After dinner, Wu Shan came over to discuss whether to leave the next day.

Zhou Yu said, “Right now, I tend to think the rumors are false.”

Wu Shan didn’t ask how to drive their caravan south to determine whether the rumors were true or not, nor did he want to know the grudges and entanglements involved. He only cared about his family’s lives. “Why don’t we wait for news from the front before leaving?”

Yang Xi pointed out, “Rumors spread so quickly. If someone is doing this, no matter how many days it takes, it will say there’s plague ahead.”

Wu Shan was annoyed. “Why spread such rumors?”

Third Yang sneered, “Someone doesn’t want the people to migrate south!”

Such a simple trick, but it scared the people heading south.

Wu Shan thought about his own family. If he hadn’t followed the Zhou family south and had taken the southbound route on his own, he would have believed there was plague ahead and would have dared not move a single step.

Wu Shan had learned a lot along the way. He hadn’t asked Zhou Yu what he’d noticed; what he’d seen with his own eyes was enough to open his eyes. “Shall we leave tomorrow?”

Zhou Yu admired Wu Shan most for knowing when to ask and when not to ask. “Okay.”

Yang Xi saw it was still early, “My little sister and I will make some more pancakes.”

Rumors were swirling along the way, making it difficult for them to find a village to stay in, so they needed to stock up on rations to get through the rumor zone as quickly as possible.

Zhou Yu nodded, “Okay, let’s steam a few more buns.”

He then pulled his younger brother along, “My little brother and I will chop the meat.”

Third Yang hesitated, “Can I help make the buns?”

Yang Xi smiled, “Okay.”

Yan Bing said, “…”

The Zhou men’s willingness to work was contagious; now even Third Yang had to learnt to cook!

Not to mention that Third Yang was a quick learner; he made quite a good one.

Third Yang waited until the buns were finished steaming and ate one he’d made himself. “Homemade buns are so delicious! Delicious!”

The next morning, the two families ate breakfast and left the city gates. The official road to the south was deserted. After a full day’s journey, they only saw a few civilians carrying firewood.

During the night’s rest period, Yang Xi said, “The rumors are very successful.”

Zhou Yu said, “It’s still not urgent. If you’re really forced into a desperate situation, even if there’s plague ahead, you’ll have to fight your way through.”

Yang Xi sighed, “If you wait until you’re forced into a desperate situation and then run away, it’ll be too late.”

Zhou Yu heard the sounds of fighting outside. “I saw Yan Bing’s servant bought by Third Yang.”

Yang Xi laughed. “Yan Bing said he didn’t want to buy it, but in the end, he bought the servant Third Yang chose.”

Zhou Yu understood: “Third Yang keeps testing Yan Bing’s limits, and Yan Bing also shows his willingness to follow him during these tests. These two guys are going to be tough.”

The next morning, Yang Xi saw two servants with bruised faces and noses, busy following Li Zheng. They had been beaten into submission by Li Zheng.

The two servants were not bought from human traffickers. One was nineteen years old and a well-known scoundrel in Zhang County. He had many children who were neither good nor bad and were not very popular. His family was selling his sister, and he somehow got into a conversation with Third Yang. He had sold himself for money and cut off his marriage.

The other servant was fourteen years old and a beggar in Zhang County. According to Third Yang, beggars should not be underestimated. They are very good at getting information!

Third Yang came close to his sister and said, “Sister, Li Zheng will take care of these two boys in the future.”

Yang Xi said, “Did Yan Bing agree?”

Third Yang laughed dryly, “He said that he was upset when he saw Xu Nan and Mo Lu, so he just needed to help drive the carriage in the future. He gave me the indentures.”

Yang Xi said, “Are these the new names you gave them?”

Third Yang nodded, “Are they good?”

“Very good.”

The group had a simple breakfast and prepared to continue on their journey. After walking for a while, they heard someone behind them shout, “Stop, wait a minute.”

Yang Xi pulled open the carriage curtain and looked back, surprised, “It turned out to be the Zhao family who had traveled with us before.”

The Zhao family consisted of fourteen people: Old Man Zhao and his wife, two sons in their thirties, and four children each.

They were wealthy, with a donkey and an ox pulling carts.

Zhou Yu was surprised to see the Zhao family catch up, so he called out to his younger brother, “Stop.”

Zhou’s younger brother stopped his carriage, and the Wu family’s cart followed suit.

Before long, the Zhao family was right in front of them, their donkeys and oxen nearly falling apart from exhaustion.

Old Man Zhao spoke with a mixture of urgency and relief, “Finally, we caught up! We knew you were leaving the city late yesterday, so we chased you non-stop. Luckily, we caught up.”

Yang Xi realized they were staring at King Jiang’s son-in-law, and the Zhao family was also staring at them!

Zhou Yu asked, “Have you heard the news about the plague?”

Old Zhao’s pupils contracted, and fear unconsciously showed on his face. “I–I knew, once one was found to have it, there was only a dead end.”

Zhou Yu smiled, “We’re heading south.”

Old Man Zhao had been observing the Zhou and Wu families, and they hadn’t bullied them. As for the evil spirit on his body, it was a good thing; it could deter those with ill intentions.

Old Man Zhao mentally composed his words, confirming they were all right before speaking. “I trust Zhōu Xiānshēng’s judgment. You are a scholar who knows more than we do. Please take our family with you. We will pay you.”

He pulled a cloth bag from his bosom and, with his rough hands, pulled out the silver inside—about five taels of silver.

Wu Shan’s eyes lit up at the sight of the silver. He was tempted by the thought of getting the money just by following him, but his family would listen to Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu glanced at Wu Shan, then at Third Yang. He wondered if the Zhao family would follow. He gestured for Wu Shan to take the silver. “We’ll wait for you for an hour.”

Old Zhao grinned. “Thank you, Zhōu Xiānshēng.”

Yang Xi approached, smiling, “Zhōu Xiānshēng is a good name.”

Zhou Yu was helpless. Now that there were so many people calling him that, it would be hard to change his tone. “Let’s go back to the carriage and rest.”

Wu Shan divided the silver into four parts, one for Third Yang and one for Yan Bing. After dividing the money, he muttered, “The Zhao family must have some skills to support themselves; otherwise, they wouldn’t have accumulated such a fortune these days.”

Third Yang replied, “I’ll go ask.”

A moment later, Third Yang returned with information, looking puzzled.

Yang Xi was curious. “What skills do the Zhao family have to support themselves?”

Third Yang felt a toothache and said, ‘Old Man Zhao’s Third Shu had once served in the palace as a eunuch in the Jingshifang.”

The husband and wife had a guess!

Third Yang continued, “When he got old and returned to his hometown, Old Man Zhao took him in to take care of him. There was only one family in the surrounding area who knew how to castrate pigs, and they weren’t very good at it. His uncle watched once, figured it out, and passed the skill on to Old Man Zhao.”

The carriage was quiet. Zhou Xiaomei blushed, and Zhou Xiaodi was a little stunned. “How could this be possible?”

Third Yang laughed instead. “Old Man Zhao’s two sons are also capable. The eldest is pretty good at castrating chickens, and the second can do everything.”

Yang Xi said dryly, “It’s getting late. Notify the Zhao family that it’s time to leave.”

Third Yang chuckled twice, and when his Jiefu glared at him, he swiftly dismounted.

During the evening rest period, Yang Xi noticed Wu Shan bringing the eldest and second sons to the Zhao family’s house. Yang Xi whispered, “Brother Wu is impressed by the Zhao family’s skills.”

Zhou Yu said, “The Zhao family may not pass them on to Brother Wu.”

Yang Xi thought about it and agreed. This was a skill that made a living.

Brother Wu came back and sighed, “Brother Zhao promised his uncle that he would only pass on the skill to his own descendants.”

What a pity! He really wanted his son to learn the skill of castrating pigs. When he was in his hometown, not many people knew how to do it, and he always had to queue up to get in!

Third Yang’s eyes rolled around, and he didn’t know what he was thinking.

The next day at noon, the group didn’t rest. Yang Xi was dazed, and the carriage suddenly stopped.

Brother Zhou said from outside: “Brother, there are a lot of people gathered at the village entrance ahead.”

(End of this chapter)

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