The road south was packed with people.
Some, like Chen Yuan, were traveling on foot. Others pushed flatbed carts, carried shoulder poles, drove ox carts, or rode in horse-drawn carriages.
The sight of the carriages reminded Chen Yuan that she had one too.
She had simply forgotten about it. Having only recently arrived in this ancient world, she still wasn’t used to thinking of horse-drawn travel as an option. She glanced at the endless stream of refugees around her. This wasn’t the right moment to bring it out.
She’d wait until she found a better opportunity.
Everyone hurried along with anxious expressions. Every so often, children broke into tears.
“Mom, slow down! I can’t keep up!”
“Mom, I’m tired. I can’t walk anymore.”
“Grandma, how much farther? I don’t have any strength left.”
Chen Yuan sighed inwardly.
These children would grow stronger sooner or later—just like the children who had survived the apocalypse.
She looked down at Daniu in her arms.
The little girl was still sleeping soundly, nestled against her mother’s chest. Perhaps because she was in her mother’s embrace, she slept especially peacefully.
The farther they walked, the hotter it became.
Summer had only just begun, so why was it already this scorching?
She’d made a mistake.
She hadn’t taken out one of the straw hats she’d collected. Too late for regrets now. No amount of money could buy hindsight.
As she walked, she spotted a man carrying a shoulder pole with several straw hats hanging from either end.
Perfect timing. It was as if heaven itself had decided to deliver supplies straight to her.
A burly man reached the peddler first.
“How much for a straw hat?”
“Two hundred copper coins.”
“Two hundred? They usually cost two or three! That’s highway robbery!”
“That’s the price. Buy it or don’t.”
Chen Yuan hurried over.
“I’ll take one.”
The burly man looked at her as if she were an idiot.
“What a fool. Must have more money than sense.”
Chen Yuan ignored him completely. She put on the hat and continued down the road in an excellent mood.
At this early stage of the refugee exodus, people still had enough restraint to pay for things. Before long, though, anyone selling straw hats would probably be robbed, and a “big spender” like Chen Yuan certainly wouldn’t escape unscathed.
By noon, the heat had become almost unbearable.
She had never suffered like this—not even during the apocalypse.
Back then, with her Storage Space and abilities, she’d lived quite comfortably.
Finding a secluded spot, she fed Daniu, changed her diaper, and decided not to wrap her in blankets anymore. Instead, she dressed the baby in a short-sleeved romper with short pants and secured her against her chest with a length of cloth.
As for herself, the heat had completely ruined her appetite.
She simply drank two bowls of iced mung bean soup before finding a tree that still had a few leaves left. Sitting beneath its sparse shade, she rested for a while.
This land had endured a year-long drought.
If not for the Yellow River, the people here would have had no chance of survival. The Mother River truly lived up to its name.
Just then, a young woman approached.
“Hey, little brother. Traveling alone?” she asked.
Chen Yuan looked up.
The woman had one child strapped to her back, another in her arms, and a little girl of five or six standing beside her. The child carried an enormous bundle on her back that looked heavy enough to crush her.
“No,” Chen Yuan replied curtly.
“Oh, don’t be so distant.” The woman smiled as she sat down beside her. “I’ve been watching you all along the road. You’ve been by yourself this whole time.”
“You’ve been following me?” Chen Yuan asked coldly. “What do you want?”
“Oh, don’t put it like that. We’re all heading south anyway. It’s not like I deliberately followed you.” She glanced at the sleeping Daniu before continuing. “I just figured that raising a baby by yourself can’t be easy. If someone helped look after the child, wouldn’t life be much easier?”
Seeing that Chen Yuan remained silent, she pressed on.
“Little brother, what do you think of me? Why don’t we travel together? I’ll take care of your baby, and you provide food for us. Or…” She smiled shyly. “If you don’t mind, we could even live together as husband and wife.”
There it is.
Chen Yuan had known it.
People didn’t suddenly show kindness for no reason. If they did, they were almost certainly after something.
The woman must have seen her buying the outrageously expensive straw hat earlier and mistaken her for some wealthy fool with money to burn.
“I do mind,” Chen Yuan said bluntly. “You want to help raise my child? Can you even manage your own children?”
The woman laughed awkwardly.
“Oh, that’s what you’re worried about? Don’t be. My Daya is wonderful with children.” She pointed proudly at the little girl beside her.
“Her?” Chen Yuan asked skeptically.
“Don’t let her size fool you. She’s already seven years old. She can wash clothes, cook, do all kinds of chores.” Pulling the little girl forward, she said, “Daya, come say hello to your uncle.”
Before Daya could speak, Chen Yuan cut in.
“You should probably call me Auntie.”
The woman froze.
“You couldn’t tell?” Chen Yuan continued. “Couldn’t even recognize it from my voice?”
“Now that you mention it…” The woman’s eyes darted over her again. “I did think your voice sounded a little strange—kind of… feminine.”
Her eyes immediately brightened.
“Oh! Then I’ll call you little sister instead. I was just talking nonsense before, so don’t take offense. Times are hard for everyone. Since we’re both women, why don’t we travel together? We can look after each other on the road. Doesn’t that sound good?”
So she’s determined to latch onto me?
There was no way Chen Yuan was going to let that happen.
“Great!” Chen Yuan said, putting on a delighted expression. “Then, big sister, you’ll stay here with me while I wait for my family.”
The woman’s face changed instantly.
“You’re staying? Listen, little sister, the barbarians will be here any moment. You absolutely can’t stay behind!”
“I’m waiting until my family arrives.”
“Oh, why are you so stubborn…” The woman hesitated for a moment before changing tactics. “Little sister, we left in such a hurry that we barely brought any food. Could you lend me a little money so I can buy some grain? The children will all be grateful to you.”