Lin Qingqing was determined—Gu Qinglin would be hers.
Although he looked weak and sickly now, he had the potential to become a high-ranking official.
Since Lin Sisi was renouncing the engagement, let her do so. This time, it was Lin Qingqing’s turn to enjoy life.
While dodging Li Shi’s slaps and curses, she imagined herself dressed in gold and jewels, basking in glory—and couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
The caravan resumed its journey, everyone silent to conserve energy.
At first, people still chatted and joked, but after several days of hard travel, faces began to show the numb expression Lin Sisi had seen in the refugees.
By noon, the group stopped at a creek to rest.
“Damn it, it’s scorching hot!”
“If heaven didn’t give us a hard time, would we leave our homes and fields?”
“Hopefully Anzhou is truly a prosperous land.”
Lin Sisi lay on the cart frame, listening to the villagers’ worried chatter, feeling uneasy herself.
Drought was a natural disaster, the border plagued by war—she felt no real belonging to the Liang dynasty. She only hoped the conflict wouldn’t touch her family.
Suddenly, urgent voices rang out from the back of the caravan.
“How could it disappear? I put it right here!”
Old Wang, at the rear, was sweating profusely. Within moments, a piece of coarse flatbread he had left by his side vanished.
“Could a wild dog have taken it?”
“There’s hardly any grass here—where would a dog come from?”
“Someone must’ve stolen it… that’s cruel. Old Wang and his grandson barely have enough food to last to Anzhou.”
Lin Sisi comforted Old Wang while her eyes scanned behind him, and her instincts screamed.
On the stones near Old Wang, besides crumbs, faint handprints were visible—small, shallow, unmistakably human.
The old man and his grandson were weak, trailing behind the main group. Behind them lay a dense forest to the west.
Lin Sisi leaned close to Lin Zheng and whispered a few words.
Lin Zheng’s expression darkened. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
As the scorching sun began to wane, Lin Sisi walked at the rear, holding the donkey.
A sudden movement caught her eye—a jujube bush on the right slope rustled unnaturally.
It wasn’t the wind. Something was crawling close to the ground, stealthy and deliberate.
She slowed her pace and elbowed Lin Zheng, whispering, “Look over there.”
Lin Zheng’s sharp eyes immediately discerned what she saw: it wasn’t wild animals—it was a group of ragged humans.
They were skeletal, clutching polished wooden sticks. One had a metallic object at their waist.
Even more unnerving, one licked their cracked lips, eyes gleaming not with hunger, but greed and cruelty.
“That must be the refugees the woman mentioned,” Lin Zheng whispered, tense. “You were right. These aren’t harmless folk.”
Lin Sisi said nothing but clenched her fists.
She had seen countless starving people over the past days, mostly vacant or pleading eyes—but these were different. They were seasoned in wrongdoing.
Old Wang’s missing bread confirmed her fears.
Although the old man was slightly behind the caravan, they weren’t too far off. Stealing right under everyone’s noses wasn’t something ordinary refugees could manage.
Yet the caravan had only a few carts, and most of the group were elderly or women. Attacking could be risky.
“Don’t make a sound,” Lin Sisi whispered. “Remember their positions. We’ll discuss with the village chief. They’re eyeing our food—they’ll likely strike tonight.”
Lin Zheng nodded silently and went to inform the village chief.
Lin Sisi tightened the rope around the donkey, keeping her eyes fixed on the slope.
Sure enough, as the caravan moved, the men mirrored their movements, waiting for nightfall to act.
After the caravan rounded a mountain pass, Lin Sisi entrusted Aunt Yang with watching Lin Nian Nian and sought out Village Chief Li at the front.
Li was over sixty, his face weathered, his staff worn smooth—a respected pillar of the village.
Lin Zheng explained the situation. Both stood in thoughtful silence.
“Chief! Urgent matter!” Lin Sisi’s voice was calm yet insistent. “Earlier, five refugees were hiding on the western slope, watching our food carts. Tonight, they might attempt to steal our supplies.”
Li’s brows knitted. His cloudy eyes sharpened. “Are you certain it will be tonight?”
Lin Sisi nodded firmly. “We’ve been tracking them for days, but I didn’t want to raise a false alarm until now.”
“They’ve been watching our carts since morning, likely waiting for darkness.”
“No doubt,” Lin Zheng added. “They were crawling in the jujube bushes. I noticed the unusual items on one’s waist—they’re used to wrongdoing.”
Li Chief stopped immediately, signaling the caravan to rest, and summoned several able-bodied men to gather beneath an old locust tree.
“This girl, Sisi, is careful; Zheng is sensitive to these matters. They’re not mistaken,” Li Chief said, tapping his staff. “On the road, food is life. These people want to cut off our survival. We can’t sit idly—we must prepare.”
“Chief, should we quicken our pace to find a village?” one man suggested.
“No,” Lin Sisi shook her head. “Before nightfall, no village in sight. Moving blindly could scatter the group, making it easier for them to attack.”
“Let’s camp on the rocky slope ahead. Two sides against the mountain, one narrow pass—guarding the ends will keep our people safe.”