As the sun dipped below the horizon, Jiang Huai trudged along behind the group, struggling to keep up. No amount of mental preparation could have lessened the torment of several hours of marching.

The soles of his shoes were paper-thin, making every step on sharp stones a new trial. The ground, baked by the sun, burned his feet numb after a while. Just as he got used to the heat, his body’s exhaustion began to take its toll, dragging him down. His steps became smaller and smaller until only the fear of the whip kept him from falling behind entirely.

The marching was grueling, but the thought of being whipped was worse. The pain wasn’t just immediate; once sweat seeped into the wounds, it became a constant sting, not to mention the risk of infection.

Worst of all was the unrelenting thirst. Without a water bottle, and with no streams or wells encountered along the way, Jiang Huai’s mouth was bone dry. He could only watch enviously as the guards drank from their flasks. The only consolation was that he had drunk plenty of water earlier, so dehydration hadn’t set in yet.

Suddenly, a stir spread through the group. Jiang Huai, puzzled, lifted his head and saw a flag fluttering in the distance. On it was the large character for “station.”

The relay station!

Jiang Huai’s eyes lit up. Reaching the station meant they could finally rest.

Noticing the prisoners’ excitement, Zhang Tou barked harshly, silencing the group quickly. After all, if his shouts didn’t work, the whips would.

Leading the group, Zhang Tou approached the relay station, where a station attendant came out to greet them.

Zhang Tou began coordinating. The attendants were to prepare space in the holding sheds for the prisoners and make arrangements for food—both rations for the prisoners the next day and meals for the guards that evening.

While nodding to Zhang Tou’s instructions, the attendant cast furtive glances at the prisoners, his eyes darting mischievously as though planning something.

The attendant led the prisoners to a shed. This relay station was small, so there was no dedicated jail cell, but the shed was sturdy enough.

Inside, the ground was covered with straw, which seemed freshly replaced. This bit of cleanliness made Jiang Huai sigh in relief. Though he would have slept on dirty straw if he had to, doing so would have made it harder to rest, and a poor night’s sleep would be disastrous for the next day’s march.

Once inside, the shed door was securely shut. Jiang Huai found a spot to sit and couldn’t help but gasp.

Standing for so long had numbed his legs and feet, but now that he sat down, the aches and pains surged back. He doubted he could take another step if asked.

Despite his weak arms, Jiang Huai started massaging his legs, hoping to ease some of the tension. Whether it was the rest or the self-massage, his legs felt slightly better after a while, but the thirst only grew worse.

Hearing footsteps outside, Jiang Huai instinctively looked over and saw the attendant returning with a bucket of water. He couldn’t help but swallow hard.

The other prisoners also stared, their eyes filled with longing. They, too, had been parched for hours.

The attendant grinned mischievously at their desperate expressions.

“This here is fresh mountain spring water, sweet and cool. If you want a drink, you’ll have to pay a little fee,” he said bluntly. He wouldn’t have spoken so rudely to regular travelers, but to a group of prisoners, he saw no need for courtesy.

Mountain spring water?

Jiang Huai’s lips twitched. While there were mountains nearby, there was no way the attendant would give real spring water to prisoners. If Jiang Huai’s memory served, there was a well just outside the station.

“This water won’t wait forever. If you’re not buying, I’ll just take it back,” the attendant said lazily.

Several prisoners swallowed audibly, but they didn’t move. It wasn’t that they had no money; they simply couldn’t afford to spend it. What little they had was carefully hidden, meant to last them until they reached the place of exile. Spending even a little now felt wasteful. After all, there was always the chance of finding a water source on the road tomorrow, saving them from this expense.

But some were willing to spend. A prisoner pulled out money and bought a drink, making the attendant beam as he poured the water into a cup.

Watching someone drink made the others’ temptation even harder to resist. A few prisoners huddled together, whispering, and eventually asked the attendant, “If we pool our money and buy together, can you give us a discount?”

The attendant glanced at the rest of the shed, realizing he wouldn’t sell much at the current price. After a moment of thought, he agreed to lower the price slightly. But the negotiation over how much the “fee” should be still took a lot of haggling.

The prisoner who had paid full price earlier looked disgruntled, but he didn’t dare show his displeasure to the attendant. He could only sulk in silence.

Jiang Huai wanted to join in, but after feeling around his clothes, he confirmed he didn’t have a single coin. He could only watch others drink with envy.

After all the bargaining, the attendant started calculating the total. However, after several attempts, he kept coming up with different answers. It was clear his math skills were lacking.

Watching the attendant grow more flustered, Jiang Huai had an idea. He figured he had nothing to lose and decided to give it a try.

“The discounted price is one-third less than the original. With twelve buyers, you should collect twenty coins,” Jiang Huai said, his voice hoarse from thirst.

The attendant stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the source of the voice.

Leaning against the wall, Jiang Huai sat with his pale face and parched lips, his clear eyes standing out despite his weary appearance.

“How did you figure that out?” the attendant asked.

Jiang Huai, noticing the attendant’s limited math skills, explained his calculation in simple terms. Following his instructions, the attendant recalculated and quickly resolved his confusion. His face lit up with delight.

With his accounts settled, the attendant resumed selling water and even tried hawking some food. But the prices were even higher for food, and most prisoners weren’t willing to spend. After a small price reduction, only one prisoner bought a meal. Realizing he couldn’t make much more money, the attendant counted his coins and then turned back to Jiang Huai.

“You, kid. You spoke up just now—what do you want? Say it,” he asked, his tone condescending.

Jiang Huai didn’t mind the attitude. As a prisoner, he was used to being looked down on.

“I don’t have a penny on me. I just want a drink of water,” Jiang Huai replied, swallowing hard. He wanted food too, but he knew one suggestion didn’t merit a full meal.

“You good at math?” the attendant asked instead of answering.

Jiang Huai nodded uncertainly.

The attendant stared at him for a moment. Running a relay station meant dealing with passing travelers and managing money, and he’d often lost out because of miscalculations. He could tell Jiang Huai came from a wealthy family, and the earlier explanation proved his arithmetic was solid—more than enough to teach him.

“Tell you what,” the attendant said suddenly. “If you teach me math, I’ll give you a drink. Teach me well, and I’ll throw in a meal. Deal?”

The other prisoners, who had been mocking Jiang Huai for speaking up earlier, now looked on with envy. Not only had Jiang Huai managed to get free water, but now he had a chance at a meal too.

Jiang Huai hadn’t expected such a windfall and agreed without hesitation. On the road to exile, every extra bite increased his chances of survival.

After assessing the attendant’s current skill level and identifying his weak points, Jiang Huai started teaching. Despite initial nervousness, the attendant quickly became engrossed, his excitement growing as he realized how much he was learning.

Meanwhile, Jiang Huai’s stomach growled loudly, snapping the attendant out of his focus. Embarrassed, the attendant remembered his promise and went to fetch food.

Zhang Tou, making his rounds to check on the prisoners, overheard the guards whispering about Jiang Huai teaching math. Curious, he glanced into the shed. In the moonlight, Jiang Huai’s refined features and calm demeanor stood out, a stark contrast to his current predicament.

Seeing the attendant return with a plate of leftovers, Zhang Tou paused but said nothing, leaving the area.

Inside, Jiang Huai ate slowly, savoring every bite of the greasy leftovers while ignoring the envious glares of the other prisoners. After finishing, exhaustion finally overtook him, and he sank into a deep sleep on the straw bedding.

However, the quiet night didn’t last. Around midnight, a sudden scream from one of the guards shattered the silence, startling the entire station awake, including Jiang Huai.