The final conclusion was that they could enter.
Everyone was finally relieved, and the group began to walk into the village.
The houses in the village were all made of tile and mud bricks, forming small, square courtyards.
But the doors were all ajar.
It was indeed strange.
Little Wu Zi couldn't help but mutter, "This is truly strange. Who would leave their doors open when fleeing? You can see almost everything at a glance."
But everyone also noticed that some of these courtyard doors looked somewhat new, while others were tattered. Very few had sturdy wooden doors.
Su Miao Miao even said, "With these broken doors, I could kick one down with a single kick..."
Not to mention other bandits; if they really wanted to rob your home, they wouldn't be stopped.
Everyone inexplicably felt she was right, and indeed, it was true.
They found a nearby house to inspect. Inside, stacked along the courtyard wall, was a pile of firewood that hadn't been taken. They might not choose to take this, as the caravan still had some firewood, and they could replenish it later. They wouldn't take the firewood unless there was absolutely nothing else to carry.
Ever since entering the village, the group had been extra cautious, constantly scanning their surroundings and listening attentively. Little Wu Zi and Little Liu Zi were responsible for checking the courtyards for any items or hidden individuals. Lai Fu and Jia Wang helped search for things and reported anything useful. Li Da Tou and Cheng Feng Tai each took turns guarding the entrance and patrolling the village roads vigilantly.
Cheng Hao and Su Miao Miao were also checking the courtyard surroundings for any hidden traps.
But in the end, they found it was indeed safe, not as terrifying as they had imagined.
This was indeed an abandoned village, with nothing remarkable.
Lai Fu and Jia Wang, true to their skills as scavengers from their initial escape from the Cheng family, rummaged through several houses. They found old steamers, winnowing baskets, and broken bamboo baskets that some families had bothered to leave behind.
Their reason was quite sound.
They said these items could be used to carry supplies, making it convenient to transport things back.
Su Miao Miao gave them a thumbs-up, acknowledging their logic. She looked around, and indeed, there was nothing else. They assumed that during the escape, the most important items had been taken, leaving only the bulky and useless.
They found nothing in this house, and the next few houses were also the same.
Eventually.
Lai Fu couldn't help but complain, "The jar of pickles Uncle Da Tou found, isn't that probably the most valuable thing in this entire village?"
In their efforts to search for items, the group was covered in dust and grime.
Su Miao Miao, despite cleaning herself so thoroughly last night, felt it was all in vain today. She had been the most energetic in her search, yet found absolutely nothing.
Everyone couldn't help but feel discouraged.
Cheng Hao touched the money pouch inside his sleeve. He had only spent a few copper coins.
For a few old bamboo baskets.
Cheng Feng Tai suggested, "If it doesn't work out, shall we just go back?"
The rain had stopped, and the sun was out, making it feel warm again. Although the autumn weather was unusual, it wasn't this unusual.
The past few days had felt like early winter, but today it was like summer.
The autumn heat could be brutal.
People could easily become overwhelmed, especially with so many young children in the group.
Li Da Tou, however, was not convinced. He shouted from over there, "Don't! Let's at least look at a few more houses. We haven't even reached the big house where I found the pickles yet!"
Cheng Feng Tai responded, "Then let's go directly to that big house where you found the pickles and have another look! See if there's anything else good. If not, we'll leave! There's no need to waste our effort here. I'm sure the master won't blame you!"
He believed Li Da Tou was reluctant to leave because he was worried that after such a big effort, they wouldn't bring back anything substantial, and he would be reprimanded.
Li Da Tou did have some of these concerns, but more importantly, he was unwilling to give up. He felt it was a rare opportunity to come here, and if they searched a bit more, they might find something useful, and everyone's efforts wouldn't be in vain. So, he persisted.
As the two of them were about to argue due to fatigue, they both looked to Cheng Hao, who was the decision-maker. He said, "Let's look at two more houses. If that doesn't work, we'll go back."
After all, the sunk cost of time was too great, and they couldn't delay for too long.
Li Da Tou listened to Cheng Hao's words. Although he was a bit unconvinced, he readily nodded in agreement and led the way towards that house.
The group hadn't even eaten breakfast yet and had come out to do this, only to find nothing. Naturally, they were becoming increasingly frustrated, mainly because they wanted to replenish their supplies.
Otherwise, if things continued like this, they would have difficulty surviving.
Food was only being consumed, and it was difficult to replenish, and more importantly, there was no salt.
Without salt for a long time, the body could not withstand it, neither humans nor livestock.
They would become weaker and weaker, even falling ill and dying.
The current situation of encountering empty villages was not ideal either. If all the villages were like this, with only empty houses left, they would be unable to replenish their supplies. Thinking about this, they felt their future was bleak and hopeless.
Even if they eventually caught up with the caravan by horse-drawn carriage, everyone's supplies were limited, so no one would be willing to exchange them freely.
Especially in the future, bartering would be the mainstream, and gold and jewelry might not even be effective.
Thinking about this, the problem of supplies truly presented itself to everyone again.
It was bound to be discouraging.
Cheng Feng Tai also followed silently at the rear of the group. Cheng Hao comforted him a couple of sentences, saying that everyone was working for the betterment of the caravan, and to be a little understanding.
"It's not like we only looked at one or two houses. We've looked at seven or eight, and there's really nothing left. For him to still insist, isn't that just wasting everyone's effort? He probably doesn't understand the principle of cutting losses."
Cheng Feng Tai's tone was blunt, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
Cheng Hao said, "Since we're already here, as Uncle said, we've looked at seven or eight houses. Two more won't make much difference. Let's just see what we find in these last two houses, okay?"
His voice was unhurried and steady, which was more palatable than Li Da Tou's loud shouting. Cheng Feng Tai also considered his status and chuckled, "Alright, let's let him be completely convinced!"
Seeing this, Cheng Feng Tai quickened his pace. As Li Da Tou entered the house on the left, he went into the one on the right, appearing truly displeased.
Little Wu Zi, Little Liu Zi, Lai Fu, and Jia Wang exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why the two of them, who had been getting along fine at first, had suddenly become so angry.
Cheng Hao could immediately analyze their personalities clearly. Li Da Tou's personality was indeed a bit stubborn, while Cheng Feng Tai, though seemingly calm, was actually somewhat impatient and not as steady and experienced as his initial impression suggested.
As for Little Wu Zi, Little Liu Zi, Lai Fu, and Jia Wang, perhaps because they were from servant backgrounds, they were much more composed.
Even though they didn't find anything good, they kept digging for anything useful.
They were not discouraged.
Nor were they frustrated. Perhaps a little disappointed, but they still searched actively.