PDLP Chapter 83 On the Road
Chapter 83 On the Road
Two days had passed after everything was prepared.
On the morning of the third day, Xiao Qiren and Xiao Qili loaded all the items onto the prepared carriage.
My aunt had even laid thick wool blankets on the carriage seats, just in case they were uncomfortable during the journey.
Auntie Er also prepared a lot of food and put it on the carriage. The group prepared everything they could think of. Xiao Siyue was both touched and amused.
"Auntie, Auntie, no need, we'll run out of space if we take any more." Xiao Siyue quickly stopped them when she saw that the two were about to bring them pots and pans.
"Take these, just in case you need them on the road," Auntie said, packing everything without giving anyone a chance to refuse.
Xiao Siyue glanced at the large horse harness in front of her and thought sympathetically, "Looks like you'll have to suffer."
After loading the items, Xiao Qiren helped the two elders onto the carriage and then gave them instructions:
"You must be careful on the road, and don't sleep outdoors, stay at an inn, understand?"
"Uncle, I understand, don't worry." Xiao Siyue listened attentively without finding it annoying.
"Also, don't skimp on the money on the road, eat and drink well." Although her family is not short of money now, Old Lady Xiao still likes to save.
"Okay, go back now, we're leaving." This was the first time Old Master Xiao had ever seen his son talk so much; he'd been rambling on for almost half an hour and still wasn't done.
Xiao Qiren, feeling disliked by his own father, could only keep quiet. However, he still gave Zhou Ming another piece of advice.
"Zhou Ming, you must protect them!"
Zhou Ming nodded and sat on the front of the carriage.
Xiao Siyue lifted the carriage curtain and waved to everyone: "You can go back now, we're leaving."
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The weather isn't very hot yet, so the group isn't walking very fast. They travel during the day and rest at the inn at night.
However, they left quite late that day, and by nightfall they had not found an inn to rest in, so they had no choice but to stay in a dilapidated temple that had been abandoned for a long time.
"Grandpa, Grandma, can we stay here tonight?" Xiao Siyue looked at the desolate, dilapidated temple in front of her, her heart racing.
"There's nothing we can do. It's getting dark soon, and we don't have time to find another inn." Old Master Xiao was also somewhat helpless. If they didn't stay here, they would have to sleep in the wilderness.
"Let's go in then," Xiao Siyue sighed.
Zhou Ming parked the carriage outside the temple in a slightly secluded spot and tied the horses to the side.
The group then went inside.
The temple was in a state of disrepair; the Buddha statues were all overturned and scattered with debris on the ground. There was hardly any room to step.
After tidying up a bit and making room, the group sat down to rest.
"Thank goodness there's still some hay here, otherwise we wouldn't be able to sleep at night," Old Mrs. Xiao said thankfully, touching the hay under her bottom.
"I'll go get the blanket from the carriage; we can use it to cover ourselves tonight," Xiao Siyue said after glancing at it.
"Grandma will go with you." Grandpa Xiao and Zhou Ming were worried, so they followed the two out.
It was already getting dark outside. Xiao Siyue rummaged through the carriage and found a few candles, which she then picked up.
They also packed all their dry rations, preparing to have dinner.
After taking the items inside, Xiao Siyue found two candlesticks on the altar, lit the candles, and the room instantly became much brighter.
Xiao Siyue had just sat down when she saw Zhou Ming stand up.
"Zhou Ming, where are you going?" Xiao Siyue asked, somewhat puzzled.
Zhou Ming pointed at the Buddha statue, but Xiao Siyue didn't understand. What was wrong with the Buddha statue?
Before Xiao Siyue could ask any more questions, Zhou Ming went over and picked up the Buddha statue, placing it upright.
Xiao Siyue was dumbfounded. Zhou Ming was incredibly strong; he lifted such a large Buddha statue with ease.
The elderly couple from the Xiao family were also shocked, never expecting such an unexpected gain.
"Zhou Ming, come and eat something." Xiao Siyue took out some dry food, which they had bought in a town they passed through, as they had already finished the food they brought from home.
Eating the dry, hard pancakes, Xiao Siyue felt she had no appetite at all.
Suddenly I remembered that my aunt and the others seemed to have brought a pot.
"Grandma, Auntie seems to have brought a pot. Let's cook some porridge. The flatbread is too dry." Xiao Siyue looked at Old Lady Xiao with bright eyes.
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Xiao put down the flatbread in her hand and said, "Alright, let's make porridge."
The group split up. Xiao Siyue and Old Lady Xiao packed up the pots and pans, while Old Master Xiao and Zhou Ming gathered some firewood outside.
After the fire had grown stronger, they placed the pot on the stove and waited patiently.
A short while later, the aroma of rice wafted into their noses, causing their already hungry stomachs to rumble loudly.
Xiao Siyue felt a little embarrassed. At noon, she complained that the pancakes were too dry and didn't eat much, but now she was really hungry.
"Yue'er, just wait a little longer." Mrs. Xiao patted Xiao Siyue's head and said with heartache.
After waiting a while longer, the porridge was finally ready, and Old Lady Xiao served each of them a bowl.
Holding the steaming, fragrant porridge, Grandpa Xiao took a sip and couldn't help but exclaim, "I never thought we could eat such hot porridge in this desolate wilderness!"
"Yes, I didn't expect it either. It doesn't feel like we're on a journey; it feels more like we're sightseeing," Old Lady Xiao chimed in.
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Xiao Siyue immediately felt much better and patted her stomach contentedly.
"Yue'er, are you full?" Old Mrs. Xiao asked again after Xiao Siyue finished drinking.
"Grandma, I'm full." Because she thought everyone was hungry, she put a lot of rice in the porridge, making it very thick. A small bowl was enough to fill Xiao Siyue's belly.
Seeing that there was still a lot left, Old Master Xiao let Old Master Xiao and Zhou Ming drink it all.
After cleaning up the dishes, the group prepared for bed. Xiao Siyue lay down next to Old Lady Xiao, covered herself with a warm blanket, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
He opened his eyes and peeked at Old Lady Xiao, only to find that she was already asleep.
She got up, tiptoed out of her bag, took out a few pastries, and quietly walked to the Buddha statue to place them on the offering table.
Then he muttered to himself for a long time before lying down next to Old Lady Xiao.
Zhou Ming woke up when Xiao Siyue got up, but when he saw it was Xiao Siyue, he didn't get up. He was relieved when he saw Xiao Siyue finish her work and go back to lie down.
The night passed peacefully, but being outside made it somewhat uncomfortable to sleep.
After getting up, Xiao Siyue felt a sore back and aching waist. After moving around a bit, she helped Old Lady Xiao pack her things.
After loading everything onto the carriage, they continued their journey.