nycdaug Chapter 178 Arrival at Jing'an Prefecture
Chapter 178 Arrival at Jing'an Prefecture
After entering Gyeongju territory, it became easier for the caravan to find water. Most importantly, the local government managed the bodies of the refugees well, and there were almost no corpses on the road.
As they walked along the official road to a relatively open area, they saw thick smoke billowing in the distance. Looking up, they saw people completely covered in hemp clothing burning something.
The fact that it was wrapped so tightly makes it obvious what was being burned.
This scene put everyone at ease, and they all felt that coming to Jing'an Prefecture was the right decision.
As evening approached, the convoy arrived at the post station and found it to be a large one, and it was operating normally.
They could probably squeeze in and find a place to stay, but unfortunately, the post station wasn't a place for them.
Ling Jiu rode his horse to Meng Fuqing's carriage, took a package handed out through the carriage window, and then turned into the post station.
This scene went unnoticed by many. In their eyes, Young Master Xie's men were always elusive and their actions were none of their concern.
A group of people hurriedly passed by the post station and walked for more than a mile. As darkness fell, they finally found an open inn.
Everyone was overjoyed. Having a house was better than sleeping outdoors. The tent was well-ventilated, and even if they slept on the floor of the inn, they wouldn't wake up freezing in the middle of the night.
They were very excited, but the innkeeper was at a loss when he saw so many of them.
They sized up the convoy; although they were somewhat disheveled, their clothes were neat, and their complexions were ruddy. There were no thin, skeletal figures among them.
Behind this group of people, the carriages stretched as far as the eye could see, most of them piled high with their belongings and covered tightly.
The more you look at it, the more it resembles a caravan on a long journey, but what caravan dares to travel these days?
They couldn't help but ask, "Are you refugees?"
"Your inn doesn't accept refugees?" Du Chong stepped forward and asked.
He had a loud voice and was tall and strong. He still retained the mannerisms of a former mountain bandit. He stood there with a swagger, as if he could put a knife to someone's neck at any moment.
The innkeeper was so frightened that he wanted to report it to the authorities, but Meng Bochang stepped in to ease the tension.
The innkeeper, who had been listening to the commotion, noticed that Meng Bochang was someone who could speak with authority in the caravan and that he was also very friendly. So he quietly left the inn and pulled Meng Bochang aside.
"Sir, our Sihai Inn is a small business, and there are so many of you..."
Upon hearing the innkeeper's tone, Meng Bochang immediately understood what the innkeeper was worried about. "Innkeeper, just give us all the empty rooms. We'll figure out where we'll sleep ourselves. We'll make sure they're all ready for you by tomorrow. What do you think, innkeeper?"
The innkeeper, being a businessman, naturally had no objections, except: "Our inn's stables can't accommodate so many of your livestock..."
"Don't worry, innkeeper. We'll find someone to guard it ourselves. We just need to borrow an empty space outside the inn. We can tidy it up for you tomorrow!"
The shopkeeper: ...This group of people is quite adaptable.
Having said all that, the shopkeeper couldn't very well turn the customer away.
The innkeeper's heart pounded as he received so many guests for the first time, especially the man known as the "Big Boss," the young man surnamed Xie, and their men, none of whom seemed like respectable people.
He worried that if he tried to drive them away, these people would be able to adapt and get rid of him.
The caravan members were unaware of Xie Jin's concerns; most of them were simply excited because it was the first time they had stayed at an inn during their escape.
Because of the large number of people, rooms with the characters "天地人" (heaven, earth, and man) were used as sleeping quarters, large communal sleeping areas, and even woodsheds and stables.
Only the woodshed and stables were cheaper; the cheapest dormitory room cost 800 coins.
So the innkeepers then witnessed the self-reliance of these refugees.
Boiling water, cooking, feeding livestock—they didn't have to worry about a thing.
With so many people staying at the hotel, there was no place for them to use their skills, and the waiter felt a little unreal.
Due to the shortage of rooms, Meng Fuqing's family did not sleep in a separate room that night, but instead slept with the women and children from the Ji family, the Shen family, and the village chief's family.
It was only then that Meng Fuqing noticed that the Shen family had not stayed in Qingzhou City.
After the candles went out, the people in the room talked for a while, and Meng Xue asked about Qu's settlement.
Qu looked bitter: "In the great upheaval in Qingzhou, I don't know if the Shen family and my maternal relatives were all buried in that catastrophe. If not, in this vast world, it is unknown whether we will ever meet again."
The only people we are on good terms with now are the convoy members.
Along the way, my husband has spoken highly of Miss Meng, Young Master Xie, Chief Du, and Village Chief Meng. He also said that if he could settle down with the caravan members, he would be willing to teach the caravan's children to read and write. He only hopes that you will not find this objectionable.
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. There was no other reason than that, as the wife of a scholar, Madam Qu's attitude was so humble that they felt they could not accept it, and also because Shen Yuan, a scholar with a promising future, was willing to become a private tutor.
This is truly unexpected.
"Is what the scholar's wife said true?" Meng Xue asked tentatively.
Qu gave an affirmative answer.
The adults in the room were excited and grateful, and even Shan Qiyu was very happy.
She often interacted with the Qu family and naturally knew that the couple were both virtuous and talented. With such a scholar as a teacher to enlighten and guide him, A-Li would certainly not follow in his father's footsteps.
Meng Fuqing was not surprised by this, as the imperial examination system could not be restored in the short term given the current situation.
People in ancient times valued clans highly. Shen Yuan's family of four was weak and alone, and they might encounter many troubles if they tried to integrate into a new environment on their own. The best way was to follow the caravan.
Amidst the laughter and cheers of the crowd, one person lay in a corner, seething with resentment.
This person is Cui Miao'er.
She hated none other than her husband and mother-in-law.
Compared to other refugees, the better the situation of the group, the more she hated them; thinking about the things they had robbed, thinking about the good days to come—houses to live in, no worries about food, fields to cultivate, children to be educated, and a share of the public funds and grain.
Just thinking about these things made her heart bleed.
While others grew more excited and joyful as they approached Jing'an Prefecture, she grew increasingly fearful.
Once they are fully settled, her divorce from Ji Dalang will be on the agenda, at which point she will lose everything she might have in the future.
She has lost her parents, brother, and sister-in-law, and is about to be divorced. How will she survive all alone? Don't Yao Shanyun and Ji Dalang feel any pity for her?
Cui Miao'er bit her dirty nails and thought bitterly, "There were so many natural disasters before, but why did they stop near Jing'an Prefecture? Even the heavens aren't helping me."
No, no, we have to think of something.
In the deep darkness of the night, Cui Miao'er began to plan for the future.
That night, Meng Fuqing unusually did not meditate. Before going to sleep, she tried to sense her dantian, but still could not feel any internal energy.
She exhaled and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in Qingzhou City, Old Madam Han flipped through the letters and account books sent by an unknown person, her expression growing more and more serious with each page.
Only then did she understand why the Zheng family was so agitated today. For some reason, she thought of Meng Fuqing.
Is it her?
After sitting for a while, Madam Han put the account books and letters into her dowry chest.
The Zheng family could easily find out that Meng Fuqing had dealings with them by investigating. If the Zheng family were to bring out these things now, it was hard to guarantee that the Zheng family wouldn't think of Meng Fuqing and seek revenge.
We need to wait for the right time.
The following day, the convoy set off again, fully prepared.
They then spent five or six days crossing through Qingzhou. During these days, they stayed at inns whenever they came across them, and the biggest obstacle they encountered was being questioned by soldiers.
On the afternoon of the sixth day, the group entered the territory of Jing'an Prefecture.