Chapter 45 - 45 Mudslide
45 Mudslide
As the team got closer to Jiangyuan City, the rain became more frequent. In the carriage, Bai Wutong saw the continuous puddles on the road and had a bad feeling.
After continuous rain, there were many floods. It was unknown what the situation was like in Jiangyuan City, which was still half a month journey away.
Bai Wutong asked Qingfeng, “Was Jiangyuan City flooded in the past?” The commander of the Dark Guards Team should know something.
Qingfeng did not turn around and replied, “There are floods in Jiangyuan City every year. Nearly 500,000 people were affected last year, and more than 200,000 people were drowned by the flood.”
When Bai Wutong heard the shocking number, she quickly asked, “Then how did the emperor deal with it?”
Qingfeng’s tone was calm, but it made Bai Wutong unable to accept. “It wasn’t dealt with. About 150,000 of the 500,000 victims survived.”
Bai Wutong gasped. He had let so many commoners die in the disaster. It was really lucky for the trash emperor to only die now.
Bai Wutong frowned. “Will we encounter a flood on our way there?”
Qingfeng said, “Yes, but it’s almost autumn. Even if we encounter it, the flood will be over soon.” She was telling Bai Wutong not to worry too much.
With famine and floods, a large number of human and animal deaths, and water pollution, it was very likely that the plague would spread. How could she not worry?
Bai Wutong looked at the rugged road that led to Jiangyuan City. A premonition that Jiangyuan City was probably more troublesome than Beiyun City kept coming.
She had to let everyone take some precautions in advance.
At the intersection between the Beiyun City and the Jiangyuan City, the mountain path was rugged and the terrain was steep. If the carriage did not move carefully, it might drive into the lush mountain stream.
It was originally drizzling. When the group drove to the cliff, the sudden storm almost overturned the carriages.
The children were tightly covered in their parents’ clothes.
Even so, the rain drenched them.
Even adults with strong bodies could fall sick, let alone children.
Moreover, the torrential rain was very likely to cause mudslides and landslides. Their geographical location was too dangerous.
Bai Wutong lifted the curtain and said loudly to Lin Yue, who was drenched on the horse, “It’s too dangerous to go on the road in such a heavy rain. Let’s find a place to camp first!” The rain was too loud and Lin Yue could not hear her if she did not speak loudly.
Actually, the group had only set off not long ago, but it seemed like the rain would not stop anytime soon. They could only find another place to settle down.
Lin Yue said, “Okay.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Wutong heard the sound of rocks loosening and rolling down the mountain.
Everyone looked up in unison.
Everyone was relieved to find that only one or two small rocks had fallen from the cliff.
Lin Yue summoned everyone to take two steps faster. There was a slightly flat bamboo forest in front that could allow everyone to rest for a while.
Bai Wutong’s gaze never left the top of the cliff. Suddenly, her pupils constricted violently as she shouted anxiously at Lin Yue, “Quick, run to the back. Let everyone run to the back. The mudslide is coming down!!!”
Everyone looked up and saw that the rubble on the top of the cliff was falling continuously. The cliff above them was also in the shape of molten lava and could slide down with the rocks at any moment.
If they did not retreat in time, many people would be buried.
Everyone tried their best to run back.
When the entire team retreated to a safe area, they heard a loud bang like thunder. With a rumble, one, two and three pieces of boulders continuously fell from the sky with collapsed soil, followed by an erupting mudslide that rolled away like a waterfall.
After a while, the only road leading to Jiangyuan City was blocked completely.
If they had run forward just now, everyone would have been buried inside.
Everyone all looked like they had just survived a calamity.
If the road was blocked, the carriages carrying the rations would not be able to pass through. It would take at least half a month to reach Jiangyuan City on other roads, and it might not be easier than the road.
Lin Yue said, “Madam, I’ll bring people to clear the road now.”
Bai Wutong shook her head. “No. It’s raining so hard now, and there might be a mudslide. It’s too dangerous. Let’s find a place to stay first.”
The group’s new camp was under a dense bamboo forest. Everyone was already familiar with setting up camp.
The men cut down many bamboo trees and quickly built a few bamboo sheds that could shelter them from the wind and rain.
The women lit a fire and used herbs to boil medicine to ward off the cold.
The children obediently kept quiet.
The storm lasted for nearly an entire morning before the sun appeared.
Sunlight shone through the bamboo forest as if nothing had happened. The days seemed peaceful again.
After confirming that it was not going to rain, Bai Wutong said to Lin Yue, “Go and see if there are any more mudslides on the road. If not, come back and get more manpower to clear the way.” Even if the rain had stopped, the soil was still very soft and muddy. It was very dangerous.
Lin Yue agreed. Qingfeng, who heard this, also wanted to go with him.
Lin Yue turned around and looked at her. “Why are you following us? Stay behind to protect Madam and Young Master.” He already dared to order the commander of the Dark Guards Team around.
Qingfeng looked at Bai Wutong, who waved her hand and said, “Go, go. His skills are not as good as yours. If the mudslide comes again, you can still help him at the critical moment.”
Lin Yue instantly widened his eyes and looked at Bai Wutong. Although Bai Wutong was telling the truth and it was for his own good, did he not want his face?
What was even more infuriating was that Qingfeng glanced at him and said calmly, “Okay.”
It was as if he was a piece of trash who needed protection.
Lin Yue was so angry that he became a pufferfish again. Qingfeng looked at him a few more times, her cold eyes revealing an slight smile.
When Bai Wutong saw this, he felt that Qingfeng’s soul that had been sucked away in the past was gradually returning.
Lin Yue and Qingfeng went to check the road. The people from the Zhao Village also started cracking.
The farmers were best at discovering things in the fields.
They quickly dug up many bamboo shoots in such a large bamboo forest.
Looking at the baskets of bamboo shoots, Bai Wutong clicked her tongue. “Everyone will be full just by eating bamboo shoots today.”
Madam Yang said happily, “Fresh bamboo shoots stewed with marinated meat are the freshest. I’ll go and prepare it now.”
Bai Wutong smiled. “Then we’re in for a treat today.”
Along the way, they ate many salted vegetables and fresh bamboo shoots. Everyone had smiles on their faces.
Zhao Pengfei leaned over and said, “This forest is quite deep. There should be bears.” He rubbed his palms together in anticipation. “If we meet a bear, everyone can have meat to eat.” Zhao Pengfei used to hunt alone in the mountains and was very bold.
With so many people here, how could the bear dare to come? Bai Wutong was afraid that Zhao Pengfei would run far away and get into trouble, so she said, “There’s a shoal over there. Everyone can see if we can catch fish.”
This shoal was in the middle of two small hills. The water flow was left behind from the mountains. Although it looked shallow, the water flow in the middle was quite rapid. Bai Wutong even specially instructed that children could not go into the water.
Zhao Pengfei was very good at swimming. He did not take this small stream seriously at all. He rolled up his pants and walked into the water. After watching for a while, he suddenly pounced and splashed water everywhere. Zhao Pengfei raised his hands, and there was already a lively big fish in his hands.
He shouted in surprise, “There’s fishes! Fishes! And they’re quite big!” He threw the fish to the shore and plunged into the water again.
When the men saw the fish, their eyes lit up and they went into the water.
However, catching fish still required a certain level of skill. Some people caught more, while others caught less.
Chu Tianbao, this idiot, had not caught a single one.