Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 263 - 256: An Unexpected City (2-in-1) (Part 2)

Here is a group of over two hundred people, the remaining villagers from several villages banded together on the road after surviving a disaster.

Another hundred or so belong to a family. Cheng Xiaoxiao thought they were all ordinary citizens, but to her surprise, there was a third-class family among them. The Family Head was deeply resentful of King Yu and did not plan to enter the city. They were preparing to buy food tomorrow and continue their journey.

The remaining two groups were quite mixed, temporary team formations consisting of merchants from the prefecture, dockworkers, regular civilians, and people from all walks of life.

So, there are five groups here, each with a different style of operation.

Cheng Xiaoxiao thought Lin Zhubu had a decent character, so she asked Mr. Cheng to remind him to stock up on grain.

For this trip to the city to purchase supplies, Cheng Xiaoxiao did not go; she left everything to a few team leaders. Although she felt uneasy, she couldn’t personally supervise and handle everything all the time.

Sometimes, giving appropriate autonomy allows them to grow. Success is never achieved overnight and requires a wealth of accumulated experience and lessons.

Throughout the morning, everyone made multiple trips back and forth. Despite the high prices of supplies in the city, they exerted all their efforts, nearly depleting half of their resources.

Of course, this was just the visible resources. The supplies Cheng Xiaoxiao collected were divided into two parts.

One part was her personal property, and the other was the team’s public property.

After lunch, when everyone wanted to enter the city again, the city gates were already locked, and no one was allowed in or out.

Others didn’t know the reason, but Cheng Xiaoxiao knew very well it was because news about Yuanyuan’s contagious disease that morning had reached the ears of the officials in the prefecture. Fearing that outsiders might bring the disease into the city, they simply shut the city gates firmly.

Originally, Cheng Xiaoxiao planned to rest for a day and start out early the next morning.

Unfortunately... the plan had to be moved up. So be it; if they’re closing the gates, let’s pack up and depart immediately.

Out of morality and appreciation, Cheng Xiaoxiao kindly informed Lin Zhubu.

When Lin Zhubu learned that Cheng Beiniu’s group was actually led by a young girl, he was extremely surprised and puzzled. It wasn’t that he looked down on her; it was just that Cheng Xiaoxiao was too young. In these times, capable women were not unheard of, but they were usually in their forties or fifties, women who had grown through various hardships.

They might have been nurtured by their families from a young age, enduring the deceit and scheming of the business and political worlds for years.

Or they might have experienced the bloody battles of war, honing martial skills, and becoming brave, commanding, and charismatic figures of the Jianghu.

They did not at all resemble the slender and elegant girl in the distance.

Did he misunderstand, or was it that he was looking at it the wrong way?

Yet, it was such a girl whose ideas coincided with his own.

Following the team with a belly full of questions and nowhere to vent, he could only let time reveal the answers.

Soon, the third-class family’s people also caught up, including the over two hundred villagers who also set out.

No one was foolish. With the city gates closed, they couldn’t just wait outside mindlessly with no shelter from the wind and rain, nowhere to buy food, and no solution for their hunger. In such a heavy snowstorm, it would only lead to a dead end.

Now, the team had grown by more than ten people—yes, Lu Jingtian had found his family.

By coincidence, Lu Jingtian turned out to be the son of Boss Lu from the Lai Fu Trading Company. On reuniting, they were all acquainted, and the atmosphere instantly became much more harmonious, like the familiarity of old friends meeting after a long time.

Cheng Xiaoxiao did not invite Boss Lu and his family to join her team.

Being locals of Dingzhou, they had an innate sense of superiority. How could they possibly allow themselves to bow to a group of ordinary civilians?

They had plenty of food and no shortage of money. They could certainly sustain themselves for a long time. Being well-provided for, they had no need to join any group.

Initially, Cheng Xiaoxiao presented herself as a merchant, offering hemostatic medicine, which was enough to win a second glance from Boss Lu, but only a glance. Spending more time together, he naturally perceived them as simple-minded villagers.

Cheng Xiaoxiao couldn’t care less; she needed to evaluate their character as well. The further they traveled, the tougher life would become. Sooner or later, Lu Jingtian’s family might need her help. Whether to include them or not would then depend on her mood.

There was one thing, however, that irked her greatly.

Lu Jingtian’s sister actually knew Ke Mengyao and acted in an ingratiating manner, almost idolizing her.

Considering she had a gentle, virtuous future sister-in-law whom she didn’t try to curry favor with, but instead chose to flatter that arrogant, willful, and unjust Miss Ke, Cheng Xiaoxiao was annoyed just thinking about it. Consequently, she didn’t think too highly of Lu Jingtian’s family anymore.