RWNEFE -Chapter 38 Encountering Refugees, Getting Separated!

“Madam Song, I ask you—if it were another exile convoy, would you still get full meals and ride in the carriage?”

“Brother Liu, we’ve been very lenient with the prisoners. If it were other constables, pointing knives at you, forcing you to stand in front of Heifeng Fort to block blows, you wouldn’t have a choice either, right?”

Song Niangzi pouted and said nothing, clearly dissatisfied.

Shen Lanxi said, “You two, let’s just do me this one favor and follow the trade rules. Madam Song’s goods are indeed hers, but the quantity is a bit excessive. Madam Song, do you admit that?”

A constable interjected: “The horse carrying her goods is so tired it’s foaming at the mouth.”

Song Niangzi rolled her eyes at the constable.

“Since the cargo is heavy, shouldn’t you pay for carriage fees?”

Song Niangzi remained silent.

Liu Yanhui leaned toward Liu Laohu to explain: “I think it’s fair. Madam Song gained quite a lot at Heifeng Fort; she can afford a few taels of silver for the carriage fee.”

“If the load is too heavy for the horses, and the refugees catch up, or wolves attack and someone dies, that’s a serious liability!”

Song Niangzi’s eyes darted, weighing whether paying with silver was better than risking her cargo. After calculating, she said immediately: “I’ll pay in silver!”

Problem solved!

Later, Liu Yanhui asked Shen Lanxi, “Master, why help Madam Song? As far as I know, she isn’t exactly a good person. I just wanted to warn you.”

Shen Lanxi replied, “People like her will be useful sooner or later.”

Liu Yanhui understood—Master knew Madam Song’s character.

The journey had been smooth so far, but on the way to the last major mountain, they encountered two groups of refugees!

Compared to the emaciated, pale refugees, their convoy of carts, horses, and supplies looked absurdly wealthy.

“Qiushuang, tell Liu Laohu to speed up and charge through!”

Qiushuang quickly urged the horses forward.

Liu Laohu was about to ask something, but upon hearing Qiushuang, he immediately commanded the convoy to accelerate!

“All constables, draw your swords!” Liu Laohu regretted destroying their weapons back at Heifeng Fort.

The refugees came down the mountainside from the side. Upon seeing the convoy, they almost scrambled and tumbled toward them.

The two groups totaled several hundred people. If they caught up, fatalities would be the least of their worries!

“Faster! Whip harder!” Liu Laohu shouted, staring at the dark mass charging down the slope.

Shen Lanxi stepped out of the carriage, holding her staff, eyes fixed on a nearby mountain.

Pointing with her staff, she shouted: “There are more refugees on that mountain! Change course, head east!”

The horses neighed loudly as Shen Lanxi, originally at the rear of the convoy, now changed direction and became the front!

After a hundred meters, two branching paths appeared ahead.

Shen Lanxi ordered the convoy to stop at one path and quickly instructed: “Take this path. If anyone gets separated, meet at An Town.”

“Chunxue, Qiushuang, and Nanny Li, follow Liu Laohu. After I draw them off, I’ll come find you!”

After giving these orders, she threw Qiushuang onto Chunxue’s cart with one hand, jumped off the carriage with her staff, and directed the convoy away!

It was an emergency—no time to think. Liu Laohu immediately obeyed and led everyone down the side path.

Chunxue and Qiushuang tried to stay behind but were whipped on their horses’ rears. The carts bolted like mad, and Liu Laohu repeated the same maneuver to merge Nanny Li’s family’s cart into the flow.

Once the convoy was out of sight and the refugees closing in, Shen Lanxi returned to the carriage and drove off.

After confirming the refugees were fully behind them, Shen Lanxi called Nu Bai: “Quickly check the surroundings. Anyone there?”

Nu Bai: “Other than the pursuing refugees, no one else!”

Shen Lanxi let the carriage move steadily for a while. After ensuring that even if the refugees returned, they couldn’t catch up with Liu Laohu’s group, she accelerated.

When no one was in sight, she quickly stored the carriage in the space and rode on horseback up the mountain.

After intermittent riding for three hours, they spotted the exile convoy from afar.

“Any refugees nearby?”

Nu Bai: “Report, Master, none!”

Shen Lanxi didn’t go to join them but chose to scout ahead.

She scouted twenty miles forward, encountering no refugees, only a few small villages.

Taking advantage of the night, she checked the villages and, once confirming they were ordinary, continued toward An Town.

Along the way, she encountered a few merchant caravans and small groups of refugees, but confirmed no serious threats and continued toward An Town.

A day and a half later, they reached Fu Gui Village near An Town.

After staying half a day, gathering information about merchants and famous doctors, she was about to set off for An Town when she saw a group of a dozen or so burn victims passing by.

They were all emaciated, with varying degrees of burns on their faces and bodies. The worst were those lying on carts, their faces and upper bodies rotting and oozing pus. If not for the slight rise and fall of their chests, no one would believe they could survive such injuries.

They moved quickly, clearly with a purpose.

Shen Lanxi changed her mind and quietly followed them.

They passed through most of Fu Gui Village and stopped at the last house, knocking and entering.

She had heard that Fu Gui Village had a lame old doctor who was highly skilled but eccentric and expensive. This must be the house.

Shen Lanxi followed inside.

“Who are you? Who let you in? Get out!” the lame old man barked.

Shen Lanxi pulled out two silver notes: “Are you Doctor Zhang? I heard from villagers that your medical skills are excellent. May I ask if you’re taking patients?”

Zhang Niu didn’t even glance at the silver notes and immediately tried to drive her out.

“Not seeing patients today. Come back in a few days!”

Shen Lanxi quickly said: “Then I’ll buy some good medicine for typhoid, fevers, and frostbite!”

Seeing she wouldn’t leave, Zhang Niu glared and snorted, turning into the house.

Shen Lanxi followed without comment.

“Doctor Zhang, we…” The person speaking fell silent upon seeing her.

Zhang Niu, clearly irritated, snapped: “Don’t you understand first-come, first-served? If you want treatment, line up properly!”

Shen Lanxi quickly stepped back to the doorway.

Zhang Niu began treating the most severely burned patient, cursing the whole time:

“When you arrived, couldn’t you have applied some burn medicine first? You’re all idiots, how have you survived this long?”

“Damn it! Not a single burn patient in a year and a half, and now you bring a decade’s worth at once! How do you expect me to have enough medicine for you?”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes lit up: “Doctor Zhang, I happen to be going to An Town. If you lack herbs, I can bring some back for you!”