"Alright, you can take it." Shen Yunyue also wanted to establish good relations with one or two families—if anything truly happened, she'd have some help.
The other party thanked her profusely and left with the clay pot, thinking to themselves:
"Father was right. As long as we mention cooking fish soup, the Shen girl will agree to lend it."
Old Madam Shen felt sorry for her granddaughter and called Shen Yunyue to her side. She took Shen Yunyue's hand with concern. "Child, we can't afford to clash head-on with people like the Peng and He families. Our Shen family is small and weak—what would we do if something happened?"
"It's fine if your grandfather and I die. But you siblings haven't grown up yet."
"Grandmother, do you think those people will let us off just because we yield? Being fierce has its advantages—we have to be this bold on the road to exile. Otherwise, they'll devour us until not even our bones are left."
"If it comes to that, those officers…" Old Madam Shen hesitated.
"The officers won't care about any of that."
Old Madam Shen hadn't expected her granddaughter's temperament to be nothing like that of a proper young lady. Her brow furrowed even more deeply. At least she was already married, so there was no worry about her not being able to find a husband.
She looked up and saw Fu Xuanheng, a crippled man, and felt even more worried.
That evening.
Those who rode in the carriage were all inside, not afraid of the cold. Shen Yunyue also had Mo Yiran and Liu Xiaoyun get on the carriage. At this point, she couldn't be bothered with the propriety of not sharing a carriage with elders.
Fu Xuanheng said he would take the night watch and told Shen Yunyue and the others to sleep. Shen Citong disagreed, saying he would take the watch instead. The others rested around the fire, while Fu Xuanheng and Shen Citong took turns keeping watch and adding firewood.
Shen Yunyue sat leaning against Fu Xuanheng with a cloak wrapped around her, and before long, her little head began to droop. Fu Xuanheng pressed her head against his chest and wrapped one arm around her shoulder.
He then opened his own cloak and pulled Shen Yunyue entirely inside it.
Feng Xiao'e and her daughter hadn't gotten a single bite of dinner.
They huddled pitifully by the fire. When the house was raided, both of them had been so panicked they hadn't prepared anything.
They didn't even have a single cloak.
At this moment, they were shivering like featherless chicks running in the snow.
Old Madam Shen couldn't bear to watch and gave her own cloak to Feng Xiao'e. She said earnestly:
"I know you don't think highly of our Shen family. But since you've chosen to travel with Xuanheng and us, you should understand in your heart who your real support is."
Feng Xiao'e nodded tearfully, though she wasn't convinced at all.
Fu Xuanheng remained cold and silent, only casting a sinister glare at Concubine Feng. It frightened her so much she dared not cry anymore.
The He family was in an uproar of quarreling, and she knew there was no hope there. She wrapped the cloak around herself and Fu Xuanting, and the two sat by the fire to keep warm.
Feng Xiao'e reached out and picked up two pieces of firewood to put on the fire. Stirring with a stick, she discovered five chestnuts. She quickly raked them toward herself and ate them all with Fu Xuanting.
Early the next morning.
Shen Yunyue got up early. There weren't many sticks left in the fire.
She picked up a wooden bucket and headed toward the woods.
Fu Xuanheng sat on the ground, pulling his cloak tighter. "Yun Yue, take this for protection."
He took a sharp dagger from his leg.
"I have one."
Shen Yunyue patted her own calf.
"Give me yours, and I'll give you mine." Without waiting for her objection, Fu Xuanheng handed over his dagger. It looked unremarkable, but a cold gleam ran along its edge.
Shen Yunyue didn't stand on ceremony. She pulled the Swiss Army Knife from her leg and gave it to Fu Xuanheng, then took his dagger and tucked it into the binding on her calf.
She stepped into the woods under the morning sunlight.
Once inside the forest, Shen Yunyue fetched a bucket of water, cut a bundle of thatch grass, and dug up a few sweet potatoes and potatoes.
The family quickly ate something.
The Jiechai cracked his whip through the air.
"Get moving now, all of you!"
Many families were still hungry. Everyone pinned their hopes on reaching Hefengting, where relatives might come to deliver silver. That way, they could buy something to eat from the officers.
After walking about twenty li.
They came to a fork in the road.
Many people who had come to see off their loved ones stood by the roadside, craning their necks and waiting.
Several Jiechai took the embroidered pouches handed over by the well-wishers and weighed them in their hands. Officer Peng's voice boomed as he shouted: "I'll give you the time it takes to burn one stick of incense to catch up. Make it quick!"
Those with sharp eyes rushed over and embraced their relatives, weeping bitterly.
Mo Yiran and Liu Xiaoyun could no longer hold back—both of their natal families were in Jingcheng. The Shen family's first and second branches had only come to Jingcheng after their children passed the imperial examinations, so they had no other relatives in the capital.
Liu Xiaoyun brought Shen Yuncheng and her daughter to see her family.
Mo Yiran searched through the crowd for a long time but couldn't find her family. She burst into loud sobs. "Are Father and Mother angry? Your daughter is unfilial—in this life, I can no longer serve them."
Mo Yiran knelt down, facing the direction of Jingcheng.
"Father, Mother." She had so desperately hoped to see them one last time, but now she couldn't. How could she not be heartbroken?
"Little sister. Father can't come out to see you, so I've come in their stead." A man of about forty with a refined, scholarly appearance arrived in a carriage.
"Elder brother."
Shen Yunyue and Shen Yunfeng stepped forward to pay their respects, while Shen Yunzheng climbed down from the carriage and ran over to embrace Mo Yisheng.
From inside the carriage, Fu Xuanheng silently watched the family farewells outside, his face dark and gloomy.
"Ah, all good children who have suffered so much." Mo Yisheng pulled out a money pouch from his bosom, filled with silver ingots and loose silver pieces.
"Sister, keep this pouch of silver ingots and loose silver safe."
"Here are some silver notes. When you reach Shihanzhou, purchase a few acres of farmland. That will make life easier for you."
"And here are some copper coins—you'll need small change most of all on the road."
A servant approached carrying a bundle, filled with heavy copper coins.
"In this basket are everyday medicines for colds and emergencies, along with some steamed buns. I also bought each of you a padded jacket of fine cotton cloth. There are pots, a stove, and charcoal as well."
Shen Yunyue hadn't expected Mo Yiran's natal family to prepare so many things. Everything they needed for the journey was there.
"Sister, after this parting, I fear we may never meet again. Do not worry about Father and Mother here—take the children and live well." Mo Yisheng choked out, reaching out to pat Shen Yunyue's head.
From his own pocket, he took out a silver hairpin shaped like a butterfly with spread wings and tucked it into Shen Yunyue's hair.
"Yue'er. You have suffered so much."
"Uncle. Please send my regards to Grandfather and Grandmother."
"Ah, let me go greet Old Master Shen." Mo Yisheng held back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes and walked toward the carriage without looking back.
Mo Yiran collapsed to the ground, sobbing.
Suddenly, Shen Yunyue spotted A-Si and Yingfeng. The two came over and quietly told her they had bribed their way into the convoy.
They feared the Shen family, lacking capable men, would be bullied.
Shen Yunyue smiled. With these two around, there was no worry about who would drive the carriage, nor about being harassed on the road. Making arrangements in advance truly made a difference.
Another incense stick's time had passed before they set off again.
Everyone's hearts were heavy. Yingfeng and A-Si had even brought a wheelchair for Fu Xuanheng.
Yingfeng drove the carriage while A-Si followed behind carrying the basket on his back.
Feng Xiao'e had cried until her eyes were swollen, yet still her natal family hadn't come to see her off. Her fantasy of getting money and humiliating the Shen family had fallen apart.
She felt even worse and sobbed the whole way.
Mo Yiran was a crybaby, and Liu Xiaoyun was much the same at this point. The women of the eldest branch wept so hard they didn't recognize anyone, but when they looked up and saw each other's faces, they felt a bit closer.
"Damn it all. Keep crying and my whip won't know where it lands!" The mounted officer dug at his ear and roared at the walking crowd.
Everyone who had been crying froze as if hit by a pause button. No one dared make another sound.
They continued until they reached the Yizhan.
Mo Yiran, still sniffling, shoved her bundle into Shen Yunyue's arms. "Yunyue, from now on you'll be the head of the household. All the money is yours to keep."
"And mine too." Liu Xiaoyun's brother from her natal family had also come to see her off. "Yunyue, you're the adult now. We won't call you Yuebao anymore. Take this silver and use it together with the rest."
Shen Yunyue: … I'm only thirteen, since when am I an adult?
"Second Aunt, keep your silver for yourself."
"Keep it for what? Your father lost his head, and your second uncle lost his too. All the family's silver goes to you to manage. We'll trouble you to run the household." Liu Xiaoyun's nose was stuffed up, and she tugged at her own ear with her hand.
"Alright then. I'll keep it safe. If you need to buy anything, just tell me." Shen Yunyue carried the bundle back to the carriage. This time even Fu Xuanheng had gotten out, making it most convenient for her to store things.