Chapter 99 [VIP]
The carriage entered the town, and all that remained was silence.
The town was eerily quiet; the once bustling streets were deserted.
When they reached East Street, they saw a man sitting by the roadside from a distance, his mouth moving as if he were saying something. Cao Kun called out, "Hey, brother, how's the Chen family in town doing?"
The man didn't react. After a while, he suddenly opened his mouth. Cao Kun thought he was going to speak, but a huge rat crawled out of his mouth.
"Hey!" Startled, Cao Kun shouted and whipped his horse to leave quickly.
Lin Qiu sat in the carriage, holding her son, trembling with fear. She didn't dare to look out, afraid that she would see a corpse if she looked up.
From the moment we entered the town until we reached the Chen family's house, the short stretch of road seemed longer than the entire road itself. Finally, we arrived at the Chen family's door.
Cao Kun looked at the tightly closed door, took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
He thought that if no one opened the door, he would take Lin Qiu back the way he came, fearing that he might not be able to bear the grief of losing his loved one if he went inside.
After waiting for a while without any sound from inside, Cao Kun turned to leave when he suddenly heard someone ask, "Who is it?"
Cao Kun was stunned, and quickly turned around and said, "I am the son-in-law of this family. May I ask how my mother-in-law and aunt are?"
Upon recognizing the person, Uncle Chen exclaimed excitedly, "Is it Young Master Biao?"
Lin Qiu, who was in the car, quickly lifted the curtain and said, "Uncle Chen, it's me. How are my mother and Sui'er?"
"Okay, all is well. Wait a moment while I go and call someone over."
A short while later, Wang Ying came out from the backyard and stopped Uncle Chen from opening the main gate. "Cao Kun, you haven't encountered any dead bodies on the way here, have you?"
"No, I was too busy avoiding them to even touch them."
"Have you encountered any living people?"
Cao Kun said, "I encountered a few people who wanted to rob the car on the way, but I scared them away by wielding a knife. I haven't seen anyone else since."
Wang Ying breathed a sigh of relief and asked Uncle Chen to open the door and let them in.
"But what happened?" Cao Kun asked, stopping the carriage.
“A few days ago, an epidemic broke out in the city, and many people died. Now, I don’t know how many people are still alive.”
Wang Ying called Da Niu and the others to bring over the mugwort, and then she fumigated the three of them with it in turn. After changing their clothes, she returned to the backyard.
The family members' eyes welled up with tears upon seeing each other again. Lin Sui hugged her older brother and sobbed, "I thought I would never see you again."
Lin Qiu hugged her younger brother with heartache, and Chen Rong immediately took her grandson from his arms, kissing him excitedly again and again, "I really didn't expect you to come. Xiaomai, do you still remember your grandma?"
Wheat is over eight months old and has grown four little milk teeth. She's chewing on her fists without any shyness, curiously looking around at everyone.
This was the first time Li had seen Xiaomai. She touched the child's face and said, "This child is so handsome, he looks just like Lin Qiu!"
Once inside, everyone started chatting. Lin Qiu said, "I didn't expect the flood to be so severe. There were dead bodies everywhere on the way here, and there were hardly any intact houses on either side of the road. I was worried about you all, afraid..." He choked up and couldn't finish his sentence.
Chen Rong's nose tingled and tears welled up in her eyes. "We happened to be in the village during the days when the floods occurred. Ying'er saw that the rain was too heavy, so she led the whole village up the mountain to take shelter. Fortunately, the floods occurred that afternoon, and we escaped the disaster."
Wang Ying asked, "How's the county town? Is the water level high?"
Cao Kun said, "The county town is alright. The city wall blocked the water, and it all flowed away from the side. The water in the town wasn't too big, and it receded after a few days. My mother's old house is on higher ground, so the water only reached her knees. Our new house is on lower ground, so we put up planks on the roof. After sleeping there for a few nights, the water receded."
Wang Ying couldn't help but sigh inwardly, it seems she still has to live in a big city. If she stayed in the county town, her house wouldn't be destroyed in such a natural disaster.
"Have you had enough food these past few days? On our way here, we encountered several groups trying to steal our grain."
Li said, "There's no need to worry about food. The grain stored in the warehouse hasn't been soaked in water, so it should be enough for a few more months."
Lin Qiu was relieved. "The price of grain in the county town is frighteningly high these days. I originally wanted to bring more grain with me when I left, but when I went to the grain shop to inquire, I found out that a dou of rice costs 300 wen, and you can't buy too much. You can only buy two dou at most at a time."
Upon hearing this news, Wang Ying couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. The wheat in the experimental field had just been harvested, and there were now more than 6,000 jin of wheat stored up. However, he wouldn't profit from such a disaster; right now, he just wanted to protect the people around him.
"With such a massive flood, the imperial court certainly won't sit idly by. Perhaps they'll send people to provide disaster relief in a while."
Mrs. Li sighed, "I hope so."
Now that the whole family is together, there's nothing to worry about. In the evening, Aunt Chen steamed a big pot of sweet buns, using the sugar she had brought up the mountain earlier.
Everyone sat in the courtyard, munching on sweet buns and gazing at the moonlight, feeling exceptionally relaxed.
Wheat was asleep in the cradle, and Yuanbao was also sleepy, nodding his head repeatedly. Wang Ying carried the child into the house, and the adults continued chatting.
"Sister-in-law, what are you planning to do in the future? There aren't many people in this town, so it's not a good place to stay."
Wang Ying said, "I haven't decided yet. If it really doesn't work out, I'll go to the county with you in a few days."
"That's great!" Lin Qiu said happily. "We'll have a place to stay in the county town, and we can buy a house after we're settled. The housing prices in the county town aren't too expensive right now. I heard that a three-courtyard house in the North Street area is only 600 guan."
Chen Rong gasped, "Six hundred strings of cash is cheap?"
Lin Qiu nodded, "It used to cost over a thousand strings of cash. This flood caused many wealthy families to move away. Those without money couldn't afford it, and those with money settled in other places, which is why the price dropped."
Wang Ying could afford more than 600 guan, but she preferred to develop her career in Jizhou Prefecture. After the county examination next year, Chen Qingyan and the others would have to go to the prefecture to participate in the prefectural and provincial examinations. Rather than traveling back and forth, it would be better to go straight to the destination.
However, the town is too far from Jizhou Prefecture, and without a guide, it might be impossible to get there. Who knows if we might encounter bandits on the way? It would be better to settle down in the county town first.
After staying for three days, everyone packed their belongings and prepared to go to the county town.
Because Dunzi had a wife and children on the estate, Wang Ying didn't let him come along. She also asked the other men to go back with them, but only four of them went back; the remaining three refused to leave.
Tian Daniu said, "My mother said that since the master saved everyone, I should serve him like a slave to repay him."
The other two were strychnine, who used to buy popsicles from Wang Ying, and a young man named Chen Fang.
Ma Qianzi said, "My parents are gone. If I follow my brother and sister-in-law, I will only be a burden. If the master doesn't mind and gives me some food, I am willing to serve by the master's side."
Chen Fang said, "Me too!"
Since there were many people on the road, it would be good to have someone to look after them, so Wang Ying simply took all three of them in.
We don't know if we'll be able to come back after leaving tomorrow, and everyone is a little reluctant to see us go.
Wang Ying carried her son around the front and back yards several times, seemingly trying to help him remember the place. However, Yuanbao was not even two years old yet, and even if he remembered it now, he would forget it completely in a few years.
Well, out with the old, in with the new. I picked out some old things and put them in the experimental field as souvenirs.
The next morning, everyone drove two cars out the gate. Uncle Chen carefully bolted the gate and secretly wiped away a couple of tears.
He served here his whole life; now that he's gone, who knows if he'll ever be able to come back...
Because there were many people following, only women and children could sit in the car; everyone else walked behind it, which slowed things down considerably.
The carriage had just left the town when it encountered a group of soldiers, and everyone quickly pulled over to make way.
Suddenly, the group of soldiers stopped, and the leading officer grabbed the reins and asked, "Is this Qingshui Town ahead?"
Cao Kun quickly stepped forward and replied, "Yes, Qingshui Town is just ahead. We just came out of the town."
The officer, holding his whip, said, "I'd like to ask you about someone's family. Do you know a family in the city surnamed Chen, the family of Chen Jing, the governor of Shanzhou?"
Cao Kun was taken aback for a moment, "I know, I know, the people in this carriage are Lord Chen's relatives."
Wang Ying and the others didn't expect that this group of soldiers had come specifically to find them, and they hurriedly got out of the car.
The leading official, surnamed Jiang, stepped forward and greeted them, saying, "I have been entrusted by Magistrate Wang of Jizhou to come and escort you all to Jizhou for resettlement."
Wang Ying and her mother-in-law looked at each other, not recognizing any Lord Wang.
Jiang Cong took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to the two of them. Wang Ying unfolded it and her nose immediately felt sore. It was a letter written by Old Liang, pleading with his old friend to help find his relatives. The letter also used Chen Jing's name, which is why Jiang Cong mentioned his fourth uncle's name.
"Since you are all safe and sound, come with us to Jizhou Prefecture to settle down."
Li hesitated. Jizhou Prefecture was so far away, and they were unfamiliar with the place and worried that they wouldn't be able to adapt.
"Ah Ying, what do you think..."
Wang Ying replied without hesitation, "Go to Jizhou Prefecture."
Although the famine in the county town is not yet apparent, the surrounding towns and villages have been destroyed by the floods, and this year's harvest is certain to be a total loss. Grain prices are rising, and more and more people will go hungry. If the imperial court does not provide timely disaster relief, countless people will starve to death.
Chen Rong and Lin Sui wanted to go back to the county town with their son and son-in-law, but Wang Ying did not insist that they stay. Instead, she gave them all the grain on the cart and kept only one bag for them to eat on the way.
Chen Rong said, "You've given us all the grain, what will you eat when you get to the prefectural city?"
"Don't worry, Third Aunt. The price of grain in the prefectural city is definitely not as high as in the county town. Judging from this trend, the price of grain in the county town will definitely continue to rise. When you get home, hide the grain well so that no one can see it and covet it. If you can buy rice at the grain shop, buy more and stock up. Don't be stingy with your money."
Cao Kun nodded. He trusted his cousin-in-law. Her ability to lead the entire village up the mountain to safety in advance showed foresight and decisiveness that even ordinary men couldn't match. He was sure there was truth to what she said.
After traveling for a while, the two families parted ways. Chen Rong and his group followed Lin Qiu to the county town in a carriage, while Wang Ying and her group followed the soldiers towards Jizhou Prefecture.
It's about 600 li from the town to the prefectural city. Because of the flood, several sections of the official road were washed away, so we had to take a detour.
During that time, I encountered many robbers blocking the road. At first, I could scare them away, but once they showed their knives in front of the store, I wasn't afraid anymore.
These people were so hungry they were practically willing to risk their lives to stop the car.
Jiang Cong brandished his knife and shouted at them. The men knelt on the ground and threw a tantrum, saying, "We don't have a single grain of food left in our homes, and the crops in the fields are ruined. If we can't survive, just kill me with your knife!"
Seeing that more and more people were gathering around, Jiang Cong had no choice but to have his men take out a bag of millet and scatter it on the roadside. As soon as the people saw the rice, they rushed over and grabbed it. Only then did everyone take the opportunity to drive away.
On August 13th, the group finally arrived at the capital of Jizhou.
Before even entering the city, they saw thousands of people gathered outside the city. These people were refugees from nearby counties. The city provided porridge every day, and some simply built simple sheds nearby to live in.
Upon seeing the carriage approach, the group surrounded it again to beg. However, they were better than the people on the road; they scattered after being slightly frightened and dared not forcibly stop the carriage.
The city gate originally had three archways, but for some reason two of them were closed, leaving only one heavily guarded and strictly inspected. Many carriages were stopped outside.
After waiting in line for three hours, it was finally their turn. Jiang Cong dismounted and went in first, taking out his token from his pocket and showing it to the official at the door.
The leading official chuckled and handed the plaque back. "So it's you, Inspector. There have been outbreaks of disease in many places recently. I have been ordered to strictly check all people entering the city. I hope you will not take offense."
Jiang Cong put away the sign and let his men in. But when it was Wang Ying's turn to bring in their mule cart, the clerk raised his hand to stop them and asked, "Where did you come from?"
Chen Bo said, "He came from Longquan County..."
Before he could finish speaking, several officials immediately stood up and blocked his way. "The people of Longquan County are forbidden from entering the city. Turn back immediately!"
A note from the author:
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