The newcomers were none other than Hu Laosan and his group who had left earlier, along with the family of three who had crossed the city.
After being separated for several days, Hu Laosan and the others looked as disheveled as beggars.
Their clothes were dirty, their hair was disheveled, their faces were sallow and thin, and their lips were chapped, as if they had not eaten or drunk for a long time.
They had little luggage, which suggested they had encountered some misfortune on the road.
The young woman and her family of three were in a slightly better state; their luggage was still there, but their eyes were filled with fear and unease.
They stepped forward, and before the villagers could speak, they knelt down with a thud, weeping bitterly.
"Village chief, help us! Waaah! We know we were wrong, we'll never do it again. Please, village chief, take us in and let's go together."
"Village chief, help! Bad guys on the road have stolen our luggage and food. We haven't eaten a single bite of food for three days."
The villagers felt both sorry for him and satisfied with his actions. Their kindness allowed them to refrain from making sarcastic or mocking remarks, but getting them to rejoin the group was out of the question.
Everyone tacitly took a few steps back, distancing themselves from the group.
Hu Laosan and the others became anxious and turned to kowtow to the Li family.
"Auntie, Mr. Li, the fourth brother, we know we were wrong, we will definitely change in the future. Waaah, please save our lives. We really can't go on living!"
"Auntie, they're forcing laborers at the city gate to go north and stop the barbarians! Waaah, we don't want to die! Take us with us! We're obedient, we can do any kind of work!"
The young woman, afraid of being left behind, quickly pulled her child forward and secretly pinched the child, who then burst into tears.
She also wiped away tears, feigning pitifulness, "If you don't pity us, at least pity the children."
Tao Hongying couldn't help but sneer and asked, "Don't you have money? Why are you still going through the city gate? What are you doing following us? We're poor, we won't let you get away with this!"
The young wife blushed with embarrassment and this time she really shed tears.
"Waaah, sister-in-law, I was wrong before. Each city gate required a toll, and we only had a dozen or so taels, which we spent in Jin'an County..."
"You're out of money? What does that have to do with us!"
The other village women couldn't help but speak up as well. The more arrogant and smug the young wife had been when she left, the more relieved they felt now.
"Didn't you say you weren't one of us?"
"Yeah, why don't you keep throwing money down the road and head south!"
"A distinguished person does not tread on lowly ground; you've come to the wrong place."
The young woman was so ashamed she wanted to disappear into the ground, but she had to endure it to survive.
When Village Chief Li looked at Old Lady Li and saw her shake her head, he knew what was going on.
He said, "You left back then, and that's it. We're no longer on the same path, and we'll each be fighting for our lives. Going into the mountains is fraught with danger, and there's no guarantee we'll have a smooth journey. You're unprepared, and there's little chance of survival for you if you go in. You should think of another way!"
After saying that, he waved his hand, and the villagers immediately returned to their previous formation and set off into the mountains.
Li Laosi, pulling his sled, along with Uncle Zhao and a bag of grain and two baskets, was the first to disappear into the woods.
The rest of the villagers quickly followed, with Liu, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort), at the back of the group. His injured arm was bandaged, and he held a drawn longsword in his other hand, ready to defend against any unexpected events.
Hu Laosan and the others did not expect the villagers to leave so decisively, without a single one pleading for them, as if their presence was a joke.
When they came to their senses, they wanted to give chase, but Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard), with a cold face, swung his sword at them.
Hu Laosan screamed and fell backward to the ground.
His family thought he was injured and rushed to him screaming and crying, only to find that he was completely pale; he had been frightened by the wind from the knife.
In the short time that was spent, the villagers had already disappeared without a trace.
They had no food, no luggage, and not even a machete for self-defense, so they dared not pursue them.
If we can't catch up and get stuck in the woods, we're really doomed.
More than twenty people were now completely regretting their actions.
How could I have been so bewitched as to leave the village?
In this chaotic world, without anyone to rely on or help them, they were like sheep, at the mercy of others.
What will we do in the future? How will we survive?
For a moment, everyone huddled together, weeping uncontrollably…
There is no going back in life, and there is no reward without effort.
Unfortunately, by the time this truth is understood, it is often too late.
Leaving aside the fact that the people of Qingshui Village plunged headlong into the mountains, and the weeping and cursing of Hu Laosan and others.
At this very moment, Kyoto was in complete chaos.
Even if some powerful and wealthy families had received advance notice and started transferring their goods out early on.
But a century of accumulation cannot be moved in just one or two days.
The barbarian cavalry drew ever closer, and news of their defeat was delivered to the city gates five or six times a day via express courier.
Everyone panicked even more, and the imperial carriage left the city yesterday.
If this continues, everyone will become victims of the barbarians' swords.
To give up wealth or to give up one's life, that is the question.
More often than not, people choose to give away their money!
Kyoto looked as if it had been ransacked; every house had its doors wide open, chickens were running around, dogs were barking, children were crying, and the elderly were shouting.
Once the most prosperous and desirable place under the emperor's feet, it is now discarded by everyone like trash, devoid of dignity and vitality.
On the official road outside Kyoto, people driving carriages, carrying loads, and walking with bundles on their backs were all crowded together. There was no way to avoid it, and the fields along the roadside were trampled flat.
Only by forging ahead at all costs and heading to the Jinsha River can we find a way to survive.
This is everyone's goal, but how many people will actually achieve it is unknown.
As the sun began to set, rain suddenly started falling, and it rained harder and harder.
One autumn rain brings a chill, and some people, fearing illness, quickly seek shelter.
In a dilapidated teahouse, Wu Cuihua was sitting on the ground, craning her neck to look outside.
If the Li family saw her at this moment, they probably wouldn't recognize her at all.
Originally, she was a glutton and a sleepyhead, and was the fattest one in the Li family.
But now he's so thin he looks like a monkey, his clothes are dusty and dirty, as if he's been rolling in mud, and his hair is disheveled, with strands sticking to his face and neck.
If it weren't for the faint light shining through his deep-set eyes, he would probably look no different from a beggar.
One of her legs was strangely bent over to her side, with faint traces of blood seeping out. Her arm was also hanging limply at her side, and the cheek on the same side was rubbed raw and bloody. It looked terrifying no matter how you looked at it.
Some people thought she was dirty and wanted to kick her out, but seeing her like this, they were also a little scared and could only keep their distance.
Wu Cuihua waited and waited, but her younger brother didn't come back. She moved a little further away, but this aggravated her broken left leg, making her wince in pain and her face hurt even more.
Thinking back on this period of time, she couldn't help but curse her bad luck in her heart.
If I had known this would happen, I would have stayed in Junyang County washing clothes until I was old and never come out.
Previously, she had been tempted by Er Gou's suggestion to escape to Kyoto because she found the work too tiring.
Kyoto is full of nobles and is overflowing with gold; there's nothing you can do there that won't make you rich.
Once she's made something of herself, adorned in gold and silver, and returned in triumph, she'll make the Li family regret it to the core!
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