My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 90 Part 2

It had been a full three days of traveling day and night from Tongzhou Prefecture. Both adults and children were somewhat exhausted.

But fortunately, they were finally out of Tongzhou and could catch their breath.

Finally able to set up camp with peace of mind for the night, everyone began reorganizing their belongings.

In the clearing by the river in the woods, cooking smoke slowly rose. People began talking a bit more, and the panicked atmosphere that had hung over their escape finally diminished slightly.

"Smell this, does the duck have any strange odor?"

"No, the temperature isn't high. Luckily, we hastily rubbed some salt on it when we left, otherwise it would have spoiled."

Huang Manjing and Yuan Huiru hurriedly brought out all the poultry they had slaughtered at home. The Ji family had four chickens and two geese. They had been too busy recently to hatch chicks or ducklings—otherwise, they couldn't have taken them along and had no choice but to slaughter them for meat.

Fortunately, Yuan Huiru had started raising a flock of ducklings at the beginning of the year—about twenty of them. A few died along the way, but more than ten remained.

After over two months of raising them, the ducks had grown to a decent size, though they were still a bit skinny.

In the rush to leave, they slaughtered them all. The offal was given to fellow villagers who hadn't left, and only the meat was taken along.

While the men were worried about the situation outside, the women and gers were preoccupied with food and supplies, each fulfilling their respective duties.

A fire was lit by the riverbank. Zhao Pan gathered plenty of firewood and helped smoke and roast the poultry over the fire.

After being cured and smoked, the meat was coated with ash, allowing it to be preserved for a long time even when stored in boxes.

Their family wasn’t the only one who had brought poultry. Others who left in a hurry had done the same.

No one could bear to let the meat go to waste. In Tongzhou, under normal circumstances, poultry wasn’t slaughtered casually for meals—it was reserved for hosting guests or special occasions.

Now, having fled as refugees, with limited funds on hand for food during the journey and after reaching shelter, and with spring farming already delayed this year, the future hardships were daunting.

That night, several bonfires were lit to smoke the meat, filling the entire riverside with the aroma of roasting meat.

Although everyone was fleeing together, meals and sleeping arrangements were managed individually.

At night, Huang Manjing stewed a chicken with vermicelli. Fortunately, spring had arrived, and they found some wild vegetables nearby, which were used to prepare several dishes, either stewed or stir-fried.

Their immediate family alone had four members. Including Yuan Huiru, Huang Yinsheng, Huang Qi, and a few helpers, the group numbered over ten people.

Gathered together, they formed a large circle. Though they could have eaten simply on the road, everyone especially doted on Ji Taoyu. His face had turned pale from the past two days of hurried travel, and if he didn’t eat well, he might not hold up.

Ji Taoyu didn’t like chicken legs but preferred chicken wings, so Huang Manjing saved a whole large wing for him. The home-raised chickens were plump and richly fed, making the stew incredibly fragrant.

Ji Taoyu, who had been suffering from morning sickness and vomiting, managed to drink two bowls of chicken soup, finish the entire chicken wing, and eat some wild vegetables. It was the first satisfying meal he’d had since setting out.

Everyone was hungry, burying their heads as they ate the oily, hearty food.

Ji Taoyu and Huo Shu finished eating first and left the gathering. Instead of returning to the tent, they strolled aimlessly to aid digestion.

Huo Shu stood beside Ji Taoyu, carefully studying his belly.

The past two days had been rushed, with little sleep. Huo Shu had to keep watch at night, so the two hadn’t slept together.

"He’s been quite well-behaved, not too fussy."

Ji Taoyu knew Huo Shu was looking at him. He took Huo Shu’s hand and placed it on his belly. He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but his waist did seem thicker, and his movements felt a bit clumsier than before.

Huo Shu gently stroked Ji Taoyu’s belly and hummed in agreement: "Compared to how thin you were before, you’re better now."

"But your complexion still isn’t great."

"Grandfather said it’s just lack of sleep, it’s not serious."

Ji Taoyu said: "After a solid night’s sleep tonight, I should feel much better tomorrow."

Huo Shu nodded: "Now that we’ve reached Lianping Prefecture, we can slow down and let you rest more."

Ji Taoyu knew that from Lianping Prefecture to Yuchang Prefecture, if traveling fast by horse and carriage, it would take three to five days. Lianping Prefecture was not smaller than Tongzhou, but it was wider horizontally and narrower vertically, so their northward journey wouldn’t be long.

However, the group was large, and not everyone had fast horses or carriages, which would delay things. Still, they should reach Yuchang within ten days.

"Can Yuchang accommodate so many people?"

This was something Ji Taoyu had been thinking about the past two days.

"Yuchang has vast terrain, with plenty of wasteland outside government jurisdiction, which is why there are many bandits. There’s no shortage of land to accommodate this many people, but since arrangements were only made after the first month, there won’t be enough housing for everyone immediately."

Huo Shu said: "However, once everyone arrives, with more manpower, we can cut wood and build ourselves. It shouldn’t take too long."

Ji Taoyu nodded, feeling slightly reassured. By the time they reached Yuchang, it would already be the fourth month. The weather wouldn’t be cold, much better than winter conditions.

As they were talking, they suddenly heard a commotion.

Huo Shu instinctively shielded Ji Taoyu beside him. Upon closer look, they realized it was a group of ordinary civilians who had just arrived and seemed to be setting up camp in this area to rest.

"Boss Huo! What are you doing here?"

A horse quickly approached. The two recognized the rider as Chen Pu from Jiatang Porcelain Workshop.

For a moment, Huo Shu and Ji Taoyu almost didn’t recognize him. The dusty, disheveled man was the same wealthy merchant who used to dress elegantly and spend lavishly in the town.

Neither side expected to meet here. After a few friendly exchanges, they learned both were fleeing to avoid the war.

While things were still being settled here, Huo Shu invited Chen Pu to their camp for a cup of hot tea. Chen Pu didn’t refuse.

Chen Pu followed the two back and was momentarily stunned by the scale of their setup. He also recognized several familiar faces.