Chapter 3: The Temple of the Earth God

After a brief rest, the group of refugees began their march again. With a decision made to settle in the nearest town, the journey felt less aimless, and even Qin Zhao seemed to find a renewed sense of purpose.

“Cao Xi,” Qin Zhao asked hesitantly, “once we reach the town, will we survive?”

“Of course, we’ll survive!” Cao Xi replied firmly. “We’ve endured so much on the road; there’s no way we’ll fail in a prosperous town. Things will only get better for us from now on.”

Hearing her confident tone, a trace of hope appeared on Qin Zhao’s face. Yet, despite her comforting words, Cao Xi harbored her own uncertainties. She was well aware that stepping into an unfamiliar town could just as easily lead to being homeless and begging for scraps.

But one thing was certain: she needed to find some medicine for Qin Zhao’s feet. They were already bloodied and raw from days of walking, the flesh nearly worn through. Though he never uttered a word of complaint, every time they stopped, his pained expression betrayed him. It pained her to see such a brave and diligent child suffering in silence, trying his best not to be a burden.

Finally, as the group trudged forward, a dilapidated temple came into view. The sight of it lifted Cao Xi’s spirits; a ruined temple meant they were close to a town. However, she kept her distance at first, watching as the refugees scavenged through the temple. Only after they left did Cao Xi decide to investigate.

The temple’s door was battered, its plaque hanging by a single nail. Squinting at the faded characters, Qin Zhao muttered, “Temple of the Earth God.”

“Well done! I didn’t expect you to recognize those words at such a young age!” Cao Xi praised with a smile.

Qin Zhao puffed up slightly, his small face glowing with pride. “I can recognize any word I’ve learned.”

Cao Xi chuckled at his smugness. “Oh? And what have you learned so far?”

“The Three Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames. I’ve read them all, and I recognize most of the characters in them.”

Cao Xi laughed, lightly teasing, “Qin Zhao is amazing!” But inwardly, she wasn’t too impressed. A six-year-old might be precocious, but there were limits to what he could know. It wasn’t until later that she realized just how wrong she was—Qin Zhao truly had a remarkable memory and sharp intellect.

Inside the temple, it was a dreary sight. The space was cramped, the ceiling barely half the height of a normal room. A squat, chubby statue of the Earth God stood on a dusty altar, and the place was filled with cobwebs and debris. The windows were shattered, leaving the temple vulnerable to the elements. There was nothing of use left behind, but compared to the past few days, it was still the best shelter they’d encountered.

Not long after their exploration, the two rejoined the group and continued onward. This time, it wasn’t long before the towering gates of a city appeared in the distance. The words Qizhou City were boldly carved above the entrance.

Both Cao Xi and Qin Zhao were stunned by the sight. What they had assumed to be a small town turned out to be an impressive prefectural city, its high walls standing majestically before them.

However, trouble was brewing. The group of refugees was stopped at the gates by the city guards, who made it clear they weren’t welcome. From their gestures, it was apparent that the refugees’ hopes of entering the city were dashed. Frustrated and defeated, the group began to drift away, following the city’s perimeter in search of another destination.

Cao Xi frowned, quickly piecing together the situation. Either Qizhou City wasn’t accepting refugees, or entering required money—something they didn’t have.

Turning to Qin Zhao, she said decisively, “We’re not following them anymore. Let’s stay the night in the Earth God Temple and try the city gate again tomorrow. Maybe we’ll find a way in.”

Qin Zhao nodded obediently. “I’ll go wherever you decide, Cao Xi.”

His simple loyalty made Cao Xi smile. She ruffled his hair affectionately. “Stick with me, and we’ll face whatever comes, together.”

---

After Cao Xi and Qin Zhao returned to the Land Temple, Cao Xi pointed to a pile of grass in the corner and said, “You go rest over there. I’ll just tidy up a bit.”

Qin Zhao protested, “I’ll help you.”

Cao Xi replied firmly, “Be a good boy and go rest.”

Seeing that Cao Xi was insistent, Qin Zhao didn’t argue further. He sat obediently in the grass, watching Cao Xi work. There was nothing in the Land Temple, so it didn’t take long to clean.

After finishing, Cao Xi realized Qin Zhao had been staring at her the whole time. She sat across from him, gently lifting his little foot to take off his shoe. His foot was covered in blisters, and the shoe had stuck to them. Cao Xi carefully pulled it off, but still tore some of the blisters, revealing bloody, mangled skin with no uninjured areas left.

Seeing this made Cao Xi’s heart ache. But Qin Zhao, staring at her with his dark eyes, insisted that it didn’t hurt and that after resting tonight, he’d be able to continue going with her to the city the next day.

Looking at Qin Zhao, who was disheveled and wearing only an inner garment, his shoes worn through, Cao Xi couldn’t hold it in anymore and chuckled, rubbing his head. He was truly a heart-wrenching fool. So young, yet so sensitive. It seemed like this recent disaster had taken a serious toll on him.

Cao Xi smiled slyly at Qin Zhao. “If you want to come with me to the city tomorrow, then you have to let me kiss you.”

---

Qin Zhao’s face was full of disbelief. How could their pleasant conversation have suddenly turned into such a shameless request? Why did she always treat him like this? She was acting like a spoiled, mischievous kid.

He felt threatened, knowing that Cao Xi had said she wouldn’t take him to the city unless he agreed to her terms.

Seeing Qin Zhao’s conflicted face, Cao Xi was amused. Every time she teased him, it made her happy. He was just a child, yet he acted like an old man, constantly disapproving of her actions.

Cao Xi said, “You think about it. While it’s still light out, I’ll go to the city gate and see if I can find some food. You stay here and wait for me. Don’t move, understand?”

Without waiting for Qin Zhao to respond, she got up and walked out. By the time Qin Zhao realized what was happening, she was already far away. He sat there sulking for a while, then muttered, “Trickster.”

Meanwhile, Cao Xi was sitting under a tree near the city gate, watching the people leaving. Some were carrying baskets, while others were driving ox carts. From their appearance, it was clear they were all farmers.

Cao Xi muttered to herself, “They’re heading home for the night.” She fixed her eyes on an old man carrying vegetables, hoping he would drop some leaves within reach. Unfortunately, the old man couldn’t hear her silent plea.

After realizing that leaving the city was allowed, Cao Xi turned and headed back to the Land Temple. She thought that tomorrow morning, she would observe the situation a bit more before deciding how to enter the city.

---

When Qin Zhao heard sounds outside, he nervously watched for the person approaching. When Cao Xi entered, he immediately flashed a sweet smile. But it didn’t last long. He quickly turned his head away with a huff.

“What’s wrong with my little obedient one?” Cao Xi hurried over to Qin Zhao and gently turned his head back to face her.

Qin Zhao’s face turned red from the way she addressed him, and his eyes showed signs of grievance. Cao Xi smiled and affectionately rubbed his little face. “I’ll go outside to look for some wild vegetables. You stay here and be a good boy.”

When she turned back, she found Qin Zhao staring at her intently.

Cao Xi walked around the Land Temple, inspecting the area. As expected, they would be staying here for a long time. The ground in front of the temple was flat, with some wild grasses and vegetables. Behind the temple was a green mountain, with a clear stream running at its foot.

Due to the time constraints, Cao Xi picked some wild vegetables and returned to the temple to prepare dinner. These past days, they had either been on the road or sleeping on the ground. At least now they had a covered place to rest.

Cao Xi placed the wild vegetables next to Qin Zhao. “Qin Zhao, clean these vegetables. I’ll gather some branches. We’ll have something hot to eat today.”

As she spoke, Cao Xi started to build a small stove with the earth and placed a bowl on top, lighting a fire. Once the water boiled, she crushed the wild vegetables and some grain cakes, adding them to the bowl. The porridge, steaming hot, made both of them take deep breaths. They ate together by the fire, sharing the meal, one bite at a time.

Just as they were eating happily, the sound of voices came from outside, growing louder. The first to appear was a boy around seven or eight years old, who saw Cao Xi and Qin Zhao in the temple, shouted loudly, and ran out, calling, “Li Ge, our old hideout’s been taken!”

Next, five boys and a girl entered. The one called Li Ge had a grim look on his face and shouted, “Who are you? Who let you stay here? Get out! This is our territory.”

Another boy said to Li Ge, “Our stuff is gone. They must have stolen it.” Upon hearing that something had been stolen, the others looked at Cao Xi and Qin Zhao with hostile eyes, as if they wanted to tear them apart.

From their clothes and words, Cao Xi quickly understood that they were beggars who had been living in the Land Temple for a long time. Heaven could bear witness, but when they arrived, there was nothing here, and even if there had been something, it was swept away by the group of refugees.

Cao Xi spoke calmly, “We didn’t take your things. When we arrived, it was exactly like this.” As soon as the first boy had run out to warn the others, Cao Xi had quickly grabbed a stone and hidden it behind her.

Qin Zhao stood up, clutching Cao Xi’s clothes tightly, glaring at them. Just then, a weak voice came from behind. “Brother, I want to eat porridge.” A frail little girl, her eyes fixed on the porridge on the stove, occasionally swallowing saliva.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhao immediately stepped in front of the porridge, blocking it. “No one is touching it. This porridge is ours.”

Six pairs of eyes stared at Qin Zhao, Cao Xi quickly approached him, worried. “We didn’t know anyone was living here, but before we came, there was a group of refugees. Even if we took your things, we wouldn’t have anywhere to hide them.”

Li Ge looked at the two weak figures before him—both dressed in rags, with the boy even barefoot—and, though still angry, he now believed they hadn’t taken their things. However, he was still upset about losing the few tattered clothes they had, which would leave them cold during the night.

Li Ge moved past them to grab the bowl from the stove but was burned by the hot bowl and had to release it. Seeing he couldn’t get it down, he called to the little girl, “Xia Rui, come here and sit down to eat.”