amaotonovel Chapter 139 Safe and uneventful descent down the mountain
Chapter 139 Safe and uneventful descent down the mountain
This bamboo grove is not large; you can see the end of it at a glance.
The swaying bamboo leaves in the wind cast shadows, and sunlight shone through the gaps between the leaves, illuminating the leaves on the ground and creating a golden carpet.
All the prisoners walked along the bamboo path, the rustling sound of their feet stepping on the bamboo leaves intertwining with the soft rustling of the swaying leaves to create a light and beautiful melody.
The air is filled with the fresh scent of bamboo and the unique, serene atmosphere of the woodland, which makes people feel relaxed.
With the danger over, the person leading the way walked quickly, and those behind did not lag behind.
The bamboo path soon came to an end.
The path ended at a small earthen mound.
When everyone emerged from the bamboo forest and stood on the earthen slope, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before them.
In front of the earthen slope is a mountain road, which winds its way down the mountain.
The mountain road is wide enough for two carts to pass side by side. The road is also quite flat with few loose rocks or fragments.
Everyone who looked at the wide and flat mountain road couldn't help but sigh.
"Wow, this mountain path is so wide, it's so comfortable to walk on."
"Oh, it's not easy. Finally, we can walk on some normal paths."
"Are we completely safe now, Dr. Ye?"
When some prisoners saw Ye Jingchuan waiting on the earthen slope, they hurriedly asked him questions.
Ye Jingchuan was already waiting for everyone by the earthen slope.
Hearing someone ask, he raised his kind and friendly smile and affirmed, "Yes, it's safe now. After you get off the mountain path, you'll soon see the main road. Just follow the main road north and you'll reach the city gate."
"Wow, it wasn't easy getting to this town!"
"The journey was filled with wolves and wild beasts, which nearly scared me to death."
"No matter what, it's good to be alive."
"Yeah......"
Ye Jingchuan bypassed the prisoners who were discussing and walked straight toward Wen Chengjian and the others.
As he walked, he said, "You guys, put this snake's tail back in the car. Make sure it's tied up securely, don't let it stick out. It wouldn't be good if it scared someone when we came down the mountain."
After Ye Jingchuan finished speaking, he didn't forget to wink at Wenwen.
"Yes, I'll listen to my uncle."
Upon receiving the signal, the three siblings split up to pack.
Fortunately, the cart was big enough, and there was a ring of branches and planks around it for cover.
Otherwise, it might not be able to block everyone's view.
If any one of these elements were missing, the result would not be what it is today.
It took the siblings quite a bit of effort to finally manage to stuff the entire python into the cart.
Once the door is closed, it blocks all outside views.
With everything prepared, the Wen family led the way and began their descent down the mountain.
It's often said that going up a mountain is easy but coming down is hard, but that's true in general. However, this time, the path down the mountain that everyone faced was not difficult at all.
First, there was a strong desire to get into the town; second, the wide and flat mountain road was indeed easy to travel; and third, there were no wild animals on the road that could threaten their lives.
All these factors combined caused everyone to walk faster and easier, and gradually they started jogging.
The Wen family members leading the way once again took advantage of the way down the mountain, using their cultivation techniques to enhance their spiritual power and speed up their run. When they were exhausted, they would rest and wait for the people behind them. Once the prisoners behind them caught up, they would start running again.
Repeating this process, the team descended the slope to the foot of the mountain in less than half an hour.
It was past noon, and the sun was high in the sky.
At the foot of the mountain, withered branches and fallen leaves were everywhere. A gust of wind blew by, carrying a cloud of yellow leaves, and everyone felt the chill.
It's late autumn on the other side of the mountain, but winter has already arrived on this side.
Everyone stood at the foot of the mountain, looking north, and could indeed see the official road.
There are villages and rice paddies on both sides of the official road.
There were still quite a few people walking around, carrying baskets, carrying hampers, and pushing carts; they were probably villagers coming to town to buy and sell.
Now that the official road is visible, everyone's safety is assured.
The Wen family members voluntarily returned the swords and knives to the yamen runners and soldiers.
The group waited quietly for Lord Zhu's orders.
Lord Zhu's carriage caught up from the back of the procession to the front, and Yang, the yamen runner, relayed Lord Zhu's orders.
"Listen up, everyone! We're heading north to Xieqiao Town. We'll rest there for the night and leave promptly at dawn tomorrow. Once in town, follow instructions and don't disturb anyone. Let's go!"
After Yang finished speaking, he drove the carriage ahead of everyone else.
Under the arrangement of the yamen runners and soldiers, all the prisoners lined up and walked towards the official road.
At the very front, of course, was Lord Zhu's insignia-marked carriage, followed by the yamen runners and soldiers clearing the way, and then the prisoners.
The Wen family members remained at the front of the prisoner line.
Wen Chengjian and Wen Chengbin struggled to push the cart along the left side of the line.
The male members of the Wen family also provided appropriate assistance from the sidelines.
Luckily, this is a flat road; if it were an uphill mountain road, it would be exhausting.
It was quite a coincidence that ever since they started pushing the python, they hadn't encountered any uphill paths; it was either flat or downhill, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Soon, everyone reached the main road.
A large group of prisoners dressed in prison uniforms were escorted by constables and soldiers carrying swords and knives on both sides.
This scene shocked the pedestrians on the official road, who quickly moved to the sides of the road, leaving the middle of the road clear for the prisoners to pass through.
Having been traumatized by their previous experience in the town, the prisoners were mentally prepared as they walked among the pedestrians this time.
The Wen family is also prepared to protect their loved ones at any time.
Wenwen's eyes flickered as she spotted several elderly women carrying baskets ahead.
I couldn't help but speculate.
I wonder if the old ladies have rotten eggs or green vegetables in their baskets.
She didn't want to smell the rotten eggs at all, but whether or not to throw them away wasn't up to her; everything was in the hands of the onlookers, the older women, and they had the final say.
Suddenly, several elderly women who were watching put down their baskets, squatted down, and reached into the baskets to rummage through them.
Wenwen's eyes flickered, and she gave a bitter smile to herself. She was already prepared to smell like rotten eggs again.
With a calm expression, she steadily walked into the throwing range of the elderly women.
One step, two steps, three or four steps, and I'm just one step away from the aunties and grandmas.
Unexpectedly, the women took out a handful of sunflower seeds and shared them with each other, chatting as they ate them.
"Wow, are these exiled prisoners? So many?"
"Yes, the official notice says it will be issued here in the next few days."
"Wow, winter's almost here, it must have been so cold on the way here!"
"Hey, what do you think about us setting up a stall at the city gate tomorrow morning to sell cotton-padded clothes and leather goods? Is that a good idea?"
"Okay, that's a good idea. Maybe we can even make some money."
Several elderly women chatted about their business, oblivious to everyone else around them.
The Wen family passed safely in front of the elderly women carrying baskets on their backs.
Wenwen listened to the old lady's conversation without missing a single word.
Her tense heart relaxed instantly, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
This is what older women and aunties are concerned about.
Well, if I run into these aunties and grandmas when I leave town tomorrow morning, I'll probably buy some of the cotton-padded clothes and leather goods they make.
All the prisoners remained silent and walked forward step by step. The onlookers did not get emotional, nor did they throw rotten vegetable leaves or rotten eggs.
We continued until we reached the vicinity of the city gate.
The constables then called for a halt, saying, "Wait where you are, and you may enter the town after the inspection."
"Oh, finally I can sit down."
After hearing this, some prisoners bent their legs and sat down on the spot.
Wenwen also plopped down.
She sat down, rested her chin on her hands, looked up, and her eyes involuntarily turned to the city wall.