NCCnovel Chapter 186 The Difficulty of Travel
Chapter 186 The Difficulty of Travel
As the sun began to set and nighttime travel became difficult, the refugees, as usual, rested on the side of the official road. Those who had the means could even cook their own meals; these were mostly large and prosperous clan groups.
Those who were less fortunate at least had some grain cakes to stave off hunger.
Ye Mingzhu's stomach rumbled. She and Zhen E belonged to the most unfortunate group—they were entirely dependent on their belts.
Seeing several women digging for wild vegetables together, Ye Mingzhu swallowed hard. "Second Brother, why don't we go dig some too?"
A hint of sadness flashed in Zhen'e's eyes, but he quickly hid it. The wealth and glory of the past had vanished like flowing water. Mingzhu was already very strong, and he could not show his emotions again and make her sad.
Just as he was about to agree, Ye Mingzhu said, "I'd better go by myself; your wound has reopened."
When Zhen E assassinated Pan Yue, he was stabbed several times. Although no vital organs were injured, the wounds were quite deep. Otherwise, he would not have fainted due to excessive blood loss and been saved by Pan Ying. The hastily bandaged wounds repeatedly reopened during the escape. Ye Mingzhu could not bear to look at them closely. She only hoped to enter Yongzhou as soon as possible. Any city would be fine as long as there was a doctor there!
Zhen E sighed regretfully. If it weren't for his injury, based on his years of experience skipping school and playing with small animals, he would never have let Mingzhu go hungry.
"Second brother, you should rest well and not move around too much. Wait for me to come back."
"Don't go too far!" Zhen E called out to Ye Mingzhu's retreating figure.
"Okay~" Ye Mingzhu waved her hand without turning her head.
The massive refugee horde swept through the land like locusts, devouring even the smallest edible blade of grass. Ye Mingzhu, having only been impoverished for a few days, was essentially still a pampered young lady. How could she possibly compete with those peasant women? She had no choice but to move further away...
As the last rays of the setting sun faded and darkness rapidly descended, Ye Yemingzhu still hadn't returned, and Zhen E grew increasingly anxious as he waited.
"Those stinking rats just stole someone again."
"What a tragedy, the poor little girl..."
Hearing the women returning from digging for wild vegetables talking, Zhen E jumped up, ignoring his lacerated wound, and rushed forward, demanding, "Which direction were they taken after they were taken?!"
The woman was startled by the sudden angry shout. She stammered and pointed in a direction, and Zhen E took off running.
"Second brother!"
I hadn't run more than a few steps when I heard a familiar voice calling from behind.
When Zhen E turned around, he realized that he had been too concerned and made a mistake. Mingzhu was a "young man" now, how could he be a young girl?
He exhaled and realized he was covered in a cold sweat. Looking at Ye Mingzhu, he saw that her coarse linen clothes had several new tears, and she was protecting a small bundle of unknown wild vegetables in her arms.
Looking at Mingzhu's frail figure, Zhen E felt a pang of sorrow. He had never imagined that he would be reduced to such a wretched state just to survive for a bite to eat when he was high and mighty in the past.
A wealth of knowledge is useless here, and dignity is even more of a useless thing.
·
Although it was called an official road, it was still a wilderness. As night fell, hunger and fear of an uncertain future quietly arose and gradually spread among the people.
Refugees mostly gather in family units, but there are also lone individuals. The young and strong are fine, as they huddle together in small groups for warmth. But the elderly, weak, women, and children are in danger at this time. No group will take in such a burden. The occasional howling of wolves makes them afraid to stray far from the crowd, and they can only silently huddle in a corner by themselves.
But strange noises would occasionally emanate from the darkness, and then they would vanish without a trace...
Ye Mingzhu and Zhen E kept a safe distance from the refugees, back to back, guarding the campfire, each concealing a dagger in their sleeves...
As dawn broke, the burnt wood emitted white smoke, having safely passed another night.
The refugee caravan began its sparse journey. Ye Mingzhu and Zhen, their eyes bruised, struggled to stay alert and supported each other as they continued onward.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, the city walls began to appear faintly in the distance.
"Yongzhou! We've arrived in Yongzhou!"