They had left in such a hurry that they hadn’t brought any provisions, so they needed to figure out how to solve the evening meal.

Shu Wanxiu had a good impression of this inn. If they could settle the meal nearby, it would save them an extra trip outside.

She went to the front hall and found the long-legged attendant who had shown them the way earlier. She asked him what the cheapest food available was and how much it cost.

The attendant said, “The cheapest is baked cake. Meat-filled baked cakes cost two coins each, vegetable-filled ones cost one coin each, and unfilled wild vegetable and grain cakes cost one coin for two.”

This price truly struck a chord with Shu Wanxiu. She took out two coins and handed them to the long-legged attendant, eagerly saying, “Please give us four wild vegetable and grain cakes.”

“Right away! Please wait a moment. I’ll bring them to your room.”

Shu Wanxiu returned to Room Ding-2 as instructed. Before long, the attendant appeared with a bowl of baked cakes and a pot of water.

After accepting the items and thanking the attendant, Shu Wanxiu called Shu Chenglin and Shu Shouyi over to have their evening meal.

Shu Chenglin leaned over to look at the four steaming dark green baked cakes and asked Shu Wanxiu innocently while scratching his head, “Where did these baked cakes come from?”

“I just bought them from the front hall.”

Since it was such a good deal, she didn’t specifically hide the price. After they sat down, she handed one to each of them and urged them to quickly taste it. “If it’s good, we’ll have this again tomorrow morning.”

Shu Chenglin was so tall that one baked cake definitely wouldn’t be enough to fill his stomach.

Shu Wanxiu decided to give him two, while she and Shu Shouyi would have one each.

The fist-sized baked cakes had a grassy aroma. When eaten, they first tasted somewhat astringent, but then slowly turned sweet.

Seeing that the attendant had thoughtfully brought a pot of water, Shu Wanxiu had thought the cakes would be dry and hard to swallow, but that wasn’t the case at all.

The baked cakes were fragrant when chewed and had a fine texture.

She nodded repeatedly and asked for their opinions, “How about having this again tomorrow morning?”

How could they possibly have any other opinion?

They had been drinking thin porridge every day at home. Being able to have an extra solid meal while traveling was a blessing they couldn’t have hoped for.

After the three of them finished their evening meal together, it was getting late, and another person sharing their room returned.

This was a short but sturdy middle-aged man. He didn’t push the door open but kicked it directly with his foot.

After entering and realizing there were people in the room, he scanned the room with a fierce look. When his gaze finally settled on Shu Wanxiu, he kept staring without any intention of looking away.

Although Shu Chenglin wasn’t as sturdy as him, he was much taller. Noticing the man’s gaze fixed on Shu Wanxiu, he immediately stepped forward to shield her behind him.

The two men stood in silent confrontation for a while until the stalemate was broken by another guest entering the room.

This time it was a young man dressed as a scholar.

He carried a book box on his back, and his plain Confucian robe was patched layer upon layer.

Though his clothing indicated poverty, he stood tall and straight, with an air of integrity between his brows that suggested he was no ordinary person.

The middle-aged sturdy man looked the scholar up and down several times, snorted, then turned and went back out.

Shu Chenglin breathed a huge sigh of relief and quickly urged Shu Wanxiu to go to bed early.

Not wanting to encounter any trouble, Shu Wanxiu obediently went to sleep in the bedding against the wall, pulling the quilt up to her nose to cover most of her face.
Worried about collecting grain the next day and fearing ill intentions from those around them, the three members of the Shu family, including the youngest Shouyi, barely slept through the night.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.

Before dawn, the three rose quietly.

They tidied the bedding they had slept on, checked their belongings repeatedly to ensure everything was in order, then softly opened the door and stepped out.

The city gates closed at night, and few travelers sought lodging after dark, but in case guests needed assistance, a clerk remained on duty at the front desk.

Shu Wanxiu approached and asked if Wild Vegetable and Grain Cakes were available at this hour.

The clerk let out a long yawn, leaned on the counter as he slowly stood, and told them, “Wait.”

After taking a few steps, he turned back to ask how many they wanted.

Shu Wanxiu had paid for yesterday’s evening meal, so today Shu Chenglin insisted on covering the cost.

Unable to win the argument, Shu Wanxiu relented.

Fearing other refugees might have similar ideas and stay in the city overnight, they didn’t sit down to eat after receiving the cakes. Instead, they tucked them into their hands, nibbling as they hurried toward the county office.

Luckily, when they arrived at the county office gates, only a scattering of one or two households were present.

A straight road paved with bluestones stretched before the county office, its snow swept clean.

The three crouched or stood, lining up behind the other families, waiting and waiting.

Finally, the city gates opened.

…

December 24th, the year of Renshen the day for refugees to collect grain.

Shortly after midnight, Shu Yanrong had his wife Xu Zhen wake the entire family to prepare the morning meal.

Following Shu Wanxiu’s suggestion from the previous day, they had managed to trade for a large bowl of Hundred Spice Cloud with villagers. After bringing it back yesterday, they washed it thoroughly.

Once the family was up, Xu Zhen’s elder daughter-in-law started the fire, the younger one cooked porridge, while Xu Zhen herself mashed the Hundred Spice Cloud.

After the porridge was done, she scrubbed the pot clean and brewed a thick pot of Hundred Spice Cloud Soup.

After the meal, despite the children complaining about the soup’s spiciness, the adults kept a close watch, ensuring every last drop was swallowed.

Since Shu Chenglin had taken the grain bags yesterday, their main challenge was ensuring the children could navigate the snowy night path without falling behind or stumbling.

Holding torches along the way, they managed without major mishaps, and the whole family safely arrived before the city gates opened.

But outside the gates a vast, dense crowd had gathered.

Everyone queued, waiting for identity checks before being allowed into the city once the gates opened.

As head of the household, Shu Yanrong settled his family before walking hands-in-pocket to the front of the line to observe.

The family at the very front who knew how early they had come included both elderly and young, all with lips purplish-blue, barely able to stand steadily.

Pity gripped him, and he returned to his family with a deep frown.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Zhen asked.

Shu Yanrong described what he had seen, his brow still furrowed.

He kept muttering, “What a tragedy.”

Xu Zhen had no energy to spare for others’ misfortunes, only feeling immense relief. “Wanxiu’s idea was truly wise. It was right that we didn’t come so early.”

What did spending a dozen coins matter? If anyone caught a cold, the cost of medicine for the whole family would be comparable to buying a shi of grain.

Shu Yanrong didn’t join her in praising Shu Wanxiu.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to praise her, but rather that the situation hadn’t been settled yet. If they praised their niece too highly and failed to secure the grain, the younger generation might blame her, leading to resentment and disrupting family harmony.

Shu Yanrong didn’t want to see that happen.

After waiting and waiting, the city gates finally opened.

Some people tried to take advantage of the situation, pushing and shoving, squeezing forward relentlessly. Shu Yanrong and his son stood front and back, protecting the women and children in the middle of their family.

When they could no longer hold their ground, they were swept along by the crowd, rushing forward. As they neared the city gates, they heard the guards scolding the troublemakers: “What are you doing? A bunch of unruly peasants, are you trying to rebel?!”

The guards even raised their spears, pointing them directly at the crowd.

All the commotion was just about getting better grain to live a better life who would want to die here?

So the crowd that had been pushing forward relentlessly now scrambled backward just as frantically.

No one dared to break the rules or cut in line again.

…

The people inside the city had no way of knowing what was happening outside. They only knew they had been waiting anxiously when they finally saw someone stumbling through the city gates.

Shu Wanxiu strained her eyes, gazing at the figures approaching one by one.

No, not them. Still not them.

Disappointment washed over her again and again. With countless people standing behind her, finally! Finally! They saw the people they had been waiting for!

“They’re here! Do you see? They’re here!”

Even Shu Shouyi was leaping with joy, calling out loudly to them: “Granduncle! Granduncle! Over here!”