As soon as Tuan Tuan spoke, Old Madam covered her mouth. Embarrassment flashed across her face, but she didn’t know how to ease the tension, so she remained frozen in place.
Xue Shi frowned and scolded, “Nonsense! Don’t question your sister-in-law’s character.”
Su Nuan found it amusing. Xue Shi was probably the one who most wanted to ask that question. It was true that she had been paying more attention to Cheng Feng, so being suspected was only natural.
She decided to address it openly: “I have no interest in Cheng Feng, nor in anyone else. Right now, I’m only thinking about how to improve our situation.”
“These two raincoats are for him—a test to probe the way forward. I want to find out what their plans are next so we can prepare accordingly.”
Xue Shi laughed awkwardly. “Alright, alright, you should go now.”
Su Nuan took the raincoats and stepped out of the carriage. She hurried ahead and saw Cheng Feng, drenched from the rain.
His eyes gleamed fiercely as he continuously cracked his whip. “Hurry up, stop dawdling!”
Unfazed, Su Nuan called out, “Brother Cheng.”
Cheng Feng turned on his horse and saw Su Nuan. Though irritable, he suppressed his temper and asked gruffly, “What is it?”
Su Nuan held up the garments. “These are raincoats I made. They won’t hinder movement and will keep you dry.”
Only then did Cheng Feng notice Su Nuan’s unusual attire: baggy trousers made of oilcloth and a top resembling a cape with a hood, effectively shielding her from the rain.
He hadn’t expected Su Nuan to think of him getting wet and bringing him clothing. Touched, his tone softened. “Thank you, sister.”
Seeing him accept the raincoats, Su Nuan seized the opportunity to ask, “Brother Cheng, it looks like this rain will last a while. Without shelter, they can hold out for three days at most. If the rain doesn’t stop by then, they’ll catch colds. I don’t have much medicine and can’t treat many people.”
Her words struck a chord with Cheng Feng’s concerns. He sighed. “I’ve heard there’s a large mountain cave about ten li ahead that can shelter these people from the rain.”
“I plan to hurry there and wait for the rain to stop before continuing. If everyone falls ill, it’s not like I can just kill them all, right?”
Su Nuan knew he was worried about being punished if the number of prisoners he escorted decreased. She smiled. “Then I’ll try to gather more herbs while we take shelter from the rain.”
Cheng Feng’s expression relaxed considerably. “Good, I appreciate your help.”
Su Nuan nodded and turned back without another word.
Back in the carriage, she announced, “There’s a mountain cave about ten li ahead. We’ll take shelter there from the rain.”
“Auntie, you take over driving. Mother, rest during the day—you might need to keep watch at night.”
Cui Yi’s timid eyes lit up at having a task. She nodded. “Yes, I’ll go drive the carriage now.”
Su Nuan handed her a raincoat. “Wear this. We can’t afford to worry about appearances now—staying healthy is what matters.”
Cui Yi could see that the Ling family now looked to this new daughter-in-law for guidance. She hadn’t objected when Cui Yi went from being a servant to Old Madam’s adopted daughter, which Cui Yi considered a great kindness.
Thus, Cui Yi obeyed Su Nuan without question, dutifully putting on the raincoat and going to drive the carriage.
Meanwhile, Su Nuan used the carbon furnace and iron pan inside the carriage to make unleavened pancakes—thin, flatbreads that could be sliced into strips or broken into pieces and boiled in hot water when eaten.
After two hours, the stack of pancakes was over a foot thick—enough to last three days.
Hanging above the carriage was a circle of medicinal herbs, many of which could be used to make soup—these were their provisions.
Su Nuan suddenly thought of a question and asked, “Mother, are there really no towns ahead on this route?”
In her previous life, she had been muddle-headed, only focused on reaching the exile destination herself without caring about anything else, and she couldn’t remember whether they had passed through any cities.
Xue Shi thought for a moment and said, “I’ve heard there are several towns along the way, but didn’t they say we wouldn’t be entering them?”
Su Nuan nodded. “We can’t go in, but Dong’er is a free person—she can enter.”
“Besides, when the soldiers say that, they’re probably hoping those with money will pay up. If the soldiers help buy supplies, they’ll surely charge extra.”
Xue Shi nodded and sighed, saying, “We’ve only been on the road for two days, and I truly don’t know how we’ll manage for the next half year.”
Su Nuan didn’t offer any comforting words. Sometimes, a little pressure is good—when everything goes smoothly, people tend to lose their vigilance and sense of crisis.
Suddenly, loud crackling sounds erupted from the carriage roof, like hailstones falling.
Su Nuan lifted the carriage curtain and saw Cui Yi struggling to rein in the frightened horse.
She put on her raincoat and stepped out of the carriage. “Aunt, go inside. I’ll take over driving.”
Cui Yi loudly protested, “You go back in! It’s hailing—you might get hurt.”
Su Nuan knew she meant well, but her skills weren’t enough to control a spooked horse, which put everyone in danger.
Frowning, she said, “Go inside quickly. This horse is frightened, and you can’t control it. If it bolts, there could be many casualties.”
Cui Yi hesitated but eventually handed the reins to Su Nuan, aware that the situation was hard to manage.
Su Nuan took the reins and skillfully flicked them, gently tapping the horse’s neck on both sides while softly urging it on.
Soon, the horse sensed its master’s presence, and its restless steps became steady and rhythmic.
Su Nuan breathed a sigh of relief, silently grateful for her past life experiences.
In her previous life, Su Zhen had humiliated her by making her work as a carriage driver. Little did she know that those driving skills would come in handy in this life.
Also, after being brought back to Su Mansion in her past life, they had made her cook, chop firewood, and do all sorts of chores under the guise of “doing what was best for her.” Ironically, it had equipped her with many survival skills.
As she reminisced, she continued driving, barely noticing the bean-sized hailstones pelting her body.
The sky gradually darkened, but there was no sign of the mountain cave Cheng Feng had mentioned. Would they have to squeeze into the carriage for another night?
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore across the sky, illuminating a rocky mountain ahead in the flash.
At that moment, the procession grew restless. Shouts came from the soldiers up front: “Push on! There’s a cave ahead. Once we reach it, we’ll have shelter from the rain.”
The exiled individuals also caught sight of the mountain in the lightning flash. Those who had been exhausted immediately perked up and hurried forward.
With the heavy rain, torches couldn’t be lit, so everyone advanced in the dark. Upon reaching the mountain, they began climbing in the pitch black.
Afraid the horse might run off, Su Nuan tethered it to a small tree at the base of the mountain where there was grass so it wouldn’t go hungry.
When the Su family reached the cave entrance, they were stunned. The cave was spacious inside, but it was filled with countless bats. As people entered, they disturbed the bats, sending them flying out in swarms and causing a wave of screams.
Cheng Feng ordered the soldiers to light torches and drive the bats out. Standing at the entrance, he shouted, “Everyone inside! Find a spot to rest. Roll call will be at dawn tomorrow.”
The group of over a hundred people gradually entered the Mountain Cave, finding random spots to sit and rest.
There wasn’t much Bat guano on the ground, likely collected by herb gatherers.
Su Nuan led everyone deeper into the cave. She took out a candle and lit it, the dim yellow light illuminating a small area.
Tuan Tuan suddenly screamed, “Ah—what’s that?”