A cargo wagon was being used. Tao Wan's mother had two large boxes stacked up, and her two sons took turns driving. Everyone else huddled inside the wagon, which slowed down the horses.
"Sister Tao, you said that once we get to the capital, will the Imperial Inspector be able to keep his promise?" Bai Yumei asked worriedly.
"I think so, as long as we get to the capital!" Tao Wanniang asserted. The young master seemed to be an upright person, and even if it didn't work out, getting to the capital would be a new opportunity for her.
"Don't worry, once we get to the capital, I'll open a shop. I believe that in a few years, I, Tao Wanniang, will be famous and renowned in the capital. At that time, I'll help you find the Huang family!" Tao Wanniang promised Bai Yumei.
"Then thank you very much, Sister Tao." Bai Yumei still trusted Tao Wanniang's words very much.
Upon arriving at a nearby town, Tao Wanniang and her group found a restaurant and had a meal.
“Our Changhe Town is quite lively today. A group of government officials just passed by, saying they were from the Shanhai Prefecture and were hunting down an assassin.”
"I wonder what kind of assassin it was that prompted Li Jianghai of the Shanhai Prefecture to lead a group to hunt him down. Although our Changhe County is not under the jurisdiction of the Shanhai Prefecture, Li Jianghai's name is quite well-known."
"That's right, anyone who gets his eye on will be either dead or skinned alive!"
Tao Wanniang ate a few mouthfuls of rice, and when she heard the diners chatting nearby, her heart skipped a beat. Li Jianghai had come after her.
"Sister Tao, what they said..." Bai Yumei immediately realized what was going on and asked worriedly.
Tao Wanniang gestured for silence and whispered, "Hurry up and finish eating, it seems we can't take the official road."
Originally, they had planned to resupply in town, but when Tao Wanniang heard that Li Jianghai had brought people there, she became worried. If they turned back and ran into them, and their carriage was lost, even if they made a reasonable explanation, Li Jianghai would probably take them back to Shanhai Prefecture.
Upon hearing this, the rest of the Ling family felt a little flustered and dared not say anything. They quickly finished their rice.
If we don't take the official road, we can only take the side roads. Fortunately, after passing Shanhai Prefecture, all we see is greenery, and the horses can graze to their hearts' content on the roadside grass.
"Mother, what should I do? I'm so worried. I'll get really nervous if I run into the government officials," Ling Dahu said with a distressed expression.
"You're so spineless! Can't you just deny it to the death? If it really happens, just say the carriage was stolen. Whether they believe it or not, the important thing is that you say it!" Tao Wan's mother instructed her son and daughter-in-law. "It's normal for country folk to be afraid of officials, but you have to think about it. Once you admit it, even if you push me to take the blame, will you be able to get away with it? Think about Gouwa, Huani, and Ergou. For the sake of the children, you have to convince yourselves that the carriage was indeed stolen!"
“Yes, Sister Tao is right. It’s not hard at all to lie through your teeth,” Bai Yumei added from the side. “Actually, I knew the Inspector was at home before you did, but didn’t I pretend to be stupid in front of Li Jianghai?”
"Um... Miss Bai, you're really amazing!" Wang Hongyu paused, then could only say enviously, "We're just a little apprehensive. 'The common people can't fight against the officials,' isn't that an old saying?"
"Do you know how powerful the Imperial Inspector is, or how high the young master's status is? Yet the Prefect of Shanhai Prefecture and Li Jianghai actually dared to lay a hand on the Imperial Inspector. Look at how bold these people are!"
Tao Wan's mother continued to brainwash her son and daughter-in-law, saying, "Why? Because they know that if they let the imperial inspector go, they will face the death penalty. To save their lives, they are willing to defy their superiors!"
"Can't we tell a lie to survive?" Tao Wan's mother asked solemnly, sparing no effort in instructing her son and daughter-in-law.
"Don't be nervous, we've taken a detour, so the chances of us running into them are slim," Bai Yumei reassured them.
"Grandma Tao, is it really okay to lie?" Little Qiao'er stared blankly at Tao Wanniang, as if she had thought of something.
“There is a kind of lie in this world called a white lie, little Qiao’er. Of course, it’s best for children not to lie.” Tao Wan’s mother was much kinder to little Qiao’er.
"Grandma, Grandma, what is lying?" asked Gouwa, the eldest grandson, in his childish voice.
"You're still young, you don't understand. We'll talk about it when you're older," Tao Wanniang said after glancing at her. "Alright, let's get rested and set off!"
The hottest season had passed, and Tao Wanniang and her group walked cautiously, choosing only small paths to avoid bumping into Li Jianghai. After two days of this, Tao Wanniang's mouth was practically dry.
That night, the group found a clearing in the woods to rest. Tao Wan's mother had her two sons set up a pot and ate dry rations for two days. She was worried that her grandson was malnourished!
"Mother, what are you going to cook? We have a few eggs." Upon hearing Tao Wan's mother's instructions, Ling Dahu immediately became interested. Setting up the pot meant they could have a good meal!
“Go cut a bamboo, choose a thick one, and I’ll make bamboo rice for you today,” Tao Wan’s mother said to Ling Dapeng. “We only have a few eggs on hand, so let’s make a stewed egg dish for the children, and fry some eggs for the adults.”
"Go gather some firewood, and don't just sit around doing nothing," Tao Wan's mother said to her two daughters-in-law.
"Sister Tao, what should I do?" Bai Yumei asked immediately. She found this kind of life particularly interesting. Although she was exposed to the elements, she felt very comfortable with so many honest and reliable people around her.
“Look after the kids, these three little ones need someone to watch them.” Tao Wan’s mother pointed to her grandchildren.
Seeing that Tao Wanniang had said this, Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun had no choice but to go and gather some firewood.
Tao Wan's mother was busy herself, calling on Xiao Qiao'er to help wash the rice.
"Add two drops of oil to this rice, and the cooked rice will be especially shiny," Tao Wanniang said casually while rinsing the rice, intending to teach Xiao Qiao'er what she knew.
"It would be even better if there was glutinous rice. Add some cured meat to the glutinous rice, and then put them together in a bamboo tube to cook. The taste... just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
"Grandma Tao, you know so much!" Xiao Qiao'er exclaimed in amazement.
"Mom, Mom, we ran into someone we know!" Before long, Ling Dapeng came running over excitedly, as if he had just received a stroke of good luck.
"Several uncles and aunts from the village are resting in the woods!"
Ling Dapeng was carrying a pillar, followed by several people, who were the uncles, aunts and uncles that Ling Dapeng had mentioned.
"Tao family, it's been a long time. You... seem to be doing very well." The speaker was an elder in the village, about ten years older than Tao Wan's mother, and already of grandfatherly age.
When Tao Wanniang saw this group of people, she was delighted. They were all dressed in rags and had unkempt hair. It seemed that they were not doing well!
"Yeah, I'm doing great. I was just about to cook dinner. How about we eat together?"
As soon as Tao Wanniang spoke, she regretted it. She was the fastest one in the village, and everyone there had argued with the original owner of the body. If she opened her mouth now, people would probably think she was being sarcastic or being ironic!
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