Shao Yutong looked around in despair, but all she saw were cold or hateful faces.
Only then did she finally realize that she had truly been abandoned by everyone.
Overwhelmed by terror and remorse, she collapsed into the mud and burst into sobs. Her cries were miserable and despairing, echoing through the desolate valley.
Cheng Yao stood among the crowd, quietly watching the scene unfold.
When she saw Zhan Haochen about to step forward to defend Shao Yutong, she quickly tugged at his sleeve and shook her head.
Shao Yutong had brought this upon herself. She had caused the deaths of so many people—she was not worthy of sympathy.
That was simply how cruel this era was. One wrong step, and a person could be doomed forever.
Cheng Yao glanced at Zhan Haoting again. His eyes were still closed, but from the sound of his breathing, she could tell that he was not asleep.
Could these two brothers be affected by the original plot and instinctively feel sorry for Shao Yutong? If so, they would just have to endure it!
Zhang Dapeng was about to forcibly drag the sobbing and struggling Shao Yutong and her daughter away when Cheng Yao spoke up.
“Yutong, you should leave. Don’t make the constables drive you away.”
Whether Shao Yutong lived or died was none of her concern, but she could not stand by and watch a scumbag ruin a young girl in the flower of her youth.
Shao Yutong froze for a moment. When she saw the lust roiling in Zhang Dapeng’s eyes, her heart jolted.
Cheng Yao was warning her to leave quickly. If Zhang Dapeng, a ravenous lecher, took her away, she might never be able to escape him.
“Yes. I’ll leave right away.”
Shao Yutong grabbed Zhan Yurong and hurried away, dragging her battered body behind her. Her steps were unsteady and stumbling.
The hearts of the brothers, Zhan Haochen and Zhan Haoting, suddenly clenched, as if something important had just left them. A hollow sense of panic filled them.
Unable to dispel his distress, Zhan Haochen paced about irritably where he stood. Zhan Haoting, however, opened his eyes and stared thoughtfully in the direction Shao Yutong had gone.
Zhang Dapeng watched Shao Yutong’s back for a long while. When he finally looked away, unwillingness filled his heart, and he cast Cheng Yao a sinister glance.
Damn woman! She had ruined his plans yet again. Just wait and see!
Cheng Yao raised her middle finger at him. Although he did not understand what it meant, he could clearly sense the provocation behind it. He was so furious that steam seemed about to come out of his head.
“You!”
Before he could do anything, Cheng Yao pulled another face at him.
Zhang Dapeng exploded with rage. He clenched his fist, but when Cheng Yao called out, “Constable Wang!” he hurriedly tucked his hand behind his back.
“What is it?” Constable Wang looked at Cheng Yao.
“The casualties among the group are severe.” Cheng Yao’s expression turned solemn.
Constable Wang sighed. “I never expected us to run into a beast calamity either. Sigh… The Zhan family really is cursed with bad luck.”
He waved his hand and instructed his subordinates, “Record everything properly. I’ll make another trip to the county office. The bodies can’t be buried until the authorities have inspected and verified them. As for these unruly peasants…” He cast a cold look at the villagers who had been tied up. “Take them all back to the county office and await judgment!”
The constables busied themselves with their work. After enduring one fright and bloody battle after another, everyone finally relaxed. Many people slumped to the ground and wept silently, or stared blankly up at the sky.
Cheng Yao approached Constable Wang again. “Constable, I wanted to say that there are many injured people in the group. If they aren’t treated soon, I’m afraid they won’t survive until we reach the place of exile. It could even lead to an outbreak of disease. Please show us mercy and hire a physician to treat them.”
Constable Wang furrowed his brows, his face filled with difficulty. Lowering his voice, he said, “It’s not that I’m heartless. You know very well that for exiles, life is as cheap as grass. The little money allocated from above is barely enough to cover the cost of escorting you. Where would I get extra money to hire a physician? Besides, we’re in the middle of nowhere. Where are we supposed to find a doctor? Being able to dig up some herbs and apply them to the wounds is already more than you can hope for.”
His voice was not loud, but several people nearby still heard him, and the sorrowful mood began to spread once more.
Yes, they were criminals. Who would care whether they lived or died?
Several women began to sob softly, and a stifling grief filled the air.
Cheng Yao, however, did not back down. Meeting Constable Wang’s gaze, she spoke calmly, yet sharply. “Constable, that isn’t quite right. Though these people are criminals, they are still registered in the imperial records. If too many of them die or are injured on the way to the place of exile, and you’re unable to hand them over when you arrive, the authorities will investigate. You may well be charged with ‘negligence in supervision.’”
Constable Wang’s expression changed slightly.
Her words had struck precisely at his weak point.
If too many prisoners died during the journey, it would indeed affect his official evaluation. He might even be punished.
Seeing that he was wavering, Cheng Yao softened her tone and added a hint of persuasion. “I understand that you’re in a difficult position. How about this? You pay the medical and medicine expenses first. Once we earn some money on the road, everyone can pool it together and repay you. What do you say?”
“Earn money?”
Constable Wang looked as though he had just heard the greatest joke in the world. “They’re exiled criminals. Whether they can survive is still uncertain. How could they possibly earn money?”
“They can,” Cheng Yao replied seriously. “As long as you’re willing to make things convenient for us, I can take them out to dig for medicinal herbs, pick wild herbs and gather wild vegetables along the way, then sell them for a few copper coins. Look.” She pointed to the kudzu roots and Chinese yams that had not yet been put away. “These are what they dug up today.”
Constable Wang recognized both of them. They could indeed be eaten, and apothecaries would buy them as medicinal materials.
He pondered for a moment, then looked at the wounded, whose condition was truly pitiful. At last, he gritted his teeth and said to Cheng Yao, “Fine! We’ll do as you suggest. There’s an apothecary thirty li ahead. I’ll take you there to find a physician. But first, I have to go to the county office.”
“Thank you for your trouble, Constable.” Cheng Yao inclined her head slightly.
Many people looked at her gratefully. They knew that once again, she had won them a chance at survival.
Constable Wang turned around and said to the constables, “An unexpected problem has arisen, so we’ll have to make another trip. Thank you for your hard work, brothers. I’ll treat you all to meat and wine later.”
After giving Zhang Dapeng a few detailed instructions, he left with the other constables from the county office, escorting the villagers away.
Night fell, and campfires were lit.
Everyone ate the kudzu roots raw and buried the Chinese yams in the flames to roast, barely managing to fill their stomachs.
Meanwhile, Xiao Fu had secretly dealt with the two wild boars as Cheng Yao had instructed. He hid one of them and cut the other in half, carrying one side back.
When everyone saw the wild boar, their eyes lit up for a moment, only to dim again immediately afterward.
The wild boar meat had nothing to do with them.
Xiao Fu set down the meat and walked over to the constables. He bowed respectfully and said, “Constables, this wild boar is something this old man managed to obtain amid the chaos today. I’m willing to hand half of it over to you. As for the other half… may I have your permission to deal with it myself?”
The constables looked at the not particularly plump wild boar, then at Xiao Fu.
He was not actually one of the exiles, so he did not need to hand any of it over. By offering them a portion, he was giving them due respect.
Besides, they were all so hungry that their stomachs were practically stuck to their backs. There was no way they could refuse.
A constable named Li Liming nodded on behalf of the others. “All right. Half belongs to us. You can do whatever you like with the other half.”
With that, he called over his fellow constables. In high spirits, they carried away half the boar, preparing to roast it.
“Wait.”
Cheng Yao stepped forward. “Constables, I’d like to ask for half a packet of salt so that I can cure the meat. That way, it will last us a few more days on the road.”
Li Liming glanced at her, then looked at the half of the boar.
