The ground here was covered with dust and fallen leaves. At the desolate ferry, weeds sprouted an inch or two through the deck cracks, creaking underfoot. The broad river surface sparkled with ripples, quietly flowing by.
This group of refugees should have been the first to escape, while those infected with the plague were sealed in Sulfur City. Although they escaped from Yanzhou County, they couldn’t reach Dingzhou. Dingzhou, built by the Yi River, was a major city with bustling comrce, comparable to Yan State’s capital, though still insignificant compared to the Capital City.
Though Dingzhou was further from the Capital City, it was rich in water products and had plentiful mineral veins, also serving as a trade crossing point for West Di, making it the most complex area for personnel.
It wasn’t hard for one or two people to slip into the city, but bringing so many people ashore was the challenge.
Cheng Xiaoxiao stood at the ferry, facing the cold wind, pondering how to cross the river safely.
Several plans rolled through her mind for comparison.
First, they needed to send soone across the river to gather information, determining whether to secretly contact fishern for smuggling, rent a rchant ship at a high price, or simply buy a boat to cross themselves.
Considering their current predicant, buying a boat seed less risky. Qi Fei could then sail back to pick them up without alarming anyone. Revealing their identities could result in more than just failing to land; there might even be a deadly confrontation. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario. If Dingzhou wasn’t so averse to people from Yanzhou County, perhaps they could rent a rchant ship directly.
Luckily, the passage docunt given by Yanlan did not specify their exact household registration, or they might not have been able to make it this ti.
She then called Leng Qi over, giving him a secret mission and handing him two thousand silver notes.
She instructed him to make a small boat capable of crossing the river and take soone skilled in water first to gather intelligence, focusing on how the governnt over there viewed people from Yanzhou County.
Then they would decide whether to buy a boat or rent a rchant ship.
So the team settled by the ferry, dismantling the newly assembled carriage.
There was no choice; materials were needed to build a boat. They rummaged through the tea shed, finally piecing together a raft that could hold five or six people.
Cheng Xiaoxiao wanted them to build a simple small boat, but they ended up with just a raft.
She doubted whether such a raft could cross the broad river safely.
Qi Fei assured her the raft was sturdy enough to cross the river, noting that Dingzhou wasn’t directly across but twenty miles downstream. Crossing from here would be downstream, and without encountering heavy winds or waves, they could make it in an hour.
At this point, Cheng Beiniu volunteered to go along.
After considering, Cheng Xiaoxiao agreed, as Uncle Beiniu, having escorted caravans before, would likely make the job more efficient.
The team was quickly chosen, led by Qi Fei and Cheng Beiniu, with Cheng Jingo and Cheng Yongtian, who were both good in water and martial arts, totaling four. They packed their bags and dry food, and jumped on the raft, gradually rowing away.
Everyone couldn’t help but worry, hoping they would return soon.
Before leaving, Cheng Xiaoxiao gave Qi Fei a package individually, emphasizing the importance of its contents. When they opened it halfway through the journey, they understood Cheng Xiaoxiao’s intention.
Inside were high-quality clothes, evidently for a wealthy gentleman. Wearing their current clothes would have imdiately exposed them, especially since they were disguising as wealthy rchants this ti.
Cheng Jingo looked at the clothes in awe, "Where did Xiaoxiao get such fine things?"
Cheng Yongtian felt the fabric, "If accidentally torn, would Xiaoxiao make pay? I couldn’t afford it, even if I sold myself."
"Would Xiaoxiao make you pay? Only if the task wasn’t done well."
"To show off, I’ll make sure to do the task beautifully!"
"Alright, let’s focus, rehearse our lines so we don’t slip up later. We can’t land at a regular port. We must abandon the boat and jump into the water at a deserted spot, or we might get caught," Cheng Beiniu said seriously.
"Right, right!"
By the ferry, everyone coordinated and worked well together. In the large pot, rice porridge mixed with so cured at was bubbling away, its aroma making mouths water. Even though their team was far from the refugees, the scent sohow reached them.
So people drooled hungrily and cursed enviously.
So children couldn’t resist the saliva forming in their mouths and ran over, hoping for so food.
But seeing the guards with knives at the passage, they hesitated and didn’t dare to approach.
In a tattered tent sat seven or eight rough-looking n.
A man with a large mole on his face said to the leader, "So, Brother Axe, when do we strike tonight?"
Another man with triangular eyes expressed dissatisfaction, "Damn, that group has clean and pretty won, makes itch all over just looking at them."
An older man with a slight moustache said calmly, "Don’t rush. With all our brothers, we can’t take that lot?"
People passing through here before had all been robbed by them, left with no food, forcing them to join the group, which included that little girl’s father.
They initially planned to use force, but seeing the group wasn’t easy to ss with, they held back. Attempting to convince them softly also failed, so they decided on a night raid, kill the n inside, and take the won and food.
The leader, Brother Axe, had a fierce look. He used to butcher pigs, but after accidentally killing his mother-in-law and spending years in prison, he beca a bandit and then a refugee, committing many evil deeds along the way.
They planned to form a hundred-man team, with two against each guard, comfortably sufficient. Once those troubleso n were dealt with, the won would be at their rcy.
"Especially that leading lady, she seems skilled, but with those slender arms and legs, how strong could she be? Eventually, she’ll warm Brother Axe’s bed," the man with triangular eyes complinted, making Brother Axe feel great, heating up with fantasy.
"Haha! You’re right, Third Brother, co, have another drink. Here’s to our success."
As night fell, the surroundings were quiet. Everyone was resting except for four guards on duty.
With ti passing, snores began to rise from the team.
Cheng Xiaoxiao was less resistant to it. Having listened for over a month, she sowhat adapted even if she didn’t like it. She was a night owl and couldn’t sleep as early as the ancient people, so she was browsing the System Mall out of boredom.
The refugees were Cheng Xiaoxiao’s main observation targets. When they planned a raid, the system imdiately detected it and reported to Cheng Xiaoxiao.
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