After thinking it over for a moment, they knew that Ye Xiaoxian was right. Wong Mudan had planned to hide some of her food until all the rest was eaten up. But Ye Xiaoxian’s words struck her heart, making her flush in embarrassment.
Xiao Tieshu said, “You women can be responsible for the food, and Tongshu and I can pull the carts.”
Ye Xiaoxian nodded in approval. “No problem. But from now on, all of our food must be shared. I don’t care who bought the cabbage, corn or bacon and I don’t want anyone to argue about this.”
In fact, they discovered that Ye Xiaoxian had the most food which originally might have been shared only between two. Therefore, she was in the most unfavorable position when it came to sharing food. Seeing that she didn’t care about this, they also had no objection. They particularly couldn’t help admiring her charisma. It was no wonder she could run an ever-prospering restaurant.
Xiao Tieshu said, “Okay, no problem.”
Ye Xiaoxian added, “So much for the food. Just as Uncle Tieshu said, he and Uncle Tongshu will pull the carts. Since this is hard work, they don’t need to do the cooking. Baofeng, Baocheng, Baoyang and Baoxue can collect the firewood.”
Baofeng raised his hand high immediately and said, “Okay, I agree.”
Following him, the other three kids also said “yes” with pleasure.
The atmosphere became enlivened by their attitudes.
Ye Xiaoxian said, “Excellent! Then my mom and I are responsible for cooking, and aunts for washing and cutting vegetables. If there’s anything else, we can be flexible about it. We must support and help each other, rather than doing only our assigned work.”
The listeners nodded approvingly.
Now that everyone knew their duties, it was time to arrange the carriages.
Ye Xiaoxian said, “We have two carriages, but most of the space has been occupied. So only a few of us can sit in them at a time. Our grandpa will have to sit the whole way. Since Baoxue is still little, she also needs frequent rests. The rest of us can take turns to sit for two hours. Agreed?”
They looked at each other before nodding. In fact, they were more used to walking than sitting in carriages. For them, it was good enough for them to have a two-hour rest. They therefore agreed readily.
Ye Xiaoxian concluded, “If you have no objections, you can have a good sleep here. It will be a long time before we can sleep in beds again”
…
Except for Old Mr. Xiao, all of them tossed and turned restlessly on the beds before they finally fell asleep. Not surprisingly, they woke up before daybreak.
Since the house was near the street, they could hear loud noises coming from outside. More and more people were growing anxious to leave the county. The rumblings of carts and shouts of the people were filling the air. Some were urging those behind them to catch up, some were yelling at children for their tardiness and others were complaining about their wives’ forgetfulness.
The Xiao family was also ready to set off. Since they had made full preparations in advance, they acted very neatly. Except for Old Mr. Xiao.
Since getting up, he had been yelling for porridge and fried potatoes. However, Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei had just steamed a pot of sweet potatoes and buns for them to eat on the journey. Being ignored, Old Mr. Xiao flew into a rage and said he wouldn’t go with an empty belly.
No one was in the mood to coax this old brat. They were busy with their own things, leaving him in the cold. Only when they were about to leave did Ye Xiaoxian say, “Grandpa, do you want to go with us? If you do, get on the carriage. If not, then we’ll have to leave you here.”
Old Mr. Xiao blew up at her. “Where are my fried potatoes?”
“Grandpa, we’re escaping. You won’t die without fried potatoes, but you will if you stay here. It’s all up to you!” she said bluntly.
“You…”
Wong Mudan and Chen Ju had long been putting up with the old man, so they couldn’t help chuckling to themselves when hearing Ye Xiaoxian’s words.
As was planned, Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu pulled the carts while Ye Xiaoxian and Li Hongmei drove the carriages. The two women had only just learned a few of the skills the day before, so the horses walked slowly. But gradually, they got the hang of it as they spurred the horses on faster.
The others found there would be enough room if they all squeezed up a little. Some of them had to sit on the flour bags, though the crouching made their feet go numb very easily. However, it would be better sit than to stand, in order to save energy at such a time.
…
According to her initial plan, Ye Xiaoxian had to meet Liu Qianqian first. Liu Qianqian and her family had been waiting at the county gate. Apart from them, half of the people in the county had gathered there and were waiting for the gate to open.
Liu Qianqian waved her hand at Ye Xiaoxian from distance. Then, she jumped off the carriage and nudged her way through the crowd before she came up to her friend.
“Didn’t you say they wouldn’t go with you? Why are they here now?”
Ye Xiaoxian said, “They did tell us they would stay here, but they changed their minds last night.”
“Then will you come with us?” Liu Qianqian asked.
Ye Xiaoxian looked at the Liu family’s five carriages which could even carry the maids. Although some servants had to go on foot, their strong bodies would allow them to walk fast.
She said, “I’m afraid we can’t keep up with you. We have only two carriages and two carts. I think we can go separately. We will try to follow you, but you don’t need to wait for us if we lag behind you. I don’t want us to be a burden to you.”
Liu Qianqian said, “I’ll try to persuade my father to wait for you as much as we can.”
“That’s nice of you. Thank you!” Ye Xiaoxian replied gratefully.
Liu Qianqian added, “If he agrees, I’ll wave my handkerchief from the window of my carriage.”
“Okay!”
When Liu Qianqian went back to her carriage, she waved her handkerchief as promised.
Ye Xiaoxian gave her an “OK” gesture in reply.
…
As more and more people crowded at the entrance, they became increasingly impatient. The officers had arrived, but they didn’t open the gate ahead of the usual time. Some people began complaining loudly and the officers rebuked back. When the conflicts raged, Squire Liu mediated between them. He was so sophisticated that he calmed both sides down immediately.
When the gate was finally opened, people began to file out. Ye Xiaoxian also asked Li Hongmei to get the horses out fast.
Ye Xiaoxian had mastered the rhythms of driving her carriage, but the dense crowd put Li Hongmei in a flurry. Crashed into by a passing carriage, her horse charged forwards out of control, which startled the people around them, causing them to scream.
