Cheng Yao thanked the members of the clan, then, while no one was paying attention, quietly moved to his side and whispered rapidly in a voice only the two of them could hear:
“I’m fine. That beast didn’t even touch me. The needles I stuck him with were coated in something that causes numbness and itching. It’ll wear off on its own in half an hour. Don’t lose your temper—your injuries need time to heal. Let that mad dog enjoy himself for a few more days. Killing him now would only dirty our hands and implicate the whole group.”
Zhan Haoting stared at her with his deep, unreadable eyes, as if trying to determine whether she was telling the truth—and how she could calmly plot someone’s murder.
After a moment, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
But then his brows drew together, and his low, hoarse voice sounded once more. “Your breathing is very uneven… and there’s a smell of blood?”
Cheng Yao’s heart jolted. He had noticed the surge of blood and qi she had just forcibly suppressed.
Although he was still seriously wounded, his senses were astonishingly sharp.
Keeping her expression composed, she replied in a low voice, “It might be… my period coming soon. I was searching through the woods for something we could sell, and I pushed myself too hard. I’m just a little exhausted.”
Her explanation was half true and half fabricated. She attributed the smell of blood to her menstrual cycle and her fatigue to physical exertion.
Zhan Haoting’s gaze lingered on her pale face for a moment. In the end, he did not question her further. He merely closed his eyes to rest, though his thin lips remained tightly pressed together. Clearly, he did not entirely believe her.
Just then, a weak, mosquito-like voice filled with sobs sounded beside Cheng Yao.
“Sister-in-law…”
Cheng Yao turned around and found herself facing Zhan Qingrou.
The girl was only thirteen or fourteen. Her once-delicate, pretty face had grown gaunt, her complexion sallow and sickly. She no longer looked like a young maiden at all.
Now, her eyes were timid, and both hands were clutched tightly over her abdomen. Her posture was awkward and stiff.
“What’s wrong?” Cheng Yao asked gently.
Zhan Qingrou spoke hesitantly. “Could you come with me for a moment?”
Cheng Yao hesitated, then rose and followed her.
After only a few steps, she noticed a dark, unnatural stain showing through the back of Zhan Qingrou’s dress, around her hips.
She immediately understood what had happened.
Zhan Qingrou stopped. Her eyes reddened, and embarrassment left her wishing the earth would swallow her whole.
“Sister-in-law, I—I think I’ve started my period. I don’t have any cloth strips, and my clothes are filthy. I can’t even clean myself properly. Mother is in the same situation…” She choked up and could not finish.
Cheng Yao looked toward Madam Zhan, who sat nearby with an equally miserable expression. Her posture was rigid, and she hardly dared move.
The conditions along the exile route were harsh, making menstruation an enormous problem for the women.
With nothing to use as a pad, they could only let the blood flow—and that was both humiliating and disgusting.
Women in ancient times truly had it hard.
Cheng Yao sighed, but then suddenly remembered that her own period seemed to have been late for quite some time.
The thought made her heart jolt, and an inexplicable panic rose within her.
She instinctively placed a hand over her still-flat abdomen, then forcibly suppressed the frightening possibility.
Don’t scare yourself just yet. This is no time to think about it!
“Don’t be afraid. It’s all right.” Cheng Yao steadied herself and comfortingly patted Zhan Qingrou’s cold hand.
She stood and went to the tattered bundle she carried everywhere. Pretending to rummage through it, she secretly took two sets of ordinary but clean, intact coarse-cloth clothing from her interspatial storage.
“Mother, Qingrou, here. Change into these for now.” Cheng Yao handed the clothes to them.
Zhan Qingrou looked at the garments she was wearing, which gave off a sour odor and had long since lost any recognizable original color. Then she looked at the soft, clean clothes in Cheng Yao’s hands. Her nose stung, and her tears began to fall even harder.
She had always believed that Cheng Yao was unworthy of her extraordinarily talented elder brother, and had opposed her both openly and in secret.
Yet now that they had fallen into such desperate circumstances—with little water and food along the road—it was this sister-in-law she had once tormented who had found them food and drink, boiled ginger soup to treat their illnesses and injuries, and given the family whatever food she had. Even when she went to the market, she had remembered to buy clothes for Zhan Qingrou…
“Sister-in-law, I—I’m sorry…” Zhan Qingrou sobbed, her voice filled with shame and gratitude. “I was wrong before. Thank you for even buying me new clothes…”
At last, Cheng Yao had received a sincere apology and a few heartfelt words from the girl.
Seeing that Zhan Qingrou genuinely regretted her past behavior, Cheng Yao smiled and shook her head.
In the end, she was only a spoiled half-grown child. Cheng Yao decided she would no longer hold it against her.
“It’s all in the past. There’s no need to mention it anymore. Hurry and change before you catch cold.”
Zhan Qingrou accepted the clothes, but then blushed and murmured awkwardly, “Sister-in-law, I don’t dare change in the grass. There seem to be snakes and bugs there. Besides, I’m filthy, and everything feels sticky and uncomfortable. Could we find some water so I can wipe myself clean?”
Her words reminded Cheng Yao of something.
It was not only the women who needed cleaning. Apart from being soaked by rain, no one in the entire group had truly bathed since they had begun their journey more than a month ago.
Sweat, blood, and dust had mingled together. Many people gave off an indescribably sour stench, their hair matted and greasy. On the heads and bodies of quite a few, lice could already be seen crawling.
If this continued, they would not merely lose their dignity—they would contract infectious diseases as well!
Just then, a child nearby began crying softly from thirst.
“Mother, I’m thirsty. I want water…”
The crying triggered a chain reaction. More and more weakened people began murmuring complaints about their thirst and their unbearably itchy bodies.
Cheng Yao’s thoughts raced. She walked over to Constable Wang, who was frowning deeply, and gave him a respectful bow.
“Constable, the group is already in dire straits because we’ve run out of food. If we run short of water as well, I’m afraid we won’t last another two days. Besides, everyone is covered in grime, and lice are breeding everywhere. It’s very easy for an epidemic to break out. I noticed what seems to be a river not far away. Why don’t we move our camp to the riverbank? That way, we can collect water to drink, and also… let everyone wash themselves a little and get rid of some of the filth. It may help prevent illness.”
Constable Wang glanced at the people gazing at him hopefully. Considering the danger of an epidemic, he finally nodded.
“Very well. Pass on the order. Pack everything up and move camp to the riverbank!”
As soon as the order was given, everyone could not help cheering.
Then, supporting one another in groups of two or three, they dragged their exhausted feet after Cheng Yao and slowly made their way toward the river.
Before long, a broad river came into view. Its current was gentle, and the water was clear enough to see straight to the bottom.
The setting sun cast its afterglow across the surface, making the ripples glitter. To this group, who had struggled for so long amid filth and thirst, the sight was practically a heavenly paradise.
Constable Wang directed the yamen runners to keep watch, then ordered, “Everyone may go to the river to wash and collect water! The men will use the upstream section, and the women the downstream section! No shouting, and no wandering off! Be quick about it!”
Everyone cheered and hurried toward the river without a second thought.
Most of the men simply stripped off their shirts, waded into the shallow water, and began scrubbing themselves with abandon.
The women were far more modest. They gathered downstream and used chipped bowls and clay jars to scoop up water and wipe themselves down.
Cheng Yao did not immediately send Zhan Qingrou to wash.
She surveyed the riverbank and found a relatively secluded hollow formed naturally by several enormous rocks. She called over a few members of the clan to help, then dragged out an old piece of cloth from the handcart—one that had been used to cover miscellaneous items—and laboriously hung it between the rocks. It barely formed a small but private enclosure.
Then she took a wooden bucket and several bottles and jars from the cart.
Everyone assumed she had bought them at the market the previous day. Aside from being envious, no one thought much of it.
Cheng Yao went to the river, filled a bucket with water, and carried it into the “temporary bathroom.” Then she called to Madam Zhan and her daughter, “Mother, Qingrou, come in as well.”
Madam Zhan and Zhan Qingrou ducked beneath the cloth enclosure. Seeing the bucket of clear river water, they were overcome with excitement.
“Sister-in-law… how are we supposed to wash?” Zhan Qingrou asked, looking at her dirty hands. She felt too embarrassed to soil the clean water right away.
Cheng Yao smiled and brought the small bottles and jars inside.
She poured a little shampoo from the brown earthenware jar.
“Use this to wash your hair,” she said softly. She rubbed the shampoo into their hair, then pointed to the black porcelain jar, which contained body wash. “This is for bathing.”
The pink jar contained an herbal feminine-care product called “Goddess Scent.” “This cleanses a woman’s intimate areas. Apply it and wash carefully.”
As Madam Zhan and Zhan Qingrou breathed in the fragrance wafting from the various liquids, their eyes lit up. Eager to try them, they hurriedly began to undress.
