Chapter 32
They left in a hurry and didn't bring any food, so they had to figure out how to eat for dinner that night.
Shu Wanxiu had a good impression of this inn; if she could find a place to eat nearby, it would save her from having to go out again.
She went to the front of the restaurant and found the long-legged waiter who had led them there, asking him what the cheapest food was and how much it cost.
The waiter said, "The cheapest items are steamed buns. Meat-filled steamed buns are two coins each, vegetarian steamed buns are one coin each, and unfilled wild vegetable and grain steamed buns are one coin for two."
This price was exactly what Shu Wanxiu wanted to hear. She took out two coins and handed them to the long-legged waiter, saying impatiently, "Please give us four wild vegetable and grain pancakes."
"Okay, please wait a moment, I'll bring it to your room."
Shu Wanxiu returned to room number 2 in the Dingzi building as instructed. Shortly after, the waiter appeared carrying a bowl of steamed buns and a pot of water.
After accepting the food and thanking the waiter, Shu Wanxiu invited Shu Chenglin and Shu Shouyi to sit down for dinner.
Shu Chenglin peeked at the four still steaming dark green steamed buns, scratched his head sheepishly, and asked Shu Wanxiu, "Where did these steamed buns come from?"
"I just bought it in the front hall."
Because it was such a good deal, she didn't bother to hide the price. After the two sat down, she handed them one each and told them to try it quickly. "If it's good, we'll have this again tomorrow morning."
Shu Chenglin is so tall, one steamed bun is definitely not enough to fill his stomach.
Shu Wanxiu decided to divide the two of them, while she and Shu Shouyi each got one.
The fist-sized steamed buns smell of fresh grass and have a slightly astringent taste at first, followed by a sweet aftertaste.
When the waiter thoughtfully brought over a pot of water, Shu Wanxiu thought it would be dry and hard to swallow, but it wasn't.
These steamed buns are fragrant and have a delicate texture.
She nodded repeatedly, asking for their opinions, "What do you think about having this again tomorrow morning?"
What other opinions do they have?
Drinking thin porridge at home every day, being able to eat a solid meal when I'm out is something I'd be very happy about.
The three of them had dinner together. It was getting late, and some of the people who shared a room with them went back to their rooms.
This was a short, stocky middle-aged man who opened the door not by pushing, but by kicking it.
Upon entering and noticing someone in the room, he gave them a fierce look around, but when his gaze finally settled on Shu Wanxiu, he lingered there for a long time.
Although Shu Chenglin was not as strong as him, he was much taller. When he noticed that Shu Chenglin's gaze was on Shu Wanxiu, he immediately stepped forward to protect Shu Wanxiu behind him.
The two remained silent for a while until another guest entered the room, breaking the deadlock.
This time, a young man dressed as a scholar entered.
He carried a book box on his back, and his plain-colored scholar's robe was patched upon patched.
His clothes were rather simple, but he had an upright posture and an air of integrity between his brows, which made him seem like someone who was not to be underestimated.
The middle-aged burly man sized up the scholar several times, snorted, and turned to leave.
Shu Chenglin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly urged Shu Wanxiu to go to bed early.
Shu Wanxiu didn't want to encounter anything bad, so she immediately obediently went to sleep in the bedding against the wall, pulling the quilt up to her nose to cover most of her face.
Worried about receiving their grain rations the next day, and fearing that those around them might have ulterior motives, the three members of the Shu family, including the youngest, Shu Shouyi, barely slept a wink all night.
Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.
Before dawn, the three of them got up quietly.
After tidying up the bedding I had slept in the night, I checked it several times to make sure I had all my belongings, then quietly opened the door and went out.
The city gates are closed at night, and generally no one comes to stay overnight. However, in case guests need to make requests at night, a waiter is on duty at the front desk in the evening.
Shu Wanxiu went over and asked if there were any wild vegetable and grain pancakes for sale at this time.
The waiter yawned deeply, slowly got up while holding onto the counter, and said to them, "Wait here."
After taking a couple of steps outside, I remembered to ask them for a few more.
Since Shu Wanxiu paid for the dinner yesterday, Shu Chenglin naturally insisted on paying today.
Shu Wanxiu couldn't win against him, so she gave up.
The refugees, who were just as worried as they were, had stayed in the county town a day in advance. When the waiter brought out the steamed buns, they didn't sit down to eat them, but instead put them in their hands and ate them as they hurried to the county government office.
Fortunately, when they arrived at the county government office, there were only one or two scattered households.
There is a straight road outside the county government office, paved entirely with bluestone slabs, and the snow on it has been swept clean.
The three of them, some squatting and some standing, waited and waited behind the two households.
The city gates finally opened.
...
The 24th day of the 12th month of the Renshen year was the day when refugees received their food rations.
Just after midnight, Shu Yanrong asked his wife, Xu Zhen, to wake up the whole family and prepare breakfast.
They followed Shu Wanxiu's advice from yesterday and tried to exchange a large bowl of spicy cloud noodles with the villagers. After getting it back last night, they washed it clean.
After the family got up, Xu Zhen's two daughters-in-law took turns starting the fire and cooking the porridge, while she herself crushed the spicy ingredients.
After the porridge was cooked, I personally cleaned the pot and cooked a pot of rich and spicy Yunnan soup.
After the meal, regardless of how much the children complained about the soup being too spicy, the adults, with their eyes wide open, made them drink the entire bowl of soup.
The food bags were taken by Shu Chenglin yesterday. Their biggest challenge is that the adults need to ensure that the children don't fall behind or slip and fall while walking on the snowy road at night.
Carrying torches along the way, they escaped unharmed, and the whole family arrived safely before the city gates opened.
There was a huge crowd of people in front of the city gate.
They all lined up and waited for the city gates to open so that their identities could be checked before being allowed to enter the city.
As the head of the family, Shu Yanrong settled his family members in and then walked to the front of the line with his hands in his pockets to take a look.
The people at the very front of the line had arrived at some unknown time; it was a large family, young and old, all with bruised lips, and they could barely stand.
He felt sorry for them and returned to his own group with a furrowed brow.
"What's wrong?" Xu Zhen asked.
Shu Yanrong recounted what he had seen, but his brow remained furrowed even slightly.
He kept saying, "This is too terrible."
Xu Zhen didn't have the energy to sympathize with others; she was just relieved that Wanxiu's idea was the best. It was right that we didn't come so early.
What's a few coins to give away? If we happen to catch typhoid fever, each member of the family needs a dose of typhoid medicine, which is equivalent to the cost of a bushel of grain.
Shu Yanrong did not praise Shu Wanxiu in the same way she had said.
It's not that I don't want to praise her, but everything is still unsettled. If I praise my niece too much, and we don't manage to get enough food, the younger generation might blame her, leading to resentment and disrupting family harmony.
Shu Yanrong did not want to see this happen.
After waiting and waiting, the city gates finally opened.
Some people tried to take advantage of the situation, pushing and shoving, trying to squeeze forward. Shu Yanrong and his son stood one in front of the other, protecting the women and children in the middle.
Unable to resist any longer, they were swept along and rushed forward. As they got closer to the city gate, they heard the soldiers guarding the city shouting at the rioters, "What are you doing? A bunch of troublemakers, trying to rebel?!"
He actually picked up his spear and pointed it at them.
The group of people were making a ruckus, but all they wanted was to get more good food and live a better life. They never wanted to lose their lives here.
So the line of pupae that had been pushing forward suddenly started to retreat.
No one dares to break the rules and randomly insert pipes anymore.
...
The people inside the city had no way of knowing what was happening outside. All they knew was that they were all waiting anxiously when they finally saw someone stumbling and running from the city gate.
Shu Wanxiu opened her eyes and looked out, watching one figure after another walk by.
No, no, still no.
Disappointment after disappointment, with countless people standing behind them, finally! Finally! They saw the person they wanted to see!
"They're here! See them? They're here!"
Shu Shouyi jumped for joy and called out loudly to them, "Uncle, Uncle! Come here quickly!"
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