Cheng Yao was feeding cold medicine to Fifth Aunt’s grandson. At Zhang Dapeng’s words, she didn’t stop what she was doing—not even lifting her head. She merely replied calmly, “What’s the hurry? As long as I want to, I can earn money in no time.”
“In no time?” Zhang Dapeng scoffed as though he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. “In this freezing weather, where are you going to earn it? Rob someone? Or does Madam Cheng possess some magical art that can turn stones into gold?”
Cheng Yao slowly rose to her feet. Her gaze swept over the bleak, withered mountain forest before finally landing on Constable Wang, whose brows were tightly furrowed.
“Constable Wang, let everyone rest for half a day. I want to take some people up the mountain to look around and see if we can find anything to gather and sell for money.”
Constable Wang refused. “Madam Cheng, everything withers in autumn. What could there possibly be up there? Going will only delay our journey.”
Cheng Yao’s voice remained calm but firm.
“Constable Wang, you should know that the imperial court is in complete disarray now. It’s impossible for them to send any more funds to our group. The local governments along the way regard us like the plague and avoid us at all costs.
“If we don’t find a way to save ourselves, we may freeze or starve to death on the road. Rather than sit here and wait to die, we might as well fight for a chance at survival. Half a day may be enough to bring us several days of food and warmth.”
Her words struck Constable Wang’s heart like a heavy hammer.
How could he not know their current situation? He touched the nearly empty money pouch tucked against his chest, then looked at the pale, shivering faces around him. At last, he gritted his teeth.
“Fine! We’ll give it a try! Other than the injured, elderly, women, and children who truly can’t move, everyone else who is able-bodied will follow Madam Cheng up the mountain! Half a day—just half a day!”
Everyone looked up at the mountain again and again. All they saw was desolation, and none of them held out much hope.
A weathered-looking woman said weakly, “Hao Ting’s wife, the soil on that mountain is hard as stone. We don’t have any tools, so we won’t be able to dig anything up.”
The others chimed in one after another.
“We’re already so weak that we can barely walk. Going up the mountain would be like delivering ourselves to the beasts!”
“Other than hunting, I can’t imagine what else there could be up there to eat.”
Amid the chorus of doubts, Zhan Jinmo said, “Going may not guarantee a harvest, but at least it gives us a chance to survive.”
Everyone fell silent. It did sound somewhat reasonable.
Second Madam Zhan, however, sneered. “A barren wilderness like this can offer us what kind of chance, exactly? What if we attract wild boars or wolves and get people killed?”
“Mother…” Zhan Jinmo said helplessly. “Things are different now. How can you compare this to what happened last time?”
Second Madam Zhan snorted. “What’s different? She and Shao Yutong are both women who love showing off and think they’re clever. Long hair, short knowledge—what do they understand?”
Zhan Qingrou was furious. “Second Aunt, you’re looking down on my sister-in-law again, aren’t you? What will you say if she brings back food?”
Second Madam Zhan was momentarily speechless. Remembering that everything Cheng Yao attempted seemed to succeed, she suddenly felt uncertain. Her eyes darted away as she muttered, “Then I’ll keep my eyes wide open and see for myself.”
“Hmph, you don’t dare make any bold claims now, do you? Every time my sister-in-law tries to do something, someone from the second or third branch jumps out to object. And every time, you’re proven wrong—yet you still act as though nothing happened and shamelessly follow along to eat and drink for free. Honestly!”
Zhan Qingrou’s little mouth rattled on, spoiled yet straightforward. Her words left the people around Old Madam Zhan red-faced with embarrassment. Second Master Zhan couldn’t bear to lose face and gave Second Madam Zhan a furious scolding, becoming even more disgusted with her.
Cheng Yao said, “There’s no point arguing. Anyone who disagrees with me can stay behind. Those who want to go, come over here so I can count you.”
As soon as she walked over, a large group of people hurried after her.
In the end, excluding the elderly, children, and those who were sick or injured, there were thirty-five people. They shouldered baskets, carrying poles, and woven hampers, then followed her up the mountain, stumbling through the uneven terrain.
The autumn sky was clear and the sun bright. Climbing the mountain was tiring, but at least it kept them warm.
The higher they climbed, however, the more doubtful everyone became. It was late autumn, and all living things had withered. What good could possibly be found in this barren wilderness?
“Sister-in-law, how much farther do we have to go? We didn’t bring any water, and I’m so thirsty.”
“My feet are covered in blisters. I can’t walk anymore.”
Hunger, exhaustion, and a complete lack of motivation soon took their toll. Some of the young men and women were panting heavily and refused to go any farther, simply sitting down wherever they found a spot.
Cheng Yao was different. She was full of energy, and she seemed to know exactly where to go. Like a hunting hound that knew its way, she kept moving forward, her eyes sharp and focused.
Before long, she pointed ahead and said to those following her, “Everyone, look. Those are wild persimmons. They’re edible.”
She pointed to a small tree covered in orange-red fruit that had been frozen hard.
“And over there are wild hawthorns. They’re sour, but they’re useful.”
“Those little red berries are goji berries. Once dried, they can be used as medicine and sold for money.”
She pointed everything out one by one. Only then did everyone realize that the wild fruits they had never paid attention to before were actually all useful.
The crowd surged toward the trees.
The fruit hanging low could be picked by hand. The higher branches required climbing. A young man, nimble as a monkey, scrambled up a thin branch and was just reaching for the reddest, fullest cluster of wild persimmons when there was a sharp crack beneath his feet.
He plummeted straight down.
The people below cried out and hurried to catch him. Though they all tumbled into a heap, they soon burst into laughter.
The young man scratched his head. His face was a little sheepish, but he was grinning, still clutching two intact red persimmons in his hand.
Unable to resist, he took a bite. The fruit was so sour and astringent that his entire face twisted up. He immediately spat it out.
Cheng Yao found the sight amusing and reassured him, “Don’t rush to eat them yet. Everyone, follow my instructions and pick everything you can first. I’ll figure out how to process them later.”
At those words, everyone began gathering the fruit with renewed vigor.
Whether wild persimmons or goji berries, they picked everything in sight.
After all, as long as something was edible, it was an extremely precious food source during their exile.
The problem was that the baskets they had brought were soon filled to the brim.
They had begun their journey into exile with nothing. The owner of the apothecary had given them several baskets for carrying medicinal herbs, and when they had gone fishing, they had learned to weave baskets from a man they met along the way. By then, nearly every family had one basket.
But it was still far from enough.
Everyone began to worry. Some suggested picking the fruit first and figuring out what to do with it later. Others took off their clothes and spread them on the ground. Still others gathered leaves and made crude containers out of them.
Li Liming watched them, exasperated and amused. “Can’t you just weave a few more baskets?”
He drew the short knife at his side and cut down a large number of supple vines.
His broad hands seemed to have a life of their own, moving, threading, and tightening with astonishing agility. In his hands, the vines became obedient threads. He first wove a round base, then extended it upward, circle by circle, until the rough shape of a basket gradually emerged.
Everyone watched in admiration.
“Constable, how long have you been weaving baskets? You’re incredibly skilled.”
“Zhan Pu taught me the last time we went fishing.”
“But we didn’t see you weaving one then.”
“It’s a simple skill. I learned it after watching twice.”
Everyone was speechless.
He actually called basket weaving simple?
He had never learned it before, yet he could make a basket so quickly and so well. They had all tried it at least once and still weren’t very good. Where was the fairness in that?
Comparing themselves to him was simply infuriating.
Refusing to be outdone, everyone immediately began weaving alongside him. Their fingers flew so quickly that they nearly blurred.
Before long, the ground was covered with newly woven baskets.
Then the young men climbed the trees to pick persimmons and hawthorns, while the women went to gather goji berries. Not a single person slacked off.
These pampered sons and daughters of wealthy families had all been completely transformed after enduring more than a month of hardship.
Cheng Yao did not pick fruit. Instead, she continued exploring farther up the mountain.
As she neared the summit, the terrain opened into a low-lying, wind-sheltered slope.
To everyone’s delight, the area was covered in sprawling vines of wild grapes! Thanks to the unique terrain, slightly warmer temperatures, and the natural protection provided by the vines themselves, the grapes had not dried out despite being past their season. They were small, and their skins had wrinkled slightly, but they were still plump and juicy.
Cheng Yao picked a dark purple grape and popped it into her mouth. A sweet juice with a hint of wild tartness burst across her tongue!
They could not compare to carefully cultivated varieties, but given the season and environment, they were undoubtedly a rare delicacy—and a valuable source of energy!
“Everyone, come quickly! There are wild grapes here! They’re sweet!” Cheng Yao called out.
The others hurried over at the sound of her voice. When they saw the clusters of plump, purple wild grapes, they were all stunned!
