Adjutant Cheng pointed to the curling smoke from cooking fires in the distance and said excitedly, "Finally, we see the village!"
Lord Li breathed a sigh of relief, the fatigue on his face slightly relieved. He laughed heartily and encouraged everyone, "Cheer up! Just a little more effort and we'll get there!"
The morale of the team was immediately boosted and they quickened their pace.
By the time we reached the edge of the village, it was already getting dark.
The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the roofs of the village, casting a warm glow on everything here.
After a long and boring journey through the desert, the people in the team welcomed the long-awaited hope.
Su Huaiyue looked up at the sky that was gradually turning red, and finally felt a little relieved.
Wei Li and Wei Zhi pushed through the crowd and ran to Su Huaiyue's side. Their faces were filled with excitement and turned into unstoppable words: "Mom, we are finally here! It looks so nice here! It's not as desolate as the desert. We haven't eaten yet."
"Yeah! These days are so hard!"
Wei Zhi said excitedly, his cheeks flushed with excitement.
"It's okay, we're finally out of the desert, everything will be fine."
Su Huaiyue bent down, gently patted the two children's heads, and showed a warm smile.
She looked around and saw her third and fourth sisters-in-law hugging each other tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
Although they rarely get close to each other on weekdays, in this situation, all the ice seems to melt at this moment.
"It's okay, we all got through safely."
Su Huaiyue walked forward and comforted them softly.
Madam Wei stood nearby. Although her expression was as dignified as ever, a hint of comfort flashed in her eyes. She said softly, "Alright, stop crying. It's been hard for everyone to get here. Wipe away your tears quickly and don't let others laugh at you."
Smoke rose from the village. Lord Li looked around and ordered his officers and soldiers to set up a temporary camp near the village.
He turned to Adjutant Cheng and said, "Send a few people to the village to see if there is anything they can buy and bring back some first. Don't let everyone go hungry."
Adjutant Cheng nodded and quickly walked towards the village with several officers and soldiers.
Soon after, they returned with food and water.
Lord Li walked forward to check and smiled for the first time in a long time: "We need to make some food quickly, everyone is starving."
All of a sudden, the whole team became busy and all their fatigue disappeared.
Soon, the aroma of food filled the air, and the small camp next to the village became bustling with activity.
People sat together, shared food and talked about the future.
Although all of this was just simple noodles and clear soup, it was a great comfort to them.
Su Huaiyue sat by the fire, looking at the harmonious picture with a smile. She knew in her heart that the road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers, but at this moment, they no longer had to worry about water and food.
"Mom, after we settle down, can you teach me how to make such delicious noodles?"
Wei Li couldn't help but ask while eating the food in his hand.
"Of course, as long as you don't mind my simple and crude cooking."
Su Huaiyue replied with a smile, a faint warmth rising in her heart.
Wei Li raised his head and kissed Su Huaiyue.
"I don't dislike my mother!"
For a moment, everyone in the Wei family was infected by this heartwarming scene and smiled gently.
After eating and drinking, it was getting late and everyone went back to their tents to sleep.
This was the first night after leaving the desert, and for some reason everyone slept soundly.
It was late at night and everyone was asleep, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the tranquility.
Su Huaiyue fell into a deep sleep until a shrill cry echoed in the early morning air, waking her from her dream.
She opened her eyes and saw that Wei Li and Wei Zhi were also woken up, rubbing their sleepy eyes and walking to her.
Wei Li's face was full of solemnity, and she whispered, "Mother, I heard that someone in the village fell seriously ill last night and passed away this morning."
Su Huaiyue's heart tightened and she immediately sat up. She signaled the two children to stop talking so as not to disturb others.
Although he has nothing to do with the village, the sudden death always makes people feel sad.
She said to Wei Li and Wei Zhi with some concern: "No matter what, we can't stay here for long. It's time to continue on our journey."
The two children nodded in understanding.
Not only did they know about this, but everyone else in the team had also heard about it.
Lord Li has received reports from his subordinates and feels a little uneasy when he learns that a villager has died of illness.
He thought for a moment and decided to call everyone and leave this dangerous place immediately.
Soon all the prisoners became uneasy and began to pack their things faster.
Soon, villagers gathered outside the village. The man in the lead was very powerful, and his face was not sad, but full of anger.
He pointed directly at Lord Li and his group and shouted, "You outsiders have brought disaster upon us! My brother was just cursed by you last night, and he's dead this morning! How are we, an orphan and a widow, going to survive?"
Lord Li was standing at the entrance of the village, facing a group of villagers - led by a middle-aged man with an angry expression and harsh words.
"You outsiders brought the disease to our village. If it weren't for you, my brother wouldn't have died!"
"Calm down, calm down."
Lord Li hurried forward, revealing a rather kind smile, and tried to appease him: "My dear brother, please be patient. We have nothing to do with this matter. It may be a misunderstanding..."
"No, absolutely not!"
The man refused outright, his emotions boiling. "You came to the village to buy food last night, and something happened this morning. Everyone in the village says you're dirty!"
At this time, the villagers who followed him to support him all echoed loudly and were very excited.
Lord Li's voice was drowned out by their shouting.
The man sneered, "Although our village is poor and information is not well-connected, we are not so easily fooled. Since my brother died because of you, you must give an explanation. At least leave some money for his orphan and widow to support their livelihood!"
Su Huaiyue frowned slightly. She keenly realized that this was not only about holding people accountable for the illness, but more because the village was very poor, so they wanted to extort some money.
"This big brother,"
Wei Che spoke, his voice steady and majestic, "I'm afraid this matter needs further discussion. We haven't brought anything unclean along the way, so how can it be bad luck?"
Su Huaiyue quietly approached Wei Che and whispered, "We are in a difficult situation right now, so we shouldn't create unnecessary complications. They just want some compensation."
Wei Che nodded, but he knew in his heart that things were not simple.
Sure enough, the villager immediately jumped up and said, "Is talking nonsense enough? Leave some money as compensation, or you won't be able to go anywhere!"
Lord Li frowned slightly. He had intended to resolve the issue properly, but he did not want to be blackmailed for no reason.
The villagers also gathered around at this time, blocking the way in groups of three or five, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
The Wei family, including a few timid sisters-in-law, gathered around at this time, looking uneasy.
Wei Si's wife whispered to Wei San's wife, "What should we do? They are so many and powerful. If we don't give them, we don't know what will happen."
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