Dong Si glanced at the old woman, then turned to Li Dalang's family and said, "Alright, since you are now servants to my Lady, you will naturally be provided with clothes. Come with me."
It had to be said that Dong Si had great potential as a steward. Making the most of everything, he immediately taught Li Dalang's family how to drive the horse carriages.
Even the imperial concubines were driving carriages; these servants certainly couldn't be an exception.
Jiang Jin's group grew from ten people to sixteen.
She also learned the names of Li Dalang's family. Li Dalang was named Li Su, his wife was Sun Acao, and his son was Li Mai. Daya and Erya hadn't been given formal names yet.
Li Su begged Jiang Jin to bestow names upon them.
Jiang Jin thought for a moment and simply named them after the solar terms: Lichun and Liqiu.
At the same time, she named Heiya Shuangjiang.
Jiang Jin handed some fine linen, needles, thread, and scissors to Feng Qingzhu and the others. "Do you know how to make clothes? Use this linen to make two sets of clothes for each of them."
They all nodded; making clothes was something they knew how to do.
Li Su's family was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. They were clumsy with words and felt very constrained facing Jiang Jin. Unable to articulate their gratitude, they silently resolved in their hearts to work hard from now on.
Sun Acao gathered her courage and chimed in, "I... this servant, this servant knows how too. Li... Lichun and Liqiu know how as well."
Jiang Jin was very satisfied. "Excellent. Make them as soon as you have free time."
The truth was, their clothes were incredibly tattered. Although not quite as miserably shredded into strips as Shuangjiang's had been, they weren't far off.
Shuangjiang was thrilled to know she had a name. Medicine had been applied to the burns on her body, bringing a cool, soothing relief. She thought she probably wouldn't have to die now.
Lying in the comfortable and clean carriage felt just like a dream. She was a bit dazed and groggy.
After an unknown amount of time, Liu Mi entered the carriage holding a bowl of medicine and helped her sit up. "This is medicine to bring down your fever. Drink it quickly; we will be setting off soon."
Shuangjiang was timid and anxious. "The... the medicine is for me?" She felt she didn't deserve it.
Liu Mi saw through her thoughts and smiled comfortingly. "The Lady is a very good person. Drink your medicine and get well as soon as possible so you can serve her properly."
Shuangjiang nodded vigorously, secretly resolving to work as hard as she could in the future.
She had to be worthy of the meat and grain the Lady spent to buy her, the medicine she was taking now, and the name the Lady had given her.
She actually had a name now!
She lowered her head, taking small sips of the medicine. So this was what medicine was like. Growing up, she had never had medicine; every time she got sick, she just had to endure it.
A tear fell into the bowl and was swallowed along with the medicine. At this moment, she actually felt the medicine wasn't bitter, but even held a trace of sweetness.
Liu Mi sighed. Worldly suffering—she had only heard the phrase before. But ever since Dingyang was occupied and the Yan Kingdom was destroyed, traveling this road had made her truly understand what worldly suffering was.
When the group set off, Li Su and Li Mai were already able to drive the carriages, albeit clumsily.
They familiarized themselves quickly. After covering a few miles, they had gradually mastered the driving techniques.
Liu Mi and Feng Qingzhu shared a carriage with Yao Ji. There was no other way; Sun Acao and the others were a bit afraid of Yao Ji and dared not ride with him.
The mother and her two daughters shared a carriage with Shuangjiang. The cabin was a bit crowded, so Lichun came out to sit on the carriage shafts.
Jiang Jin hadn't expected Luo Qingci's equestrian skills to be so excellent; she truly lived up to being a woman raised by a prominent family.
Thus, Luo Qingci joined the ranks of those riding alongside the convoy to help look after the herd of horses.
Zhou Sui rode at the very front, occasionally spurring his horse ahead of the convoy to scout the situation.
Because of the hot weather, around noon—roughly 11 o'clock—Jiang Jin had the convoy find a shaded area to rest.
Li Su's family was indeed capable. Aside from digging a stove, which Dong Si had to teach them briefly, they took care of everything else—gathering firewood, starting the fire, cooking rice and dishes, frying pancakes, and so on. They did it quickly and well.
And for once, Li Su's family had a full meal. At this moment, he was incredibly thankful for his decision that morning. Being someone's servant was pretty good!
Shuangjiang, having eaten her fill for the first time in her life, felt that her life was complete.
Although they didn't set off immediately after lunch, no one besides the two patients took a midday nap.
Jiang Jin found a secluded spot under the shade of a tree and began practicing military martial arts. Her body was too weak; she needed to improve her physical fitness as quickly as possible.
The men patrolled and tended to the horses, while Feng Qingzhu and the others began sewing clothes.
A few days passed in a flash, and they finally left Juanzhou and entered the territory of Fengzhou.
Gefeng, where Jiang Jin planned to go, was located in Liuxiang County of Fengzhou.
The past few days had been calm and peaceful, with no pursuers coming from Liangcheng.
Zhou Sui was currently reporting to Jiang Jin that a group of refugees was heading in their direction from up ahead.
Jiang Jin frowned. "How many are there? Do they have weapons?"
If the numbers were small and posed no threat to their group, Zhou Sui wouldn't have come specifically to report.
Zhou Sui's expression was grave. "There are about a hundred of them. No formal weapons, but almost all of them are carrying wooden clubs, and a few at the front have woodchopping knives."
These were not ordinary refugees; they could be rioters or roaming bandits.
Jiang Jin looked back at her horses. They represented meat, money, and most importantly, transportation. It was hard for them not to be coveted.
She wasn't afraid of a hundred-man group without formal weapons, but she feared they would target her horses.
If these people intentionally charged into the herd and spooked them, the horses would inevitably scatter and flee. Retrieving all of them would be nearly impossible.
If there were anyone among the hundred refugees who knew how to ride, they might charge into the herd, mount a horse, and ride off directly.
This was the little bit of property she had painstakingly acquired; unless absolutely forced, she didn't want to give it up.
She simply had too few hands. If she had forty able-bodied young men, she could train them into forty cavalrymen. Why would she fear a hundred refugees then? A single charge could wipe out more than half of them!
However, if used well, these horses could also serve as her combat power. It all depended on how she utilized them.
She surveyed the surrounding environment. The area was completely flat, with wasteland on the left and wasteland on the right. There was no place to hide people, nor were there geographical conditions for an ambush.
She could only use the simplest and most primitive method: kill them directly!
Jiang Jin's face turned murderous as she quickly issued orders. "Zhou Sui, Xie Nanxiao, you two will be the vanguard. If anyone dares to approach our convoy, kill!"
"Chen Xi, Dong Si, Luo Qingci, Li Su, Li Mai, you five will form the second echelon, responsible for guarding the horses and charging. Those who know how to use a bow and arrow, shoot to kill first!"
"Yao Ji, Feng Qingzhu, Liu Mi, you three are responsible for the safety of the carriages and will stay at the rear. Remember, if anyone dares to rob our belongings, kill!"
The repeated word "kill" was spoken with chilling severity, making the blood of Zhou Sui, Xie Nanxiao, and the others boil with excitement, while the initially fearful hearts of Li Su's family inexplicably calmed down.
Everyone moved swiftly. Following Jiang Jin's orders, they drove the horses and carriages into the wasteland on the right side of the official road, leaving the path clear.
Zhou Sui and Xie Nanxiao stood on horseback over ten meters away from the official road. Not far behind them was Jiang Jin, and behind her was the herd of horses.
Chen Xi, holding a bow and arrows with a sword at his waist, stood on horseback in front of the herd.
Dong Si and Luo Qingci guarded the sides of the herd on horseback, also holding bows and arrows, ready to strike.
Li Su and his son, Li Mai, sat on their horses behind the herd, their hands gripping their blades tightly. Over the past few days, they had learned not only how to drive carriages, but also how to feed, herd, and ride horses.
At the very rear of the procession, Sun Acao and a few others were pale, their hands similarly clutching their weapons. Though terrified, they refused to give in to panic.
Everyone was acutely aware that this was a battle they had to win. If they did not, they would die! They all knew exactly what terrible fate awaited them should they fall into the hands of the wandering refugees.
