Today's disaster was a significant event for the officials escorting the prisoners.
They gathered together to discuss how to report the incident to their superiors.
As they approached the Fangling transfer point, they rested for a night on the riverbank.
The clumps of yellow mud clinging to their bodies were extremely uncomfortable. Chen Shiyi wanted to go down to the river to wash up.
She approached Wen Zhirou with downcast eyes and a submissive demeanor.
"Miss, let's go down to the river to wash up. Since it's inconvenient for you, I can help you."
Hearing Chen Shiyi's words, Wen Zhirou's eyes instantly brightened.
"But we have no clothes to change into. Besides, with so many people around, what if we're discovered?"
Chen Shiyi quickly replied.
"We can wash under that tree over there. We'll ask the Second Young Mistress to keep watch for us. We can wash our clothes clean, then come up and dry them by the fire."
When the night grew much deeper, Chen Shiyi led Wen Zhirou into the water.
The water was truly icy and bone-chilling, but they couldn't afford to care about that. The mud on their bodies was too thick, and they didn't expect to get completely clean here; they just wanted to feel a bit more comfortable.
Their hair was matted into solid clumps by the yellow mud.
In the darkness, Wen Zhirou's voice murmured softly.
"What's your name?"
As Chen Shiyi helped comb her hair, she replied.
"My father's surname is Chen. When I was born, he despised me for being a girl, so he never gave me a name. I was born on the eleventh day of the New Year. Everyone got used to calling me that, and slowly it became my name."
"Shiyi?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for today. Without you, I might have died long ago."
"No need to thank me. The Eldest Young Master promised me that once we arrive, he will give me a reward."
Wen Zhirou chuckled softly.
"What are you laughing at, Miss?"
"We are exiled prisoners. Haven't you heard the saying, 'A phoenix in distress is worse than a chicken'? We have nothing. How could we possibly give you a reward?"
Chen Shiyi's hands paused for a moment.
"A phoenix in distress is still a phoenix. Who's to say it won't one day soar back to the treetops?"
Wen Zhirou found this maid very interesting.
"I'll take your auspicious words. If we ever return to glory in the future, I will surely reward you handsomely."
After this incident, Wen Zhirou, like Rui'er, became a constant companion by Chen Shiyi's side.
She kept clutching Chen Shiyi's sleeve and clothes, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, afraid another landslide might occur. Even if she couldn't outrun it, Chen Shiyi could save her life. She had already forgotten how much she had despised Chen Shiyi before.
Perhaps because they were nearly there, the journey felt much lighter to the group.
They were taken to a town called Ping'an in Fangling County.
After completing the handover procedures, they were led away again by several officials.
After walking about ten miles of mountain paths, they finally stopped in front of a blue-brick tiled house that resembled a relay station.
They were received by an old man with a white beard. He was stooped and short in stature, but his cloudy eyes gleamed with sharp intelligence.
An official leaned close to his ear and whispered. The old man's expression turned grave, and then he scrutinized the group with his piercing eyes.
After the handover was complete, the old man slowly walked up to them and ordered someone to remove their cangues and shackles.
"Starting tomorrow, the men will report for work at the Fengming Mine."
Wen Zhiheng bowed to the old man.
"Sir, how will the women be arranged?"
The old man curled his lip in a disdainful smile.
"Womenfolk don't work, but they also won't be provided food or lodging. Find some work to support yourselves."
At first hearing, this indeed seemed reasonable.
But upon closer consideration, one realizes how terrifying it is to have no food or shelter.
When imprisoned, every member of the Wen family had been thoroughly searched—even their hair buns were undone and examined strand by strand, lest gold threads were hidden within. Moreover, no one had come to see the Wen family off, so they likely didn't have a single copper coin to their names.
In an unfamiliar place with no money, they were facing the greatest survival challenge.
The Wen family turned pale but dared not speak up. Only Wen Zhiheng asked calmly and respectfully, "Sir, could you offer some guidance? We will surely repay you in the future."
The old man pressed his tongue against his left cheek and said meaningfully, "I'm afraid you can't afford my repayment. Old Yu, come here. They have womenfolk—find them a house to stay in for now."
A plump clerk hurried over, sized up the Wen family, and said gruffly, "Follow me."
After walking about half a kilometer, they passed scattered small wooden houses along the way. The houses were eerily quiet, as if no one lived there.
The fat clerk named Old Yu led them to a stop beside a low, dilapidated wooden house. The house was rotten and worn, seemingly long uninhabited. As soon as the door opened, a musty smell assaulted their noses. Inside, there was nothing—not even a basic bed. Above, tangled spiderwebs covered the ceiling, and in several places, light leaked through gaps.
"You'll stay here. Six hundred copper coins a month."
"What?" Wen Zhirou exclaimed in disbelief. "This rundown place still costs money?"
Old Yu grinned. "Then don't stay."
With that, he moved to close the door, ready to lock it with his key.
Wen Zhiheng quickly grabbed his hand. "Wait, my younger sister is ignorant. Please don't take it to heart, Brother Yu. But we have no money right now. Could we move in first and pay later?"
Old Yu's plump body shook with laughter. "No money, huh? Fine, I'm kind-hearted, Old Yu. I'll come collect the money in a month, but by then it won't be six hundred—it'll be eight hundred. Understand?"
Suppressing his anger, Wen Zhiheng forced a slight smile. "Brother Yu is truly kind-hearted. I am endlessly grateful."
Old Yu appreciated Wen Zhiheng's pragmatism and nodded with a smile before leaving.
Once he was far enough away, Wen Zhirou hurriedly asked, "Brother, how could you agree to that? This place is deserted. Where will we find eight hundred copper coins?"
Wen Zhiheng sighed helplessly. "What else could we do? We can't sleep in the wilderness, can we? First, we need shelter from wind and rain. Once we're familiar with the situation here, we can make other arrangements."
While they were gathered and talking, Chen Shiyi had already gathered fresh green leaves from the nearby woods, picked soft twigs from the bushes, and tied them into a small broom. She began sweeping down the spiderwebs from the ceiling.
Watching the diligent Chen Shiyi, Wen Zhiheng smiled slightly and turned to Wen Zhiyuan. "You take care of them here. The woods ahead are vast. I'll go see if I can catch some game to exchange for a bit of silver?"
Wen Zhiyuan nodded. "Don't worry, Elder Brother. I'll be here."
The sleeve cloth torn off last time to reduce Rui'er's fever was still there, so Chen Shiyi simply used it as a rag. He wet the cloth in a nearby pond, returned to the house, and wiped down the beams, pillars, and walls.
The floor of the old house was made of compacted earth, and the corners of the walls had grown mold. On the dark wooden panels, some had sprouted many small, densely packed white fungi.
This house was too damp. Staying here for long would likely lead to illness.
They had come from the capital, and the climate here in the hilly region was vastly different.
These masters were extremely delicate and would likely suffer from acclimatization.
Along the way, they had already endured great hardships.
Chen Shiyi felt that the real hardships were only just beginning.