As they passed through the valley, the area was in disarray, with discarded wooden planks, wheelbarrows, buckets, and broken pottery jars scattered around.
The good supplies had been taken away by the mountain bandits, leaving behind items of little use to them.
Little Ya's Dad and the others managed to find four buckets, a few unbroken pottery jars, and two wooden basins.
On their journey fleeing the drought, they had to rely on scavenging for equipment.
It seemed the large group from Qingfang Village had mostly dispersed along the way, and they were likely to encounter more of them on the road.
Some people, upon encountering those who had managed to flee with their wives, children, and supplies, only then realized that if they had persisted in bringing their families along, they could have escaped safely without losing their belongings.
Those who knew regretted it bitterly, but it was too late. They could only flee empty-handed.
Some thought about robbing those who had escaped with supplies, but with those twelve families comprising seventy or eighty people banding together, it wouldn't be easy to rob them.
Mu hid in the dry grass at the valley's exit, watching the villagers leave in disarray. His two elder brothers and nephews were among them, but he couldn't see his sisters-in-law or nieces.
Since their mother insisted that the eldest son and grandson escape, he had no business with them. He lacked the ability to rescue the others.
Mu didn't go to find his brothers. He remained crouched in the grass until the last group with supplies had left, only then departing himself.
He thought, "You see, even the mountain bandits made distinctions between good and bad. Those who claimed they couldn't let their family lineage die out, abandoning their wives and daughters, ended up with nothing."
"Those who vowed to stay with their wives and children, not only kept their families but also kept their food supplies."
Mu crouched here, waiting for Old Gu Six. As daylight approached, he finally saw a group emerge from the valley, led by Old Gu Six himself.
His legs were numb from crouching, and he stumbled out to block the mule cart's path. "Old Six, take me with you. I want to go with you."
Old Gu Six stopped the mule cart and pointed out the practical problem: "You're empty-handed. Do you expect us to feed you?"
Mu hurriedly explained, "No, no, you don't need to feed me. I have silver money. When we reach the next town, I'll buy food supplies. I can find food myself. I won't eat your supplies. I just want to tag along. I've cut ties with my mother and the others."
"You can come along, but don't betray us, or else you're dead," Old Gu Six said, the final word "dead" carrying tangible murderous intent towards Mu.
Mu turned pale, his legs trembling, but he persisted and nodded, "I won't. Please trust me."
Old Gu Six nodded in agreement. "Follow the others."
He seemed to accept those following behind to join them.
Among those behind, Mu only recognized the Yang Poxiao Brothers. He followed along with them.
Their torches had been extinguished as they exited the valley, and they didn't intend to rest here, continuing onward.
In the cool morning before the heat of the day, Chang'an opened the carriage curtain to look outside. Everywhere they passed was enveloped in dust and haze.
Further ahead, they saw disaster refugees scattering in all directions, as well as the desperate and destitute villagers from Qingfang Village, who looked even more miserable than the ragged disaster victims.
Those refugees may have been fleeing the drought for a while, but at least they had some belongings, while the Qingfang Village villagers had nothing but themselves.
They must have traveled around twenty miles from the valley. Along this stretch of road, there were far too many disaster refugees. At the moment, they were resting and preparing their morning meals by the roadside.
Some Qingfang Village villagers spotted Old Gu Six and the Yang Poxiao Brothers and immediately approached them for help.
"Old Gu Six, Yang Brothers, we finally found you. Quick, give us some food supplies. We're starving to death."
Their tone was so self-righteous, as if they had some close relationship.
Old Gu Six lashed out with his whip, coldly shouting, "Get lost!"
The man struck by the whip winced in pain. He looked at the wound, his clothes torn and flesh split open, a pitiful sight.
Pointing at Old Gu Six, both angry and in pain, he said, "You heartless scoundrel! We're from the same village. If you won't help your own, where will you find support in the future?"
Old Gu Six couldn't be bothered to waste words and lashed out with another whip, knocking the man down. The others didn't dare approach, remembering the previous drought and lightning, trembling in fear.
With no one blocking their path, they continued forward. This stretch of road wasn't suitable for stopping and resting.
Chang'an gave those people a cold, disdainful sneer. Need the support of brainless fools like you?
She lowered the bamboo curtain and drew the cloth curtain, then entered the space and started cooking a pot of lean meat porridge. She also steamed five large steamed buns and reheated the leftover chicken legs from last night in the microwave.
After finishing these tasks, she went upstairs to wash up. She didn't make herself look like a disheveled mess. With her Old Six around, she felt completely safe. Capable people didn't need to disguise themselves.
Although they might encounter some troubles, they could all be resolved. Problems that could be solved weren't really problems, were they?
After freshening up, she came downstairs. The steamed buns and chicken legs in the kitchen had finished warming. She set them out to cool a bit so the aroma wouldn't be too overpowering when brought out.
She stirred the lean meat porridge in the clay pot, letting it simmer for another ten minutes.
The children and women among the disaster refugees looked enviously at the children and women riding in the mule carts of their group. Those refugees had been walking for three or four months, their appearance utterly haggard and exhausted.
The group traveled for about an hour before finding a sheltered spot to stop and rest, by which time others had already packed up and continued on their way.
Chang'an didn't come out until she had finished her breakfast in the space. Every day, she would brew a cup of milk for Old Six, though he always drank it with a look of revulsion, as if drinking poison.
Yet he never refused. He ate whatever was given to him, no matter how much he disliked it.
Chang'an spread out a straw mat and told Old Six, who was eating breakfast in the cart, "Dad, get some rest after you finish eating. No one got any rest last night, so we're not in a hurry to move on."
Old Gu Six replied, "Got it."
Chang'an gave the mules some water, then led them to nearby grass to graze, as their supply of dry grass had run out.
She brought a sickle and, while the mules grazed, cut grass nearby.
The children in the group had led their donkeys out to graze as well. Little Ya, seeing Chang'an cutting grass, wanted to help but had no tools.
She walked over timidly and said, "Miss Chang'an, let Little Ya help you cut the grass."
Chang'an looked up to see a little girl with a large head and slender neck, about four or five years old. She appeared so thin that her eyes seemed a bit protruding, alarming Chang'an, who feared her neck might not be able to support her head.
The three boys accompanying her were similar in appearance, appearing a couple of years older than Little Ya.
However, the two children of the Yang Poxiao Brothers seemed normal, keeping their distance and playing with a donkey and cutting grass on the other side.
Chang'an smiled and said, "No need, I'm almost done cutting. Later, I'll give you the sickle, so you can cut some grass for your donkeys too. Sometimes, it's not safe to lead them out to graze when it gets late on the road."
She did not correct their address of her, for this was the ancient era, where equality was unheard of.
Old Gu Six had given them a chance to live, and they chose to follow him of their own accord. From the start, they did not consider themselves equal to Old Gu Six.
Chang'an benefited from her Old Gu Six's influence, occupying a superior position.
