.
"Okay, go ahead." The bearded officer had a changed opinion of the Sui siblings, and at the same time, he was looking forward to her next words.
"There are hundreds of us in our group, and we don't have enough planks of the right length and weight. Furthermore, many of us have fallen ill along the way. Dragging sick bodies on planks won't allow us to travel very fast. We probably won't reach the next post station by nightfall tomorrow," Sui Yu said as loudly as she could, so everyone could hear. Her hot breath collided with the cold air, turning into a white mist that blurred her vision, but it didn't prevent her from seeing most people nodding in agreement.
This was the first time she had made a suggestion in front of so many people. Even though she was confident, she was nervous and her hands and legs were shaking.
"The sun came out in the evening, and tomorrow will probably be sunny. After a day or so of sunshine, the surface snow will melt and turn into water that will seep into the snow layer, making the snow more compact and more load-bearing. In addition, after a night, the cold air will rise and the water will freeze, making the snow layer even harder and more load-bearing. I suggest that we stay for another day and set out the day after tomorrow. We should use a wooden plank with two or three people. The young will help the old, the strong will help the sick, and the children will be in the middle. My cousin and I will demonstrate it to everyone." Sui Yu came down from the snow pile, handed the hemp rope to Sui Wen'an, and said, "Cousin, do the same as me. Wrap the rope around the wooden plank and tie it to your feet."
"clear."
After the rope was tied, Sui Yu pulled Sui Wen'an's clothes and said, "First take your left foot. One, two, move."
The two of them were unfamiliar with the movements when walking on the wooden planks at first, but they became proficient after taking a few steps. Their steps became faster and faster. Although they would sink into the snow when walking on it, it did not affect their walking.
"Okay, let's do as this girl says," the bearded soldier said. "We'll set out the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow, each of you will find a plank of a suitable length and practice nearby first."
"Sir, what about our wooden cart?" asked the volunteer who was pushing the cart.
The officers and soldiers looked at Sui Yu, who quickly thought and said, "We can only remove the wheels and drag the cart along."
"That's it. Whatever you can't take away will stay." The officers and soldiers only cared about the people and didn't care whether the wooden carts stayed or went.
The matter was resolved, and the servants began to serve the porridge. When Sui Yu and Sui Wen'an went to grab the porridge again, no one kicked or beat them.
When it was time to get the food, Sui Yu held out the jar and said, "Food for six people."
The servant filled a jar for her and even picked out the thick ones.
Sui Yu hugged the jar and smiled so hard that her face seemed to be broken.
That night, Sui Yu had a full meal and went to sleep with a smile on his face.
As she expected, the next day was a sunny day. Snow dripped from the roof tiles all day long, and only stopped when it froze in the evening. At dawn, crystal icicles hung from the eaves.
"When the whistle blows, take your left foot and be steady. Those behind you should look for places you haven't stepped on before." The officer's voice was much softer as he gave orders before departure. He stared at the people stepping on the wooden planks in groups of three or two, and blew the wooden whistle vigorously.
A whistle sounded on the snowy field, and the people with hunched backs and bent waists took a step forward with their left legs. The group left the post station standing in the wilderness in an orderly manner and continued to move northwest.
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