Chapter 155: Dismantling the Cart and Burning the Crossbows

Yan Lao’er’s efforts at spreading the word were quite effective.

Even the most reluctant families took out what little dried horse meat they had left, boiled a pot of hot soup, and let the saltiness of the meat dissolve into it. A sip of meat broth, a bite of steamed bun—the whole group ate heartily.

A gust of wind came, sweeping away the oppressive summer heat.

That cool, refreshing breeze came from the direction they were heading toward.

Feeling the breeze, Li Xuemei closed her eyes in contentment, standing in the shade of a tree. The dappled sunlight danced across her face and body, bringing only warmth and comfort without the harsh sting of the summer heat.

Yan Lao’er sidled up to her with a grin. “Wife, isn’t this place nice? We’ve got trees for shade, and it’s right by the wind passage. A little breeze, and it’s nice and cool. Our hens have been doing great lately, laying eggs every couple of days. Real good chickens! Today, they did even better—laid three eggs! You’ll have to take a little loss today—eat one and a half, and leave the rest for the three kids. Look, your daughter’s already eyeing them! Here, eat while they’re still warm.”

Li Xuemei opened her eyes and looked at the freshly boiled eggs, feeling a warmth spread in her heart.

They all knew why the hens hadn’t stopped laying eggs—it was all thanks to Granny Rong’s feeding methods. The things she gave them to eat… well, no need to dwell on how they were prepared. Even those little hidden insects she found, shelled and unshelled, were all turned into prime chicken feed. The four hens had noticeably plumped up, their feathers turning glossy and smooth.

It wasn’t just Yan Lao’er who was envious—sometimes, watching the plump hens strut around, even Li Xuemei found herself unconsciously salivating.

They were being raised too well!

And nearly all the eggs went straight into Li Xuemei’s belly.

She never refused them. Every little egg was a token of love from her family.

Yan Lao’er beamed as he watched her eat.

“We’re about to settle down soon. I wonder if houses around here are expensive… Maybe we can buy one? If not, renting is fine. From what Big Brother said, we’re heading to Yongning. A provincial capital, huh? That’s like moving from a small town to a big city…”

“Dad! Uncle is calling you over!” Yan Yu came running like a gust of wind.

“What for?” Yan Lao’er was a little annoyed at being interrupted—he hadn’t finished sharing his grand vision with his wife yet.

“He says we need to burn all the bamboo crossbows, just in case someone finds them. And we have to strip down our ox cart, change both the top and bottom layers.” Yan Yu explained.

Li Xuemei nudged him. “Go on, go take care of it.”

Yan Lao’er thought about it and realized it made sense. Their ox cart stood out too much.

“Daughter, go find your Uncle Qi Wu. I’ll head over first.”

…

“What’s there to hesitate about? We made these ourselves—if we need them again in the future, we can just make more.” Yan Lao’er tossed all the recovered bamboo crossbows and arrows into a pile. He knew exactly who still had some, and anyone trying to hold onto theirs got called out by name.

“Hurry up! No dawdling. Once we’re done cleaning up, we’ll be on our way. Brothers, good days are waiting for us…”

Seeing that everything was gathered, Yan Huaiwen quietly lit a torch.

The burning crossbows marked their transformation. The wind carried away the smoke, along with the past they didn’t want anyone to know.

Qi Wu dismantled the top layer of the ox cart—railings, bed planks, support posts—restoring it to its original, plain appearance.

The extra two-wheeled attachment at the back was also removed…

After all that effort, the Yan family’s ‘luxury’ ox cart was back to looking like an ordinary one.

A completely unremarkable ox cart.

Their belongings were stacked to the brim. Forget sitting—there wasn’t even space to put a foot down.

Yan Lao’er grinned sheepishly.

He absolutely refused to throw anything away.

Yan Huaiwen sighed, turning away so he wouldn’t have to watch. He let Yan Lao’er busy himself, while Qi Si helped tie everything down securely with hemp rope.

The village’s mule carts and donkey carts, which had been modified with raised roofs, were also stripped down.

Yan Lao’er, for once, made a decisive call about the dismantled wood.

“Burn it. Toss it in with the bamboo crossbows. We can’t take it with us. Also, the straw mats and wheat stalks used to line the carts—any that have blood on them, bring them over and burn them too.”

If they were going to ‘erase all traces,’ they had to do it thoroughly.

And it didn’t stop there.

“Right, check each other’s clothes and shoes. Any with blood stains—throw them out and burn them too!” Yan Lao’er gritted his teeth. “Don’t get sentimental. You can pick new ones from my stash later.”

At first, everyone was reluctant, but once they saw stingy Yan Lao’er actually willing to give out clothes, they laughed and eagerly checked their outfits. Any with even the faintest stain got tossed into the fire without hesitation. Then, they all stood in front of Yan Lao’er, grinning expectantly.

Yan Lao’er, pained, dug out a few bundles. The group happily put on their new clothes, swapping around to find the best fit.

Even though they were old clothes, the act of picking and choosing felt quite satisfying.

…

With all the questionable items disposed of, the group finally reached the checkpoint at the northern border of Guanzhou Prefecture.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

“We’re refugees fleeing from disaster, officers. Please let us pass.” Liang Manshan called out from a distance.

“Refugees? Why so many of you?” The sentry’s voice was tense. This group wasn’t just large—they didn’t look like the usual ragtag bands of displaced people. Something felt off.

“Are these really disaster victims? They don’t look like they’re starving.” Another soldier muttered.

The questioning officer suddenly realized—Right!

They’d seen plenty of refugees before—faces yellow and gaunt, just skin and bones. Their clothes would be loose and ragged, and they’d be so weak that even talking took effort.

But this guy answering them? His voice was strong and full of confidence.

He even… sounded educated?

“You—go get the captain. I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“Got it!”

The sentry shouted down, “Stay where you are! Do not come any closer!”

The group obediently halted. Since they were at a distance where the soldiers couldn’t overhear them, they whispered among themselves.

“Why are they so wary? We burned all the crossbows, didn’t we? Do we need to burn the sticks too?”

“That shouldn’t be it. When we used to go into town, the guards never said anything about carrying sticks.”

“Every place has its own rules. We’ll just listen and do whatever they say.”

“Yeah, let’s just follow along.”

…

“Captain, those people say they’re refugees.”

Xue, the company captain, furrowed his brows slightly at the large crowd before him.

He shouted in a rough voice, “Where are you from?”

“Sir, we’re from Qishan Prefecture and Leshan Prefecture. We have household registrations to prove it.” Liang Manshan raised the household registry books high.

“Qishan? Leshan?” Captain Xue found it odd. “How did you end up all the way here?”

“The main roads between Leshan Prefecture and Guanzhou Prefecture are overrun with bandits. We had no choice but to take a detour.” Yan Huaiwen replied in a clear, steady voice.

Hearing his tone, Captain Xue immediately recognized him as another educated man.

“You—step forward and answer my questions.” Yelling back and forth was too much effort.

Yan Huaiwen, his brother, Liang Manshan, Village Chief Luo, and Uncle An stepped forward to the gate tower.