Chapter 161
After receiving Bai Chaoyan's assurance, Fan Xiaoxiao distributed the roasted wolf jerky to the group. During their escape earlier that day, much of the food they had brought had been scattered along the road, and this wolf meat was one of the few remaining provisions.
Even so, it was all thanks to Uncle Wang's concern that something unexpected might happen to them that he insisted on putting them in the Ghost Doctor's basket.
The taste of the wolf jerky was somewhat similar to that of tough, dry mutton, but much tougher. Fortunately, Fan Xiaoxiao had added some Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, and other seasonings to marinate it while it was drying.
Now that it's baked, apart from the slightly different texture, it's not unpalatable.
After the four of them hastily finished their dinner, Bai Chaoyan fell into a deep sleep again. They couldn't rest there for long; once the horses were ready, they would continue their journey.
Fan Xiaoxiao dared not rest immediately. She hadn't eaten anything all day, and by evening, she felt dizzy and her stomach was burning. Her body had already been injured by hunger before, and she had barely managed to eat two meals a day on the journey. If she couldn't get food now, she would probably be the first to collapse when they reached Tianshan.
Fortunately, Fan Xiaoxiao found some other coarse flour cakes, which Wang Da Niang and Fan Shi had made before they parted ways. They had distributed these cakes to the backs of the three horses, but when Fan Xiaoxiao looked around, she realized that what she was holding now was all that remained.
She pursed her lips, found a flat stone, washed the surface clean, and then spread the pancakes on it. The Ghost Doctor, curious about her actions, leaned closer and asked, "Little one, didn't we already eat? What are you doing now?"
Fan Xiaoxiao stared intently at the surface of the pancakes, and when they puffed up, she quickly flipped them over.
"I need to bake these flatbreads until they're quite dry, then cut them into small, pebbly pieces, so that when we get back on the road, we can each take some with us."
As they were talking, the other side of the pancake puffed up again. Fan Xiaoxiao took a knife and moved all the pancakes aside, stacking them one by one. Then she cut them into pieces the size of chess pieces with three horizontal and three vertical cuts.
After cutting them, the process wasn't finished. Fan Xiaoxiao then placed the chess piece-sized pieces of cake onto the stone slab to bake. Although the weather wasn't as humid and hot as before, the temperature still wasn't high enough to keep their cakes fresh for several days. Only after baking off all the moisture could they be preserved for a couple more days.
The Ghost Doctor picked up a piece out of curiosity and tasted it. It was indeed crispy and fragrant. However, after eating just a small piece, it was dry and without any moisture. He felt a bit choked and had to drink several mouthfuls of water to recover.
"Cough cough cough, baby, this is too dry."
"It's all about eating it dry, and then mixing it with water when you eat it. Soaking it helps to fill you up more."
The Ghost Doctor touched his stomach and realized that the next few days would be quite difficult, which instantly made him feel quite down.
Fan Xiaoxiao didn't care about all that. Survival was the most important thing right now, and the sooner they reached Tianshan, the safer they would be. A few days of hardship wouldn't mean they'd be without food; that would be a blessing. You see, in a month or two, there would be a severe drought, and there would be absolutely nothing to eat—that would truly be hell on earth.
People resorted to cannibalism, eating tree bark and chewing on clay. She could feel the despair and pain just reading about it back then, so what they're going through now is nothing compared to that.
The chess piece cakes dried quickly, and Fan Xiaoxiao packed them into four bags.
"Alright, this is what we'll be eating for the next few days. Everyone, try to eat sparingly. I'll cook something nicer for you when we get there."
Hearing this, the Ghost Doctor felt a little comforted. Gu Chongtai stood up and took the bag. After resting for another hour, the group resumed their journey.
After an hour of rest, Bai Chaoyan's fever subsided. At her insistence, she set off again, riding a horse alone. Fortunately, it was late at night, and although the moonlight illuminated the road clearly, for safety reasons, the group was not traveling very fast, so Bai Chaoyan was able to keep up with everyone else.
Fan Xiaoxiao rode alongside Gu Chongtai, who, not one to wait, spurred his horse forward. The late summer night was still chilly, and the wind made the chill even more biting as the horse galloped. Fan Xiaoxiao, her face pale, clutched her water pouch tightly, thinking she could manage. But once mounted, she knew she couldn't.
Especially under such bumpy conditions, Fan Xiaoxiao felt as if the meat she had eaten that night was about to go back down her throat. Fortunately, she had the foresight to add hot water to her water bag, so now she only felt uncomfortable from the bumpy ride and didn't feel cold from the wind.
After all, she knew her body all too well; it was already weak enough. If a cool breeze were added to the night, she would definitely have a fever tomorrow, just like Bai Chaoyan did today.
Gu Zhongtai glanced down at her, and seeing her pale face, his lips tightened. Without much hesitation, he slowed down. Fan Xiaoxiao looked at him, puzzled, not understanding what this powerful figure was up to.
"Sit behind me and hug me. It will be more comfortable than sitting in front."
After speaking, Gu Chongtai dismounted and readjusted himself. Fan Xiaoxiao then sat behind him, wrapping one arm around Gu Chongtai's waist and tightly holding the water pouch with the other.
When the horse started running again, Fan Xiaoxiao hugged Gu Zhongtai's waist, feeling a little dizzy. She could feel the smooth lines of his waist even through his clothes, and because Gu Zhongtai was blocking a lot of the wind from the front, Fan Xiaoxiao felt that her horse sickness had improved a lot.
What kind of treatment is this?! My goodness! How dare she hug Boss Gu's waist? Is this something a little dirty girl like her should be doing?
Fan Xiaoxiao's heart started pounding uncontrollably again, and this time she tried to suppress it several times but almost couldn't.
No, she needs to shift her attention, otherwise she'll really be won over by Boss Gu.
Fan Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, suddenly recalling the gesture she'd seen Bai Chaoyan clutching her wrist earlier that day. Clutching her wrist… that was an unconscious action, usually used to protect something she didn't want others to see. The only thing she didn't want others to see was the treasure map Bai Xiang had given her!
Fan Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up, and she cleared her throat. After sorting out her thoughts, she reached out and tugged at Gu Zhongtai's sleeve: "Hey, Boss Gu. Bai Chaoyan was being chased, it must be because of that thing on her wrist, right?"
"wrist?"
Fan Xiaoxiao nodded, then remembered that she was sitting behind Gu Zhongtai and he couldn't see her movements, so she added, "Yes, it's her wrist. I saw her protecting her wrist today."
Gu Zhongtai narrowed his eyes. In his previous life, he obtained the last treasure map from Xiahou. He never expected that Bai Chaoyan had kept it hidden on her person all along.
"Should we try to get it over here?"
Fan Xiaoxiao asked with a hint of malice, and Gu Zhongtai scoffed, "It's not the right time yet. Let's wait and see. There will be plenty of opportunities later."
With that, Gu Zhongtai forcefully pulled on the reins, and the horse's hooves shattered the moonlight along the way...
(End of this chapter)
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