Chapter 112: A Grand Departure
“Xiaocui, look at these men! They’re like hungry wolves. We agreed to go to the frontier together. We’ve survived the disaster, which means we’ll have blessings ahead. Don’t stay behind!”
“No, I’m not going. I really don’t want to leave. If I’m going to die, I’d rather die closer to home.”
With that, Zhang Xiaocui forcefully shook off He Xia’s hand and turned toward the men from the stone house village.
“I choose him!”
Her gaze swept across the group before she pointed to the tallest and strongest man among them.
The man she chose first looked shocked, then ecstatic. Without hesitation, he strode forward, scooped her up in his arms, and sprinted toward the stone house.
The scene was like a starving man who had been deprived of food for years finally getting a feast—his eagerness was uncontrollable.
Seeing this, He Xia’s heart sank in despair. When she snapped back to reality, she realized that the other men were still staring at her, their gazes predatory, like a pack of wolves eyeing their next meal.
“Little lady, your friend made the smart choice. You should think the same way. We still have plenty of men here—pick anyone you like, and we’ll make sure you live a life of comfort.”
Looking at these rough men wrapped in thick fur coats, and seeing their lecherous expressions, He Xia instinctively shook her head frantically, refusing to accept her fate.
“Let’s be honest—if you come with us to the frontier, once we arrive, the three families will split up. You’ll be alone. Do you think those two families will have the time or energy to take care of you? They’ll be too busy trying to survive.”
Yu Zhengqing pulled He Xia aside, away from the men, and spoke quietly.
This was his final attempt to reason with her. He could have exposed her predicament in front of the men, making her situation even worse, but he chose to give her a chance to decide on her own.
Tears streamed down He Xia’s face as she collapsed to her knees and kowtowed before Yu Zhengqing.
“Please, hero, let me stay! I’ll serve your family as a servant. I’ll eat less if I have to. I just can’t bear to be with those men—they look at me just like the mountain bandits did. It’s terrifying.”
“Then let her stay. I need a servant anyway.”
A voice rang out from inside the tent—Madam Chen’s.
Yu Zhengqing was left speechless.
They were being exiled, and his mother still wanted a servant? She had been living too comfortably for too long and seemed to have forgotten their situation.
Hearing this, Yu Xiaoran immediately stormed into the tent, glaring at Madam Chen with displeasure.
“Grandmother, have you forgotten our current status? Are you trying to make things harder for Father?”
Annoyed by her eldest grandson’s reprimand, Madam Chen let out a cold snort. “I must have committed great sins in my past life! My own grandchildren don’t even listen to me anymore!”
“Grandmother, stop making trouble.”
With a final warning, Yu Xiaoran turned and left the tent.
“You shameless woman! We don’t need servants, so stop clinging to us! We shouldn’t have saved you from the Jiuzheng Mountain in the first place. We should have killed you instead—it would’ve saved us food!”
He Xia looked up with tear-filled eyes, hoping for sympathy, but before she could say a word, she saw Yu Xiaoran reach for his sword.
Yu Zhengqing stepped forward and stopped him, his expression turning cold.
“I already said it’s her choice. We’ve made our position clear, and she still refuses to leave. Whatever happens to her next has nothing to do with us.”
They were all struggling to survive—there was no reason for them to carry unnecessary burdens.
He Xia was clearly ungrateful. Receiving help wasn’t enough; she wanted to cling to them. Yu Zhengqing had no patience for such behavior.
Indeed, kindness given in excess often breeds resentment. He made a mental note not to be overly merciful in the future.
Seeing Yu Zhengqing’s firm stance, a glimmer of bitterness flashed in He Xia’s eyes. Slowly, she rose to her feet and gave a deep bow.
“Fine. I’ll go with them. Thank you for everything.”
The men from the stone house village, who had been on the verge of forcibly taking her, immediately beamed with excitement.
“Little lady, pick me!”
Before He Xia even reached them, the men began clamoring for her attention.
Without hesitation, she scanned their faces and finally settled on the village chief.
“I choose him.”
The village chief was not the strongest or youngest, but He Xia didn’t care. She had already given up hope.
He never expected such a good fortune to befall him. Overjoyed, he rushed forward, grasped He Xia’s hand, and turned to Yu Zhengqing with gratitude.
“Brother, thank you for your generosity!”
“I simply have no means to care for her. She has a strong will, so since she has chosen you, treat her well. She’s had a hard life.”
“Of course, of course! I’ll take good care of her!”
The village chief, eager to take He Xia home, immediately turned to leave. But after a few steps, he suddenly remembered something. Tugging He Xia along, he returned to Yu Zhengqing.
“Oh, one more thing. I thought I’d warn you—about a hundred miles ahead, things get dangerous. You have many women with you, and those people won’t let you pass easily. There are about two hundred of them, and their village only has a dozen or so women. You might want to be prepared.”
“Noted. Thank you.”
Meanwhile, the remaining men from the stone house village lingered, reluctant to leave. Their gazes repeatedly drifted toward the tent, filled with longing.
The village chief, now satisfied with his new wife, turned and scolded them.
“Go on, what are you waiting for?”
At his command, the men reluctantly trudged back to the stone house village, occasionally glancing over their shoulders as if unwilling to give up.
The next morning, Yu Zhengqing and the others set out. The men harnessed the completed sleds to nine horses.
Although they had nine horses, many were loaded with supplies. Three horses were entirely dedicated to carrying provisions, leaving only six available for transporting people.
Ultimately, each of the six sleds carried about twenty people. With this arrangement, they could transport 120 people in total.
Their group had now dwindled to 126 people. Three people rode ahead, guiding the supply-laden horses, while the rest squeezed onto the sleds. Adults held children on their laps to make space.
Over a hundred people, nine sleds—an impressive caravan setting off once more.
Without questioning their past or future, they moved forward, unaware that they had narrowly avoided an ambush by wolves.
Unbeknownst to them, He Xia harbored deep resentment in her heart as she watched them leave.
