The convoy set off again, heading towards the distance, the road conditions remaining poor.
The dust was particularly heavy.
Cheng Hao had his subordinates cut out masks for themselves, which could block some of the dust, but at the end of the day, those driving the carts were still covered in grime.
This was unavoidable.
The horses could no longer bear it.
Their progress was forced to slow down, and they could only move at a steady pace.
During this time, they encountered several waves of refugees seeking death, who tried to rob them, but they were all intercepted and beaten back immediately.
Everyone sustained injuries.
However, they were all superficial wounds.
Fortunately, most people knew how to treat themselves, so the problem was not significant.
They just needed to be careful about the hot weather and prevent the wounds from becoming infected.
Su Miaomiao's homemade herbal medicine was still plentiful, so she brought it all out for use.
No one was being fussy.
After treating their wounds, they went back to their tasks, and could even chat and laugh.
After half a month of travel.
Everyone had lost some weight, purely due to the hot weather and the bumpy ride.
But their spirits were high.
Their clothes were also tattered, but everyone was reluctant to discard them, so they patched them up, making them look somewhat disheveled, but they didn't mind.
After traveling for half a month, they finally encountered a water source, a pool.
Because its depth was unknown.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao did not allow anyone to swim in it. They only instructed them to collect water, boil it, and then use it, noting that the water level of the pool had visibly dropped significantly.
Everyone was excited to find drinking water, but remained cautious.
Su Miaomiao directed them to build a simple filter to strain the water before using it for washing. The water for drinking had to be boiled, and they also needed to find time to fill the water barrels on the carts.
Everyone immediately became busy.
Having found water, they would camp near this location for a few days.
This would also give everyone a chance to recuperate.
The journey had been too bumpy.
Even with good carriages, the difference from flat ground was still significant.
Madam Cai and Madam Xi immediately took people to fetch water, while the villagers of Shanao Village also got water from another side, everyone busy with their tasks.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao also got out of the carriage, took a deep breath, and felt that the air here was much better. The smell in some of the areas they had passed through earlier was extremely unpleasant, and everyone had used special masks to cover their mouths and noses.
As for why it was unpleasant.
It would not be explained in detail.
In any case, everyone dared not delve into it. Many villages were empty.
The further they went, the quieter it became.
Wild dogs with unknown objects in their mouths darted around nearby, and some wild dogs even tried to attack people.
But they were all repelled by arrows, unable to get within a meter of their convoy, which greatly reassured everyone.
As they worked, everyone talked about these matters.
"These carriages are truly excellent. If we had these carriages when we encountered the wolf pack earlier, what would we have been afraid of? With one press of a lever, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, and a whole pack of wolves could be taken down! We wouldn't have been so on edge that time!"
"Exactly, exactly. The operation of these mechanisms isn't difficult either. If any more wild dogs or those beasts come, I can deal with them immediately!"
"Indeed, these bows and arrows can be retrieved and reused, and we can even make them ourselves, which is very convenient. It's just that these wild dogs are very dirty, and it's not good to use them again. I think it's better to spend some effort to make them ourselves."
"Everyone, please stop talking about wild dogs. Just thinking about what they carry makes me nauseous."
"Exactly, exactly. Let's talk about something else, don't keep talking about this thing?"