Chapter 29: Inquiry

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Inquiry

Night fell, but the city gates remained shut tight. Even the Government Official who had previously poked his head out to offer a brief explanation was nowhere to be seen.

Ancient Wen Heng got Jin Qianqian settled, then used the cover of darkness to slip out and scout the area.

When he returned, Jin Qianqian saw his dejected expression and immediately guessed what the others had decided.

"So, what now? Do we stick with them, or go our separate ways?"

Ancient Wen Heng gritted his teeth. "There are still a few days. I’ll do my best to convince them."

At the same time, he prepared for the worst. ’If it really comes to it,’ he thought, ’I’ll just give the silver note from the mirror exchange to Li Cuicui.’

But the silver note had come from Jin Qianqian, after all. He needed her approval first, which put him in an awkward position. "If they don’t come with us, I’d like to leave the old folks with something to fall back on. What do you think?"

"You can make the call on that. It’s not like that thing is much use to us right now anyway. We couldn’t spend it even if we wanted to.

Besides, I’m not that petty. Worst case, we just have to make a few more trips to the pawnshop, and we’ll have everything we need again." Jin Qianqian gave a magnanimous wave of her hand, just thinking about how much they had gotten for only two mirrors.

Unable to find a single drop of water in the county town, the group didn’t dare to linger. They supported one another as they trudged forward.

The lack of water revealed the true cruelty of their situation. The road was littered with bodies, some not even covered, just left out in the open. The pungent stench of rot hung perpetually in the air.

Jin Qianqian, at first heartbroken and sad, had slowly grown numb to it all.

During this recent stretch of the journey, they had secretly left behind containers of purified water for others to find on several occasions. They did this despite the terrible risk of being discovered. Afraid of spilling any, they even left the water buckets themselves.

Jin Qianqian walked amid the group, her heart pounding with fear. They had already been attacked several times in recent days, and now they had to guard their surroundings even as they rushed onward.

Ancient Wen Heng gripped the fine steel machete Jin Qianqian had found for him, but his heart wavered. ’Is it really a good idea to go off on our own?’

’Even relying on our clan and fellow villagers, life is this terrifying.’

’If Qianqian and I leave the group, we’ll be like meat on a chopping block, completely at the mercy of others.’

Jin Qianqian had evidently reached the same conclusion, as she hadn’t mentioned anything about changing their route for days.

"We don’t want anything else. Just give us half the water you’re carrying, and we’ll let you pass." This was the umpteenth group they had run into, all of them spouting words they seemed to think were merciful.

Ancient Wen Heng and the others on the perimeter brandished their weapons in unison. Even the women and elderly in the center of the group stared intently at the newcomers.

The man in the lead secretly swallowed. A group of several hundred people seemed a bit thorny. More importantly, if they couldn’t get any water, they’d be the ones to collapse today.

One of the men in the lead gritted his teeth and said, "Look, our lives are already on the line. Be smart and give us half your water. It’s better for everyone that way."

He Cao Gen upended the bamboo flasks hanging from his body. "How about we make it even?" he offered. "If you have any water left in your flasks, why don’t you give half to us?"

Seeing the bone-dry, whitened bamboo, the menacing demeanor of the ambushers faltered. Disappointed, they parted to let the group pass. This was the umpteenth group of refugees they’d met who were even poorer than they were. Life was growing more hopeless by the day.

With the danger averted, the column of refugees slowly moved forward. As Ancient Wen Heng passed the leaders of the other group, he suddenly stopped.

"Brothers," he began, "this main road leads to Shangjing and also south. Have you not considered heading south?"

Zhao Da looked up at him in surprise. "You’re heading south?"

Ancient Wen Heng glanced at his group, which was steadily moving away, and at Jin Qianqian, who kept looking back at him.

Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "I heard the south is a land of rivers. Might there be another way out over there?"

Zhao Da scoffed. "I’d advise you against it. The great families of the south set up heavy blockades along the roads long ago. They’re terrified of refugees flooding their lands.

If it weren’t for our elders, who can’t bear to leave their homeland, we wouldn’t be here risking our lives either."

"What about the road ahead, then? Is there any chance of finding water?"

Zhao Da sized him up. "That’s the hope everyone is clinging to. It’s the only reason anyone keeps moving forward.

Will we find water? We don’t know. But I’d advise you not to get your hopes up. I hear the drought in the next few provinces is even worse than this one."

"I’ve taken up your time." Ancient Wen Heng gave a cupped-fist salute and hurried to catch up to the woman who was frequently glancing back in his direction.

"Brother Zhao, do you really believe they have no water?" a scrawny young man asked, staring thoughtfully after them.

Zhao Da retorted, "What if they do? There are hundreds of them, and they’re all armed. Could we have taken them?"

"You’re right, Brother Zhao, you always think ahead. Otherwise, we would’ve lost our lives here today." Who wants to die if they can live? If they were gone, what would happen to the elders and children back home?

"..."

Jin Qianqian had a headache of her own. Seeing Ancient Wen Heng finally catch up, with their companions casting curious glances, she asked, "What were you doing, stopping back there?"

"I was just asking if they knew of any water up ahead." Ancient Wen Heng had barely finished speaking when a few people nearby scoffed. ’Is that Lao Gouqi an idiot?’ they muttered. ’If those guys knew where to find water, would they be out here robbing people?’

Instantly, everyone lost interest in them. They figured their energy was better spent scanning the roadside for any overlooked edible roots.

"What’s the real story?" Jin Qianqian asked. She didn’t believe her "senior" could be that foolish.

Ancient Wen Heng lowered his voice. "It looks like heading south is a no-go. He said they’ve already set up checkpoints to keep refugees from flooding in.

I’m afraid the further we go, the harder it’s going to get."

"When we stop to rest, let’s figure out a way to produce some more water. I can see a lot of people are completely out." Jin Qianqian couldn’t bear to watch people she’d come to know walk into a dead end.

"It’ll be hard to explain if we’re always the ones ’finding’ it," he replied. "The water container from last time is still hidden on the ox cart up ahead, and people are already treating it like some kind of sacred object."

Jin Qianqian did her best to ignore the acrid stench from the roadside as despair washed over her. ’Other transmigrators get to be a Princess or at least a humble farm girl. How did I end up as a refugee?

And there are all kinds of refugees, but we had to be the most miserable sort. This doesn’t feel like we were given a new lease on life. It feels like our old lives weren’t miserable enough.’

Just as Ancient Wen Heng was about to console her, Jin Qianqian’s mood shifted again. Her face lit up with excitement. "Do you think this is some kind of trial for us? Once we get through this disaster, maybe riches and glory are waiting for us up ahead?"

’A woman’s heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea,’ Ancient Wen Heng thought. ’How am I supposed to respond to that?’