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Another dozen days passed, and Shanhai Pass was now just ahead.
The number of refugees gathering from all directions had grown significantly.
Everyone had the same goal—crossing the pass.
Along the way, you could hear people everywhere encouraging one another, all saying the same thing:
“Hang in there. Once we reach Shanhai Pass, we’ll be safe.”
Madam Shan, holding her son in her arms, said with bright eyes, “Husband, I just heard someone say that after we get through the pass, there’ll be tents set up by the imperial court where we can stay, and there’ll even be rice and porridge handed out!”
Shan Laoda nodded. “Of course. Inside the pass are all wealthy folks. You think it’s as poor as the outside?”
After getting rid of Qingtian, that burden, Shan Laoda found a donkey cart.
He told the owner he’d pay with half a sack of corn in exchange for a ride to Shanhai Pass.
To his surprise, the man readily agreed, only to run off in the middle of the night.
They didn’t even get the ride, and ended up losing half a sack of grain—it nearly broke Madam Shan’s heart.
The two of them no longer dared to hitch a ride and could only trudge forward on foot, step by step.
Madam Shan felt like she had already walked all the roads she’d ever walk in this lifetime, and their food was nearly gone too.
But with hope so close at hand, she somehow found a burst of renewed strength.
Just then, the Shan couple suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Father, how many more days until we reach Shanhai Pass?”
“Pick up the pace. If we hurry, we can get there tonight.”
Shan Laoda turned around and saw Big Brother Ye standing tall like a tower amidst the sea of refugees.
Sitting on his shoulders was a delicate little girl carved from jade.
Big Brother Ye?
Then… the one on his shoulders—could it be Qingtian?
Shan Laoda was stunned. He tugged on Madam Shan’s sleeve and asked, “Look over there—who do you think that is? Am I seeing things?”
The journey of fleeing famine was harsh, and nearly every family had suffered some loss along the way.
With over a dozen members, the Ye Family was a large household and naturally stood out in the crowd.
What’s more, while the other refugees were all gaunt and sallow, the Ye Family members didn’t look the least bit frail—in fact, they were all ruddy and glowing with health.
How could they possibly look like famine refugees?
If not for the patched clothing they wore, people might have mistaken them for wealthy travelers out on a sightseeing trip.
Others might not know their background, but Shan Laoda did. He knew for a fact that they had all fled from the remote Huinan County.
All along the journey, he had yet to meet any refugees who had come from farther north than he had.
After nearly two months of fleeing famine, even Shan Laoda—who had once been broad-shouldered and thick-waisted—was now skin and bones, staggering with every step.
The weight Madam Shan had gained during pregnancy had long since melted away. She was constantly so hungry her vision blurred.
Whatever scraps they managed to scrounge up, they always tried to save them for their son first.
Even so, their once-chubby baby boy had withered into a monkey-like figure, his cries thin and feeble.
But the entire Ye Family, from elders to children, were all glowing with health—and they’d even managed to fatten up Qingtian?
Shan Laoda stood in a daze. For a moment, he could almost recall the same kind of smile that used to often appear on Qingtian’s face two months ago…
Madam Shan stared blankly as well. She raised a hand to rub her eyes and asked, “Husband, pinch me. Am I dreaming?”
Shan Laoda couldn’t believe his eyes either—and gave her a hard pinch.
“Aw—!” Madam Shan yelped from the pain.
The couple stared at each other in disbelief, finally confirming this wasn’t a dream.
Shan Laoda spat on the ground and, seeing the Ye Family already moving forward again, hurriedly tugged Madam Shan to catch up.
“I’ve never seen anyone fleeing famine look this well-off. I want to see what trick they’re playing!”
Indeed, for the past half month, everything had gone exceptionally smoothly for the Ye Family—most importantly, they had never gone a day without enough to eat or drink.
Whenever they went hunting, they always returned with something. Every time they went fishing, their nets were full.
If not for the fact that they were still on the road every day, their life now was practically more comfortable than it had been back home.
The children had all grown visibly stronger, and Qingtian’s once-thin little face had even filled out a bit.
At the moment, she was perched atop Big Brother Ye’s shoulders, her view stretching far into the distance. Her rosy-cheeked smile radiated pure joy, making her look like a blushing apple—utterly adorable.
Madam Ye walked beside Big Brother Ye, her eyes fixed anxiously on Qingtian, worried he might accidentally drop her.
Old Madam Ye, seated on the flat cart, looked uneasy as well. “Laoda, hurry and put Qingtian down. There are so many people and carts on this road—it’s dangerous!”
Fourth Brother Ye laughed. “We’re almost at Shanhai Pass. Big Brother’s just too happy, that’s all!”
But Old Madam Ye wasn’t as optimistic as her sons. Reaching Shanhai Pass was only the first step—getting through it was what truly mattered.
As night fell, the Ye Family finally arrived beneath the towering, imposing walls of Shanhai Pass.
Looking around at the dense throng of people waiting to enter, their scalps tingled at the sheer volume of the crowd.
Shanhai Pass was guarded by garrison soldiers. From time to time, soldiers with long sabers at their waists would come over to drive away the refugees blocking the official road.
“Move to the sides! Don’t all cluster here!”
“Hurry and clear out—make way for the main road!”
When the soldiers reached the Ye Family, they paused, momentarily unsure whether this group were refugees or proper travelers trying to pass through.
“Trying to enter the pass?” one of the soldiers stopped and asked Big Brother Ye.
“Yes, Officer. May I ask what the procedure is to get through?” Big Brother Ye asked respectfully.
“Do you have travel permits?” the soldier questioned.
“No, we fled here because of the famine,” Big Brother Ye replied helplessly.
In times like this, having no travel permit meant you could barely take a single step.
Had it not been for the disaster, the Ye Family could have obtained travel permits under the pretense of visiting relatives inside the pass.
But their hometown’s county office had collapsed in the earthquake, and the magistrates and clerks had long since fled—where could they possibly get a permit now?
“You’re refugees?” The soldier eyed Big Brother Ye up and down in disbelief.
“Yes!”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. Go find a place to rest nearby and wait patiently.”
Big Brother Ye was just about to ask a few more questions when, in the distance, several fine horses came galloping toward them.
The soldiers immediately raised their voices and shouted, “Clear the road! Make way for official dispatches! Anyone injured or killed will be at their own risk!”
The refugees who had been unwilling to budge now scattered like startled birds and beasts.
The Ye Family quickly moved aside as well.
“Mother, what do we do now?”
“Find a place to settle down first. Then go out and gather more information,” Old Madam Ye instructed calmly.
With so many people in the Ye Family, they walked a long way before finally finding a spot where the crowd thinned out. Only then did they manage to settle down in a somewhat suitable location.
Unbeknownst to them, the Shan couple had been secretly tailing them the whole time and now stopped to rest not far away.
While Big Brother Ye went out to gather information, Madam Ye began preparing dinner.
Old Madam Ye reminded her, “Keep a low profile—no need to attract envious eyes.”
Looking at the basket of food they’d managed to accumulate over the past few days, Madam Ye carefully picked through it, finally pulling out the two smallest carp.
“Fish!” Madam Shan’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Husband, look at that—those fish are huge!”
If she could stew them into a pot of creamy, white fish soup, maybe it would even help her lactate again.
She’d been too malnourished to produce milk for a while now.
Watching her precious baby grow thinner by the day, crying out in hunger, nearly broke her heart.
Shan Laoda clenched his teeth and growled, “That damn Ye Family! Just how much food have they been secretly hoarding?”
“They only gave me a single sack of dried corn kernels back then!”
“This won’t do—we can’t just let them off so easily!”
“Husband, what are you planning to do?”
Shan Laoda leaned in and whispered a few words into her ear.
Madam Shan’s eyes lit up, and she praised him, “Husband, you really are clever!”
“Of course I am!” Shan Laoda said smugly. “I’ve got a son now. I’ve got to make sure my wife and child live a good life!”
The Shan couple continued watching the Ye Family gather around the fire, happily eating fish. Their mouths watered uncontrollably with envy, and even in their sleep that night, they dreamed of smacking their lips and chewing.