novelraw Chapter 33: Not Enough
Chapter 33: Not Enough
Chapter 33: Not Enough
He Da and Yu Er exchanged glances, each thinking, "You sly dog, you've been hiding something!"
He Da had secretly kept a cow from the yamen, intending to trade it for supplies later. Now that he had decided to head north with Wen Gu, He Da felt smug. "I truly have foresight; heaven is helping me!"
He hadn't expected Yu Er to have a cart hidden away too!
Yu Er's thoughts were similar, feeling he had underestimated the other party.
However, regardless of their internal grumbling, a water buffalo paired with a wooden cart would be most effective.
But now was not the time to dwell on such things. Any thoughts could be put aside for now.
The two groups maintained a clear distance, arriving before the shed where Wen Gu and his companions were.
Wen Gu bowed politely, "Please bear with us for a moment, Daoist Master Qingyi needs to perform a ritual to exorcise evil spirits. We apologize."
Everyone understood this was to reconfirm if they were possessed by evil spirits. They didn't feel offended and were even a bit excited. This was something they hadn't experienced before. This Daoist Master Qingyi seemed like an enlightened expert, perhaps he even possessed immortal arts!"Of course, of course."
"Thank you, Immortal Master, for performing the ritual!"
"Please proceed, Immortal Master! We promise to remain still!"
Daoist Master Qingyi maintained a detached, expert demeanor, holding an exquisite incense burner and pacing with seemingly mystical steps around the group before finishing... or rather, concluding his ritual!
Wen Gu had asked him to stage this performance beforehand, and Daoist Master Qingyi was happy to oblige. He knew very well how commoners viewed gods, demons, and ghosts. With a little showmanship, these people would be in awe of him.
Regardless of Wen Gu's intentions, Daoist Master Qingyi acted in his own best interest.
Feeling the admiring gazes of the new members, Daoist Master Qingyi's expression remained calm, but inwardly he was delighted. "It's all thanks to me; this team can't function without me!"
After the brief ritual, the group didn't linger. They were eager to leave before the factions in the county town noticed and gave chase. By the time the county town realized Blacksmith Yu and Uncle Yu Wu had disappeared, no one was left. The hidden shed they had occupied was searched, but it was already deserted. The courtyard where the He brothers lived was given to another villager they had a decent relationship with. Others wanted to claim it, but they had lost the opportunity, and the house was already occupied.
Setting off again, the original team of eight had grown to over twenty members. However, the three groups of people maintained distinct boundaries.
Leading the way were Wen Gu and his cousin, the Daoist Master, Little Liu, and County Lieutenant Zhou with three children. They traveled with a donkey cart and a mule cart. In the middle, He Da led the water buffalo, with Little Brother He sitting on its back, accompanied by He Da's three followers. Bringing up the rear was Yu Er's group: Yu Er and his two friends, Uncle Yu Wu, Blacksmith Yu and his wife, and their daughter, Yu Xiaocai. Several adults took turns pushing and pulling a wooden cart loaded with goods and carrying a child.
Eight, five, seven. Exactly twenty!
Wen Gu was overjoyed. The northern escape team had grown from just the two Wen brothers to a group of twenty! Add to that the donkey, mule, and buffalo, plus the aerial guardian, Ma Tuaner, and they had twenty-four members!
"Excellent, excellent! Many talented new members have joined, and we even managed to get a buffalo cart, exceeding our expectations!" Although the buffalo cart wasn't fully assembled yet, it was only a matter of time. This calculated increase in attack and defense capabilities, as well as carrying capacity, significantly boosted their overall strength.
The next step was communication and integration, which shouldn't be difficult. "But it's still not enough."
There were undoubtedly many escape teams heading north from the south. Noble and influential families had well-equipped teams, and they might encounter bandit groups along the way. For their group, composed of commoners, having more people would be safer.
Wen Gu pondered this, anticipating encountering more people during their journey. As long as they weren't malicious, regardless of their character, he would recruit them to help. The chaotic times had lasted for over a year. Those who had survived this long either possessed certain self-preservation skills or were incredibly lucky, perhaps even hoarding supplies.
By noon, as the temperature rose, they found an empty house in a village to rest. "County Magistrate Tan used to bring the yamen here to clear out such places. They didn't find anything useful, but it's sufficient for resting. The people from the county town wouldn't dare chase this far," He Da said, coming over to chat with Wen Gu and trading some refined feed for a small bottle of coarse wine.
The refined feed had been obtained from the warehouses of several groups in the county town before they left. They had initially intended to eat it themselves and save some for the buffalo, but upon learning that Wen Gu's group used coarse wine for wiping their bodies to exorcise evil, they had a change of heart. The small clay bottles of coarse wine, with their intoxicating aroma, made He Da and his followers swallow hard. How long had it been since they last tasted alcohol? But survival was paramount. Each of them took a small sip, and the rest was used to wipe their bodies. Smelling the wine, they felt a sense of dreaminess, not from drunkenness but from a surreal feeling, reminding them of days when they bought wine with their reward money. "That was too extravagant! Life back then was truly too extravagant!" The more they reminisced, the closer they felt to shedding tears.
Yu Er's group also wanted to trade an iron ladle for a small bottle of coarse wine. However, Wen Gu's group no longer needed iron ladles. After a moment's thought, Wen Gu said, "How about this: starting next time, when we rest, Sister Ma can help us cook our meals when she boils the porridge." Wen Gu's group would provide the food, while the Yu family would handle chopping firewood and cooking. Combining their meals would save firewood and effort. The Yu family had no objections, as they would have to chop wood and make fire to cook their own meals anyway. County Lieutenant Zhou and Little Liu also had no objections. They only needed to give up a small portion of the coarse wine to save time on chopping firewood and cooking. The wine was precious, but it was possible they could find more later. Moreover, as time went on, the weather would get colder, and the evil creatures appearing outside would become fewer. Having witnessed many life-and-death partings, County Lieutenant Zhou now wished to spend more time with his children. Little Liu, on the other hand, wanted to find some suitable game, as living on vegetarian food alone was not sustainable for his growth. Yu Er's group's iron pot was not large enough, but they could use Wen Gu's, which, despite a small crack, was a large iron pot sufficient for their needs. He Da's group also wanted to join, but their food supplies were of lower quality and quantity, so they would have to make do for now. There was something else that needed to be done first. He took the opportunity to find Yu Er, and the two whispered for a while, discussing the buffalo cart. Wen Gu did not interfere.
It wasn't just about the buffalo cart; Wen Gu hadn't discussed the issue of unified resource management with everyone from the start. The group was still unfamiliar with each other. Normally, people guarded their belongings closely, and in these chaotic times of escape, mutual suspicion was high, and trust was not easily given. Everyone wanted to keep important resources like food in their own hands. Wen Gu was not in a hurry; it would happen gradually. After all, those resources were within the team.
They continued their journey. The He family and Yu family's small groups initially bickered, but as they moved further away from Feng County and their familiar surroundings into unknown territory, they all quieted down. Their eyes, filled with vigilance, also showed more bewilderment. The atmosphere grew increasingly silent.
In this silent atmosphere, Wen Gu waited for another two days before making adjustments during a mid-journey rest. Their escape team had stopped at a post station. This post station was different from the one where they had obtained the wine earlier. It was clear that northward-bound teams traveling on the post road had passed through. Food, wine, cloth, tools, and various items had been ransacked multiple times, leaving the station empty. The wooden building materials had also been dismantled significantly, clearly used as firewood. Wen Gu's group stopped here to rest and also salvaged a lot of wood from the post station, primarily for modifying the buffalo cart. When the buffalo cart was almost ready and He Da and Yu Er had some free time, Wen Gu called them over, stating he wanted to discuss matters.
When the two arrived, Wen Gu slowly scanned their surroundings. "By this time next year, many of the post stations along the way might be in ruins. Therefore, moving north sooner rather than later is advisable. The later teams will have increasingly difficult times finding free supplies en route." He Da and Yu Er heard this and agreed. Indeed! The teams that passed through earlier could still find food, clothing, and weapons. Although they were a bit late, they could still salvage wood to modify the buffalo cart. By next year, any teams arriving later would only be able to eat grass! Thinking this, their anxieties and bewilderment lessened. "We are fortunate!"
Seeing their relieved expressions, Wen Gu continued, "You must all be very tired from the journey these past few days and are not yet adapted. However, we cannot rest!" Wen Gu's expression was serious. "While the weather is stable recently and the morning and evening temperatures are low, we must press on with our journey. If we encounter a village or town passed by few people, it will be more conducive to our searching and stockpiling of supplies. If the weather suddenly turns warm, then it will be dire."
Though exhausted and not yet accustomed to the long journey, the two nodded. "Yes, we must take advantage of the cold weather. If it turns warm, it would be too dangerous!" Being a little tired was insignificant as long as they were safe! Wen Gu took out his notebook, a rudimentary map he had drawn based on the information provided by the He and Yu families. Their usual strategy was to travel through villages and towns, not county towns. Not every county town had a capable person like County Magistrate Tan, and if one fell into ruin, it could become a huge monster's lair. According to the route Wen Gu had planned, they would arrive at a small town the next day. "I suspect that if there are many people in a northern-bound team, they are unlikely to go there. We are few, so we can go and check. If we can find some food, that would be great."
Upon hearing the word "food," He Da and Yu Er's spirits lifted. "Alright!" they replied. "To reach there before tomorrow evening, we'll have to travel a bit harder," Wen Gu said. "No problem! We can make it!" For the sake of food, they would take a gamble if there was any possibility. He Da, in particular, had lower-quality food and hoped to stockpile more grain to improve their living conditions and give his younger brother better food.
The next day, the escape team set off. The newly assembled buffalo cart was convenient to use. The He and Yu families had adjusted their mindset and were now driven with determination to keep moving. Finally, in the afternoon, they arrived ahead of schedule. Wen Gu observed the ground and the surrounding dry wood. "This small town should not have been visited by many people, at least not by any large teams this autumn." Hearing this, everyone felt their exhaustion lighten. Their eyes gleamed. Food! Here we come!
(End of Chapter)