The atmosphere was initially quite good.
Those who went out to gather edible wild vegetables had a great harvest.
They picked quite a bit of wild greens.
This area had not been affected by the torrential rain, so wild vegetables grew particularly abundantly.
They were all tender shoots.
Cheng Kaichun, Cheng Fengtai, and a few guards went out for a stroll. They happened to recognize a few edible wild vegetables and brought them all back.
They cooked them in a pot with flour dumplings, which finally allowed everyone to eat their fill.
They had three large iron pots, so feeding fifty people was not a difficult problem. The most difficult issue currently was the grain supply. How long would twelve hundred jin of grain last? The journey ahead was still long, and the grain was a major challenge.
While there was enough food for now, the more difficult problem was the lack of seasonings.
There wasn't even any salt.
It was fine for the short term, but definitely not sustainable in the long run.
Everyone fell silent.
Those in the carriage belonging to the Cheng family patriarch arrived fashionably late.
Their faces were ashen.
Seeing the green stuff in the pot, they finally breathed a sigh of relief; at least it wasn't red.
Some people in the convoy, after witnessing the scene earlier that day, would probably not be able to eat any meat for a long time.
"Brother, you're here. Quickly, quickly, let me serve you and sister-in-law a bowl of flour dumpling soup. It's just right now, not too hot to burn your mouth. Please eat."
Cheng Kaichun had been so engrossed in slurping down the flour dumpling soup that he hadn't paid attention to anything else. Now, seeing the Cheng family patriarch, he eagerly fawned over him, personally serving him a bowl of flour dumpling soup and bringing it to his side.
He showed solicitous concern.
"How is your health? Even if you don't feel well, you must eat something. Your stomach must be empty from vomiting, right? Here, have something to fill your stomach first, you'll feel better, really."
His expression and tone were exceedingly fawning.
The Cheng family patriarch was quite pleased. He had been saddened by abandoning his newly rebuilt home. War had broken out again, and thinking of the relatives lost in previous wars, his heart was heavy. Having his younger brother show him such solicitous concern was also nice.
He quickly took the bowl and raised it towards Cheng Kaichun in thanks, then looked at the three large pots of food, his face instantly turning completely dark.
"You've made so much food?! Ji Bo! Where is Ji Bo?! What's going on? We've only just started fleeing, and you've already used so much grain?"
The Cheng family patriarch's sudden outburst caught everyone off guard, making the servants shrink back in fear.
The grim scene in front had further agitated him, leaving him feeling anxious and fearful. This made him highly sensitive, and anything could easily set him off in a rage; he was simply too tense.
Furthermore, he had limited grain, and without his permission, someone had taken it upon themselves to make so much food, feeding everyone.
The Cheng family patriarch believed that the guards could eat more, and those with some blood relation could eat their fill, but what right did the purchased servants have to eat their fill?
They should be the ones to go hungry first.
Cheng Fengtai felt a slight embarrassment at the Cheng family patriarch's sudden outburst, as his own family had also eaten quite a bit. He opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
Cheng Kaichun, on the other hand, was somewhat gloating. As long as he had eaten his fill, what did it matter to him if others were scolded? He was happy to watch the post-meal drama.
Xishi and Caishi were somewhat fearful, as they were the ones who had participated in the cooking. No one had restricted the amount, and the young master had only instructed them to cook enough for everyone to eat. They had made food for fifty people according to Cheng Hao's instructions.
Later, as more wild vegetables were brought back, they reduced the amount of flour while cooking, as the wild vegetables had already saved quite a bit of grain.
They hadn't expected to be scolded for this.
Ji Bo was busy not far away and hadn't even had a chance to eat the flour dumpling soup yet. Upon hearing his master's summons, he immediately wanted to go report.
However, he was stopped.
Cheng Hao said to the old man, "You've been so busy, you haven't rested. Eat the soup first, it'll get cold soon, and you might get a stomach ache. I'll go talk to my father."
It was his own arrangement, so he had to take responsibility.
He had somewhat anticipated this situation and could handle his adoptive father.
"Father, please don't blame Ji Bo. I instructed him to do so. The meals for everyone cannot be reduced. If anything unexpected happens later, everyone will have to contribute. How can they work if they're starving and seeing stars? If they can't even escape, how can they help?"
Cheng Hao calmly stabilized the Cheng family patriarch, breaking down the reasoning for him. He didn't advocate for saving grain from the start. Food is essential, and one can't go without a meal without feeling hungry. If people are starving and their minds are unclear, how can they cooperate in escaping? To escape comfortably, the people under him are also very important, so they definitely cannot be wronged.
"Right now, everyone is willing to follow us purely out of loyalty."
Otherwise, they would have left long ago.
Just like those servants who had robbed the Cheng family patriarch of his exposed treasures and fled.
Would they still be here now?
From last night until this moment, whenever they stopped to rest, these people were busy working, each and every one of them loyal and diligent, never slacking off.
Even so.
Was that not enough for them to enjoy the same food as himself?
Cheng Hao wanted his adoptive father to understand that true sincerity was the most precious thing at a time like this. When danger arose, so many people could also protect the grain.
If they were too weak from hunger, the grain they were reluctant to part with might be stolen, and at that point, the grain would become provisions for the robbers.
Upon hearing this, the Cheng family patriarch immediately exclaimed that it was unacceptable, then nodded, saying that what he said made sense. He had always felt somewhat guilty towards this eldest son born to his beloved legitimate wife, so he was more willing to listen to his words.
His anger gradually subsided.
Cheng Hao reassured him, "We'll gather some grain as we go, which should help. When we find a place to settle, we'll see if we can buy some more grain."
The enemy had only broken through two cities. They didn't know where the next target would be, when the attack would occur, or whether they would send people to hunt down and kill the fleeing civilians.
Therefore.
Everyone was unaware of these matters. Nearby towns, hearing the news, would likely flee elsewhere. As for farther places, there would certainly be people who were unwilling to abandon their homes. After all, who would willingly leave their homeland unless absolutely necessary? Therefore, they would have the opportunity to fill their material needs.
Cheng Hao and the Cheng family patriarch's intention was not to stop. The enemy soldiers were too brutal and skilled in archery and horse riding, and they were fast in pursuit.
They had all unanimously decided to head directly to other relatively stable capital cities. They were simply terrified and wanted to hide for a while, then see how the situation developed. If possible, everyone wanted to return to their homeland, but if not, at least to preserve their lives and not let their ancestral bloodline be severed.
While others still had strong feelings of homesickness, for Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao, the outsiders, their mutual safety was the most important thing.
Going anywhere was fine.
Where there was each other, that was home. Anyway, they had no relatives here.