bayedsolid Chapter 78 Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Chapter 78 Smells Like Rotten Eggs
Having rested, Wenwen was extremely quick-witted and perceptive. She seemed to detect a hint of preparation for battle in her father's tone.
He believed that not only she, but everyone around her father heard it, including her eldest and second eldest brothers.
The group still looked exhausted, but their eyes revealed a sense of readiness.
Wenwen leaned closer to Wen Qilin and quietly asked, "Father, where is the pagoda in Yanta Town? Why can't we see it in the city?"
Wen Qilin couldn't help but chuckle, "Daughter, who says Yanta Town has to have a pagoda? The next town is called Shengui Town, it should have something like that, right?"
"Then let's pair the high-ranking one with a deity."
"Children really do speak without thinking, hehehe."
"Hahaha....."
A harmless joke helped the family relax a bit.
After watching the prisoners finish chewing their rations, the bailiff gave the order, "Let's go."
A group of people carried their bags and headed downhill.
The road up the mountain is difficult, and the road down the mountain is also difficult.
The steeper the mountain, the more likely the descent will be dangerous. Wugouzi Mountain has many trees and rocks.
The group spent more time descending the mountain than ascending it, and didn't reach the foot of the mountain until nearly Shenshi (3-5 PM).
The constables shouted to everyone at the foot of the mountain, "Enter the town, cross the streets, stay overnight at the North Gate Post Station, and set off at dawn tomorrow. Remember your identities and do not cause trouble, or you will all be killed in the street."
On the official road leading to the South Gate at the foot of the mountain, pedestrians came and went. They saw a large number of prisoners coming down from Wugouzi Mountain and stopped to watch.
The words of the crowd drifted through the air.
"Look, these prisoners just came over the mountain, look how miserable they are."
"What's so tragic about it? Those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. Let them not learn to be good, but instead spend their days cheating, swindling, oppressing the people, and doing nothing human."
"I saw in the government notice that the Wen family is among these prisoners. Is that true?"
“It’s true, I saw it too. The notice said that a family of nearly 30 people were all exiled.”
"Bah, why are you still keeping them alive?"
"That's right, they colluded with foreign enemies, causing the front lines to suffer defeats. They deserve to be beheaded."
"That's right. My son is on the front lines, and I don't know if he'll survive. It's all that damned general's fault. Bah, he deserves it."
These malicious remarks immediately aroused the anger of the crowds along the way.
Before Wenwen could react, Ren Shi, who was standing next to her, put her arm around both of them, one on each side.
It was completely unexpected; a rotten egg fell from the sky.
The stench exploded among the crowd.
"Ah, what is this?"
This was quite something; then, some vegetable leaves also fell from the sky.
Wenwen looked down and saw a few fresh rapeseed hearts lying at her feet. She thought to herself, "What a pity."
She really wanted to tell the old man or woman who threw away the vegetables, "You don't need to be so angry. It's such a waste to throw away such fresh vegetable hearts. You might as well sell them to them and earn some hard-earned money. Why bother?"
Unfortunately, emotional passersby didn't care about any of that.
Rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves were thrown at the prisoners one after another.
Of course, the Wen family also smelled like rotten eggs.
Huh, Wenwen was really puzzled. How long had these people been saving up those rotten eggs? How could they bring them all out today with such precision? Was it intentional or not?
The escorting constables and soldiers didn't care; they were used to this kind of thing and only focused on urging the prisoners to walk towards the south gate.
Soon, the formalities were completed, and they entered the city gate, parading through the streets according to the prescribed route. Inside the city, they had to slow down, allowing the people on both sides to watch, curse, and vent their frustrations.
In reality, most of the 200-plus prisoners were wearing shackles and chains, and the remaining children and elderly were also bound with ropes. How fast could they walk? In addition, the city was crowded with people, and for a time, it was truly a scene of people packed together.
The yamen runners led the way, with soldiers on both sides, and a large group of people passed through the city center and headed towards the post station.
With two blocks to go before reaching the post station, as they crossed the last intersection, some agitated individuals in the crowd began throwing things and pushing their way into the line. People were pushing in from all four directions, quickly scattering the prisoner's ranks.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the people pushing their way in soon became a chaotic mess with the prisoners.
"Hey, don't push!"
"Oh, you've noticed me."
"Hey, help me out."
The scene immediately descended into chaos. People were pushing, being pushed, falling, getting up, and being trampled on, none of them willing to give way. The more panicked they became, the more they struggled, and the more they struggled, the less they could get up. In the end, all that could be heard was a chorus of wails.
The Wen family members exchanged glances as they entered the city, and carefully observed each other as they passed through.
As they approached the crossroads, they deliberately lagged behind, with all the men in the family intentionally or unintentionally surrounding the elderly, women, and children in the inner circle.
When the chaos ensued, the men of the Wen family, following their prior agreement, used all their skills to protect their family at all costs.
Wenwen felt that she and her younger brother were being held tightly by their mother. She could hear the shouts and screams around her and smell the strong stench of blood. Soon, a group of yamen runners rushed over from not far away and forcefully suppressed the people who had taken the opportunity to riot.
Then another group of yamen runners rushed over and, together with the escorting soldiers, urged the prisoners to hurry to the post station.
The prisoners only settled down after they were stationed in the backyard of the post station.
When the Wen family checked each other, they found that all the men had injuries, but they were all minor and would heal with rest.
Not long after, Chen, a constable from Lord Zhu's side, came over and called out, "Listen up, everyone, I have a few things to say."
"First, regarding the sudden incident just now, the casualties were heavy. We are still counting who exactly was injured. If you know anyone who is not here, please come and help confirm."
"Secondly, there is no curfew in Yanta Town. Hurry up and buy supplies, see a doctor. As long as you don't delay our departure at dawn tomorrow, no one will care if you don't sleep. Remember, if one of you escapes, your whole family will suffer. If you are caught, you will be killed."
"Third, there are still a few rooms available at the post station. If you need to stay, contact me to register. It's ten taels of silver per room, or one tael of silver per shared bed. For the rest of you, the stables and cattle sheds here are free to stay overnight. If you need hot water, ask the waiter; it's 100 coins per bucket."
As soon as Chen, the constable, finished speaking, the people who wanted to stay in the rooms all crowded around him.
People rush to hand over money, but there are too many people and not enough rooms. They have money but can't spend it. How heartbreaking it must be if they can't get their turn.
After spending several nights in the wilderness, having a roof over one's head was already a luxury. Now, with money, one can have a bed, which is something to be happy about. The money is a small matter; not having a room is a big problem.
Wenwen secretly stared at Chen, the constable, over there.
She was eager to try it out, wondering if the guy she wanted was available or if he could provide it.
Looking at Wenwen's expression, Wen Chengbin couldn't suppress his doubts and gossip.
She leaned closer and asked, "Fifth Sister, would you like to stay in a room?"
Without hesitation, Wenwen blurted out, "I want 100 buckets of water. I wonder if they have enough."
Uh!
what?
Wen Chengbin seemed to be hallucinating.