101 Chapter 101. Food Was Stolen
Qiu Yue took the socks to the river and drank enough water before washing her face. She hadn’t washed her face for a few days and felt her skin was so dry that it was about to crack. After washing her face, she washed the socks in the water.
People were still filling their water bags downstream, and they exploded when they saw Qiu Yue washing socks.
“What are you doing? Are you blind? Can’t you see that we’re collecting water here? Did she wash smelly socks? How can a big girl be so selfish?”
The scolding sister-in-law was hungry and unhappy, so she caught Qiu Yue to vent her anger.
!!
Qiu Yue’s face turned red from the scolding. Behind her were the curses of the aunties. She quickly picked up her socks and walked back with her head lowered. It was incredibly unpleasant and made her cry.
“Qiu Yue, what have you been doing?”
Qiu Yongkang had also followed the men to the river. He saw Qiu Yue coming back with red eyes and asked in a low voice.
“They bullied me, and you’re bullying me too?”
When Qiu Yue saw her big brother, she wanted to complain and ask him to help her vent her anger. In the end, she was scolded by her big brother.
“We’re on the run now, so what’s the point of being poor? Hurry up and leave.”
Qiu Yongkang had heard the women’s scolding and immediately understood what was happening. When he saw the unwashed socks in her sister’s hands, he was so angry that he scolded her.
“They all don’t like me.”
Qiu Yue was so angry that her face turned white. She stomped her feet at her brother and ran away crying.
Qiu Yongkang was infuriated. The other team had to hurry, and his sister had lost her temper.
“You are spoilt.”
Qiu Yongkang caught up to his sister and dragged her back by the wrist.
“Everyone’s waiting for you. Don’t you feel bad?”
Her big brother was dragging Qiu Yue, but she dared not make any more noise. If the team left, wouldn’t she, a lone woman, be as miserable as high scholar Ding’s concubine?
Ji Shuisheng didn’t know about Qiu Yue’s evil deeds. He counted the number of people and prepared to leave immediately. The Barbarian race would chase after them when they had the advantage. It was too dangerous to be so close to Jin city.
After doing a headcount, they realized that Qiu Yongkang and Qiu Yue had disappeared. Ji Shuisheng was so anxious that he furrowed his brow. Yongkang wasn’t such an undisciplined person; it must have been because of Qiu Yue again.
Ji Shuisheng was troubled by Qiu Yue now. In the past, when they were at Peach Blossom Cove, she was quite understanding, and all the elders liked her. However, his foster father had once warned him not to fall in love with Qiu Yue and said that Qiu Yue was not a good match.
Ji Shuisheng did not take it to heart because he had always treated Qiu Yue as a younger sister. He treated her the same as he treated Xiaoying. However, now he felt that his foster father accurately judged people. This Qiu Yue was indeed hard to explain in a few words.
“They’re back.”
Aunt Qiu’s heart was burning with anxiety. She was terrified that her daughter had met with an accident. She was so anxious that she kept walking in circles. When she saw that her son had found her daughter, her eyes were red with surprise and joy.
“…”
Qiu Yue looked at Ji Shuisheng with tears in her eyes, but she saw Ji Shuisheng pass the horsewhip to Su Qing,
“You drive the carriage; I must care for the team.”
Qiu Yue’s heart was broken. She would not need to walk if she let Su Qing drive the carriage. Did Ji Shuisheng not bear to let Su Qing walk? They were childhood sweethearts, and he wasn’t worried about her being lost for so long.
Su Qing said nothing as she took the whip and walked towards the carriage. She pulled Ji Xiaoying up as she passed by her.
“Xiaoying, sit beside me.”
The shaft of the carriage could also fit people. Her and Ji Xiaoying’s combined weight was not much heavier than Ji Shuisheng’s, so there was no need to worry that the horse would be unable to pull them.
“Alright,” she said.
Ji Xiaoying was also really tired. It was not bad to drive a carriage with her sister. She could enjoy the scenery and the breeze and did not have to walk.
Ji Shuisheng glanced at Su Qing. She was good to Xiaoying and was always concerned about her.
“Mother, I can’t walk anymore.”
When Qiu Yue saw Ji Shuisheng walking over, she rubbed her legs and told her mother with a bitter face. When aunt Qiu saw Ji Shuisheng walking over, she understood why her daughter said so. She sighed,
“Everyone’s walking like this. If you don’t leave, you’ll be captured by the barbarians!”
Qiu Yue was angry that her mother did not follow her words. She looked at Ji Shuisheng with a pair of resentful eyes. Ji Shuisheng heard it but pretended not to listen to it. Even the children did not say that they were tired. Qiu Yue was worse than a child.
Ji Shuisheng walked to the back of the group. Zhong Yong and Li Daniu were guarding the rear. They had good tempers and chatted as they walked. They were pleased as if they were not out to escape but to tour the mountains and rivers.
“I have a feeling that something’s not right. You two must keep your eyes open.”
Ji Shuisheng felt uneasy and instructed these two brothers not to focus on laughing and forget to be on guard.
“Big brother, don’t worry. I’ll kill whoever dares to snatch our things.”
Ever since he’d killed and crippled a few of the armored soldiers, Zhong Yong had found a fighting method that he was good at. He’d grab them by the waist, lift them, and throw them violently. It was simple, brutal, and highly efficient. He’d make the other party lose their ability to fight with a single throw.
“Okay.”
The corner of Ji Shuisheng’s mouth twitched. He was a genius at learning martial arts and could learn martial arts moves after seeing them once. He had no choice but to teach Zhong Yong martial arts when they reached Jingshi Dao.
High scholar, Ding’s concubine, could keep up with the group at first, but she couldn’t keep up later on. She fell to the ground and no longer had the strength to walk, crying silently.
After Jin City was Li City, a relatively large city, it was the only way to the capital city and a significant barrier preventing the barbarians from attacking the Inland.
Li City was an important commercial hub and a strategic place that couldn’t be neglected. If the barbarians occupied it, there would be no way to trade between the north and south, let alone transport food. If the barbarians took Li city, it would be equivalent to them having a place to settle down in the Central Plains.
It could be said that Li city was essential to the great Xia Kingdom! The Wan family Army’s iron armors were like an iron wall.
When Su Qing and the rest rushed to Li City, they found the city gates tightly shut. Guards at the city gates prevented the disaster victims from taking a step closer. There were bows and arrows on the city walls, and as long as the disaster victims tried to get close, they would be shot to death.
The rich people who wanted to stay in Li City were dumbfounded. They had run out of food on the way, and if they were not allowed to enter the city, they would not be able to buy food.
Ji Shuisheng and the rest still had food and did not plan to enter the city. They did not want to stop and continued their journey with the carriage.
However, someone didn’t want them to leave like that, even though they wanted to walk over safely.
On the city wall, the Deputy general in armor saw the two-and-a-half carts of grain from Peach Blossom Cove and ordered the city guards to confiscate the grain.
...
A group of the great Xia Kingdom’s Army surrounded Ji Shuisheng and the others. The villagers of Peach Blossom Cove were all terrified and trembled as they looked at the Army that was supposed to protect them.
These people were bandits and not here to protect the commoners. They didn’t have any illusions about the great Xia Kingdom’s Army. Last time, they were almost killed by the armored Army.
“The barbarians are attacking the Inland. Your food is in urgent need. Your food has been hijacked. Someone, drive the carriage away.”
The people from the city protection Army only said one sentence before they started to grab the grain. Zhong Yong and Li Daniu were going to fight them to the death.
Whoosh, more than a dozen steel knives were pointed at them. The leading officer scowled and scolded,
“You want to rebel?”