Cheng Hao got out of the car and led Su Miaomiao towards the Cheng family's main group.
The Jin family's convoy appeared much more disheveled than the Cheng family's. Steward Du, though broad and imposing, had messy clothes stained with some blood.
The others were also unkempt.
And there seemed to be injured people.
As Su Miaomiao passed, she glanced at their convoy and noticed only three of their vehicles were intact. The rest were scattered horses carrying supplies, with no other carriages.
Steward Du was there, holding Ji Bo's arm and weeping, "…Old Brother, you have no idea. Our Du family was slow to get the news, and the city gates were blocked for a long time. We almost couldn't get out. When we saw your Cheng family's carriages, we weren't far behind, but we still couldn't catch up!"
He recounted his harrowing escape with tears and snot.
First, they were so terrified that they lost control, and much of their valuable property was left behind. It was only at the last moment that someone remembered to bring some grain, so they loaded up what they had, though it wasn't much. Along the way, they picked up more as they could.
Upon finally managing to leave the city, they encountered people looting everything.
The Jin family's convoy, having left Fengcheng, had been stripped to the bone.
They had to fight desperately to protect what little they had left.
Then, they encountered a heavy downpour. The convoy couldn't reach a temple for shelter and had to find a place under a rock face. They spent a night in fear, enduring the wind and rain before setting off again. The rain was so bad that even the horses couldn't bear it, and two died.
Several people in the convoy also fell ill. Those who couldn't keep up were left behind.
Later, while traveling through the mountains, they collided with another hurried convoy. The horses were startled and lost control, resulting in two overturned carriages and broken wheels on both sides.
Several people were also lost.
If the Cheng family had a smooth journey, the Jin family had experienced nothing but misfortune.
Ji Bo listened, his brow furrowed deeply, especially when he heard about Xiaozhuzi accidentally falling from the carriage as they left the city and being trampled underfoot by the crowd.
He closed his eyes tightly and said with a tremor, "This child was only nine years old…"
He used to follow Steward Du everywhere, much like Lai Fu followed him, a clever and sweet-talking child who always called him "Uncle."
If Lai Fu knew this child was gone, he would likely be devastated.
Steward Du could only wipe away his tears and say, "What else could be done? There were so many people, a dense mass. Old Brother, you didn't see that scene; people can crush people to death. Even now, I shiver thinking about it…"
Ji Bo found it hard to accept that they were abandoning people from their own convoy. "They were just sick. They could have been separated for fear of contagion, and their food and drink could have been kept separate. Why were they just casually abandoned on the road?"
He genuinely felt distressed by it.
But they were all living people. If there had been even a shred of kindness, they wouldn't have done it. These were their companions who had fought to escape with their supplies.
Yet, they were abandoned on the road because they were sick or injured. In this world, it was difficult for ordinary people to survive, let alone those who were sick or injured.
This was essentially leaving them to die.
Ji Bo believed he could never do such a thing. In such situations, abandoning people wouldn't be necessary. Ultimately, the Jin family's master treated them like livestock.
Indeed.
Were they, the servants, not worse than pigs and dogs?
The thought alone brought a sense of desolation.
Ji Bo felt an overwhelming sadness, like a heavy stone pressing down on his heart.
Steward Du could only sigh and say, "Our master said they would only be a drain on resources if kept. He was unwilling to keep them. I tried to persuade him, but even a servant with a small wound, he wouldn't keep them. In reality…"
In reality, he didn't want to spend money feeding these young servants who were no longer children.
Ji Bo could only sigh.
He then changed the subject, asking why the Jin family's master was not in sight.
Steward Du gestured towards the large leading carriage and said, "See, he's sleeping in there. What does the life and death of us lowly people matter to him? Last night, he was frolicking with three concubines. We didn't dare to say anything."
Ji Bo found the whole story disgusting.
The Jin family's master was notoriously debauched within their circle; he truly had no sense of shame.
He shook his head and said no more.
Steward Du, who dared not speak carelessly to his subordinates, finally poured out his troubles to Ji Bo, which eased some of his pent-up frustration and fear.
His emotions finally stabilized.
Su Miaomiao, with her keen hearing, had overheard most of their conversation.
Cheng Hao fell silent.
He quietly clenched the hand he was holding.
If they had been any slower, they would have been among the corpses lying dead at the city gates.
The thought made him feel unlucky, and he quickly spat mentally several times, though his heart still felt uneasy.
Su Miaomiao, sensing Cheng Hao's mood, felt a rare connection and gently nudged his shoulder with her head, silently comforting him.
Cheng Hao felt much better, but he still held her hand tightly.
Su Miaomiao let him lead her.
The two of them, openly and conspicuously, walked through the crowd hand in hand.
If the city hadn't been breached, such ostentatious behavior would have drawn criticism, with people calling them shameless. But now, who had the time or inclination for such matters?
No one cared about that.
However, they had underestimated the gossipy nature of some. In the second carriage of the Jin family, four or five young ladies were seated. Seeing such a public display, they widened their eyes, covering their mouths and eyes with handkerchiefs.
"Oh, who are these two? How can they be so shameless?"
"Exactly, they have such thick skin! With so many people around, they dare to hold hands. Who knows how debauched they are in private? Hey, sisters, I think that person looks familiar. Is that the Cheng family's eldest legitimate son? Or am I mistaken?"
A young lady adorned with gold and silver exclaimed in a delicate voice, pointing in Cheng Hao's direction.
The people around her immediately chimed in.
"This is the Cheng family's convoy, so it must be him. Could there be anyone else in the world who looks so much like him? But I can't tell. He used to be so proper. It's truly surprising to see him so unrestrained now."
As servants, they were all disheveled and exhausted. But as masters, they had already tidied themselves up on the smoother sections of the road.
They looked no different than before.
It was like a leisurely outing.
Their incessant chatter was quite annoying.
Passing servants, with their numb faces, couldn't help but show their disgust.
But they walked with their heads down, carefully.
They didn't dare to be seen by these young ladies, for fear of being bullied by them.
The Cheng family's master had clearly been woken by the morning's events. He was now dressed and ready, while maids and servants bustled around him, preparing his bath.
Being by the river had its advantages; at least there was no shortage of water for washing.
Madam Cheng and Jiang Xiyue, who couldn't bear it any longer, had immediately ordered servants to fetch water and set up thick curtains for baths, finally able to clean themselves thoroughly.
Madam Xi and Madam Cai also had plenty of hot water. If there wasn't enough firewood, there were people to chop wood. When they occasionally encountered a poorly positioned tree, they would clear away smaller trees nearby, which could then be collected for firewood.
They no longer had to worry about running out of fuel.