Chapter 214 Thick Smoke
Following the map markings provided by the pockmarked face, Lin Yuesha successfully found the entrance to the secret passage.
She pointed to a cave entrance and said to Jiang Baozhu, "This is it. If you go down from here, you still have to walk at least several dozen miles to reach Hanmen Pass."
Lin Yuesha moved her ankle, feeling even more grateful to the pockmarked man. If it weren't for his help in setting her bones, her legs would have been crippled even if she went back.
"Dozens of miles?"
Jiang Baozhu's expression changed drastically. She only thought about escaping back as quickly as possible, completely forgetting about the distance.
When they were initially transferred, everyone rode in a carriage, but now, she and Lin Yuesha could only walk back, and to avoid being caught by the barbarians, it was best to run.
"Sister Baozhu, I'll go down first. You follow me behind. We need to hurry."
Granny Wu said that the pockmarked man was waiting at the entrance of the secret passage. Lin Yuesha didn't see him and was worried that something might have happened.
Without thinking too much, Lin Yuesha crawled into the cave entrance and jumped down the steps, immediately feeling a gust of fishy and cold wind rushing towards her.
The wind indicates that the area below is at least open and not a dead end.
A pine oil lamp was lit on the wall, but it couldn't illuminate the path underfoot. Lin Yuesha lit a tinderbox and looked around. The secret passage was narrow and cramped.
Then, Jiang Baozhu jumped down, and to make it easier for her to lift up her skirt, she tied a knot at the front. The two held hands and ran forward at a considerable pace.
"Sister Yue Sha, I can't go on."
After running for about three or five miles, Jiang Baozhu's legs went weak, and she couldn't help but sit down on the ground with heavy breathing.
Whether in her past life or this life, she rarely goes out, let alone travels such a long distance.
Lin Yuesha was also exhausted, but now was not the time to rest. The two of them had to persevere a little longer and get as far away from the barbarians' territory as possible for safety.
"Sister Baozhu, have two of the compressed biscuits I made to replenish your energy. We can't delay."
As Lin Yuesha spoke, she took out an oil paper package from her bosom and handed it to Jiang Baozhu.
Jiang Baozhu was genuinely hungry. She took the food with some embarrassment, and seeing that it was only a small piece, she asked in confusion, "What is this?"
It was small and hard, but the taste was alright.
"The compressed biscuits I make contain walnuts. Don't be fooled by their small size; just one small piece is enough to fill you up."
In preparation for her escape, Lin Yuesha had already discarded any heavy items, carrying only a small bundle containing a bamboo tube for water, a handkerchief, compressed biscuits, a tinderbox, a dagger, and some silver.
"You're so thoughtful. I'm just a burden to you."
Jiang Baozhu smiled wryly and took out a few pastries from her bag. She had traded her hairpin for them with the kitchen staff that morning, and the crusts were already cracked from running all the way.
"No, at least I can't eat sugar shortbread without you by my side."
Lin Yuesha picked up a piece. The pastry contained white sugar and sesame seeds. Because of the cold weather, it had already solidified. The outer crust was crispy, and the white sugar could quickly replenish energy.
The two leaned against each other, quickly ate something, and then continued running forward.
The secret passage ahead was now dark, devoid of oil lamps, and the ceiling seemed to be lower than ever.
Lin Yuesha guessed that this was a small path, not the same one they had used for their carriage before, and could only accommodate two people at most.
"Sister Yue Sha, there are still big rocks under your feet."
Jiang Baozhu stepped on a stone and almost twisted her ankle. Luckily, Lin Yuesha supported her and she managed to keep her balance and avoid falling.
The road ahead was long and dark, but a glimmer of light could be seen in the secret passage.
Even as she continued forward, knowing she was far from the barbarians' territory, Jiang Baozhu felt gloomy and desperate, simply because she couldn't see the end and didn't know where the way out was.
"Sister Baozhu, don't worry, we'll definitely get out of here."
Lin Yuesha was optimistic, entirely due to her trust in the pockmarked face.
"Um."
Jiang Baozhu responded softly, but she wasn't very confident.
To conserve their energy, the two did not continue speaking.
After running for about an hour, Lin Yuesha was covered in sweat. It was still pitch black ahead, and there was a pungent smell in the air.
"Cough cough!"
Jiang Baozhu coughed twice and quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand, saying, "Sister Yue Sha, why is there so much black smoke here?"
"It looks like there's a fire."
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yuesha lit a tinderbox, and the flame illuminated the secret passage, where a cloud of black smoke stretched out ahead.
If someone is burning something, billowing black smoke, it would be unsafe for the two to proceed rashly.
But having come this far, Lin Yuesha was unwilling to turn back.
Jiang Baozhu remained silent, waiting for Lin Yuesha to make a decision, because she was already panicking.
"Sister Baozhu, do you still have a handkerchief and water?"
Lin Yuesha opened the bamboo tube from the package, soaked a handkerchief in water, and covered her mouth and nose.
"some."
Jiang Baozhu followed suit and roughly understood what Lin Yuesha meant.
"Although there's a lot of black smoke, it doesn't seem like a large-scale fire. Let's crouch down and try to breathe less as we rush over."
Retreating is impossible; the only option is to move forward. Both forward and backward carry risks, but at least moving forward might yield positive results.
Staying by Blue Eyes' side, Lin Yuesha was trembling with fear, afraid that she would be played to death. Her own caution was useless; she was completely controlled by Blue Eyes from beginning to end, powerless to resist.
"good."
Jiang Baozhu readily agreed; she had no opinions of her own, so she would listen to Lin Yuesha in everything.
The two entered the thick smoke and ran like mad. After running for about a hundred meters, the smoke ahead became thinner and thinner.
"Someone is burning something; it must be nearby."
Lin Yuesha saw the source of the fire and saw sparks, indicating that the person hadn't gone far.
They didn't know whether the other party was friend or foe. If they were barbarians, the two of them wouldn't be able to fight them with their physical strength.
The two discussed it and decided to continue forward, since they couldn't avoid the people they were destined to meet.
"Sister Yue Sha..."
In the darkness, Jiang Baozhu stepped on something and said tremblingly, "It looks like a person."
Lin Yuesha stopped, lit a tinderbox, and examined it carefully.
Inside the secret passage lay a middle-aged woman with her eyes closed, still breathing, seemingly unconscious.
"Is that Aunt Zhao?"
The middle-aged woman's face was somewhat dirty, but Jiang Baozhu still recognized her.
"Sister Baozhu, do you recognize her?"
Seeing that the woman was from Daqi, Lin Yuesha hesitated whether to wake her up, but unexpectedly, she turned out to be an acquaintance of Jiang Baozhu.
“We were locked in the cellar together. Later, Aunt Zhao and I were selected to do needlework in the sewing room.”
Jiang Baozhu explained that Aunt Zhao was a good person, gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Before she went to Lin Yuesha's place, she always stayed with Aunt Zhao.
The barbarians threw over a lot of tattered clothes. Although Jiang Baozhu was good at needlework, she wasn't very nimble. Most of them were taken by Aunt Zhao without complaint, who took good care of her.
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