Chapter 52
Ji Taoyu, hearing the talk of bandits outside the carriage, couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten.
He peeked his head out slightly to see what the caravan planned to do.
The group was unsettled by the man’s words. Given that bandit troubles had already reached Tongzhou’s borders, and this being their first long journey with no prior experience, it was only natural for them to panic.
"Why don’t we just speed up the livestock and try to get through Longwei Slope in one go?"
"Right, the sooner we cross, the sooner we’ll be safe. That’ll put everyone at ease."
Ge Liang didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he tugged at his horse’s reins and asked Huo Shu, "Brother Huo, should we pick up the pace?"
"No need. Keep moving at the current speed."
Ge Liang trusted Huo Shu’s judgment completely. If he said so, there must be a reason.
Seeing this, he announced, "We’ll follow Brother Huo’s lead and proceed as planned."
While Ge Liang had faith in Huo Shu, the men from Hongli Village weren’t as convinced.
That morning, they had heard Tian Fu muttering a few words, planting seeds of doubt in their minds. Now, seeing Huo Shu calmly insist on maintaining their pace as if the matter was trivial, they grew uneasy.
If they turned back now after a few days on the road, they’d only lose time and face ridicule from the villagers—but at least they’d make it back in time for spring planting.
But if they got delayed and ran into bandits midway, it would be a matter of life and death.
"Brother Huo sure is composed. Even after hearing how dangerous Longwei Slope is, he’s still unfazed. Who knows if he’s just being cautious and distrustful of outsiders, or if he’s worried about jostling his sickly fulang."
"But while his fulang's health matters, our lives matter too."
Ge Liang immediately snapped, "Tian Fu!"
"If no one else will say it, I will! I’m not afraid of offending anyone!"
"If we run into bandits by sheer bad luck, I, Tian Fu, will accept it. But if it’s a risk we can avoid, why shouldn’t we?"
Tian Fu slurred his words as he shouted, "If it’s not for his fulang's sake that he’s slowing us down, then what is it?"
"We’re all poor farmers who left our families behind to make some money on this trip, not to escort a couple on a leisurely outing."
Ji Wenliang, hearing this, flared up. "What are you implying?!"
Ji Taoyu, still inside the carriage, frowned at the commotion outside. He quickly called out to Ji Wenliang—letting this escalate into an argument would only make things worse.
But at this moment, anything he said would only add fuel to the fire.
He turned to Huo Shu. "I’m really fine. Maybe we should speed up a little."
"This isn’t about you."
With that, Huo Shu urged his horse forward and coldly addressed Tian Fu: "If you resent me for bringing my fulang along, we haven’t left Tongzhou yet, you’re free to turn back now."
"But if it’s because some stranger’s words have made you panic and doubt my decisions, then let me explain why we’re keeping our pace."
"Longwei Slope is steep, and the mountain paths will be muddy after the rain. Donkeys aren’t horses, they’re slower and have less stamina. If you exhaust them on flat, easy roads now, what strength will they have left for the climb? And if they stubbornly refuse to move, can you guarantee you’ll be able to drag them?"
Tian Fu opened his mouth but found himself speechless under Huo Shu’s questioning.
He hadn’t interacted much with Huo Shu and knew him as a man of few words. This was the first time he’d heard him speak so much to him.
After a stunned pause, Tian Fu didn’t dare retort, though he still muttered under his breath, unconvinced.
"You’re too impulsive, flying off the handle at the slightest thing. Brother Huo has traveled this route south before. Even if he lacked experience, wouldn’t he still know better than someone who’s never been here?"
Ge Liang couldn’t help but scold him as well.
This entire venture had been Huo Shu’s doing. He had negotiated the goods and handled most of the arrangements. Ge Liang had only trained a couple of men and contributed little capital.
Yet now, it seemed he had only managed to toughen their bodies, not their minds or tempers.
Tian Fu was someone he had personally recruited. Seeing him cause trouble like this on the road made Ge Liang feel guilty toward Huo Shu.
Aside from Huo Shu and himself, none of the others had invested any money.
In truth, they were just hired hands, paid the standard daily wage for laborers in Tongzhou.
But to ensure they took responsibility and didn’t shirk their duties when trouble arose, the agreement was that once the goods were safely delivered and sold, the higher the selling price, the more everyone would earn.
This was the only reason they had been able to gather so many men so quickly.
After all, the journey to the northern frontier was long and perilous, they were risking their lives for this money. Without substantial profit, no one would dare make the trip.
Ge Liang understood the men’s worries, but being caught in the middle made things difficult for him.
"Brother Huo, don’t take it to heart. He’s not a bad person, just blunt. When he’s anxious, words just spill out without thinking."
"I’ll make sure to reprimand him properly later."
Tian Fu, seeing Ge Liang humbling himself to plead on his behalf, only grew more resentful.
His face darkened, and he pressed his lips together, refusing to say another word.
Huo Shu said, "My stance remains the same: if anyone wants to leave, do it now before we cross the border. If anyone tries to turn back after we leave Tongzhou, don’t blame me for being harsh."
Everyone in the caravan lowered their eyes, not daring to meet Huo Shu’s gaze.
Not a single person stepped forward to leave.
Seeing this, Huo Shu didn’t press the issue further. Without delay, the group continued onward.
The rest of the journey was unusually quiet. Still, whenever they passed other caravans rushing their livestock forward, the men couldn’t help but glance over, their unease lingering.
The weather today was clearer than yesterday, and by noon, the sun had even peeked out.
The small carriage was stuffy, so Ji Taoyu rolled up one of the curtains.
He noticed Huo Shu riding alongside his carriage, occasionally glancing his way.
Ji Taoyu knew Huo Shu was worried about him—afraid he’d been upset by the earlier argument.
Truthfully, he was fine. He wasn’t hurt or offended. With so many people involved, conflicts were inevitable. Even in the Ji family, quarrels and schemes were commonplace—life was never smooth sailing.
Given his frail health, it was only natural for others to see him as a burden when their livelihoods depended on this journey.
To reassure Huo Shu, he ate plenty in the carriage and then took a nap.
He needed to rest well, they still had Longwei Slope to cross.
I just wished they'll had left that guy behind, he's been such a drag the whole time 🙄🙄🙄
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update!!!!