lcionline Chapter 208 Xia Youcheng, Passing By
Chapter 208 Xia Youcheng, Passing By
Once the Wen family was out of the thieves' sight, they quickly gathered up the broken stones, withered branches, fallen leaves, and mud under the cover of darkness, restoring the depression to its original state.
The group hurried all the way and returned to the cave amidst the anticipation of their families.
Wen Yuanqian and Wen Qiyuan, who were at the entrance of the cave, heard the noise and hurriedly inquired.
"Boss? Did it go smoothly?"
"Brother, how did it go? Is it all taken care of?"
Wen Qilin entered the cave and hurriedly reassured his family, "Everything is going well, everything is fine."
He grabbed Wen Chengbin and told him, "Erlang, tell your grandfather and your father what happened."
Wen Chengbin was overjoyed and replied with a smile, "Hey, Uncle, let me tell you."
Wen Chengbin was telling his family the details of what had happened.
Wenwen, Wen Qilin, and Wen Chengjian sat cross-legged over there, adjusting their breathing.
There's still some time before we set off at dawn, so we can rest for a while.
Time passed slowly, and the appointed time arrived.
The gong sounded precisely on time.
After quickly getting ready, everyone embarked on a new journey.
The exiles marched toward Xiayou City.
At first, it was just a biting cold wind, but after walking for most of the day, it started to snow lightly.
Braving the light snow, the group crossed a mountain and gradually moved away from the desert area.
As evening approached, we finally arrived at Xiayou City.
After entering the city gate, the exiled caravan traveled through the city and arrived at the north gate.
Zhu Dacai then announced, "We'll have one hour to make the purchases. After that, we'll hurry out of the city. If we persevere, we'll reach the northern border in another three to eight days. Once we're in the northern border, everyone can finally rest."
Everyone seriously doubted that what they were hearing was real.
What's wrong!
Now that we've finally made it to the city, why aren't we staying at a hotel?
They're not short of money; it's just a hotel room, how much could they possibly spend?
For wealthy people, spending money to stay in a hotel means enjoying every night they can.
For the poor, even if they can't afford to live in a woodshed, living in a cowshed or stable with a roof over their heads is still better than sleeping in the wilderness.
Therefore, many people looked at Lord Zhu with suspicion, waiting for him to say a few more words.
Unfortunately, Lord Zhu was not one to be questioned; after announcing the order, he went straight to the yamen to negotiate.
The prisoners were left completely bewildered.
Some of the constables kindly advised, "We suggest that everyone buy more daily necessities. It's the coldest time of year in the northern desert right now, and many things won't be available until spring. There are still several months until spring, so hurry up and buy the necessities first."
There's no other way but to obey orders and listen to advice!
Fortunately, there were quite a few shops and stalls near the city gate.
They sell everything imaginable; you can buy anything you need.
Inmates who intended to buy things busily moved between the various stalls within the limited time available.
An hour later.
Everyone carried bags and bundles, and braved the wind and snow to leave Xiayou City.
The brief stay here actually contributed significantly to Xiayou City's tax revenue.
Once outside the city, the Wen family members were still in front.
The terrain here is characterized by continuous high mountains.
Just as it was completely dark, we found a place at the foot of the mountain to rest.
I slept without dreams or words.
The next day, before dawn, everyone shouldered their packs and set off north again.
Three to five days passed in this manner.
That evening, the group arrived at the foot of a mountain.
The mountains here are quite strange; the trees on them still have green leaves. It's rare to see greenery in such a cold place.
Moreover, not far from the foot of the mountain, there was a small puddle, and the gurgling sound of flowing water reached everyone's ears.
Such a place, nestled against the mountains and beside the water, is perfect for setting up camp. Lord Zhu ordered that we camp here tonight.
It had been a long time since we'd found a place to build a treehouse. After assigning spots, everyone was eager to try, picking up their skills that had been idle for days, and the group enthusiastically started building the treehouse.
Some people are building treehouses, while others are busy cooking.
A group of people followed the sound of flowing water.
Unexpectedly, a few moments later, a burst of laughter and chatter came from the other side of the puddle.
"Wow, this water is so warm!"
"Ah, let me see."
"Wow, really? Could this be hot spring water?"
"Ah, a hot spring!!!"
This has caused quite a stir.
Imagine, in the dead of winter, if you stumble upon a hot spring in the wilderness, who wouldn't want to jump in and take a bath immediately? Even if you don't jump in, wouldn't it be pleasant to fetch some water to wash your hands and face?
Upon hearing that it was hot spring water, everyone rushed over, grabbing whatever containers they could find to hold the water.
To everyone's surprise, the place where we stayed overnight even had a hot spring.
However, this "big family" does not include the Wen family.
The Wen family members led the way and were responsible for finding a campsite. They already knew about the hot spring in the area.
That's why we estimated the time and guided the large group here.
Fortunately, this place suited Lord Zhu's taste.
Everyone fetched water, cooked rice, and went to their respective rooms.
Without a doubt, the treehouse was located in the most remote and dangerous position for the Wen family.
Although the danger in the depression has been eliminated, we cannot let our guard down until we reach our destination.
At this moment, the Wen family was sitting together enjoying a big meal.
Since leaving Shian City, for nearly a month, everyone has been eating and sleeping outdoors, and every meal seems to be rushed and made do.
Since we finally had a chance to sit together tonight, the women in the family used all their skills to prepare a sumptuous dinner for everyone.
Wenwen was multitasking; while enjoying the delicious food, she also used her spiritual power to control her detection technique, paying attention to everything around her.
After the meal, everyone chatted casually.
Wenwen asked the question that had been on her mind for a long time: "Grandfather, what is the situation in Mobei? Please tell us about it."
It wasn't just her who was curious; the rest of the Wen family were even more so.
So Wen Yuanqian began to tell everyone.
Mobei, located in the northernmost part of Zhongzhao Kingdom, is also the poorest and coldest place in Zhongzhao Kingdom. However, this place has many mountains and mineral resources, so prisoners exiled here are required to mine and dig for ore. When the time comes, they must hand over a certain amount of iron ore. As long as the quantity is met, there is no other control.
Such regulations are neither particularly difficult nor particularly easy to implement.
The so-called mining and excavation were not supervised or led by anyone; the prisoners were left to organize and carry out the work themselves.
Just think about it, without any relevant skills, how would you know which mountain has ore, and how would you have the ability to mine it?
Over time, three major forces emerged here—the Tang family, the Meng family, and the Xie family.
All three companies have people who can survey mines and extract ore. Once a mine is found, it is very easy for them to bring people over to mine it and complete the task.
Therefore, to survive here, one must seek refuge with one of the families.
After listening, Wenwen once again asked what everyone was thinking, "Grandfather, should our family seek refuge with someone else?"