As they were finishing their meal, the rain began to lighten, and a quarter of an hour later, it stopped completely.
Qingshuang whispered a reminder, "Miss, if we don't leave now, we won't make it to the campsite."
The mud on the road wouldn't dry in a single day, and judging by the weather, it might rain again soon. Setting off as soon as possible was the best plan.
Song Jinzhao said gently, "We depart immediately. Hitch two horses to each cart instead of one."
They had plenty of horses; let alone two horses pulling a cart, even three wouldn't be a problem.
Just as she stepped into the carriage, Song Jinzhao heard a flurry of hurried footsteps, sounding like a large crowd running toward them.
She poked her head out to look ahead and saw dozens of villagers staring blankly at her, including quite a few children.
When the male host noticed this, he awkwardly twitched the corners of his mouth and waved his hands, urging Song Jinzhao and her group to leave.
"The villagers are just curious seeing so many strangers. You noble folks should hurry and leave."
Every one of them looked as if they had starved for over ten days. More than a decade ago, during a famine in the village, the villagers would resort to robbing when begging failed. He was more or less afraid.
Seeing the man's apprehension, Song Jinzhao entered the carriage without a word. When the apocalypse had arrived, she had seen it all; this was just a small scene.
However, Song Qiming, who was following beside her, looked grim. Recalling the civilian uprisings mentioned by the shopkeeper of Ruyi Pavilion, he felt as if they were about to happen right before his eyes.
The worrisome event did not occur. After the convoy moved forward, the villagers of Baijia Village did not chase after them, but instead stood in place, chattering and discussing.
When the male host walked over, the village chief finally asked, "Brother Chai, where are they going to do business?"
The host replied, "They came from the capital and are heading to Suining City."
The chief of Baijia Village couldn't help but scoff, "Bringing so many goods and so many women, how much will be left by the time they reach Suining City? Are they fools?"
The host gave a fake chuckle. "They are all carrying swords and blades; they must be capable."
Seeing the convoy moving far away, the villagers' discussions grew louder, all predicting how many bandits Song Jinzhao's group would encounter and how much they would be robbed of.
Four hours later.
After driving away highwaymen demanding money for the fourth time, everyone's mood had become remarkably calm.
There was someone blocking the road to rob them on every mountain, and even on flat roads, people would suddenly pop out clamoring for money.
Their weapons were a motley assortment, and their attire didn't look like professional bandits; they just looked a bit fiercer than ordinary villagers.
The guards would only strike a couple of times before the attackers fled, making it feel like child's play.
Lanxi knitted her brows, already somewhat annoyed. "These bandits have no situational awareness at all."
Twenty against one hundred and thirty-eight, how could they possibly win? They didn't look like they had any formidable martial arts skills either.
Inside the carriage, Song Qiming stared blankly out the window, his expression never having improved.
After chasing off yet another wave of unprofessional robbers, Song Qiming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let out a heavy sigh.
He lamented with a heavy tone, "Ah-jie, Suining Prefecture is too chaotic. It truly won't do if it isn't governed properly."
Song Jinzhao nodded. Only through personal experience could one know how severe the situation was.
According to what Feng Yi had said, Yunzhu County was relatively well-off. How terrible must Qingxia County and Yanshan County be?
They would probably run into a bandit with every step they took.
"Their movements are clumsy, their weapons are mismatched, and even their expressions are tense. They must have recently turned to banditry, or they are nearby villagers acting as part-time robbers. Catching them isn't hard; the difficulty lies in figuring out how to stop the common people from coming out to rob."
Song Qiming pressed his temples in distress, rubbing them vigorously. His chest felt as hot as if it were on fire.
"At the end of the day, they are just too poor. We have to give them hope first."
