They were waiting for them to return.
Inside the caravan, preparations for breakfast were already in full swing, lively and bustling.
Liaofu spotted the two of them from afar, still carrying two wild rabbits and a bamboo rat. He couldn't help but exclaim, drawing everyone's attention.
"Wow! Unbelievable, more rabbits, and such a big one!"
"What is that thing? I've never seen it before! It looks quite scary!"
"Hmph, you wouldn't know, would you? We country folk don't have much meat to eat, so we love to go catch bamboo rats near the bamboo groves in the mountains. This thing looks scary, but its meat is quite fragrant, and it's a rare catch!"
After all, not many people managed to catch one. Getting one like this was already good.
One as plump and juicy as this was truly rare, enough to make one's mouth water.
Everyone then let out sighs of admiration and immediately began praising Su Miaomiao.
"Young Madam is truly amazing, she always catches something with her traps. With her around, we'll have meat every day, and no worries about lacking food!"
"Yes, yes, Young Madam is truly capable, how does she do it?"
The subordinates continued to praise her endlessly.
Even the Cheng family head and Jin family head looked over. Seeing that the two sides had met smoothly, with Cheng Fengtai and Cheng Kaichun sitting nearby.
The Cheng family head couldn't help but join in the praise, and said to the prosperous-looking Jin family head beside him, "That is my son, and the one beside him is my new daughter-in-law. You were too busy to come a few days ago and only sent a gift list, so you haven't met her. Not only is this child beautiful, but she's also incredibly capable..."
He chuckled heartily.
His face was full of pride.
He felt that his daughter-in-law had brought back prey again, far more capable than others.
Then, he remembered instructing the guards to set traps and inquired about it.
The guards had already checked their traps, but there wasn't even a single hair. Clearly, they hadn't found the right routes for prey, and it simply didn't go that way.
They then pleaded for forgiveness, admitting their incompetence in not being able to catch anything.
The Jin family head, with his gruff face, heard this and became very interested in the delicate young bride, but he also knew she was the Cheng family's daughter-in-law and that he couldn't touch her.
He therefore kept his gaze in check, not daring to stare lecherously at her.
"The legitimate eldest daughter of the Su family was raised in seclusion since childhood. Her grandparents followed old customs and kept her very hidden, yet she learned to hunt?"
The Jin family head, with his mouth full of gold teeth, his face creased with layers of fat when he smiled, looking very greasy. Coupled with not having washed for several days while fleeing...
In short, it was indescribable.
No one responded to his remark.
Everyone also inadvertently kept a distance from him, not daring to get too close.
Although the Cheng family head found him distasteful, he was happy to encounter an acquaintance. He felt that this world was incredibly chaotic, and meeting a familiar face brought some peace of mind. Thus, he was also very enthusiastic, beckoning his son and daughter-in-law over.
Cheng Hao, holding Su Miaomiao's hand, sat down at the very edge.
If not for his concerns.
And his worry about displeasing his cheap father, he would have directly taken Su Miaomiao and left.
How much more comfortable it would be to return to his own carriage?
However, they were also curious about how the Jin family's caravan had arrived, and wanted to know more details about their escape, so they could only sit down.
After all, during such times, information was extremely difficult to convey. To learn anything, one could only rely on word of mouth, and for now, they could only wait and listen.
The Jin family head shamelessly beckoned the young couple closer with a laugh.
Cheng Hao directly refused.
"We are the younger generation, sitting here is just right. You all chat amongst yourselves."
He indicated that he was just there to eavesdrop and made a gesture of invitation.
Then he fell silent.
He protected Su Miaomiao, sitting at the very edge, appearing not to want to participate much.
The Cheng family head was very pleased with this. If his legitimate son had to manage everything, he would have been truly vexed. As it was, this was exactly to his liking.
"Haha, forgive me, Brother Jin. Let the children be. My eldest son is quite capable, young as he is, he manages the servants quite methodically. But he is young, and gets exhausted doing even a little work."
The Cheng family head also indicated that the young man should rest for a while and not offer his opinions.
The Jin family head naturally agreed.
His eyes rolled.
Then he began to talk about why he had ended up on this route.
The old official road was not the only route. They were on a different one. They had been chased by refugees and, in their panic, had chosen this one.
"Heaven truly does not block all paths. I almost perished at the hands of those madmen..."
The Jin family head stated that when he was fleeing, the people behind him had basically gone mad. They would rob and kill anyone they saw, regardless of who they were.
They would snatch anything they could find.
And they were relentless in their pursuit to snatch the vehicles of wealthy people like them.
"It's fortunate that you, Brother Cheng, and your group ran ahead of everyone else."
The Jin family head sighed repeatedly, and then glanced through the slits of his eyes at their camp. A line of their vehicles was parked on the old official road, their supply carts full to the brim. The spacious and intact carriages at the front were truly enviable.
He couldn't help but feel jealous.
He wondered why they were so lucky, and he was in such a sorry state.
It was truly unfair of heaven!
While the Jin family head was feeling jealous, he showed no outward signs of it.
The Cheng family head felt a secret sense of satisfaction. With a comparison, he appeared much luckier. He quietly mused that he really had good fortune!
The two of them pretended to probe each other, mixing truth and falsehood.
The Jin family head also mentioned hearing other news from the crowds. "Not only is there a war, but every city is in turmoil, and chaos has erupted everywhere. Everyone is rushing to escape."
Human hearts are wicked.
The dark side of people is fully exposed as soon as the country is about to fall.
Therefore.
They not only had to escape enemy soldiers but also hide from these malicious countrymen.
The Jin family head said that many people had already begun to raid other villages to hoard supplies.
Even the mountain bandits, who were previously suppressed by the government and timid, had started to descend the mountains to plunder. They were robbing, killing, and burning, creating a veritable hell on earth. In many villages, the elderly and children were abandoned.
The Jin family head's route passed through several villages that had already fallen. He claimed he was unlucky, but also a little lucky, as he hadn't directly encountered the bandits and had managed to reach this place.
"Oh, seeing you, Brother Cheng, I feel much more at ease."
The Jin family head stated that he trusted them and found them reliable. His words implied that he wanted to join the Cheng family's caravan and benefit from their security, as their group clearly appeared to be very dependable.
The young couple immediately noticed this issue and looked at their cheap father in unison.
The Cheng family head, who had been listening with trepidation, suddenly noticed their gazes. Seeing them staring intently and shaking their heads at him.
Before he could react.
The Jin family head, who was right there, spoke up, expressing his willingness to join the caravan. "With our friendship, it's naturally a friendship that can be risked with our lives. I trust you!"