"Girl, be careful!" Cuimei hurriedly supported her.
"Are you okay?"
Jiang Yushu stood firm and waved to her husband to show that she was fine.
Guo Honglei turned around and asked, "What happened back there?"
The servant replied hurriedly, "The commotion in the street just now frightened the little boy so much that he kept crying, and the nurse couldn't stop him."
With a crackle, the officer raised his hand, cracked his whip in the air, and shouted, "How dare you! No prisoner is allowed to stop without the permission of Master Zhang."
Zhang Feng pressed the hilt of the sword at his waist, frowned, and said unhappily, "If you keep stopping and starting like this, it will take you forever to reach Xicang. Hurry up!"
The Guo family had no choice but to move on.
The whip suddenly made a sharp sound, and the eldest grandson Guo Yu became even more frightened. He struggled hard in his wet nurse's arms, crying breathlessly.
"Yu'er?" Wang was extremely worried. She twisted her body in agony and called out anxiously, "Yu'er, be good, don't cry! Qiaozhen, why don't you comfort the child quickly? Can't you hear the child crying?"
Wang Qiaozhen covered her face, filled with resentment, and replied sadly, "Even adults can't bear such humiliation, let alone a three-year-old child. I'm at my wit's end. Please don't blame me, mother."
"You--" Wang wanted to scold, but she heard her grandson crying from "Mom" to "Dad", shouting "I want Dad to hold me". She immediately became depressed and lamented: "Poor Yu'er still doesn't understand that your grandfather and father are dead." After she finished speaking, she burst into tears.
Jiang Yushu felt pity for her nephew, who was so young and ignorant. She said as they walked, "The morning breeze is cold. We can't let Yu'er cry like this. It's strange that even my sister-in-law can't comfort him."
Guo Honglei lowered his voice and replied helplessly: "She is too busy to take care of herself."
Jiang Yushu was stunned and suggested, "Well, is Yu'er usually close to his uncle? Or someone else? Anyway, since the wet nurse can't coax him, let's try someone we know."
Guo Honglei turned his head upon hearing this and ordered, "Bring Yu'er to me."
"yes."
After a while, the fat and white Guo Yu was brought to the front by everyone.
"Give me the bag." Jiang Yushu picked up her bag again.
Guo Honglei held his nephew in one hand, his expression calm. Naturally taciturn, he said dryly, "Alright, stop crying. Don't be afraid."
"Wuwuwu! Hiccup! Hiccup, cough, cough..." Guo Yu dared not move, sobbing and twitching slightly, hiccuping in grievance. In fact, not only did he not get close to his second uncle, he was also very afraid of him.
The eldest grandson of the Marquis of Jingyang, he is as precious as gold and jade, and has been deeply loved since birth. He can get whatever he wants at home!
Because he was favored, he was not afraid of his grandparents or his parents...but he was afraid of Guo Honglei.
In his memory, his second uncle was tall and handsome, with no expression on his face but a stern look in his eyes that made him afraid to get close to him.
Jiang Yushu turned her head and looked at her tearful nephew. She smiled softly and asked gently, "Your name is Guo Xiaoyu, right?"
"Hic?" Guo Yu was stunned. He carefully leaned on his uncle's shoulder and choked out a sob, "No."
Jiang Yushu asked again: "Then his name must be Guo Dayu?"
Guo Yu shook his head. "My name is Guo Yu, Yu'er."
"Oh." Jiang Yushu suddenly realized and deliberately teased: "I know, so your name is Guo Yuyuer!"
Guo Yu opened his mouth blankly and forgot to cry for a moment.
While her nephew was confused, Jiang Yushu quickly raised her hand and pointed ahead, pretending to be surprised and asked, "Guo Yuyu, do you see that tree on the side of the road?"
"See, I see." Guo Yu was still hiccuping.
Jiang Yushu said seriously, "Let's go quickly. When we get to that tree, I'll pick some flowers for you to play with."
"Hmm?" Guo Yu stretched his neck to look. When he heard the word "play", he nodded involuntarily, "Then, let's go quickly."
The noisy crying finally stopped, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. After the parade, they once again looked at Jiang Yushu with new eyes.
Wang Qiaozhen ignored him, looking discouraged, walking woodenly with a blank look in her eyes.
A moment later, the group passed by a flower tree. Jiang Yushu kept her promise and really broke off a thin branch and handed it to her nephew, coaxing him, "Here, this is lilac. I give it to you, Guo Yuyuer!"
"Hmm." Guo Yu took the flower, sniffed it, turned it over and over, and gradually stopped hiccuping. He stared at Jiang Yushu in confusion, and couldn't help it anymore. He mustered up the courage and whispered in her ear: "Second Uncle, what's my name?"
Guo Honglei raised an eyebrow, glanced at his wife out of the corner of his eye, and slowly replied, "Your name is Guo Yu."
Guo Yu immediately raised his head and chest and said seriously: "Listen carefully, my name is Guo Yu!"
"Don't be rude. She's your second aunt." Guo Honglei asked seriously, "Since she's your elder, what should you do?"
At this time, Guo Yu had completely calmed down. When his uncle urged him, he didn't hesitate and blurted out timidly: "Yu'er greets you."
Jiang Yushu didn't stop walking. She raised her hand and patted her nephew's arm, saying apologetically, "Good boy, so good. So your name is Guo Yu. Sorry, I misheard."
Guo Yu sniffed, "It's nothing. But don't make the same mistake next time."
"Okay!" Jiang Yushu agreed readily, looked up at the sky, and asked with concern, "How many miles have we walked?"
Guo Honglei thought for a moment and said, "About ten miles."
"Wow, you're walking pretty fast!" Jiang Yushu was secretly delighted.
The dark and sturdy Zhang Feng said, "Let me tell you: the official roads near the capital are straight and flat, making them easy to walk on. The hardship lies ahead."
Guo Honglei understood everything and asked, "Sir, what should we do if we encounter a disaster and are delayed?"
"It depends on the specific disaster." Zhang Feng replied slowly and seriously, "According to the court's regulations, unless there is a real possibility of no further movement, you are not allowed to stop."
They walked from dawn to noon without stopping for a moment, and almost everyone was secretly complaining and sweating profusely.
Wang and her eldest daughter-in-law were panting and their steps became slower and slower.
Jiang Yushu's face was flushed by the sun, but she gritted her teeth and took out the water bag. After taking two sips, she handed it to the person next to her, "It's too hot. You two should drink some water too."
Guo Honglei first fed his nephew to quench his thirst, paused, and then drank a few mouthfuls himself. His mourning clothes were soaked with sweat.
After walking a little further, Zhang Feng stopped when he passed a forest and shouted, "Stop! Rest here for 25 minutes. Your daily rations are fixed and provided by the post station. Eat as you see fit."
Then, he drew his sword with a swish, startling Jiang Yushu. He roared, "You are not serious criminals. Once you are away from the busy city, the chains can be removed, but no one should even think of escaping! Once the fugitives are caught, hmph, they will be killed without mercy!"
Guo Honglei stepped forward and said solemnly, "Master Zhang, please rest assured. The criminals and others are determined to go to Xicang to serve as soldiers and cultivate land. They will never run away."
"It's best not to run away. I've already said it before, all fugitives will be killed on the spot." After saying that, Zhang Feng ordered: "Untie them." "Yes!"
The Guo family was locked up for a whole morning. After the chains were untied, everyone sat on the ground, rubbing their wrists, pounding their waists and legs, drinking water and eating dry food.
Jiang Yushu and her husband's family sat in a circle, surrounded by loyal maids and servants.
The rations consisted of coarse, solid, and bowl-sized steamed buns made from various grains. Adult men and women were allowed six buns a day, and those under fifteen were allowed half that.
Jiang Yushu took a bite and chewed it slowly. The bruise in her throat stung and she thought to herself: Boys and girls have different appetites. Teenagers can eat a lot... This portion is not enough.
"Ahem." Guo Hongxuan took a sip and coughed with his neck stiff. Wang said hurriedly, "Xuan'er, drink some water. Oh, pitiful you, you've never eaten anything like this in your life!"
Guo Honglei patiently persuaded her, "Mom, hurry up and eat too. We'll only rest for 25 minutes. We have to keep going."
Wang sighed deeply, frowned and swallowed hard.
Jiang Yushu approached and tried to coax Guo Yu to eat the steamed bun porridge soaked in water, but she saw Wang Qiaozhen sitting there with her knees hugged, refusing to eat or drink. She called out softly, "Sister-in-law? Sister-in-law?"
Wang Qiaozhen stood up suddenly, frowned and looked around.
"Sister-in-law, what are you doing...?" Guo Honglei also stood up.
Wang Qiaozhen bit her lip, covered her lower abdomen, and said nothing.
Guo Honglei understood and said, "Wait a minute, I'll go ask." After a while, he returned and whispered, "Who else wants to go? Let's go together."
People have three urgent things to do. Jiang Yushu and many other women ignored the embarrassment and walked together to the bushes in the forest designated by the officials.
Unexpectedly, when passing a tree that was so thick that two people could hug it, Wang Qiaozhen suddenly rushed forward, without hesitation, and jumped up, hitting her head against the tree trunk.
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