Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Xiao Jingmo quickly lowered his voice and asked Jin Bao for the details.
But Jin Bao had no time to explain. She managed only two words. “Run now.”
“Second Brother, make everyone run! It’ll be too late if we don’t. That wall is so strong-it even broke trees!”
Xiao Jingmo dared not delay. It could even break trees?
What kind of wall could run?
He soon understood. Combining Old Han’s warning about an autumn flood with what he had read in books, Xiao Jingmo realized the moving wall Jin Bao described was probably fast-moving water.
Jin Bao was too young to explain it properly and could only call it a wall.
“Father, run! I think I hear something. It may be the autumn flood Grandpa Han mentioned.”
Xiao Jingmo’s expression changed as he signaled Xiao Che with his eyes and pointed to Jin Bao in his arms.
Xiao Che understood immediately.
“Old Master, I think I hear something upstream too. Could the autumn flood you mentioned be coming?
“If it is, what should we do?”
Old Han listened intently but heard nothing.
Still, an autumn flood was highly likely in this weather, so he decided to explain what to do before panic struck.
“Run for high ground. The higher, the better. Get away from the river.”
The moment Old Han finished, Xiao Che organized everyone to flee.
“Marquis, what are you doing?”
“Trust me, Old Master. The autumn flood is here. We need to reach high ground now.”
Old Han looked at the sky. The heat remained maddening.
Yet a sense of foreboding stirred in him. Over the years, that instinct had saved him from countless dangers.
“If we’re running, follow me.”
No one argued. Nobody knew the terrain better than Old Han. Wherever he led them had to be right.
His eyelid began twitching too, and he quickened his pace.
“Keep up! Run toward that boulder!”
Most members of the Xiao Family were women and could not run quickly.
Xiao Che carried Old Madam Xiao on his back. Nanny Chen supported Pei Wanqing, and the two women dragged each other forward.
Xiao Jinghao carried Xiao Jingyu, while Lu Shuangshuang supported Madam Liu. They never looked back and remained near the front.
The two officers carried their own packs and did not fall behind.
Holding Jin Bao, Xiao Jingmo ran at the very front.
At first, everyone tired quickly, running for a while and then walking as they gasped for breath.
But when a low rumble came from the distance, every face changed.
Even the ground trembled beneath them.
“Run!”
Old Han’s expression changed, and he roared the command.
Everyone turned deathly pale. No one dared stop as they sprinted desperately toward the mountaintop.
The women lost their shoes but did not turn back. Their eyes fixed on the boulder ahead. If they reached it, they would be safe.
The rumble grew louder, like an army of ten thousand charging as one, shaking the earth.
“Ah!”
Nanny Chen suddenly tripped, bringing Pei Wanqing down with her. The two tumbled together down the slope.
“Mommy!” Jin Bao screamed in panic.
“Madam!”
Xiao Che quickly set Old Madam Xiao down, and Zhu Laosan took her.
“I’ll carry the old madam.”
There was no time for thanks. Xiao Che bounded down to Pei Wanqing.
By then, he could smell the heavy scent of earth mingled with water.
He grabbed one woman in each hand, lifted them, and raced up the slope.
The group barely reached the summit, then turned toward the ground where they had stood.
A wall of water filled with broken trees, rocks, and gray ice thundered toward them with the force to flatten mountains and destroy everything in its path.
Wherever it passed, the river widened from a few hundred feet to more than a thousand in an instant.
The flood rolled like a raging dragon, roaring as it surged downstream.
Trees snapped in its path. The bridge was torn apart and swept away, vanishing within seconds.
Clutching tree trunks, the group stopped breathing several times. The world-ending sight rendered them speechless.
Nothing could be heard over the thunder of the flood.
Lu Shuangshuang’s legs gave way, and she dropped to the ground.
Madam Liu finally reacted, sat down beside her, and pounded her aching legs.
Only then did the others slowly begin to move, relief at surviving washing through them again.
Even Old Han had never witnessed such a magnificent and terrifying scene. He had only heard others describe it. Seeing it now made his scalp prickle and his spine turn cold.
After everyone recovered, Xiao Che looked down at the raging river.
“What do we do now? The bridge is gone. How will we cross? Even if there were a boat, no one would dare ferry us through this current.”
Old Han pointed across the river.
“Marquis, look. Those low birch-bark huts belong to the Red Fox Tribe.
“The Red Fox Tribe is small, with only a few dozen people. They have lived beside the water for generations, and their people can often be seen along both banks of the Yehu River.”
“They are excellent swimmers and own several birch-bark boats.”
“Once the current calms, we can make a deal with them and ask them to carry us across.”
“But the people of the Red Fox Tribe are greedy and have a vile custom of eating human flesh.”
“Their tribe lacks supplies. If what we offer falls short of their expectations, they probably won’t agree to take us across.”
Xiao Che thought the plan could work. As for their cannibalism, the group did not fear them if they tried anything.
But the current would not calm anytime soon. More importantly, what supplies did they have?
Everything had been lost in the forest. They possessed only the banknotes and loose silver Xiao Jingmo carried. If necessary, they could offer money.
“Old Master, can’t we take another route?”
If there was a second path, Xiao Che did not want to deal with this tribe.
They had lived in these mountains for generations. If they plotted against the group, it would be difficult to defend against them.
“Before the flood, we could have gone around. There was another bridge fifty li upstream.
“But you saw what the flood did. There’s probably nothing left of it.
“Besides, the Red Fox Tribe is the only settlement near the Yehu River. We’re fortunate they happen to be staying on the opposite bank.”
Xiao Che studied the river, then nodded. “Then all we can do is wait.”
Old Han opened his atlas and hesitated. “There is another option. We could build bamboo rafts. A large bamboo grove lies nearby. But if the rafts aren’t strong enough and the current breaks them apart, we could all die.”
Xiao Che considered it a possible backup.
“We’ll speak to the Red Fox Tribe first. If their demands are too excessive, we’ll try building rafts.”
Once they agreed, Old Han led everyone to a cave.
The river would not recede for ten days to half a month.
The group had no choice but to settle in the cave.
Throughout the journey, they had relied on Old Han’s supplies for food and drink.
After reaching the official road, Old Han released the Snow Camels. Once he found a place for them in the Northern Frontier, he would return to find them.
Old Han had a flute made specifically for training the Snow Camels. Whenever they heard it, they would seek him out.
By now, the supplies he had brought were nearly gone.
They had planned to purchase more at a supply point after crossing the river. With the unexpected delay, everyone had to ration what remained.
Fortunately, all the Xiao Family men knew how to hunt.
It was late autumn, when game was fat.
At least they had plenty to eat.
Xiao Che took Jin Bao and Xiao Jinghao on one circuit through the forest and returned with a wild goat and several fat rabbits.
Lu Shuangshuang led Nanny Chen and Pei Wanqing into the woods to search for edible fruit. They found wild pears, persimmons, and jujubes.
They even gathered plenty of wild vegetables and medicinal herbs.
Since no one had entered this forest for years, it was rich in resources, and everyone returned with full baskets.
The days of waiting were not dull. Jin Bao and Xiao Jingyu ran wild through the forest with Xiao Jinghao and Xiao Jingmo, chasing pheasants one moment and rabbits the next.
Soon, not a pheasant or rabbit could be seen. It was as though they had agreed to move away overnight. News seemed to have spread among the little animals that a human faster than them had invaded their territory. It was terrifying.
Every day, Xiao Che, Zhu Laosan, and Old Han went to check the water level.
On the tenth day, it finally fell. But contacting the Red Fox Tribe across the river became the next problem.
Although the Yehu River had receded considerably, it was still roughly five hundred feet wide.
Unless the tribe came traveling along the river, there was no way to reach them.
One day, just after lunch, everyone was resting in the cave when Old Han rushed back.
“Marquis, come quickly. The Red Fox Tribe is preparing to move. If they leave, we’ll truly have no way to cross.”
Alarmed, Xiao Che immediately followed him to the riverbank.
On the opposite shore, more than ten men were loading supplies into birch-bark boats. The other ends of the boats were tied to trees.
Xiao Che waved, but the men appeared not to see him and continued their work.
“This won’t do. We have to get their attention.”
He searched the area and found a ten-foot branch beside the river. Taking off his outer robe, he hung it from the branch and waved it vigorously.
At last, someone on the opposite shore noticed.
The men gathered, pointing across the river as though discussing something.
Overjoyed, Xiao Che waved the branch even harder.
Half an hour later, five or six men rowed a birch-bark boat to their bank.
By then, everyone in the Xiao Family and both officers had come down the mountain.
The men immediately spotted the women and children in the group.
Greed flashed in their eyes. Then they jumped from the boat and came ashore.