They encountered a hunter and received his help.
As the campfire died down in the early morning, a thin layer of fresh snow covered the wasteland. Shen Qingci was awakened by Su Yunqing's rapid coughing. Looking down, he saw that her face was flushed and her breathing was rapid; she had clearly caught a chill the night before, and her old ailment had relapsed. He was anxious. He carried Su Yunqing out of the cave and looked at the vast snowfield, momentarily at a loss as to where to go.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves broke the deathly silence of the wasteland. Shen Qingci's heart tightened, and he quickly shielded Su Yunqing behind him, gripping the stone axe at his waist—he thought it was Ningguta's pursuers, but he saw a man dressed in animal skins, carrying a hunting rifle on his shoulder, riding a horse slowly out from behind the snow slope, followed by several hunting dogs.
The man saw the two people in the snow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He reined in his horse and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Seeing that he had no ill intentions and was dressed as a hunter, unlike a government official, Shen Qingci clasped his hands and said, "Brother, we are exiled people who were framed by treacherous officials. We escaped by chance, but we got lost in the wilderness. My wife is seriously ill. Please help us!"
The hunter's gaze swept over the two men's tattered prison clothes, the chain marks on Shen Qingci's wrists, and Su Yunqing's pale face, a hint of sympathy flashing in his eyes. He dismounted, walked to Su Yunqing, placed his hand on her pulse, and after a moment said, "She caught a cold and is weak. If she doesn't get treatment soon, she might not make it through the day."
"Big brother, please save her!" Shen Qingci knelt on both knees, her voice filled with pleading.
The hunter quickly helped him up: "Get up, I've been through hardship myself, and I can't bear to see others in distress. Come with me!"
With that, the hunter helped Su Yunqing onto the saddle, then led the horse himself, with Shen Qingci following behind, as they headed deeper into the snow-covered slope. About half an hour later, a wooden cabin hidden among the pine trees came into view. Although the cabin was simple, it was clean and tidy, and a charcoal fire burned inside, making it warm and inviting.
The hunter settled Su Yunqing on a wooden bed covered with dry grass, then turned around and rummaged through a medicine basket in the corner, taking out a few herbs and pouring some strong liquor from a pottery jar. He said to Shen Qingci, "Crush these herbs, mix them with the liquor to form a paste, and apply it to her forehead and chest. I'll go and boil some ginger soup."
Shen Qingci quickly did as instructed, her movements clumsy but careful. The hunter cooked ginger soup and roasted a few pieces of venison, handing them to Shen Qingci: "Eat something to fill your stomach first, you've become so thin."
Shen Qingci took the venison and devoured it; this was the first time he had eaten hot food since he had been on the run for many days. As he ate, he briefly told the hunter about his experiences of being framed by Li Linfu, exiled to Ningguta, and his escape.
Upon hearing this, the hunter slammed his fist on the table and cursed, "That corrupt official! He's utterly depraved!" He sighed and said, "My name is Zhao Hu, and my family has been hunting in these deep mountains for generations. A few years ago, my younger brother was serving in the army. He was falsely accused of treason and beaten to death because he refused to side with Li Linfu's cronies."
Speaking of the past, Zhao Hu's eyes were filled with grief and indignation. Shen Qingci was taken aback, not expecting to meet someone who shared her pain, and the distance between them immediately dissipated.
Under Zhao Hu's care, Su Yunqing drank ginger soup and received herbal compresses. Her body temperature gradually decreased, and she became much more conscious. She looked at the unfamiliar hunter before her, then at Shen Qingci, and whispered, "Brother Qingci, who is this?"
"Yunqing, this is Brother Zhao Hu, our savior," Shen Qingci said quickly.
Su Yunqing struggled to get up to thank him, but Zhao Hu held her down: "Miss, you should rest well, no need to be so polite. I think you are good people too. Once you have recovered, I will find a way to send you out."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Shen Qingci bowed deeply to Zhao Hu, saying, "Brother Zhao, I am deeply grateful. If my name is ever cleared, I will repay your kindness a hundredfold!"
Zhao Hu waved his hand: "No need for repayment. I only hope that you can bring down that traitor Li Linfu and get justice for us who have been wronged."
For the next few days, Shen Qingci and Su Yunqing recuperated in Zhao Hu's wooden hut. Zhao Hu went up the mountain every day to hunt and gather herbs, while Shen Qingci helped chop wood and fetch water. After Su Yunqing recovered, she helped mend clothes and take care of household chores. The three of them got along like family, and laughter often filled the wooden hut, adding a touch of warmth to the harsh, cold mountains.
Shen Qingci knew he couldn't keep dragging Zhao Hu down. He secretly planned that once Su Yunqing had fully recovered, he would immediately set off for Black Wind Pass to find the old servant's former subordinates and then find a way to present Li Linfu's evidence of his crimes to the emperor.
At this moment, looking at the swirling snowflakes outside the window, he was filled with hope. He knew that although this escape was fraught with danger, with Zhao Hu's help and Yun Qing's companionship, he would surely overcome the difficulties and fulfill his long-cherished wish.
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