Chapter 12: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 12: The Beggar Goes to the Yamen
The prefectural city of Zhongzhou.
Countless refugees crowded outside the city gates, gathering in small groups. Some were numb, some hopeful, and others filled with despair as they gazed at the tightly shut gates.
At this moment, Daohua and her companions were among the refugees, their faces looking grim.
"We've finally made it to the prefectural city, and now we can't even get through the gates," Daohua muttered, frustrated.
Xiao Yeyang said calmly, "This is normal. There was a refugee riot not long ago. If they open the gates now and let everyone in, who knows what trouble might arise?"
Daohua frowned. "But with so many refugees gathered here, the authorities can't just ignore them, can they?"
"Who says they're ignoring them?"
An elderly man nearby interjected.
Daohua immediately turned to him. "Sir, do you know something?"
Seeing the surrounding crowd turn their attention to him, the old man straightened up, coughed a few times, and said, "Yesterday, I was lingering near the city gates and overheard the guards saying that a high-ranking official from the capital arrived a few days ago."
"A high-ranking official from the capital?"
"That's right. I heard he brought a lot of soldiers with him. The north has been hit by drought, and that official must have come to oversee disaster relief."
The crowd's spirits lifted at the news, but Xiao Yeyang’s eyes flickered with a glimmer of thought as he lowered his head, lost in his musings.
By noon, soldiers from inside the city emerged, carrying steaming barrels of food.
As soon as they appeared, the refugees surged forward.
In no time, a long queue formed outside the city gates.
Daohua asked Aunt Sun to stay with Old Madam Yan while she, Yan Wentao, Uncle Sun, Xiao Yeyang, and Zhao Ergou joined the line to get food.
With their belongings gone and unable to exchange their silver notes since they couldn't enter the city, they had no choice but to queue for porridge.
As they waited, Xiao Yeyang suddenly darted out of the line. Zhao Ergou, noticing this, glanced at Daohua , who was busy waiting, then gritted his teeth and quickly followed him.
By the time Yan Wentao informed Daohua , she turned just in time to catch a fleeting glimpse of their disappearing figures amidst the throng of refugees.
Daohua frowned. "What are they up to now?"
Yan Wentao shook his head. "I don't know. Xiao Yeyang seemed to have spotted something."
Daohua ’s expression shifted. "Never mind them for now. Let's get the porridge. Grandmother hasn’t eaten all night."
Yan Wentao readily agreed.
To him, Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou were just passing acquaintances, far less important than his grandmother and sister.
After waiting for over half an hour, Daohua , Yan Wentao, and Uncle Sun finally returned with three bowls of thin porridge to share with Old Madam Yan and Aunt Sun.
Old Madam Yan looked at her grandchildren with a pained expression. "This experience is good for you. It lets you taste how hard life can be in advance." She sighed and glanced around.
"Where are that young Xiao and Ergou? Could something have happened to them?"
Daohua was uneasy. "I don’t think so. Xiao Yeyang seems pretty clever."
Old Madam Yan shook her head. "No matter how clever, he’s just a half-grown child. Against adults, he’s bound to suffer."
Yan Wentao suggested, "How about Uncle Sun and I go look for them?"
After some thought, Old Madam Yan nodded. "Don’t go far, just check nearby. If they really are lost... it’s fate."
Yan Wentao and Uncle Sun left, while Daohua sat back beside Old Madam Yan, muttering, "It can’t be that unlucky, can it?"
But then she thought about Xiao Yeyang's tendency to stumble into trouble, like encountering traffickers out of nowhere, and felt less certain.
After some time, Yan Wentao and Uncle Sun returned, looking dejected.
They shook their heads at Old Madam Yan and Daohua .
Forcing a smile, Daohua said, "Didn’t Xiao Yeyang run off after seeing someone? Maybe it was his family. He might have already gone home. With Zhao Ergou following him, they’ll be fine."
Old Madam Yan sighed. "I hope so."
Despite their words, everyone still hoped Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou would return.
No matter what, after spending so much time together, they couldn't rest easy without knowing if the two were safe. Unfortunately, that night, neither Xiao Yeyang nor Zhao Ergou came back.
The next day, there was still no sign of them.
Daohua looked at the still-closed city gates, then glanced at Old Madam Yan, who had grown noticeably thinner. "Grandmother, we don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for the gates to open. Xiao Yeyang and Zhao Ergou are probably not coming back. Should we leave?"
Old Madam Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Let’s go. Slowly, even if we have to beg along the way, we’ll make it to Linyi County."
Daohua smiled faintly, whispering, "Of course, don't forget I still have silver notes." If they couldn't enter the prefectural city, it was unlikely they'd be turned away from every other city along the way.
And even if they couldn't enter any cities, surely they'd encounter some wealthy householders who might offer some help. Worst case, Daohua thought, they could just endure some hardship and exchange the notes for silver.
Even if worse came to worst, and they couldn't get silver, Daohua could always ensure they'd reach Linyi County safely—after all, she had her spatial powers. She could secretly provide food and make sure they wouldn't starve.
On the third day, just as the sky lightened, Daohua and her group left the prefectural city and headed towards Linyi County.
Not long after they left, a group of armored soldiers arrived at the city gates. They searched among the refugees for a while, but eventually left without success.
Half a month later, Daohua and her group, looking like beggars, stood tearfully before the stone monument inscribed with "Linyi County."
"Grandmother, once we pass this stone tablet, we’ll be in Linyi County."
"Good, good, good!"
Old Madam Yan choked on her words, repeating "good" three times.
Daohua breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Having traveled so far, if she had to sit in a bumpy carriage, she would complain endlessly. But after walking for most of a month, she had no intention of complaining about the discomfort of the carriage anymore.
Even if a carriage was bumpy, it was still far better than walking on foot.
"Let's go. We're about to see your parents."
Daohua looked at their worn-out clothes and asked, "Grandmother, do you think they'll..."
Old Madam Yan immediately glared at her. "What? Does he still dare to look down on me?"
Daohua smiled wryly.
He wouldn't look down on Old Madam Yan, but he might look down on her.
Having grown up without her parents by her side, Daohua knew that feelings between people needed time to develop. She didn't believe her parents loved her all that much.
"Let’s go, don’t worry. With your grandmother here, no one can bully you."
At the entrance to Linyi County's yamen,
The gatekeeper guards were discussing where to go for fun after their shift. Just as they were speaking enthusiastically, a strong, unpleasant smell caught their attention. Looking up, they noticed five beggars had appeared in front of the county yamen.
"Sir, may I ask if this is the Linyi County yamen?" Uncle Sun smiled as he approached to ask.
"Go away, beggars! Get lost!" The guards, disgusted, began shooing Uncle Sun away.
When Uncle Sun tried to ask again, one of the guards, growing impatient, raised his waist knife and threatened to strike him.
"What are you doing?"
Yan Wentao was startled and rushed forward, grabbing the guard’s arm and pulling Uncle Sun out of harm's way.
"You bold commoner! How dare you make a scene in front of the county yamen! Are you tired of living?" Other guards rushed forward, and within moments, they had pushed Yan Wentao to the ground.
Seeing this, Old Madam Yan was enraged and could barely catch her breath.
"Stop right there!"
Daohua was both furious and anxious. She handed Old Madam Yan over to Aunt Sun and rushed forward, pointing at the guards and shouting, "My father is Yan Zhigao, the magistrate of Linyi County! If you lay a hand on my brother, I’ll make sure you pay for it!"
Upon hearing this, the guards, who had been smiling smugly moments before, froze in place.
(End of chapter)
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