TGCFNM -Chapter 295 We’re Going with You

At this moment, Fuxiang’s father looked at Chu Ling and respectfully asked, “Sir, where are you headed? Why stop here? I thought only people like us, constantly on edge and fearful, would take this route.”

Chu Ling answered calmly, “I’m going to Ningzhou.”

Fuxiang’s father nodded slowly. “You’re going to Ningzhou…? To Ningzhou?”

Chu Ling, puzzled, looked at Fuxiang’s father’s shocked expression. “What’s wrong?”

Fuxiang’s father hesitated before asking, “Sir… how do you plan to… get there?”

“Oh, first to Buning County, then take a boat to Ningzhou,” Chu Ling replied.

“The waterway from Buning County has been suspended, hasn’t it?” Fuxiang looked to her father for confirmation.

Fuxiang’s father nodded, looking at Chu Ling. “Sir, the boat service to Ningzhou has been suspended. It seems it stopped over a month ago, and Buning County isn’t letting outsiders in either.”

Wan Sanjin let out a slight “huh.” “Over half a month ago? Wasn’t that when the magistrate of Anma County ran off?”

“Buning County won’t let anyone in?” Chu Ling asked. “Even the magistrate can’t?”

Fuxiang’s father gave an awkward smile. “Sir, I honestly don’t know.”

Uncle Wu frowned. “Sir, maybe we shouldn’t take the risk. If we go further and then aren’t allowed in, it’ll just be a waste of time.”

Chu Ling muttered curiously, “They can suspend boat services, and Buning County can refuse entry… who has that much power? The runaway magistrate? That Huang family? On what authority?”

Fuxiang’s father awkwardly reminded him, “Sir, it doesn’t require much power. Just pay the magistrate of Buning County some money, and they’ll stop the local boat services.”

Chu Ling was shocked. “Then how are the local boatmen supposed to survive?”

“Sir doesn’t care about the common people,” Xiao Le muttered, only to be swiftly slapped aside by Fuxiang’s father.

“Sir, the child doesn’t understand, don’t mind him,” Fuxiang’s father quickly said.

Chu Ling waved her hand. “Don’t worry, Uncle Liu. We’re about the same—me being a magistrate in Sishui County, I also travel everywhere.”

Fuxiang’s father exclaimed, “Sir, that can’t be…”

Chu Ling nodded. “It can’t, indeed. But if I put on an official demeanor, no one bothers me. Same for you—do you expect someone checks household registrations everywhere you go? If not, you just act like normal citizens. Otherwise, you’d just get bullied whenever you leave home.”

Xiao Le sat back down and smiled at Chu Ling. “That’s what I said too, but Uncle Liu insists on being honest.”

Chu Ling crossed her arms and looked at Fuxiang’s father. “Uncle Liu, honesty on the road doesn’t mean much. As long as you don’t cheat or harm others, just protect your own interests. What’s wrong with being ‘dishonest’ then?”

Fuxiang’s father could only laugh and sigh. “Sir, you are quite different from the officials I’ve met before.”

Fuxiang let out a light chuckle. “Thank you, Sir, for guiding us.”

“No need to thank me,” Chu Ling said with a smile, signaling Wan Sanjin to fetch the map. Then, unfolding it, she looked at Fuxiang’s father and asked expectantly, “I’m going to Ningzhou—how do I get there?”

Wan Sanjin also leaned over to ask, “By the way, where are you headed?”

Fuxiang’s father replied slowly, “…We’re going to Yuanzhou.”

Wan Sanjin nodded, pointing at the map. “Yuanzhou is here, Ningzhou is over there… but somehow we met here. Why is that?”

Chu Ling also wanted to ask why.

Fuxiang’s Father looked at the map and licked his slightly dry lips. “Sir, this map is so detailed—it must be very valuable. Is it really okay to show it to us?”

“No problem at all. My family is rich, we have plenty,” Wan Sanjin said with a smile.

Chu Ling frowned. “Detailed?”

Su He furrowed his brows. “I don’t think so…”

Uncle Wu couldn’t help but close his eyes and sigh deeply.

Fuxiang’s Father glanced at Uncle Wu. Being around the same age, and having this group of young kids to take care of, it must be exhausting.

Uncle Wu caught Fuxiang’s Father’s look and nodded as if he had found a kindred spirit.

Fuxiang’s Father could only point to a spot on the map. “Sir, this is Feiyu Mountain. A fair distance from here is a county—that county is Anma County, where you had left. Normally, you’d take this road to Buning County, but you took the wrong fork, and went quite far off…”

“How far?” Chu Ling asked, holding onto the last thread of hope.

Fuxiang’s Father said helplessly, “Very far.”

“Then… can I still go to Ningzhou?” Chu Ling asked pitifully.

Fuxiang’s Father immediately nodded. “Yes, sir. You can first backtrack from here, then take this road to Buning County. Since you are of high status, the officials there shouldn’t trouble you. But you won’t be able to travel by water anymore, so you’ll have to pass through Buning County, then proceed along this path, which will lead you onto the official road. Once you’re on the official road, you won’t get lost.”

Chu Ling looked at Wan Sanjin and the others with sudden understanding. “No wonder we didn’t get lost before—there were official inns along the way all the time.”

Fuxiang’s Father chuckled lightly. “Sir, this area is remote, and there are basically no official roads. It’s normal not to know the way.”

Chu Ling nodded in agreement. “Hmm, it’s not my fault.”

Uncle Wu said as well, “No wonder the local magistrates do nothing. The emperor is far away and can’t see.”

“The roads in Anma County for selling cloth are all made by the people themselves, pulling carts up the rugged mountain paths—it’s very hard work. And yet, the roads they painstakingly built were ruined because of collusion by the wealthy,” Chu Ling said, fuming.

Wan Sanjin sighed and handed the map to Su He. “We still have to go out this way.”

Su He: wanted to dissect ten corpses to calm down.

Fuxiang’s Father looked at them, a little troubled. “Actually, there’s another way—go to Yuanzhou. Following our current route, cross Feiyu Mountain, then you’ll reach Changgu Road. If you carefully avoid mountain bandits, passing through Changgu Road will bring you to the official road. Continue straight on the official road, and you’ll reach Yuanzhou. There, you can take a boat to Ningzhou.”

Chu Ling’s eyes lit up—what a good solution!

Wan Sanjin patted Chu Ling on the shoulder and pointed ahead. “Sir, we have to climb the mountain.”

Chu Ling immediately deflated.

Uncle Wu stroked his beard. “Going back to take the mountain road to Buning County will take a day. Then taking a boat to Ningzhou will also take time.”

Fuxiang’s Father nodded. “Although climbing the mountain is tiring, descending is easy, and it only takes half a day. This is a path that local villagers themselves discovered. It’s much shorter, a bit harder, but also safer.”

Uncle Wu made the decision. “Brother Liu, we’ll follow you.”

Chu Ling and the others immediately responded, looking at Fuxiang’s Father together: “Uncle Liu, we’ll follow you.”

They could no longer risk finding their own way. If they got lost again, they might starve halfway. It was better to follow someone else—at the very least, they could get out alive.