Chapter 57 Is this dog a food delivery driver?
Cheng Lanzhou withdrew his gaze and slowly said, "The constables are afraid of death. If they knew that a gang was targeting us, they would only find it troublesome."
Jiang Yutang rubbed her red, tear-filled eyes and added in a hoarse voice, "If they knew those people were sent by the imperial court, they might be eager to push us out to claim credit. Rather than relying on them, we should be more careful ourselves."
After listening to the two, Jiang Songzhi shook his head in disagreement, still insisting on his own idea.
“What you two say makes sense, but we are in the open now while the other side is in the dark. If we sit and wait to die, we will always be passive. If we tell them everything, the refugees will pay attention to something unusual in order to protect themselves, and the yamen runners will not dare to completely ignore it. In this way, the people in the dark will be more cautious and will not dare to make a move easily. We can turn the disadvantage into an advantage.”
Jiang Huaiyu crossed his arms and nodded, saying, "I agree with what you said, elder brother."
"I think Cheng Lanzhou and my younger sister are right," Jiang Jiuzhe disagreed, after all, people's hearts are unpredictable, and no one knows how things will develop.
Both sides have their own emphasis, but neither is wrong.
The group stood there and discussed it for a long time, but in the end, Cheng Lanzhou made the decision.
"Now is not the best time. Something just happened tonight, and everyone is in a state of panic. Making a fuss now could easily cause panic and alert the enemy. Let's hold back for now and wait until things calm down tomorrow before making a more careful decision."
Watching the group argue, Madam Yun sighed softly, "Let's put this aside for now. The most important thing is for everyone to get some rest, otherwise we won't have the energy to travel tomorrow and will suffer again."
Back in their resting corner, Madam Yun stayed by Jiang Yutang's side, feeling both heartache and a pang of reproach.
"I've told you so many times, you're not allowed to go out alone, especially at night. No matter what, you have to have someone with you. I know you're considerate and don't want to disturb everyone's rest, but your safety is the most important thing!"
Jiang Yutang rubbed against Yun Shi like a little lamb, nodded silently, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Mother, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong."
Seeing that she was sincere in admitting her mistake, Yun's anger subsided considerably. She reached out and pulled the thick towel to cover her chest, her tone softening: "Luckily, Lanzhou happened to see this today, otherwise..."
Jiang Yutang remained silent, but inwardly she wondered: How could Cheng Lanzhou happen to be there so late at night? Was he most likely still secretly watching her?
Regardless of his initial purpose, he had ultimately saved her life. Thinking this, her initial resentment towards Cheng Lanzhou gradually dissipated, replaced by a sense of gratitude.
I must find an opportunity tomorrow to formally thank him.
As night deepened, the camp returned to silence, with only the mournful sound of the wind blowing through the abandoned buildings.
The sound of even breathing around her, interspersed with occasional thunderous snores, brought her a sense of peace that gradually relaxed her, and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
The next day, as soon as it was light, a gloomy atmosphere filled the camp.
Because of the lack of water, the team had not cooked porridge for three consecutive days. Everyone was thirsty and hungry, and they were unwilling to eat even the dry rations that they could barely swallow on ordinary days.
The Jiang family members sat together, expressionless as they ate their dry, hard biscuits.
Jiang Yutang quietly glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, got up and walked to the cart. She pretended to organize her luggage, but actually took out two bottles of mineral water from under the clothes in her bundle.
She quickly unscrewed the bottle cap, poured the water into the bamboo tube she carried with her, then used her body to shield herself and quietly handed the water-filled bamboo tubes to her family members one by one.
Yun took the bamboo tube, her fingertips touching the cold tube wall, her eyes filled with surprise.
Finding a watermelon yesterday was already a stroke of luck, and now there's water too?
Everyone looked puzzled, but no one dared to ask questions on the spot. They simply held the bamboo tube tightly, as if it were a rare treasure.
"This water was sent by that mysterious merchant. I paid a high price to buy it from him. There's not much of it, so we have to drink it sparingly."
Jiang Yutang lowered her voice to explain, making up an excuse she had already thought of. In recent days, her ability to lie had become stronger and stronger.
Even those who work three jobs a day, like oxen and horses, have become quite adept at flattery.
Upon hearing this, the family cherished the hard-won water even more, each only taking a small sip to moisten their chapped lips.
Jiang Yutang looked at Cheng Lanzhou's family not far away, and her hand holding the bamboo tube clenched tightly.
She hesitated for a moment, then picked up a bamboo tube of water and walked toward Cheng Lanzhou and the other two.
Cheng Daier looked up and saw the water being handed to her. She was taken aback at first, then quickly glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she didn't bother to ask where the water came from and quickly took the bamboo tube.
He handed it to Madam Lin: "Mother, please have some water."
Madam Lin took the bamboo tube, carefully took a sip, and then pushed the rest of the water to her: "I'm not thirsty, you and Lanzhou can share it."
Cheng Lanzhou shook her head, her voice calm: "I'm not thirsty, you two can share it."
Jiang Yutang stood aside, watching them politely offer the water to each other, and added softly, "There's not much water here. If you want to drink it, drink it now while no one is looking. Once we're on our way, the sun will be even stronger at noon, and you'll have to endure the thirst."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Daier and Lin Shi stopped refusing and quickly finished drinking the water in the bamboo tube.
Jiang Yutang took the empty bamboo tube, looked at Cheng Lanzhou, and said naturally and earnestly, "Thank you for saving me yesterday. I will remember this kindness."
Cheng Lanzhou glanced at her indifferently, her tone flat: "No need for further explanation, it was just a small favor."
Though his words were cold, his eyes betrayed no less vigilance.
Before the group set off, four constables gathered the refugees together. The short constable stood on the earthen slope and shouted about what had happened the night before, repeating the same few sentences over and over.
Jiang Yutang listened absentmindedly, resting her chin on her hands. This yamen runner was like a leader giving a speech, talking for a long time without getting to the point, just standing there giving orders.
"I'm warning you, if anyone in the group harbors any ill intentions, break their legs and throw them into the wild to be eaten by dogs!"
These words sound fierce, but they don't have much deterrent effect.
Standing in the crowd, Jiang Yutang quietly turned her head and rolled her eyes, inwardly thinking: Is this dog a food delivery driver? In this desolate wilderness, if there really is a dog, who knows who will feed whom.
The refugees listened numbly, hoping only to leave this desolate wasteland as soon as possible and find water and food.
The reality is that they haven't had clean water for three days. The young people can still grit their teeth and persevere, but the old, weak, sick, and children can no longer hold on.
The sun rose higher and higher, making the ground scorching hot. The procession stopped for a short rest, but the erratic yamen runners started yelling again, urging them to hurry on their way.
Just as Jiang Yutang stood up, she suddenly heard a sharp cry coming from not far away.
She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people gathered together. In the middle lay an elderly man with white hair, sunken cheeks, and closed eyes. No matter how much his family cried and shouted, he did not respond.
Yun craned her neck to look around: "What happened?" She then saw a figure flash by, and Jiang Yutang rushed over quickly.
She crouched down, first reaching out to check the old man's breathing, then pressing her ear against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
A moment later, she sat up blankly and looked at the elderly family members surrounding her, their faces full of anxiety. Her voice was so hoarse that it was almost inaudible.
"The old man... has passed away."
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