Lu Yao paid no attention to Old Madam Song and her family.
A troublemaker like Old Madam Song had existed for years without anyone truly dealing with her, which meant there was probably a reason she had survived this long.
Still, Lu Yao hoped she would behave herself during the journey ahead.
If she refused to learn her lesson, Lu Yao wouldn’t mind teaching her how to behave.
Everyone had finished packing.
At last, the village chief gave the order:
“Move out!”
The refugee column slowly began advancing.
Lu Yao continued following at a moderate distance with the three children.
She neither wanted to become too close to the villagers nor separate herself from the main group.
In these chaotic times, leaving the protection of the larger refugee column was practically suicide.
The patrol members returned to their positions.
However, their relationship with Lu Yao was no longer what it had been at the beginning.
Back then, they were strangers and many had held a poor opinion of her.
But after fighting together, the men of Songyang Village had developed a sense of comradeship with her.
They admired and respected this single young woman—even though she was only fifteen years old.
Traveling alongside Songyang Village were two neighboring villages:
Dayang Village and Xiaoyang Village.
Each village had a population of over three hundred.
Combined, the three villages formed a refugee force of more than a thousand people.
During the battle against the barbarians, only Songyang Village had actually contributed fighters.
The other two villages had merely watched from a distance.
Now that the danger had passed, Songyang Village began settling accounts.
The patrolmen themselves didn’t say much.
But the women certainly weren’t willing to let it go.
Why should Songyang Village be the one risking their lives?
Why should they serve as a shield for Dayang and Xiaoyang Villages?
The first to voice her dissatisfaction was Song Qingsong’s wife, Madam Hu, known throughout the village as “Little Chili Pepper.”
Reaching the boundary between the groups, she didn’t directly name anyone.
Instead, she began loudly talking to herself.
“Oh my, some people have skin thicker than the city walls of the capital. I honestly don’t know how they sleep at night!”
“When the barbarians came, they were so scared they turned into complete cowards. I wouldn’t be surprised if the barbarians quietly chopped off their heads in the middle of the night!”
“Now that the people of Songyang Village have wiped out the barbarians, some folks don’t even dare let out a fart, yet they still have the nerve to follow behind us. They’ve truly thrown away every last shred of shame!”
…
The chiefs of the other two villages listened to her indirect insults, their faces burning red with embarrassment.
Yet neither dared respond.
When the barbarians had appeared, they had indeed tried organizing resistance.
Unfortunately, not a single villager volunteered.
Everyone had watched Songyang Village march off to what they believed was certain death while they themselves hid among the crowd.
Being cursed at now was probably deserved.
Still, this woman was terrifying.
Every insult came wrapped in colorful expressions and clever metaphors.
Trying to argue back would only leave them at a disadvantage.
And Madam Hu wasn’t the only one upset.
Many of the patrol members’ families felt the same way.
Listening to her vent everyone’s frustrations, the villagers felt immensely satisfied.
Cheers erupted around her.
“Little Chili Pepper, well said!”
“Those turtle grandsons deserved every word!”
“When things got dangerous, those men tucked their heads into their pants and hid!”
“Qingsong’s wife, take a break and have some water!”
Madam Hu had married Song Qingsong two years earlier.
Because of her fiery personality, few people in the village dared provoke her.
However, she was also extremely filial.
She got along well with both her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.
After giving birth to a son the previous year, her temper had become even more explosive.
Normally, villagers would greet her politely and then quickly retreat before she could target them.
Yet today was different.
Because she had voiced everyone’s thoughts, people actually approached her with goodwill.
Madam Hu didn’t care much either way.
To her, her husband and child were all that truly mattered.
Everything else was meaningless.
Especially now, during these refugee days.
She didn’t even know where her natal family was anymore.
From now on, her husband and son might be the only relatives she could rely on.
After all that shouting, Madam Hu was exhausted.
She hadn’t eaten much to begin with.
Now that she had vented her frustrations, she returned to her family.
Her mother-in-law, Madam Cheng, handed her a water flask.
“Third Daughter-in-law, have some water.
“Did you really need to waste energy scolding those people?
“We still have a long journey ahead. You always insist on doing thankless things.”
Though her words sounded like criticism, the half piece of coarse cornbread she offered revealed her concern.
“Here, eat this.
“Then drink some water.
“The child will need feeding later.”
Madam Hu accepted it with a grin.
“Thank you, Mother. I knew you’re the best. You weren’t really scolding me.”
Madam Cheng already knew exactly what kind of person her daughter-in-law was.
She ignored the flattery and continued carrying Madam Hu’s child while walking.
The boy had only recently turned one year old and couldn’t walk yet.
At that age, children were incredibly active.
The journey had exhausted both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
The mountain paths were especially demanding.
Watching her mother-in-law’s slightly stooped figure ahead of her, warmth filled Madam Hu’s heart.
Without her natal family, her mother-in-law had become like a second mother.
Silently, she vowed to care for her well in the future.
Looking down at the cornbread and water flask in her hands, she quickly swallowed the dry food and washed it down with water.
Only then did she manage to get the hard-to-swallow meal into her stomach.
With Madam Hu no longer loudly hurling insults, the refugee column became much quieter.
Only the occasional cries of children and the steady sound of footsteps remained.
At the rear of the procession, Lu Yao continued walking with the three children.
From time to time, she stopped to gather medicinal herbs.
Watching her repeatedly bend down to dig up plants, Song Ziyang became curious.
Taking hold of her hand, he asked,
“Mother, what are you digging up? Can you eat those?”
Lu Yao handed him one of the herbs she had just collected.
“These are medicinal herbs.
“Look, this one is notoginseng. It stops bleeding, reduces bruising, detoxifies, and reduces swelling. It’s an excellent medicine for treating injuries.”
Song Ziyang accepted the plant.
It was still fresh, dirt clinging to its roots.
After carefully examining it, he returned it to Lu Yao and looked up proudly.
“Mother, I’ve memorized it. If I see more later, I’ll help you collect them.”
Lu Yao assumed it was only a passing interest.
Still, not wanting to discourage him, she smiled encouragingly.
“Really? You remembered it that quickly?
“Our Ziyang is amazing!”
Receiving praise from Lu Yao made Song Ziyang feel delighted.
Beside him, Song Zixuan watched his younger brother’s childish excitement and secretly rolled his eyes.
Still, seeing how happy his brother was, he chose not to expose Lu Yao’s obvious exaggeration.
The rest of the journey, Song Ziyang kept his eyes fixed on the ground, searching for herbs.
Meanwhile, Lu Yao quietly retrieved a carton of milk from her space and fed it to Song Ziyu.
Seeing that her mother was giving her the delicious drink again, Song Ziyu happily hugged the carton and sucked noisily.
Before long, she had finished the entire 250-milliliter carton.
Afterward, she let out a satisfied little burp.
Full and content, Song Ziyu began waving her tiny arms and legs excitedly.
Then she planted a big, wet kiss on Lu Yao’s cheek.
Overjoyed, Lu Yao hugged the little rice-ball-like child and showered her with kisses.
The ticklish sensation made Song Ziyu burst into giggles.
Her clear, cheerful laughter echoed around them.
For a brief moment, it eased the hardship and monotony of the refugee journey and filled the air with warmth and happiness.