Chapter 16 Rocky Ridge [New] Where did the tripwire come from out of nowhere? ...
At the foot of Jingyanggang Mountain.
A brand-new mule cart was parked there.
It was still the same mule, but the carriage it pulled had changed.
The floorboards were replaced with a single thick pine log, covered with a thick layer of dried mugwort, pressed down, and then two soft mattresses were laid on top, with a rattan mat on top of that. A waterproof tarpaulin was also added to the canopy, and thin sheets of iron were nailed all over the tarpaulin. Even the wheels were not spared; a hardwood core was wrapped with iron, and a row of iron teeth were chiseled out...
Hai Hongzhu and Tie Pinggu, the two young girls, found the mule cart soft and cool, so they lay down side by side. They intended to doze off for a little while, but unexpectedly, they were both fast asleep in no time. Hai Hongzhu simply couldn't resist the drowsiness, her eyelids drooping; Tie Pinggu, on the other hand, had lingering poison in her body, making her feel heavy and listless.
Hai Si's father didn't wake the two little girls.
As people get older, they can't help but reminisce about the past. Hai Si's father sat alone on the cart shaft, fanning himself with his straw hat, wiping his face with a handkerchief, silently gazing at Jingyang Ridge in a daze.
He spent his life as a traveling performer, wandering and struggling for most of his life, causing his wife little time to enjoy life. Later, his wife left, leaving only Hongzhu to depend on him for survival.
He also had a condition called "chicken-eye eye," which meant he would be completely blind at night and could only travel at the crack of dawn.
He wasted his youth on this path.
He's been traveling all his life, and he's really tired.
This line of work is ultimately not a respectable profession; it involves dealing with all sorts of people, and inevitably some shady dealings. He really didn't want his daughter to spend her whole life out there, showing her face in public and making a living by performing tricks. The world was not peaceful, and Hongzhu was growing more and more beautiful every day. He was an old man, and if someone really had bad intentions, even if he risked his old life, he was afraid he couldn't protect his daughter.
He dared not gamble.
Thinking of this, Hai Si's father felt a lump in his throat and wiped his face haphazardly. He himself was used to this kind of life, but what about Hongzhu?
Are you suggesting that Hongzhu should also marry a poor man and follow in her mother's footsteps?
Hai Si's father felt a tightness in his chest and shook his head.
.
Suddenly, a "whooshing" sound was heard. Hai Si looked up and saw that it was Doctor You coming down from the mountain.
She carried a bamboo medicine basket on her back, twirling steadily as she walked slowly under the sun. Her stiff, starched linen clothes, which looked dry after washing and drying, were edged with hemp thread, the stitches neat and clean. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, showing no trace of the melancholy of parting.
Seeing how lightly she walked, Hai Si's father felt a sudden jolt in his heart, as if he were about to fall.
They're leaving already?
So quick?
After all, he had experienced so much in the mountain god temple. If it were him, he would have some lingering feelings. But she looked as if she had unloaded some burden and was feeling light and carefree.
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After a few quick steps, You Mingjiang jumped onto the mule cart, turned his face, and waved to Hai Si's father: "Let's go."
Hai Si's father cleared his throat and hesitated before speaking, "Are we just going to leave quietly? Don't we need to say goodbye?"
"It's not worth it." She placed the bamboo medicine basket into the cart, closed her eyes, and put her hands behind her head. "Right now, we don't even know where we're going. Saying too much will only add to our worries. If we meet again in the future, we can talk about everything slowly."
Doctor You has always been straightforward and treats everyone the same; she probably doesn't really have many concerns in her heart. Hai Si's father couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He and his daughter were already a burden; when they left Kaifeng, he had begged her again and again before she finally agreed to give them a ride.
What if one day Dr. You finds them in the way and wants to part ways...?
No, absolutely not!
Both he and Hongzhu longed to stay with Doctor You, never leaving his side.
Only after surviving a brush with death did he realize that without Doctor You, he and Hongzhu would have long since perished in some unknown corner.
In this world, human life is as fragile as paper. Having someone to rely on to catch your breath, even if it means washing chamber pots or sweeping the yard, is better than being constantly on the move.
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Hai Si Die took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anxiety. He had to straighten up!
Having spent most of his life in the martial arts world, he knew all the ins and outs of it like the back of his hand, and always knew how to use them. Whatever Doctor You asked him to do, he would eagerly volunteer.
He had to show off his skills so that Dr. You would know that he and his daughter were not a burden!
With that thought, he subtly straightened his slightly hunched back and steadied his grip on the reins.
Then he raised his hand and gently cracked the whip. The mule neighed and started walking, heading north.
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Two weeks later.
The summer heat was intense, and the mule cart traveled north along the dirt road through the mountains of central Hebei, finally entering the territory of Daming Prefecture.
The mule cart was too conspicuous. With its newly modified iron wheels and oilcloth canopy, it was a bright target compared to the vagrants' dilapidated wheelbarrows. If it got too close to the city gate, it would be thoroughly inspected.
Daming Prefecture was an important town and a secondary capital. The Xiang Army guarded the city, and 20,000 Imperial Guards were stationed in the suburbs, but there was no peace or tranquility on the official road.
The crowds of refugees surged in like a rising tide. Just past the boundary marker, the Imperial Guards blocked their way, turning their belongings inside out.
You Mingjiang glanced at the Imperial Guard's banners in the distance, his tone hardening as he whispered, "Uncle Hai, there aren't many blank travel permits left. This batch of Imperial Guards is newly arrived; they're strict and undisciplined. Let's take the mountain road around them and avoid running into them."
Hai Si's father reined in the troops and wiped the sweat from his brow: "I heard the last batch only stayed for two months. Why are they changing shifts?"
You Mingjiang sighed softly, lowering his voice even further: "Isn't it because the imperial court is afraid that if the soldiers and generals gather in one place and take root for too long, they might develop some disloyal intentions?"
Hai Si's father clicked his tongue in amazement: "No wonder I always hear about the Imperial Guards changing their duties. It turns out the court is afraid of this! If that's the case, are the Imperial Guards here in Daming Prefecture also so strictly managed? The local security must be very good, right?"
You Mingjiang sneered, "Good security? Daming Prefecture is right next to Hengshan Sect and Blackwood Cliff, and the fighting between the two sides has never stopped. Even if the garrison is not rotated, the Imperial Guard usually turns a blind eye. Who is willing to really care? Uncle Hai, tell me, is this considered good security?"
Suddenly, a head popped out of the carriage. Hai Hongzhu came over excitedly: "But I heard that Daming Prefecture is an important town with a full 20,000 Imperial Guards and Garrison Troops! With so many people, can't they wipe out the troublemakers from the martial arts world?"
Amused by her naive words, You Mingjiang shook his head and explained, "What are you thinking? The Xiangjun soldiers are just doing menial work, they only get a few strings of cash a month, why would they risk their lives for the sake of the Jianghu?"
Hai Hongzhu retorted, unconvinced, "I'm not talking about scattered soldiers, I'm talking about the Imperial Guards, the ones who are properly ordered around and receive government pay..."
You Mingjiang shook his head slightly: "The Imperial Guards are rotated every few days. Today you go to great lengths to clear out the troublemakers, and tomorrow a new group of unfamiliar faces will come. Who will get credit for all this hard work and effort? The people in the government only care about appearances and not causing chaos to the point of having to close the city gates. As for how the common people are actually living, few of them really care."
Hai Hongzhu's eyes widened, and her mouth was slightly open.
It turns out that what the imperial court feared was the military seizure of power, not the infighting among the common people. These ordinary folks were already grateful to be able to survive and avoid trouble.
Seeing that she was still in a daze, You Mingjiang patted the carriage shaft: "Don't just stand there, let's get going."
Hai Si's father quickly responded, flicked his whip, and the mule neighed and took off, turning into the side road.
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This mountain road is much more difficult to travel than the official road.
The wheels rolled over the gravel, making a grating "crunch, crunch" sound. The gravel on the ground was sharp and dense, many with sharp edges. The iron wheels made a soft "sizzling" sound as they rolled over it.
After walking for most of the day, the sun grew increasingly scorching, and the mule began to pant heavily, its nostrils flaring with heat, and its hooves moved more slowly, as if it were enduring pain with every step.
Stones of varying sizes were packed together, gleaming white in the sunlight. Wild jujube thorns and brambles sprouted from the cracks in the stones, their leaves drooping listlessly, barely rustling twice in the wind.
Sweating profusely, Hai Sidie glanced around and mumbled, "This place, I think it's called something like 'Rock Ridge'... The iron rims on the cart wheels have been loosened quite a bit by these stones."
The heat wave, carrying dust, slammed into people. Hai Si Die was wearing a coarse cloth short jacket with mud on the cuffs, paired with gray linen trousers. His hair was messy, and the sour smell of sweat clung to his body and he couldn't shake it off. Even his breath was hot.
The two girls weren't much better off; they both smelled terrible. Hai Hongzhu wiped her sweat, her brows still furrowed.
The group was dressed in extremely shabby clothes, except for You Mingjiang, who managed to get a decent outfit: a round-necked, narrow-sleeved shirt with the hem tucked into his belt, and the sleeves rolled up at the shoulders. At first glance, he really looked like a minor official escorting documents.
It wasn't that she was selfish or only cared about her own appearance; she simply had no other choice. She deliberately hung a post station lantern on the cart, disguised herself as a minor official, and tied a small bundle of rolled-up items to the mule, pretending they were official documents, in order to intimidate the disaster victims along the way.
"Well, if we travel for another two or three days, we should be able to reach Pingding Prefecture." You Mingjiang said, his gaze falling on the face of Tie Pinggu, who was sleeping soundly in the carriage.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the carriage canopy, casting dappled shadows on Tie Pinggu's sallow face. The damp cloth covering her forehead had long since dried and clung tightly to her skin.
Tie Pinggu curled up on the rattan mat, with a thick layer of dried mugwort under her, but it still couldn't stop the mule cart from shaking.
Her face was sallow, her lips were cracked and peeling, her eyes were half-open and half-closed, her long eyelashes were covered in dust, one hand was loosely placed on her abdomen, and she occasionally let out a few muffled breaths.
The bee venom had already damaged her health, and having not eaten any hot food along the way, she couldn't sleep well at night, feeling irritable from the bloating in her stomach; during the day, she felt drowsy and listless, and was generally unwell.
You Mingjiang squeezed the strap of the bamboo medicine basket, thinking to herself: If Tie Pinggu stops taking hot meals to regulate her body, she may develop a chronic illness.
Hai Hongzhu also clutched her stomach, eating dry fried noodles every day. Her mouth was sore in several places, and her stomach was bloated as if she were carrying a hard ball, as if she were being tortured.
Seeing that her face was pale, You Mingjiang reached out and touched her forehead: "You don't look well. Can you still hold on?"
Hai Hongzhu quickly straightened her back, enduring the discomfort, and forced a smile: "It's probably too hot... I'll be fine after a rest."
Hai Si's father glared at his daughter, who was sitting listlessly in the back of the cart. Throughout the journey, he had been afraid of causing trouble for Doctor You. Several times, Hai Hongzhu clutched her stomach, her face contorted in pain, but he had subtly suppressed her discomfort with his eyes.
Seeing Hai Si's father give her a look that said "don't make things worse," Hai Hongzhu quickly lowered her head.
How could she not understand her father's thoughts?
Along the way, the mule carts would try to detour around groups of disaster victims, but there were always times when they couldn't avoid them. The roadside was full of starving disaster victims, their clothes were so tattered that they couldn't even cover their bodies. They had caught all the wild animals, so they built tattered cloth and thatched huts by the roadside, soaked in ankle-deep mud, and scooped up a mouthful of food from murky puddles.
Starting a fire to cook is tantamount to explicitly stating "I have food," isn't it?
Uncle Hai then suggested not to light a fire, but to have everyone carry a bag of dry fried noodles, and to eat a few bites of dry noodles when they were hungry, just to keep things peaceful.
Besides, it's already a great blessing that Sister You was willing to share some fried noodles with her and her father. How could they possibly be picky?
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Even at this point, Hai Hongzhu was still gritting her teeth and holding on.
Looking again at Hai Si's father, who was pursing his lips and not saying a word, what else could You Mingjiang not understand?
She took a bamboo tube from the bamboo medicine basket, uncorked it, and handed it to Hai Hongzhu: "These past few days I've only been eating dry fried noodles, and my stomach can't take it anymore. Pinggu is still sick, you can't afford to collapse too. This is Baohe Tang, made with hawthorn and Shenqu. Feed her a few mouthfuls first, and you can drink the rest yourself; it will make you feel better."
Hai Hongzhu took it and brought the bamboo tube to Tie Pinggu's mouth. Tie Pinggu's throat moved, and she instinctively swallowed half a mouthful.
Before she could be fed again, she frowned, unwilling to let the medicine disturb her peaceful sleep, and turned her head away, refusing to open her mouth.
Hai Hongzhu then held the bamboo tube herself and took small sips.
The warm medicinal soup slid down my throat, carrying a hint of hawthorn tartness. I couldn't tell if it was the medicine's effect or the relief in my mind, but the bloating in my stomach actually lessened a bit.
Seeing that Hai Hongzhu was still listless, You Mingjiang patted her head with heartache: "Let's find a place to rest and make some hot soup to warm our stomachs."
Hai Si Die, however, disagreed, shaking his head repeatedly: "I can't rest, I really can't rest."
Hearing her father's statement, Hai Hongzhu looked up and said in a trembling voice, "Cough cough cough... I can hold on, Sister You..."
.
Stubborn.
Big stubborn species and small stubborn species.
You Mingjiang's head was throbbing. He had kept quiet all this time, but now he couldn't hold it in any longer.
Throughout the journey, she tried her best to let Hai Si's father drive the carriage himself and didn't interfere much, hoping to reassure him and make him feel less nervous.
Unexpectedly, things backfired, and Hai Si's father became even more stressed, not even able to take a deep breath.
You Mingjiang sighed, "This is a good place to rest..."
"We really can't stop here!"
Hai Si's father turned his head, sniffed the air, and quickly weighed the whip in his hand: "Dr. You, with such a strong smell of damp earth, it must be raining! Mountain rain comes suddenly and hard, the longer we stay, the more dangerous it becomes!"
You Mingjiang covered her face with one hand: "..."
She was truly at her wit's end.
He could only sigh and say softly, "Then let's travel a little further. Let's find a sheltered mountain hollow to take shelter."
.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the raindrops began to fall.
They weren't just fine, floating hairs; they were real, solid beans. At first, there were only three or five of them, jumping around here and there.
In the blink of an eye, the weather changed completely.
The rain was so dense that it formed a continuous sheet, a white blur that blocked the view, and it pounded on the car roof with a loud "thump, thump".
"Crack!" A bolt of lightning illuminated the rain curtain!
Immediately afterward, a thunderclap made her ears ring, and Hai Hongzhu shrank back, hiding deeper into the truck bed.
The lightning was so bright it was blinding, and the mule pulling the cart was startled. It raised its head and neighed in panic, its hooves digging into the mud, sending mud flying everywhere.
Hai Si's father hurriedly jumped off the car, his trouser legs dragging in the mud, leaving a trail of grime.
Rainwater streamed into his eyes, stinging them so much that he frowned, no matter how much he blinked. He squinted and gave the kicking mule a couple of mock lashes, but the whips didn't touch the mane; there was only a hollow "crack."
But the animal wouldn't listen, snorted loudly, and kept pawing at the mud with its front hooves, refusing to budge.
Panting, Hai Si's father shouted helplessly to the carriage shaft, "Dr. You, this stubborn fellow has lost his temper and is kicking!"
“No problem, I’ll do it.” You Mingjiang jumped off the mule cart, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, they sank into the mud.
She reached out to steady the wheel, but the car lurched violently and sank deeper with a "squeak," splashing mud all over her trousers.
Rainwater slanted into the car awning, landing on Hai Hongzhu's hand, making her shiver with cold. She said in a flustered voice, "Sister You, the rain is getting in..."
You Mingjiang glanced towards the truck bed and said gently to Hai Hongzhu, "Hongzhu, toss me the bamboo medicine basket."
Taking the bamboo medicine basket, she didn't bother to put on a raincoat; she directly took out an oilcloth from inside and pressed it down tightly along the edge of the cart.
After working for a while, she lifted a corner of the carriage curtain to look inside. Seeing that the oilcloth was properly covering the area, with only a few drops of water on the edges, and that the two girls' clothes were still dry, she breathed a sigh of relief.
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You Mingjiang didn't rush to get on the car. Instead, he walked a few steps to the roadside, bent down and picked a handful of bitter lettuce, then found a few tender alfalfa plants, gently brushed off the mud from the roots, and brought them to the mule's nose.
The mule, which had been holding its neck stiffly, suddenly twitched its ears when it smelled the wild vegetables.
You Mingjiang touched the mule's neck, running her fingers along its mane as she walked down. She squatted down to take a look, and her eyes suddenly fixed on it. Sure enough, there was a pebble stuck between the mule's hind hooves, with traces of blood seeping out.
She quickly picked out the pebbles, straightened up, took a jar of salt from her bamboo medicine basket, mixed a pinch with some wild vegetables, and offered it to the mule: "So you've been wronged, no wonder you won't leave. Eat up, and when we find a place to shelter from the rain, you can rest properly."
The mule chewed on wild vegetables, its eyes slowly welling up with tears. Its tail stopped wagging, and its kicking energy dissipated. It gently nuzzled her arm with its head, like a child seeking comfort.
Hai Sidie had already put on his raincoat and straw hat. Looking at the scene before him, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Dr. You, in all my years, this is the first time I've ever seen someone have such intimate conversations with livestock."
"Livestock can't speak, so they can only suffer in silence, just like people who have things on their minds."
You Mingjiang gently comforted him, "Uncle Hai, this rain won't stop anytime soon, don't worry. I see what you're worried about."
Hai Sidie stared at the mule's obedient appearance for a moment, then wiped the rain off his face before sighing softly, "...Hmm, I'll listen to Doctor You."
To be honest, what he was afraid of wasn't the mountain rain, but the arrival of bandits like those from Qingfeng Mountain. What if they outnumbered him, or if the bandit leader was more skilled than Doctor You?
·
What I feared most came to pass.
As the mountain road ahead gradually widened, the wheels suddenly sank, and with a creak, the entire vehicle came to a sudden stop, as if pulled by something.
Immediately afterwards, several trees by the roadside fell down, their trunks scraping against the sides of the cart and crashing into the mud. Mud splattered all over the cart, and the mule, having injured its hoof and been frightened, instinctively lunged forward.
For a moment, the car shook violently, as if it were about to fall apart.
Hai Si's father had sharp eyes and spotted a half-inch of hemp rope sticking out of the grass. His heart jumped to his throat: "It's a tripwire!"
You Mingjiang didn't panic, nor did he try to fight the mule.
She pulled on the reins, gently reining in the mule as it lunged forward, and shouted, "Hold on tight!"
The carriage suddenly lurched, and Hai Si's father quickly grabbed the railing and clamped his legs tightly around the shaft; Hai Hongzhu reacted very quickly, turning over and pulling Tie Pinggu into her arms to protect her.
Tie Pinggu groaned as she was jolted around. Hai Hongzhu supported her, but her own shoulder slammed hard against the carriage floor.
She bit her lip in pain, but stubbornly refused to utter a sound.
The wheel ran over the tripwire, and there was another jolt.
The mule, its injured hoof pulled, suddenly swung its tail, causing the vehicle to lurch violently, nearly shaking a person's skeleton apart!
Thank goodness!
The car thankfully didn't overturn.
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Glancing around the carriage, seeing that the two girls were still safe, You Mingjiang wiped away a cold sweat and secretly rejoiced: thank goodness it wasn't a deep valley with steep cliffs; if it had been in this situation, the mule cart would surely have been lost.
She pulled on the reins; the mule was still trembling slightly, but it didn't back down any further.
Mules are inherently honest and simple-minded. If they suddenly encounter a tripwire, they will most likely be confused, either trying to force their way through or freezing in place. The fact that they can endure pain to protect their owners shows that they are quite intelligent and understanding.
Any other animal would have been jumping up and kicking wildly by now, but this mule was intelligent. Following the force of the reins, it managed to stop and even straighten the vehicle a bit.
“Good boy, you’re so clever,” You Mingjiang said. “Once we’ve finished this journey, I’ll find you the cleanest hay and add a couple more handfuls of bean cake so you can get some rest.”
The mule snorted and flicked its tail.
Before he could catch his breath, the axle suddenly made a strange "creaking" sound, and the whole vehicle lurched to the left.
The iron ring, which had been loosened by the stones, slipped off half a circle after the bumpy ride!
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We have to stop and fix the car.
Hai Si gritted his teeth and shouted to You Mingjiang, "Dr. You, this wheel has to be repaired! Let me pry it open and take a look!"
In the white mist and rain, the shadows of the trees blurred into a single mass.
You Mingjiang frowned, his eyes darkening. "Uncle Hai, no rush. This isn't about whether the car needs fixing or not."
In this desolate wilderness, it's rare to even encounter a passerby on a normal day. How could a tripwire suddenly appear out of nowhere?
Nine times out of ten, they've encountered highway robbers trying to steal their money.
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You Mingjiang handed the reins to Hai Si's father and jumped off the carriage.
"Heroes, we are refugees heading to Pingding Prefecture. We are passing through your esteemed land and do not wish to cause any trouble."
Holding a tiger-shaped brace, she paced forward, scanning her surroundings as she said, "But given the current situation, you all aren't planning on having us cross this route?"
She didn't seem to raise her voice intentionally, but every word she uttered broke through the noise of the rain and traveled out clearly.
"Since the heroes of the road intend to block our way, why not show yourselves and make yourselves known!"
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A note from the author:
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[Good Luck Lianlian] Pingding Prefecture: "Black Cliff is located in Hebei Province. Traveling east from Hengshan Mountain, one arrives at Pingding Prefecture in a short time." Based on the description, Pingding Prefecture is roughly located on the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains at the border of Hebei and Shanxi, approximately in the vicinity of Baoding Prefecture. Coincidentally, Ding Xi's story takes place near Baoding Prefecture, so I quickly summarized it.
[Green Heart] 25.8.22: A new chapter has been added as a transitional storyline, and Ding Xi and Xiao Ma will be available soon.
[Let me see] Thank you to the following little angels for sending the nutrient solution:
[Heart] "Drunken Life, Dreamlike Death" irrigates with +12 nutrient solution, "Branch Tea" irrigates with +20 nutrient solution, "Moon Viewing" irrigates with +2 nutrient solution. [Heart]
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