Looking out at the gloomy weather through the carriage curtain, Liu began to feel a growing sense of unease. If it really rained heavily, they wouldn't even have a place to take shelter.
Although everyone had been looking forward to this rain for a long time, for them who were fleeing, the torrential rain was not necessarily a good thing.
Who can control what fate has in store?! Liu sighed.
"Third Aunt, our tarpaulins are all on the roof of the car. We should put them on when we park later."
The car contained their life-saving food supplies, so they couldn't be careless.
Qin San Niang responded, fearing that the rain would start before she could find a suitable place to park.
Wu Chunhua had also thought of this, and used smaller tarpaulins to seal the large rear window of the carriage. The side windows didn't need sealing; they were relatively small and wouldn't easily let in rain. There were several bags of grain and winter clothes and blankets piled up at the back of the carriage, so they needed to be careful.
Qin Sanniang climbed out of the carriage and looked back, only to see the villagers of Lujia Village walking closely behind her. The old village head and his family were walking hurriedly, probably also worried about a sudden rain.
If it really rains, those families with horse-drawn or mule carts are better off, but the villagers can only protect the grain on their carts, put on raincoats, and wait for the rain to stop.
Therefore, finding a place to take shelter from the rain is the most important thing right now.
Before Qin San Niang could come up with a solution, a bolt of lightning struck the distant horizon, the sky and earth suddenly changed color, and a gale swept up withered leaves and weeds.
Left with no other choice, Qin San Niang had to stop the carriage. She quickly got out of the carriage and lowered the tarpaulin that had been tied to the top.
Because of the strong wind, Liu had to stand on the cart platform to help hold the rope, while the others got off the cart to secure the rope above the wheels and the shaft, so as to prevent the strong wind from blowing the tarpaulin up.
The villagers behind them couldn't care less about continuing their journey; their own food supplies were more important. They quickly got off and started working.
Gu Qingshan had already deftly put the tarpaulin on the mule cart. If he remembered correctly, there should be a dilapidated temple about five miles ahead.
"Madam Qin, let's walk a little further. This place is not suitable for sleeping outdoors."
Qin San Niang nodded, signaling him to continue forward.
Old Mrs. Chen finished packing her things and trotted over to ask if they should continue on their way. Her husband had to watch over the donkey cart, and besides, there were many women on Qin San Niang's side. Old Mrs. Chen and Liu Shi were getting along quite well, so it was most appropriate for her to come over.
"We need to keep moving forward; this place isn't suitable for camping. Otherwise, it could be troublesome if it rains heavily tonight."
"Alright, that's what my old man said too, so let's keep going." Old Mrs. Chen jogged back through the strong wind.
Looking at her small, thin figure, Qin San Niang was very worried that she would be swept away by the wind.
Everyone was too busy to care about being hungry right now. As for the children? They could eat some steamed buns when they were hungry. They were all very good at reading people's expressions, and their parents didn't have time to take care of them!
Lu Dingtian was also very worried about not being able to find a suitable place to stay. He was afraid that the villagers would be in trouble, and if it rained heavily, the grain might not be preserved.
Fortunately, after more than half an hour, Gu Qingshan finally found the dilapidated temple he remembered. In addition, although the weather had changed abruptly and the wind was quite strong, no raindrops fell.
This dilapidated temple was built in the woods by the roadside. The temple gate was not large, and it probably didn't have any incense offerings, otherwise it wouldn't be in such a state of disrepair. The monks inside had also disappeared.
Although it was dilapidated and in ruins, there were still one or two places to shelter from the wind and rain, so everyone was happy to find a place to rest.
After a while, the dilapidated temple was occupied by the group of travelers.
Just as the aroma of rice wafted out, the heavy rain arrived as expected.
Liu cooked a thick millet porridge. Since they couldn't travel at night, most of the women combined their two meals into one.
Qin San Niang and her group kept a distance from the people of Lujia Village, which seemed to be an unwritten rule, since they would only consider each other as fellow travelers.
Seeing Liu cooking porridge, Qin San Niang had no intention of depriving her family. In addition to the steamed buns she bought in Guocheng, she also took out some pickled vegetables and a dozen fried chicken legs from the supermarket.
Of course, he hid in the carriage to eat the chicken leg, so that no one with ill intentions would see it.
For example, Zhao Juhua kept her eyes fixed on this side. The thick rice porridge simmering on the stove smelled good enough, but there were even big white steamed buns?! Then she looked at the dark flour and rice bran steamed buns in her own hands, and suddenly they didn't smell so good anymore. She had traded those steamed buns with Lu Shuanzi, her sweetheart, the bachelor.
Qin San Niang didn't bother with her, and even Liu Shi gave her a few glares before turning her back to her.
After dinner, they heard that Gu's little Azhi was sick. Qin San Niang quickly took a look at her and found that she had caught a chill again and needed to take some medicine; it was probably because she was too weak before.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qingshan's father's face was filled with self-reproach.
"Alright, I'll get some medicine for Azhi later. You can brew it for her and give her a bowl. If she drinks it for a few more days, she'll gradually get better."
That night, Gu Qingshan kept watch. Spending the night in the dilapidated temple was out of necessity, but he was still very worried.
Sure enough, around 9 PM, a group of people came from the rain. They were all wearing raincoats and straw hats, and everyone was a little flustered.
At the head of the procession were several tall yamen runners dressed in official robes, followed by a group of people, mostly women and children.
The leading constable walked into the temple and, seeing the scene inside, thought to himself that they were refugees. He then leisurely walked into the temple gate.
"Fellow villagers, we are officials from the capital. We are escorting prisoners to the southern border. We encountered a heavy rain on the way and that's how we met you. We'll be troubling you tonight!" Without waiting for their consent, he directed his entourage into the temple and chose a relatively secluded spot that was sheltered from the wind and rain. As for the prisoners, he told them to find a place to squat themselves.
As for worrying about prisoners escaping? That's not a concern! Under the whole sky, all land belongs to the king; where can they escape to? Besides, the men of their family have already gone to the place of exile via another route. Unless they die, escaping will result in their families being implicated.
For women, men are their everything; no matter how bitter or difficult things get, they can't abandon their husbands and sons.
These women must come from wealthy families; just by looking at their clothes and their manners, you can tell they weren't raised by ordinary people. There must be quite a few ladies, young ladies, young masters, or gentlemen among them, right?
Zhao Juhua felt a pang of sorrow mixed with a sense of schadenfreude. The women among the prisoners were all stunningly beautiful, and her lover was practically staring at them. She thought to herself, "Hmph, you've had your fill of happiness; even Heaven can't stand it!"
Qin Sanniang also noticed that among the prisoners was an elderly woman in her sixties, whose demeanor was quite dignified. Women and children sat around her, while the other women, presumably servants from her family, were searching for food nearby. They probably didn't have much money left, and even if they did, it had likely been squeezed dry by the guards.
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