Chapter 834: Chapter 834: Unease and Wrongness
Under Xiao Lian Hua’s gaze, Xiao Cui tensed for a moment, then thought this was just a ten-year-old girl, nothing to be afraid of.
Unable to think of a reason, she hesitated and said, "I think it’s better to go this way, you know, more people means easier to hide." She stammered to the end, thinking of a lame excuse.
Not wanting to waste words, Xiao Lian Hua immediately started walking, trusting this sister’s feeling less than her own. It’s true that more people make for good hiding, but there are plenty of people on the other side too.
"Hey, wait, don’t go..." Seeing that they were ignoring her and about to leave, Xiao Cui grew anxious. A flash of inspiration hit her, and she hurriedly said, "Aren’t you looking for a doctor to treat Xiao Hua Mei? I heard that big ships have doctors on board to prevent illnesses. Maybe there might be a doctor at the dock over there too."
This successfully made Xiao Lian Hua stop. If there was a doctor, that would be excellent.
However, being in a dangerous situation made Xiao Lian Hua’s mind exceptionally sharp. She immediately sensed something amiss and turned to look at Xiao Cui, "Didn’t you say you’ve never traveled far? How do you know this?"
"I... I heard it from villagers who have traveled by ship before," Xiao Cui stammered, finally covering it up.
Xiao Lian Hua suspiciously looked her up and down, the strange feeling in her heart growing stronger. She asked again, "Then how do you know there’s a dock over there?"
"I, I..." This time Xiao Cui couldn’t explain.
The girl next to Xiao Cui, seeing this, chimed in, "Isn’t it because you see many big ships leaving that way, with lots of goods being transported there, looking like there might be a dock?"
"Yes, that’s it!" Xiao Cui breathed a sigh of relief and, remembering something, became confident, "When Second Master Liu spoke to you on the carriage earlier, don’t think you were the only one who heard it. We heard it too, didn’t we? And looking at the current situation, I guess that’s the big dock Second Master Liu mentioned."
That explanation made sense. She also knew it was a dock, but Xiao Lian Hua vaguely felt something was still off, though she couldn’t pinpoint what.
Just then, the girl beside Xiao Cui said, "Xiao Lianlian, didn’t you want to wait for Xiao Hua Mei to get better, then hide in a cargo box when no one’s looking and head south, to find a home for Xiao Hua Mei?"
She pointed at the carriage pulling cargo boxes, "Look at all those people transporting goods, one box after another. Xiao Hua Mei doesn’t seem to have any issues now. If we hide in a cargo box and follow the ship, Second Master Liu and Mother Cui won’t be able to find us. Wouldn’t we escape far away?"
Xiao Cui’s eyes lit up, and she along with the other girl echoed in agreement, thinking it was a great idea.
This was indeed Xiao Lian Hua’s original plan, and she thought it would be the most reliable way. If she was alone, it might work, but she was with Xiao Hua Mei. Being trapped in a cargo box on a ship, she would have to figure out how to survive onboard; she knew it would be tough and worried Xiao Hua Mei, being ill, couldn’t handle it...
She shook the hand she was holding with Xiao Hua Mei, worryingly asking, "Xiao Hua Mei, how are you feeling now? Still uncomfortable?"
Their hands, interlocked, were sweaty with moisture, and Xiao Hua Mei didn’t want to let go.
Holding Xiao Lian Hua’s hand tightly, she took a small step closer to Xiao Lian Hua, her expression slightly dazed as she shook her head and softly said, "Xiao Lianlian, I want to go home..." Her tone was full of attachment.
This sentence made Xiao Lian Hua’s heart ache, instantly wavering. She knew the temptation to go home was huge, but her home was long gone, so she didn’t want Xiao Hua Mei to end up homeless like her.
Heading to the dock actually wasn’t a bad idea; there were doctors and hiding places, which was quite good. Heading south, who knew where they’d end up?
But the thought of heading north left her uneasy, though she couldn’t figure out why. It felt as if eyes were watching them from behind, but each time she turned, no one was there.
Maybe she was just too nervous, overthinking...
Thinking this, Xiao Lian Hua made up her mind, but still worried about Xiao Hua Mei’s health. So she reached out to touch Xiao Hua Mei’s forehead, then her own. Both were warm from the journey, unable to tell if they were comfortable or not.
"Shall we go?" Xiao Cui urged, her expression extremely impatient, with a hint of anxiety hidden beneath.
The other two girls were eager to head north. Their biggest wish was to escape as quickly as possible; as long as they could board the ship, they’d be safe. Though they never considered whether they’d succeed in boarding, hearing Xiao Lian Hua speak with such confidence, they wanted to follow.
Xiao Lian Hua glanced at Xiao Cui, "Oh, then you go ahead."
She figured she didn’t owe them anything; a group of five would attract too much attention, so she preferred to split up.
The other two girls were tempted, looking at Xiao Cui in unison. Having been suddenly abducted and left without support, staying together gave them some reassurance.
Xiao Cui froze, "Then what about you two?"
"We’ll go by ourselves."
Xiao Cui objected immediately, "No way!" Realizing her haste, she quickly explained, saying that since they escaped together, it would be better to stick together. Despite her lengthy persuasion, she refused to split up, though her tone softened significantly, not daring to show impatience.
In the end, Xiao Lian Hua observed the two paths for a while, seeing Xiao Hua Mei staring intently at the northern path, lost in thought, before resolving to head towards the northern dock.
The five girls made their way to the largest dock in Dangtu Town.
As they walked, Xiao Lian Hua noticed something was wrong with Xiao Hua Mei. The hand she was holding was no longer warm, feeling a bit cold, and she was lagging, silent for a long time.
She glanced at Xiao Hua Mei, sensing something was off, and immediately stopped by the roadside to ask how she was.
By this time, they had reached the dock area. Looking ahead, they saw countless large and small ships docked, with busy sailors and crewmen. This dock had laborers and porters everywhere, sweating profusely as they worked, and horse-drawn carts transporting goods, people of all sorts busily hustling and bustling.
Not only that, but there were luxurious carriages ready to depart, belonging to wealthy families, and ordinary folks with backpacks hurrying to board ships.
The roads ahead were full of food vendors calling out for customers, selling cheap, filling food to those doing the hardest labor for a few coins.
The strong river winds blew gustily, waves lapping at the shore, with the sounds of wind, water, and hawking blending into a scene of bustling activity, leaving no one paying them any mind.
The group was awestruck; it was their first time seeing such a scene.
Xiao Lian Hua also stared in a daze, realizing that what she’d heard, imagined, and finally witnessed were vastly different. Those carts and cargo boxes were all guarded, with people unloading each box at the dock. Once a ship arrived, porters would move the cargo onboard. Everything was in order; sneaking in wasn’t easy.