As night fell.
Each carriage had its lamp lit, the wicks made of resin.
The wicks in the lamps were designed not to tilt and extinguish no matter how much they swayed.
Thus, a steady pace could be maintained.
Su Miaomiao listlessly leaned against the wooden window, peeking outside. Mosquitoes were starting to become numerous.
If not for the mosquito repellent incense in the carriage, the entire vehicle would likely be covered in them.
Even after dark, there were still people on the road.
Some of them were walking, with their luggage being pulled behind them, moving slowly.
Soon, they would be left far behind.
Suddenly, a small stone hit the carriage with a bang.
Cheng Hao immediately pulled Su Miaomiao over, shielding her, and then closed the carriage window. After listening for a moment and hearing no further projectiles, he relaxed.
"The further we go, the more unstable people we're likely to encounter. Be a bit more careful. You shouldn't always be leaning out the window; be wary of people throwing things."
Cheng Hao ruffled her hair, checking to see she wasn't hit, and felt relieved.
Su Miaomiao sighed in his arms, "When will we ever find a stable place? I overheard the refugees on the road talking about how this city is bad, that city is worse, there's floods over there, and bandits are everywhere over there. Do you think the capital will be any better? And if we go, will we even be able to fit in?"
Cheng Hao replied, "Whether it's good or not, we'll just keep moving for now. We have to get out of this drought-stricken region first. Then we can make new plans."
Su Miaomiao nodded, then pulled herself out of his embrace and sat up straight, muttering, "These people are too unreasonable. We haven't stolen anything from them, nor eaten their rice. Why are they throwing things at us?"
Cheng Hao knew she was just complaining. As for why they were throwing things, a moment's thought revealed it was nothing more than envy and resentment towards wealth.
Their lives were a struggle, and seeing your caravan so well-off naturally bred jealousy. Once jealous, resentment festered in their hearts, leading to impulsive actions. If it weren't for the darkness obscuring their vision, they likely wouldn't dare to throw stones, as it was a risky act.
They were only taking advantage of the dim light.
They hadn't spoken for long before they successfully found a place to rest.
It was a relatively wide stretch of road with decent visibility.
Everyone stopped their carriages along the side.
Li Datou rode his horse from the front to the back of the caravan, directing everyone to park in an orderly fashion.
Then, they disembarked to rest.
Other groups also arrived nearby and set up camp.
Noises of arguments could be heard intermittently.
Their group's tacit understanding and coordination had been honed. As soon as they disembarked, everyone knew what to do. Madam Cai and Madam Xi naturally took charge of preparing food. They had eaten dry rations for breakfast and lunch, so they were considering making some congee with vegetables to change the taste and quench their thirst.
They came over to ask the young couple.
Cheng Hao glanced at the people around them who were frequently casting their eyes towards their group.
He then said to the two women, "Let everyone eat dry rations today. Eat discreetly, don't let others see, to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Su Miaomiao followed Cheng Hao's gaze and added, "Yes, everyone should eat inside the carriage. Just boil some tea and drink it with the rations."
Madam Cai and Madam Xi readily agreed, but they couldn't help but cast glances towards the side, following the young couple's gaze, and noticed many people were watching them.
It was quite intimidating.
Madam Xi whispered, "Oh dear, what's going on now? Why are they so scary? Why are they all staring at us? Have they set their sights on us again?"
Madam Cai's expression was also tense.
Su Miaomiao comforted them, "It's normal, it's normal. We just need to be more aware. It's been like this all along. A while ago on the road, someone even threw small stones towards us."
Madam Cai's brow furrowed upon hearing this, and she worried, "They didn't hit you two, did they?"