The next morning, they set off again before dawn. Thanks to the meat they had eaten the night before and the stored grain, the tribesmen were in good spirits for the journey. The grain was carried by horse-drawn carts and oxcarts, while they were responsible for carrying lighter items. They couldn't let the oxen pull everything, otherwise the oxen would get tired over such a long distance.
An Shuyi had also considered whether she could walk from inside Anhe Mansion to the other side, but that wouldn't work. Not only would it cost a lot of money to get in with so many of them, but even if they did get in, the soldiers wouldn't agree.
Moreover, even if they were passing through Anhe Prefecture, they would still have to go through this mountain. With so much grain, it wouldn't be safe for them to take the official road. Also, they were running low on water, and by going up the mountain, she could find an opportunity to take out the water from her bucket.
Moreover, because the weather is so dry, apart from a few trees that are green, the grass on the ground is all withered. It is too easy to make a path. The land now looks almost like a desert. The only difference is that some trees are still green.
That day, they had only reached the halfway point of the mountain. There were too many people, so they were moving slowly. Seeing the cave halfway up the mountain, they decided to go up and take a look. If it was spacious, they would rest there for the night and then climb to the top of the mountain in one go the next day.
Village Chief Lin led a few people up first and found that it was quite spacious, enough to accommodate all of them. Then the villagers went to the cave and found that the cave was indeed very spacious outside, and the cave itself was also quite large.
"Shushu, come quick." Xia Hua said to An Shuyi, who was helping to move the luggage outside.
"Big brother, you guys unload the things, then feed the horses and cows. Mom's going to check on things." After saying that, An Shuyi ran to find Xia Hua. "What's wrong, Hua Hua?"
Xia Hua didn't answer, but instead pulled her around the cave and onto a side path. After walking quite a distance, they saw another cave, but this one was smaller, barely big enough for two people to walk in side by side.
"Shushu, you would never guess. I came here to relieve myself and discovered a small river. Moreover, I found that this river clearly leads to Anhe Prefecture. No wonder the prefect was able to hold on without running away. It must be because of this underground river."
“Really, Hua Hua, you’re amazing! Let’s go see what the underground river looks like first,” An Shuyi said, letting Xia Hua lead the way.
The cave was only about 1.5 meters high, and they had to bend down to enter. Once inside, it was downhill, and after going down a certain distance, they could still hear the voices of the tribespeople. It seemed that the two caves were connected, probably just a stone wall away.
As she continued down, the cave began to widen. When she stood by the small river, she realized that this underground river was quite large. The end of the river was blocked by a stone wall, and only the water flowed down. On the other side, the direction of the flow was Anhe Prefecture. No wonder Hua Hua said that the prefect did not run away.
If she were the prefect, she wouldn't run either. This underground river looks like it has plenty of water. The people of Anhe Prefecture can use the rest of their food and water to irrigate their crops. With water and food, why would they run? Once the city gates are closed, these refugees would have to pay money to get in. Now they even have the money.
It's a pity they had their clansmen with them, otherwise she really wanted to take the whole family directly into the city. This family only had one hundred taels of silver, and besides her and Huahua, only her father and the Zhu hunter's family could afford it. It would be difficult for anyone else to come up with that much silver.
Suddenly, Xia Hua said, "Shu Shu, you said we could... well, never mind, I don't even have the conscience to say it out loud."
Looking at her, An Shuyi smiled and said, "Huahua, I know what you want to say. You mean, can we separate from Village Chief Lin and the others and go to Anhe Prefecture? Actually, I had the same idea."
She just thought about things more deeply than Hua Hua. After all, they were her clansmen, and they called her sister-in-law and aunt. She couldn't bring herself to let them go south while they went to Anhe Prefecture.
Seeing that she remained silent, An Shuyi continued, "The reason you didn't say anything more is because they helped the original owner before, and they are also my people, so you didn't continue. Besides, Hua Hua is kind-hearted and wouldn't do such a thing. When we first arrived, we didn't separate from them. Separating now would be pointless!"
"Since we've come this far, let's not talk about parting ways. Let's just keep going. Anhe Prefecture is nice, but who knows if all the refugees will gather here later? Have you forgotten about the county town?"
“Those refugees are different from the refugees we encounter. Those refugees have concerns and are afraid of dying. Once they are scared, they will no longer dare to rob. But those refugees are different. They don’t care about so much. They even dare to eat meat. It’s just Anhe Prefecture. I don’t believe there’s anything they wouldn’t dare to do.”
Xia Hua nodded. She knew what Shu Shu was saying, but everyone wanted to live a peaceful life. She also wanted to find a place to settle down as soon as possible. Well, let's continue south. That's their destination.
"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher An. I am unworthy of such a great honor!" He then winked mischievously.
"Whose young man is this? Let me see him. He's just an old woman, trying to act young." An Shuyi said, and started tickling her.
"Silly book, haha, don't tickle me, I give up, okay?" Xia Hua laughed heartily as she was tickled.
“Since you’re willing to admit your mistake, I’ll let you off the hook,” An Shuyi said, pulling her along. “Let’s go talk to Village Chief Lin and the others. We can stay here for a few more days and then continue our journey once we’ve had a normal life.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to Teacher An…” Seeing her reach out her hand again, Xia Hua quickly changed her mind, “No, I’ll listen to Shu Shu’s arrangement.”
"That's more like it!" The two then went to tell Village Chief Lin and the others about it. The villagers were overjoyed and praised the two of them. Unfortunately, it was too late and the road was mountainous, so they couldn't wash up and clean up. They could only wait until tomorrow.
Moreover, they still had to cook dinner, and considering the time, they wouldn't have water until tomorrow. The cave had already been cleaned, and the tribespeople stayed inside. The horses, cattle, and mules were left outside, but some tribespeople were still guarding them, as they were their possessions and couldn't be lost.
After finishing their meal, no one rested. Instead, they took out their work to do. After all, the cave was bright and lively with many people. With everyone talking at once, they were able to get things done faster than usual.
An Shuyi also took out the robe she had made for Xiao Liu and made one herself. She had made one before, but Xiao Liu liked it very much and had never worn it since, saying that the clothes were too nice and she was worried that she would wear them out.
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