Sigh, when you have a lot of lice, you're not afraid of being bitten!
With the favors he owed piling up, Gu Qingshan could only do his best to ensure his family's safety, as a way of repaying Qin Sanniang's kindness. Seeing Qin Sanniang frown, he couldn't help but ask,
"Does Madam Qin also think it's not advisable to go into the city tomorrow?"
"Brother Gu, do you think so too?" Having known him for a while, Qin San Niang knew he was a cautious and prudent person, and she felt a little uneasy, wanting to hear Gu Qingshan's opinion.
Looking up, he saw a large group of refugees in the distance, sobbing and crying. "There are too many refugees. If we distribute porridge, the scene will inevitably become chaotic. We have many children here, so it's better to wait until order is restored before making any plans," Gu Qingshan said in a deep voice. He believed that Qin Sanniang would understand his meaning.
"If that causes a stampede, it will be a real problem. We'll set up camp on the outskirts so we can evacuate immediately if anything changes!" Thinking of this possibility, Qin Sanniang quickly made up her mind. They didn't lack food, so there was no need to fight with the refugees. The important thing was to find an opportunity to enter the city.
Besides worrying about the potential dangers of distributing porridge, Qin San Niang still had some concerns, feeling that things weren't so simple.
The children were quite well-behaved and didn't make a fuss. For them, going to the city was certainly good—they could eat delicious food and see fun things—but staying alive was more important! The safety of their brothers, sisters, and mother was the most important thing!
Soon, darkness fell! The group quickly settled down on the outskirts. Gu Qingshan chose a slightly elevated, flat area with a forest behind it. Besides offering a good view of the area below, it also allowed them to bypass Huozhou City from the side of the forest and head south—a strategically advantageous location for both offense and defense!
Qin San Niang was very satisfied!
For safety's sake, Qin San Niang distributed dinner to everyone, and they ate it in the carriage. It was still just white flour steamed buns; white rice was out of the question, and even porridge was unnecessary—the aroma was too strong and would travel far on the wind. If the starving refugees smelled it, the consequences would be unimaginable. Even the white flour steamed buns were stuffed into their mouths in a few bites, for fear of being discovered.
At night, half asleep and half awake, I seemed to hear some noise outside the car, and then I heard Gu Qingshan talking outside the car.
"My benefactor, my family and I thank you for saving our lives! We beg to see you!" Just as Qin San Niang was wondering who the person was, she heard a clear voice.
The newcomers were a family. Leading them was a man in a blue long robe, though the robe was so dirty its original color was unrecognizable. His straight back and resolute eyes betrayed no sign of his disheveled state. Beside him, a woman held a baby in her arms, and a boy of about five years old stared at them with wide, unwavering eyes.
That look in your eyes seems so familiar!
The visitors were none other than Hongying and her family, who had benefited from her kindness.
Seeing Qin San Niang emerge, Hong Ying was overjoyed and immediately pulled her husband to kowtow to her. The family had traveled a long and winding mountain road, hiding in the bushes during the day and only daring to descend the mountain at night. After hurrying along, they finally found Qin San Niang and her family outside the city gate.
Seeing the confused look in Tan San Niang's eyes, Hong Ying's husband, He Xiucai, stepped forward and introduced himself, "Madam, our family are refugees from Jingyuan. My name is He Yingyuan, a Xiucai from the tenth year of Dasheng. This is my wife, Liao Hongying, and my son, He Mingzhe. We are grateful to you for your help, which has allowed our family to survive."
As he spoke, He Yingyuan clasped his hands together and gave a deep bow.
Qin San Niang respected the traditional etiquette of the ancients, but she genuinely found it difficult to accept. She could only offer Hong Ying a perfunctory pat on the back, waving her hand and saying there was no need to be so polite. She explained that she saw Hong Ying's difficult situation, that they were both mothers, and that she couldn't bear to see them starve, and so on…
He Yingyuan didn't take this for granted. After all, there were many women and children fleeing on the road. He knew that he was just a poor scholar with nothing to offer that would make anyone think of him, but he couldn't accept favors for nothing. He had been hurrying along when he happened to intercept them outside Huozhou City, and that was to repay their kindness.
"Madam, we cannot linger outside Huozhou City; we must leave this place as soon as possible."
The city magistrate of Huozhou had previously served as the county magistrate of their county. This man was vicious and extreme in his actions, implementing a policy of ruthless killing towards refugees, believing their presence would disrupt normal order. He was promoted to prefect of Huozhou for his meritorious service in suppressing bandits. While others might not know, he did—those so-called bandits were actually refugees!
He Yingyuan's words were so resolute that they made Qin Sanniang and the others very suspicious. They exchanged glances with Gu Qingshan, and both of them saw shock in each other's eyes! But it was clear that the two of them already believed him to a large extent!
After jumping off the carriage, Qin San Niang and He Yingyuan looked at each other and realized that this man was a head taller than her, his eyes were not to be underestimated, and his demeanor was not comparable to that of a poor scholar. In short, he was no ordinary person!
His attitude became more amiable, and his tone more serious. "Brother He, are you saying there's something fishy about tomorrow's porridge distribution?"
Seemingly surprised that Qin Sanniang could immediately grasp the meaning behind his words and astutely point out the words "providing porridge," He Yingyuan paused for a moment, then hurriedly said...
“I once had dealings with this Prefect of Huozhou. Charity has never been in his nature!”
Seeing that he didn't want to talk about the past, Qin San Niang didn't ask any more questions. Only Hong Ying, who was standing next to her, looked at her husband with concern.
Qin San Niang pondered. According to this person, there might be something fishy about distributing porridge tomorrow. They had to leave!
But the thought of so many refugees in danger of losing their lives made her feel sorry for them, and she hoped to offer some advice. However, she knew in her heart that even if she said it, it probably wouldn't have much effect.
Furthermore, He Xiucai is probably not a simple person either. He came to inform me late at night, ostensibly to repay a debt of gratitude, but he may not be hoping to gain their protection.
"Madam, we must not show any pity at this time. Those refugees will not leave. If we try to persuade them, it may cause panic, or worse, we may be arrested as spies."
Liu and the others had already heard the commotion outside, but they were used to not interfering with their eldest daughter's affairs. However, they spoke up now.
“Third Sister, Scholar He is right. These refugees are starving to death. Their biggest wish is to have some porridge tomorrow. If you go and tell people that their wish is unlikely to come true, they might be arrested as monsters! Besides, even if there is danger tomorrow, some of these people are too hungry to walk. Even if there is a risk, they are unwilling to miss that bowl of porridge.”
Seeing the worried look in Liu's eyes, Qin San Niang quickly comforted her.
"Mother, I understand. Let's get going!"
Turning to the He family, he said, "Brother He, since we are destined to meet, why not travel together? If you don't mind, let's go together!"
Hearing her say that, He Xiucai breathed a sigh of relief, and in his heart he was even more impressed that this Madam Qin was indeed very perceptive. He felt a little uneasy, after all, they were the ones who were going to take advantage of her! However, seeing his wife and children behind him, He Yingyuan calmly clasped his hands in thanks, saying that he couldn't be happier.
The family was put on a mule cart, and Azhi was taken to the carriage. The children usually played together.
They had traveled a long way and probably hadn't eaten yet, so Qin San Niang handed Hong Ying a few coarse grain cakes, indicating that she shouldn't be shy and should eat them quickly so that no one would see them.
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