Now, they had to wait patiently for the gate to open. Unlike Zhengwu county, the local government required the refugees to queue up in order to enter. Every individual or family had to take a bamboo stick with a number on it from the guards. One was then allowed in if his number was called. The Liu family and the Xiao family got a stick respectively. Li Chengru and Fengsheng also obtained one before waiting outside.
Situated at high altitudes, Da’an county was known for strong sunlight and fierce winds. Some refugees said it was hot in the daytime and also cold in the evenings, even if they had cotton quilts. Therefore, a fire was necessary to keep them warm at night. There were no forests or firewood to be found nearby, but they could collect some cow or horse dung to make fires.
Some late comers were reluctant to burn dung. Old Mr. Xiao was the first to complain. “Why are the locals here are so dirty? How can we burn dung? Think how smelly it will be!”
Those who arrived early explained, “You’ll feel really cold in the evening. The dung is not stinky as long as it is dried. The locals even use it to cook, so it’s not a big deal.”
Old Mr. Xiao didn’t agree. “Even if I’m freezing to death, I won’t use dung to keep warm.”
Some other people were also hesitant about it.
Ye Xiaoxian stood out and said, “Don’t be so childish. The temperature here varies greatly between day and night. It’s too hot in the daytime and too cold in the evening. We’d better collect some dung before it gets dark. Baofeng, Baocheng, Baoxue and aunts, please follow me to fetch some.”
Wong Mudan and Chen Ju were still hesitant. The dung must be even more smelly when burned. They used to raise pigs, so they knew how smelly pig dung was. All the villagers would complain about it if they set the foul-smelling dung on fire.
Ye Xiaoxian asked, “Would you prefer the cold or the smell? Even if you don’t fear the cold, you should consider your children. Baoyang and Baoxue are very little. Can they withstand it?”
Wong Mudan and Chen Ju were finally persuaded. They used the theft-preventing clubs in the carriages to pick dung and brought it back on wooden boards.
The Liu family also felt compelled to do the same. Otherwise, they might really get sick being in the cold. It would be so embarrassing if they froze to death rather than being killed or starving.
Only Li Chengru and Fengsheng remained motionless. Li Chengru wouldn’t go to fetch dung in any case, but Fengsheng, who was inferior to him, had to join the other gatherers after a while. He was quite smart this time. Since it needed a lot of dung to make a fire, he told Little Ye that he wanted to share the campfire with them and would give them the dung he gathered. Ye Xiaoxian agreed without hesitation. These two young men were her saviors, and because of them, she didn’t fear bandits anymore.
After collecting all afternoon, they had plenty of dung, and waited until the evening to burn it. Old Mr. Xiao kept an exaggerated distance from the dung and looked away. Then, they went to get some water.
Although the place was arid, windy and dusty, water could be found under the grass. The rivers were always changing course here. As long as there was a grassland, there would be many little streams. But if it were a desert, there would be no hope of finding water. The locals always followed the water to survive. If the water in one place receded, they would move elsewhere. The people leading such a life were called nomads.
Squire Liu asked those who had arrived early where to get water, and he learned that there was a spring nearby. However, people had to queue up for it because it was such a small flow.
Ye Xiaoxian asked Xiao Tongshu to get a bucket of water because she needed to wash her hands and cook some porridge.
…When everyone sat down for a rest, Ye Xiaoxian decided to walk around. Da’an county was a demarcation line between deserts and grasslands. Although the greenery had faded slightly, Ye Xiaoxian knew there would still be some potherbs.
What they had mostly eaten these recent days were solid foods and only a small amount of vegetables, which caused constipation. Although there were potherbs and even fruits in the forest along the way, no one had dared to delay the journey or enjoy any food near the corpses. But the situation was different near Da’an county. Nobody would starve to death here. Some kind locals would give food to the starving refugees. Therefore, nature remained intact here.
In a modern restaurant, potherbs were common dishes for the rich who were cloyed by the fat of the land. Quite a few potherbs were from grasslands.
After walking a few steps, she found some dandelions which could be used as traditional medicine. They were slightly bitter, but they would taste different if used to make cakes. She picked some dandelions and carried them in her clothes.
Several minutes later, she found some fragrant bittersweet endives. They could be eaten raw or used in soups and salads. It was also noted that they had the effect of relieving the accumulation of excess yang energy.
More surprises popped up as she walked on. Finally, she spotted some precious balloon flowers. They could be eaten as vegetables and had incredible medicinal uses. They were useful in helping to reduce fluid accumulation in the lungs, relieving sore throats, as an expectorant, and for discharging pus. In short, they were perfect food in dry weather.
However, she forgot to bring a bag to carry her big harvest in. As she was about to take off her outerwear to wrap the potherbs in, she heard a faint rustling behind her. She turned around only to find Li Chengru standing there.
“Why are you doing here?” she asked.
“Just getting a breath of fresh air!” he replied grumpily.
This amused her so much she began laughing.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked angrily.
She kept laughing as she replied. “Despite being rich and handsome, I guess you’re not happy at all, right?”
His face fell. “Why do you think I’m not happy? I’m happier than anyone!”
“Oh? Then why are you maintaining such a poker face? You’re tough with everyone, but your heart is soft. You’re actually kind and ready to help others, though you wear an unfriendly expression all the time. So you must feel very confused inside. You seem not to care about other people while still wishing to be accepted by them, right?”
After she had finished her analysis with a smile, Li Chengru became furious. “You think you know me that well? You don’t know who I am at all!”
She said casually, “It’s my fault then. I’m not familiar with you, so don’t be angry if I get it wrong. It’s bad for your health to throw tantrums.”
“You…” He became even angrier. He just wanted to get away from the refugees and get some air, but then he saw her slim and graceful figure on the grass. It held him spellbound for a while. It must be because he had been with disheveled refugees for so long that he could admire a village woman.
It would be considered illegal for someone to attempt to read his mind in the capital. How dare a village woman form conjectures about what kind of person he was!
Li Chengru left angrily.
Ye Xiaoxian shook her head as she watched him leave. Such a pampered rich young man was too arrogant to joke around with in any dynasty. She went on picking potherbs.
…When Ye Xiaoxian got back, Xiao Tongshu had fetched two buckets of water. She used a basin of water to wash the potherbs and let others build an oven and make fire. There wasn’t enough water for her to fully clean the vegetables. She could only guarantee that there was no sand left in the potherbs.
Since it was the first time that Wong Mudan and Chen Ju has set fire to dung, it took them quite a while to make fire. At the same time, Ye Xiaoxian went to knead the dough. Some potherbs were used to cook soup, and she also added minced meat and salt into the boiling water, making the soup taste light and fresh. Some of the potherbs were chopped and added to the dough, which was made into cakes. Everyone got a large cake and ate their fill.
The Liu Family felt fortunate to have gone with Ye Xiaoxian. They hadn’t expected they could have such delicious meals rather than starving to death during their escape. Their only regret was that they hadn’t eaten any vegetables.
The Liu family kept complementing Ye Xiaoxian as they enjoyed their meals. With the great chef here, they only needed to make fire and provide cooking utensils and ingredients.
When Li Chengru saw her picking potherbs, he doubted whether they were edible or not. But as soon as he sipped the soup, he started to feel very comfortable, as if he were drunk, and his anxiety disappeared.
What a rare delicacy!
Then, he took a bite of a fried cake with satisfaction. It was so golden-yellow, crisp and appetizing that he wanted to eat one more, but he was embarrassed to say so because nobody got a second one.
He began observing Ye Xiaoxian. Since she went back, she had been busy washing, cutting and cooking and she had done every step wholeheartedly. In contrast, when she teased him, she was like a rogue. He gazed at her so intently that he failed to avoid her eyes when she suddenly looked up. He felt rather embarrassed, but it was too late for him to look away.
To his surprise, she didn’t reveal any hint of shyness. Instead, she gave him the last cake and joked again. “Just tell me if you want to eat. Look at you, you’re almost drooling.”
Li Chengru was totally defeated this time.