Lu Wenguang saw that the situation had turned unpleasant and immediately wanted to step forward to take responsibility for pushing the cart.

In fact, he had originally planned to push the cart himself the whole way, but he hadn’t expected things to turn into such a dispute.

Before he could speak, his wife, Zhou Huiniang, stopped him and gave him a subtle shake of the head.

Although Lu Wenguang didn’t understand why his wife didn’t want him to say anything, he chose to listen obediently.

“What nonsense are you spouting? I think your sister-in-law is right. The road ahead is long and difficult—how can we expect your second brother to push the cart alone? If you don’t want to help push, then don’t put your things on it. Your sister-in-law was kind enough to arrange for the children to ride on the mule cart, yet you’re still being so ungrateful. If you really think that splitting the family means we are now separate households, then take care of your own children and don’t let them ride on someone else’s mule cart,” said Old Madam Lu, leaving Li Qiuju speechless.

Li Qiuju hadn’t expected Shen Qingwan to be so kind as to let her children ride on her mule cart.

Seeing things this way, she had no choice but to accept the arrangement.

“I just spoke too quickly. Sister-in-law, don’t take it to heart. It’s not a big deal—I’ll just bring fewer things,” she said.

As she spoke, she started removing items from the cart.

The pile, which had been over a meter high, was soon completely unloaded.

After carefully selecting what to keep, she ultimately only put a quilt and two bundles back on the cart. Zhou Huiniang had already packed lightly, so she quickly rearranged her things as well.

Following Shen Qingwan’s advice, each person chose two sets of clothes with fewer patches and packed them into a single bundle, along with two thin quilts.

Lu Jiaojiao also reorganized her clothes before putting them back on the cart.

The rest of the belongings mostly belonged to Old Madam Lu and Li Qiuju, as they had the most things.

Old Madam Lu finally made up her mind and decided to bring only two sets of clothes and a quilt, while the rest of the space was filled with flatbreads and dried food they had stayed up late making the previous night.

After this reduction, the cartload was cut down by three-quarters, making it much lighter.

Now, even if they got tired on the road, it would be no problem to carry two children on top.

With everything packed, Shen Qingwan picked up a piece of tattered cloth from the ground and tore it into long strips.

Everyone watched as she measured and tied the cloth strips onto the cart.

“Second brother, try this,” she said.

Lu Wenguang stepped forward, and she helped him sling the cloth strip diagonally across his shoulder, allowing him to pull the cart forward.

“This way, you can use your shoulder strength, and it won’t tire your hands as much. Sister-in-law, you’re really smart!”

Most people chose to push carts rather than pull them because pulling was too strenuous.

However, after Shen Qingwan’s modification, the cart felt much lighter and easier to maneuver.

“If we add another strap to the handles, we could use our waist strength while walking, which would further reduce the strain on the shoulders and hands,” Shen Qingwan explained.

She demonstrated again, and everyone quickly understood.

Zhou Huiniang stepped forward eagerly. “I’ll sew a long shoulder strap on later, and I’ll add one to the front as well. Otherwise, the fabric strip is too thin and might cut into the shoulders.”

Shen Qingwan nodded. “That’s a good idea, Huiniang. We’re setting off tomorrow, and many families in the village have carts. If we have time, we can teach them this method so everyone can travel more easily.”

“Yes! I’ll go tell them right away,” Madam Lu agreed enthusiastically.

Seeing that the old house was nearly ready, Shen Qingwan returned home.

Meanwhile, Li Qiuju and Zhou Huiniang had to visit their family homes, so as soon as Shen Qingwan left, they went out as well.

The two children were practicing in the yard.

When Shen Qingwan returned, Xiao Chen immediately ran up to her.

“Mother, I can hit the target ten times in a row now! Look!”

He raised his small arms and fired repeatedly—his hands were steady, and he actually hit the target more than ten times in succession.

It seemed he had a real talent for shooting.

“That’s amazing! I’ll reward you with a big chicken drumstick tonight,” Shen Qingwan said with a smile.

“Mother, I can do it too!”

Although Xiao Yu was two years older than Xiao Chen, she was a girl, and it took her a bit longer to master weapons.

However, she was patient, and despite her slower speed, she also managed to hit the target ten times in a row.

“Xiao Yu, you’re amazing too! You’ll also get a big chicken drumstick tonight.”

“Yay! Thank you, Mother!”

Shen Qingwan patted their heads and took out two chocolate bars from her pocket. “Since you both did well, here’s another reward—one chocolate each.”

In her past life, she hadn’t been fond of sweets, so she still had a lot of chocolates and candies in her space.

It wasn’t until later, when food became scarce, that she occasionally ate a piece of candy to curb her cravings.

“What’s chocolate? Is it food?”

The two little ones looked curiously at the beautifully wrapped chocolates.

Since they were still young, Shen Qingwan wasn’t too concerned about them knowing too much.

She unwrapped the golden foil and handed them each a piece of chocolate, which was two fingers wide.

Xiao Chen took a cautious bite of the dark-colored treat.

As soon as the silky, sweet flavor melted in his mouth, his eyes lit up.

“It’s delicious! Mother, this must be something from heaven—it’s too good!”

He couldn’t quite describe the taste, but he cherished the chocolate nonetheless.

“Eat it quickly, or it will melt,” Shen Qingwan reminded them.

Hearing that, Xiao Yu, who had been reluctant to eat it, immediately started taking big bites. “It’s so good, Mother! You have to try it too!”

She held her chocolate up to Shen Qingwan’s lips, her eyes full of expectation.

Seeing her daughter’s hopeful gaze, Shen Qingwan leaned in and took a small bite. “Mmm, it really is delicious.”

“Mother, try mine too!” Xiao Chen offered eagerly, holding up his melting chocolate.

Seeing the mess in his hands, Shen Qingwan hesitated, but when Xiao Chen tiptoed and moved closer, she sighed and took a tiny bite with a look of resignation.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the little boy grinning proudly.

“Isn’t it the best thing ever?”

Shen Qingwan nodded. “Yes, it’s very good. But after eating, remember to wash your hands. Then take a short break before practicing again.”

After settling the children, Shen Qingwan double-checked the items on the mule cart.

Once she confirmed everything was in order, she finally relaxed.

As night fell, she shared a final meal in the village with the children and packed some dried meat onto the mule cart, storing the rest in her space.

Since the meat had only been drying for one day, it wasn’t fully tough yet, but the flavor was excellent. Because of the children, she had made it non-spicy, and it was very tasty.

Xiao Chen couldn’t resist sneaking a piece and ate it with delight. Since they had already eaten dinner, Shen Qingwan didn’t let them have too much, worried they wouldn’t digest it properly.

After finishing two pieces each, the children reluctantly went to bed. Shen Qingwan tidied up and went to rest as well.

In the middle of the night, when the village was quiet, a sudden noise came from the courtyard. Shen Qingwan’s eyes snapped open, and she looked outside.

The mule neighed, and she realized someone was trying to steal their mule cart. Without hesitation, she jumped out of bed, threw on a coat, and silently approached the door.

Through the small gap in the main room’s door, she clearly saw four or five men in the courtyard, trying to pull away her mule cart.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She pushed the door open and stormed out. “How dare you! You actually have the nerve to rob the village?!”