PDLP Chapter 109 Setting Off Again
Chapter 109 Setting Off Again
After spending an afternoon taking inventory of the original supplies in the village, Du Zhong took the genuine account book he had found from Wei Wei and returned the items he had stolen from the Jiang family.
Strangely enough, when the earth shook, the house where the Jiang couple were resting remained completely intact.
Neither of them was injured again, and the child's fever had subsided. However, it was unclear what medicine Jiang Bei had given them, so they needed to keep a close eye on them for any abnormalities.
Madam Jiang's face was covered with a plain cloth. She was being helped by Jiang Wenhao, holding a child in her arms. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying, but there was a hint of life in them.
Upon seeing Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin, the two knelt down.
Madam Jiang's voice choked with emotion, "Miss Meng thanks you so much, young master. My husband and I will repay your kindness with our life's blood."
Meng Fuqing offered a slight gesture of support, saying, "It's just a favor, you two don't need to go to such lengths."
Jiang Wen shook his head. It might not mean much to Meng Fuqing, but it saved the Jiang family.
His family was slaughtered, and his wife, after learning the truth, always believed it was her fault and even contemplated suicide. If it weren't for the children...
Jiang Wen believed that although he had been a spoiled brat in the past, he could distinguish right from wrong, and that the one who was wrong was clearly that beast Jiang Bei.
If Meng Fuqing and the others had not saved the child, how could the couple have survived?
He took out the gift he had prepared beforehand and presented it with both hands.
Seeing that Xie Jin did not intend to take it, Meng Fuqing reached out and accepted it.
Madam Jiang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and explained, "If Miss Meng and Young Master Xie encounter any trouble on their journey, they can use this item to seek help from my maternal family, the Lin family of Chaozhou. I will write a letter and send it back. If it can help, my Lin family will definitely lend a hand."
"Do you two intend to remain in Qingzhou?"
"I have relatives in the neighboring prefecture; I'll go there to seek refuge for now."
Meng Fuqing knew that among the Jiang family's surviving servants were some loyal ones, and he also understood that the couple probably didn't want to have any more dealings with the Black Tiger Stronghold, which was why they were planning to leave early. So he didn't ask any more questions and simply said, "Have a safe journey."
Suddenly remembering something, Meng Fuqing called out to the two of them again, "The natural disaster has just passed, and there is a risk of disease outbreaks. You two should be careful."
When Du Zhong dispersed the refugees, Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin left the council hall.
On the way back, Xie Jin, who had been rather uninterested, glanced at Meng Fuqing and asked, "Has something happened outside?"
Meng Fuqing shook his head. "Since the start of the refugee crisis, natural disasters have been far too frequent. I'm worried that if too many people die, a plague will follow."
“Something is not right,” Xie Jin murmured, looking at the rolling clouds on the horizon. “Is it because the things in the dream have changed?”
Reality no longer unfolds as Meng Linlang dreamed, and Meng Fuqing is unsure whether there is a causal relationship between the frequent natural disasters and this.
She just felt that this calamity would not end easily.
Originally, we were supposed to stay in Black Tiger Village for a day, but it ended up taking two days.
Even if the Hu people at the front returned to Qingzhou and found that something was wrong in the city, it would still take some time to send a message to the front.
With that in mind, everyone busied themselves with the follow-up matters on the last day before their departure.
The refugees left Black Tiger Village one after another. Before leaving, Meng Fuqing reminded them to cover their mouths and noses and stay away from corpses on their way out.
It's just a matter of saying a few words. If an epidemic breaks out, it's good for them to avoid infecting even one person.
The bandits of Black Tiger Stronghold were a bit of a problem; they numbered in the hundreds, and many wanted to go with Du Chong.
Everyone knows that Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin's group are quite capable. With Du Zhong bringing his trusted confidants to join, the team will only be safer.
Some were simply trying to survive, while others were ambitious and saw this as an opportunity.
One person in the crowd stepped forward: "Besides those who are injured and cannot leave, who else is willing to stay with me?"
“We have tunnels to transport our supplies to the deep mountains. Once hidden there, how can they search the mountains? Unless the capital falls, the Hu army will eventually retreat. As long as they have enough food, why would they flee south?”
Upon hearing this, the bandits reconsidered whether to stay or leave.
Even if fleeing is safe, it's still a long and tiring journey. If you can't find a job driving, the journey can take a whole day. If you're alone, it's fine, but if you have family in the mountain village, you'll have to think about it carefully.
It's clear that the person who stood up to encourage the bandits to stay wanted to become the new leader after Du Zhong left, but Meng Fuqing was happy to see that happen.
If a group has more than a thousand members, it will not only be difficult to manage, but it will also become a target of close attention from the government wherever it goes.
With so many of them being either wanted criminals or bandits, it's not a good thing for the government to be targeting them.
Ultimately, more than half of the bandits decided to stay in Black Tiger Village.
Du Zhong left some grain and valuables for his brothers.
Even so, the three groups had a lot of supplies to take away. Meng Fuqing wanted to sell some of the supplies he had received when they arrived at the next city, so that it would be easier to exchange them for silver.
The women, who were about to embark on their journey of escape, gathered together, each family taking out some cloth and starting to sew masks.
Masks made of cotton or linen are certainly not as effective at blocking viruses as modern ones, but they are better than nothing.
Among the medicinal herbs they looted was a considerable amount of mugwort, which they loaded onto each carriage for future use.
Just before going to sleep, there was a knock on the door of Meng Fuqing's room.
Upon opening it, one finds Meng Linlang with eyes swollen like peaches.
"Big sister, who is it?"
While Shan Qiyu and Meng Ranran were still busy outside, Meng Ali was dozing off on the small couch with its bedding laid out. Hearing the noise, she struggled to open her eyes and looked towards the door. When she saw who it was, her drowsiness vanished instantly.
He sat up abruptly, wrapped in the blanket, and glared at Meng Linlang.
Meng Linlang flinched and looked at Meng Fuqing, "I have something to tell you."
Meng Fuqing went inside, put on a coat, and followed her out of the room.
Arriving at a corner, Meng Linlang bit her lower lip, seemingly unsure how to speak, before finally speaking when she saw Meng Fuqing open his mouth as if to say something.
"This matter is related to Xie Jin, but I'm not sure, so... I don't dare to contact him."
Hearing that it was related to Xie Jin, Meng Fuqing was not keen to hear about the other person's privacy, but after listening to Meng Linlang's explanation, she pondered for a moment and said, "Go ahead and tell me."
Meng Linlang lowered her voice and said, "There might be someone around Xie Jin who wants to harm him, drugging him to make him go crazy."
After Xie Jin died in the dream, the new dynasty was established, and Shen Lianxing became the new emperor's most trusted minister.
One day after court, Shen Lianxing told her with a solemn expression that the imperial physician had found poison in the things Xie Jin carried every day.
He is very likely the culprit behind Xie Jin's increasingly irritable temper after ascending the throne.
Shen Lianxing didn't mention what she carried with her every day; she only remembered this because she wanted to show Meng Fuqing her sincerity.
"understood."
Seeing that Meng Fuqing was about to leave after saying those words in a detached manner, Meng Linlang didn't know whether she believed it or not, and dared not stop her. She could only watch her leave helplessly.
In fact, Meng Fuqing believed it. The Xie Jin she knew was far from the 'tyrant'. She didn't know if the things Xie Jin carried every day were still on him. She would have to ask him to find out.
The next day at daybreak, all personnel and vehicles were ready to depart.
With Du Zhong leading the way and the bandits bringing up the rear, the caravan surrounded the villagers and Xie Jin's group, and headed towards the next city.