Cui Yi and Ling Yun were pushed into the carriage by Su Nuan. After hitching the horse, she took out two oilcloths measuring three square feet each from behind the cover of the boxes—one wrapped around her waist, the other slipped over her head through a hole cut in the middle.
She fixed the small piece of oilcloth she had cut onto a bamboo hat and put it on. Sitting on the carriage shaft like this, she wouldn’t be drenched by the rain.
Xue Shi anxiously leaned out and said, “Nuan Nuan, come in quickly. You mustn’t stay outside in the rain.”
Su Nuan replied, “Mother, don’t worry about me. I won’t get wet like this. All of you squeeze together and get some sleep. Come relieve me after midnight.”
Seeing that the rain was still light, Xue Shi nodded. “Alright.”
She had noticed the dark clouds gathering in the sky during the day and knew the rain wouldn’t be light. By midnight, it would surely grow heavier—that would be the time for her to take over the night watch.
The people inside the carriage huddled together and fell asleep.
It wasn’t that they weren’t concerned about Su Nuan, but there was no better alternative at the moment. Would standing outside in the rain with her truly show loyalty and righteousness?
Moreover, after these past two days together, they had come to see Su Nuan as their pillar of support, feeling an inexplicable sense of obedience toward her.
Su Nuan leaned against the carriage shaft, pretending to doze off. Sure enough, after about two hours, someone took advantage of the rain to sneak over, attempting to steal the boxes behind the carriage.
Su Nuan quietly approached the man from behind and asked coldly, “Need any help?”
Without turning his head, the man replied, “No need, I can carry it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his body stiffened. Turning around, he saw someone a head shorter than him standing there.
He breathed a sigh of relief, his face twisting into a vicious grin. “You scared me! You’re that young widow from the Ling family, aren’t you? At least you’re a woman. Come with me—serve me well, and I’ll give you a bite to eat.”
Su Nuan retrieved a knife from her Space, thought for a moment, then put it back and took out an awl used for sewing shoe soles instead.
She smiled and said, “Oh, really? Then come and get me.”
The man, thinking Su Nuan was a dissatisfied young widow, immediately put down the box he had picked up and lunged at her.
Su Nuan brandished the awl deftly, her body as agile as a loach. Despite his efforts, the man, panting heavily, couldn’t even touch the hem of her clothes.
Enraged, the man snarled and charged fiercely, intending to pin Su Nuan beneath him.
Yet Su Nuan, with a faint smile, leisurely took three steps to the right.
The man’s body stiffened and he collapsed face-first onto the ground. His eyes widened, filled with terror and despair, his mouth agape but unable to make a sound.
Su Nuan bent down to take a look, then stored the awl back into her Space. Grabbing the man’s ankle, she dragged him through the rain to the edge of the road.
“Good deeds bring good rewards, evil deeds bring evil retribution. If justice hasn’t been served, it’s only because the time hasn’t come yet.”
After saying this, she kicked the corner of the man’s clothes, sending his body tumbling down the slope until it came to a stop by the river.
The heavy rain continued to pour, masking all sounds of wrongdoing.
Su Nuan returned to the carriage in good spirits, sat back against the compartment, and resumed her feigned slumber, completely unaffected by the psychological burden of having just killed someone.
Perhaps those who have died once cherish the chance to live even more. Thus, eliminating evildoers meant saving more people.
After midnight, Xue Shi patted Su Nuan and said, “Nuan Nuan, come inside and rest. I’ll take over the watch.”
Su Nuan didn’t refuse. She entered the carriage and handed the oilcloth to Xue Shi.
At this point, it was only drizzling, so Xue Shi’s night watch wouldn’t be too uncomfortable.
Su Nuan leaned against the carriage door and fell asleep. If possible, she really wished for a larger carriage, as the current one felt particularly cramped with five people inside.
By the next morning, cries of grief echoed from below the official road—likely the dead man’s family had discovered his body.
Su Nuan stepped out of the carriage. Though it wasn’t raining, the sky was oppressively overcast.
She quickly urged, “Mother, hurry inside the carriage. We’ll set off soon. If there’s nothing to eat, make do with dried meat. We’ll surely need to travel swiftly.”
With no shelter like a Mountain Cave in sight, the soldiers would undoubtedly struggle and need to hurry to find cover from the rain.
Sure enough, before long, the soldiers began urging everyone to move.
The family of the deceased man was still weeping and making a scene, but what could they do? Prisoners had no rights—the body had its ears cut off and was hastily buried.
Su Nuan drove the carriage forward, and the pace of the convoy quickened under the soldiers’ urging.
The dark clouds overhead grew heavier, pressing down like a mountain on everyone’s hearts.
Though a rainstorm might seem harmless, traveling through it would rapidly drain one’s strength. When exhaustion set in, illness would follow, and without medicine, death was the only outcome.
Su Nuan lifted the carriage curtain. “Mother, remove the oilcloth from the quilt. I’ll fasten it over the carriage roof. This rain is bound to last.”
The carriage was the only dry refuge. If it became damp, the elderly and young inside would risk falling ill.
Xue Shi seemed reluctant, but Old Madam had already grabbed the quilt and urged, “Hurry up.”
“Yes, Mother.” Xue Shi took out the Ironwood Dagger and began cutting the stitches.
Fortunately, the oilcloth was large enough to cover both the carriage roof and the side windows, turning the carriage into a small, sheltered space.
During the noon break, Su Nuan climbed back into the carriage and used the remaining oilcloth to make raincoats and rain pants.
Shoes were another matter—there were no waterproof shoes in this era, and oilcloth couldn’t withstand being trod on; it would quickly tear if wrapped around footwear.
Xue Shi clearly noticed the oilcloth seemed insufficient and looked at Su Nuan in confusion but didn’t question it.
Seeing her doubt, Su Nuan made up an excuse. “I had Dong’er collect it. I didn’t expect it to come in handy.”
Xue Shi’s brow relaxed, and she smiled. “What a loyal and kind girl. When we arrive, if she’s willing, I’ll take her as my goddaughter.”
Su Nuan hoped Dong’er would find happiness. Xue Shi was a good person, and having her as a mother would be a blessing for Dong’er.
But she immediately pretended to pout, saying, “Mother, you mustn’t dote on your goddaughter and forget about your daughter-in-law.”
Xue Shi chuckled and pinched Su Nuan’s nose affectionately. “You little rascal.”
Old Madam watched their banter with a smile, the sorrow of their exile easing slightly.
Xiao Tuan Tuan, sitting in Old Madam’s lap, blinked her big eyes and asked innocently, “Mother, why not acknowledge her now?”
Xue Shi sighed. “We’re all registered as slaves now. Acknowledging her would harm her. Once we reach our destination, we’ll find a way to purchase commoner status.”
Xiao Tuan Tuan didn’t understand such matters, only thinking that having another sister would be nice.
Su Nuan asked curiously, “Mother, can we really buy household registration?”
Xue Shi nodded. “Yes. The world is in chaos now—it’s no longer bound by the old laws.”
She paused before continuing, “Especially in these border regions, everything is dictated by local warlords. Their cities need to expand their population for labor, so household registration has become their means of profit.”
Su Nuan secretly pinched herself. How foolish she had been in her previous life, oblivious to the changes in the world and still believing it to be an era of peace and prosperity.
But fortunately, she now understood the situation clearly. As long as she had money and the ability to protect herself, she could thrive in the future.
Feeling relieved, she picked up two sets of raincoats and said, “I’ll bring these to Cheng Feng.”
Xue Shi’s lips twitched slightly, her expression uneasy, but she remained silent.
Little Tuan Tuan, standing nearby, asked, “Sister-in-law, do you like that Lord Cheng Feng? Otherwise, why would you bring him clothes?”