Chapter 16: On the Way
Editor: Atlas Studios
It was only four in the morning, but Mu Shi had already woken up.
Shu Wanniang woke up and was about to get off the bed when Mu Shi pressed her down and said gently, “Lie down quickly. I can handle this myself.”
Shu Wanniang whispered, “I’ll make you something to eat.”
“No need, I’ll go to the kitchen myself. You’re pregnant. Lie down.” Mu Shi put on his clothes, tucked his wife in, and strode out.
He had already prepared the things he needed to bring along with him, but as the journey was too long, he had to make two pancakes and bring them along. In addition, since his daughter was coming along with him, he had to make sure she would not go hungry.
After measuring the rice, Mu Shi came out to cook porridge. As he quickly made the pancakes, he took out a handful of pickled vegetables, cut them, and prepared a stir-fried dish out of them.
Mu Yangling struggled to get up from the bed. Little Bowen, who was beside her, was sleeping soundly. When his sister got up, he only turned over and continued sleeping.
After Mu Yangling put on her clothes, she came out to see that her father was already busy. She immediately sighed at how good a man Mu Shi was. He loved his wife, doted on his children, and was responsible. He was even better than her father in her previous life. She decided to marry someone like him in the future.
“Ah Ling, you’re up? Quickly wash your face and eat something. We’re about to leave.”
Mu Yangling nodded, rinsed her mouth, and washed her face. After that, she sat obediently at the dining table and waited for her father to serve the food.
Mu Shi placed the cooked porridge on the stove to heat it up. There was charcoal below so that his wife could eat it when she woke up later. Then, he brought a basin of porridge to the table and scooped a bowl for his daughter. “Eat more. We have to walk a lot.”
Mu Yangling nodded.
Still worried, Shu Wanniang got up anyway. Holding her stomach, she came out to look at the father-and-daughter duo. Mu Shi had no choice but to let her sit down at the side. He quickly finished the food and said, “After we go out, go back to sleep a while more. Ah Ling and I will definitely be back tonight.”
“Don’t be anxious. If you really can’t walk that much, hire a carriage to bring you guys back. Ah Ling is still young. Don’t tire her out…”
Having eaten her fill, Mu Yangling put down her bowl and chopsticks, waved her hand, and said heroically, “Mother, don’t worry. Father isn’t even as strong as me. Besides, I don’t have to carry anything. I won’t get tired at all just by walking.”
Shu Wanniang: “…”
Shu Wanniang looked at her daughter worriedly. Would anyone want to marry her when she grew up? It seemed that she had to prepare more dowries.
Mu Shi pushed the cart out of the door, then waved at Shu Wanniang. “Go back quickly. Remember to lock the door. If there’s anything, look for Cousin-in-law. I’ve already asked her to take care of you.”
Mu Yangling climbed onto the cart and sat down. She shouted, “Father, Mother, if we don’t leave now, the sun will rise. We’re only going to the county. It’s not like we won’t be back for three to five days…”
“Got it, got it.” Mu Shi turned around, lifted the cart, and walked steadily away. He turned around and looked at his wife. Seeing that his wife was standing at the door and gazing at him, Mu Shi could only quicken his pace and leave. As long as he could not be seen, his wife would naturally go back. This being the time when the dew was the heaviest, he worried that she would catch a cold.
As Mu Yangling sat steadily on the cart, she felt sleepy after a while. She turned around and saw that her father was still looking behind from time to time. Sighing, she said, “Father, we’re only going out for a day. What could happen? You’re too careful.”
“What does a child know? Your mother is different from us. She used to be a rich young lady with servants following her in and out. Now, she’s pregnant and has to take care of your brother. Furthermore, our house is too close to the forest. It was fine with you around in the past, but you’re following me to the county today. How can I not worry?”
In the past, when Mu Yangling was not old enough to protect her mother and brother, Mu Shi would choose to go to the county when her cousin-in-law was not busy. He would send the three of them to the Liu family and come back at night to pick them up.
However, it was a busy time for farming right now. Although he had already asked his cousin-in-law, she definitely could not spare much time.
Mu Yangling felt that her parents were too clingy. “Our courtyard is built with big solid bricks, and the walls are very tall. There’s nothing to be afraid of even if our house is right beside the forest. Besides, I’ve already told Mother to go to Cousin Lang’s house after we come out. What can possibly happen?”
“You’re not being serious enough. Alright, hurry up and try to catch more sleep.”
The sky was still dark. Fortunately, there was moonlight illuminating their path, so they could see even without torches.
Mu Yangling giggled and covered herself with a piece of fox skin. “Then, Father, I’ll sleep first. When I wake up later, it’ll be your turn to sleep.”
Mu Shi did not comment.
Mu Yangling was indeed sleepy having woken up so early in the morning. Coupled with the silence on the road, the occasional chirping of birds and the rumbling of the cart, she quickly fell asleep.
When she woke up again, the sky was already bright. She glanced at the morning glow on the horizon and yawned. “Father, what time is it?” she asked.
“The sun has just risen. What time do you think it is? We’ve only walked a third of the way.”
Mu Yangling looked left and right. Seeing that there were forests on both sides, she said, “Father, stop for a moment. I’m going to take a piss.”
Mu Shi’s face twitched. Lowering his voice, he said, “You’re a girl. Where did you learn to speak like a hooligan? Just say you need to relieve yourself. Don’t speak like that again.”
“Yes!” Mu Yangling jumped off the cart as she agreed and ran into the forest to relieve herself. She had just woken up and wasn’t completely sober yet, so she accidentally blurted out the cheeky slang used in the military camp in her previous life.
After she was done, Mu Yangling said with a smile, “Father, go quickly. I’ll look after the cart.”
Mu Shi walked into the forest with a straight face. After a while, he walked out with the same straight expression.
Mu Yangling said, “Father, let me push it. Go up and lie down for a while.”
Mu Shi did not refuse. He tidied up the leather goods on the cart before sitting on it. Then, he covered himself with the fox skin previously used by his daughter and closed his eyes. “If you see a stranger later, wake me up, understand?”
Mu Yangling responded and pushed the cart steadily forward.
Her strength was even greater than Mu Shi’s. Coupled with the fact that she had been continuously practicing martial arts, it was not tiring for her to push such a cart. Mu Shi knew this, which was why he was so at ease with his daughter doing this.
Considering she could easily move with a wild boar weighing more than 200 catties as though it were a vegetable basket, he did not think that a cart of leather goods with him on top of it would be too tiring for her.
The father and daughter were used to it, but it did cause the people they met on the road to widen their eyes.
Mu Yangling only walked for half an hour before she met people walking towards the county together. Many of them were carrying goods, and there were also people pushing carts like Mu Yangling, but they were undoubtedly adults.
Mu Yangling, a nine-year-old child, was too conspicuous among them. Moreover, the cart of leather goods looked to be quite heavy, not to mention that there was such a muscular man on it.
This attracted sideways glances from many people who felt that Mu Yangling was being abused. They stared accusingly at Mu Shi, who was sleeping on the cart.
Unexpectedly, Mu Yangling walked even faster than them. The heavy cart did not at all seem to be a burden to her, and she quickly surpassed them.
Mu Yangling walked with a relaxed expression for an hour. When she felt tired, she stopped, put down the cart, and sat at the side to rest.
Trusting his daughter wholeheartedly, Mu Shi did not wake up. Mu Yangling hesitated for a moment before decisively going forward to wake him up. “Father, I’m tired. Wake up.”
When Mu Shi opened his eyes, the sun dazzled his eyes. He got up to take a look and asked in surprise, “It’s already so late?”
Mu Yangling nodded. “Father, are we almost at the city gate?”
Mu Shi looked around and said, “Soon.” He looked at his daughter and asked, “You’re tired? Hurry up and sit in the cart. Father will push you. We have to hurry up. Otherwise, it will be difficult to walk under the sun.”
Mu Yangling nodded.
When the surrounding people saw Mu Yangling addressing Mu Shi as her father, they all looked down on him. To think he asked his daughter to push such a heavy cart while he slept on it…
The father and daughter were oblivious to what others were thinking. Mu Yangling sat in the cart and looked around at the people who were hurrying on their way. She looked curiously at the things they had brought. Most of them were handicrafts from home. There were dyed cloth, knitted fabrics, weaved baskets, and so on…
There were also jars of various pickled vegetables. Mu Yangling gazed at them curiously. As Mu Shi was fast, he quickly surpassed everyone and got to the front of the crowd. After walking for about 45 minutes, they saw the city gate.
A huge smile appeared on Mu Yangling’s face as she shouted in her heart, “Silver, here I come!”
