Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 693 - 646: Seeking Shelter on a Snowy Night (2)

Chapter 693: Chapter 646: Seeking Shelter on a Snowy Night (2)

Chai Eying was holding Xiao Li Yu, chasing after them from behind, "Guoguo, Brother Rui is going home to take care of some matters. Why are you going with him? It’s a long way and it’s cold."

"I’m not afraid of the cold. I have a thick cloak." Guoguo threw herself into Princess Consort Luling’s arms, acting spoiled, "Grandma, I want to go home with Brother Rui."

Princess Consort Luling couldn’t bear to have her leave home, especially to Liangzhou City, which was four thousand miles away.

She held Guoguo in her arms and coaxed her, "Dear Guoguo, Brother Rui will come back after handling his business."

"No! I want to go with him!" Guoguo started to act petulant.

"Guoguo!" Prince Luling also tried to persuade her.

Guoguo didn’t listen, "I want to go!"

Li Xingmao coaxed her, "Guoguo, how about we go to the county town to play with Brother Tian Lang, okay?"

"I don’t want Brother Tian Lang, I want Brother Rui." Guoguo shook her head like a rattle drum.

No matter who tried to persuade her, Guoguo insisted on going with Baili Rui to Liangzhou City.

This child often snuck out before.

The adults at home were worried and wouldn’t agree to it. If she chased after them on her leopard, it would be troublesome.

Who could catch up with the speed of a leopard?

The family discussed and reluctantly agreed to let her go along.

However, Princess Consort Luling was worried that Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu wouldn’t be able to manage with two children, so she arranged for the young maid Zhou Zhaodi to travel with them.

The journey to the Northern Land would take six months round trip.

It’s now the end of August, and the further north they go, the colder it gets. By the time they return, it will be warm and blossoming spring next year.

Five people were traveling, with quite a bit of luggage, so Princess Consort Luling also arranged for a carriage specifically to carry the luggage.

.

Early the next morning, the Li Family got up together to see Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu off.

Chai Eying had Li Xingmao hold the little treasure, Xiao Li Yu, while she held Guoguo in her arms, giving her numerous admonishments before reluctantly placing her in the mule cart.

Sensible Baili Rui didn’t need an adult to hold him and had already climbed into the cart first.

He waved to Chai Eying, "Aunt Chai, I will protect Guoguo, don’t worry."

Guoguo also nodded, "Yes, Brother Rui will protect me."

Chai Eying, who was initially sad and worried, was amused by these two little brats talking like adults.

"You two little rascals, make sure to listen to your Aunt and Uncle on the way, and absolutely don’t run off, or you won’t see your parents again." Chai Eying clasped the hands of the two children.

Li Xingmao, Princess Consort Luling, and Prince Luling also came over to admonish Guoguo and Baili Rui.

But the two children were too excited to listen, only responding repeatedly with "We’ll listen."

After agreeing, they turned their heads and went off to play together.

The family couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Princess Consort Luling and Chai Eying had no choice but to admonish Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu, and then Zhou Zhaodi as well.

After countless admonishments, they ultimately had to leave.

The sun had fully risen above the horizon, and only then did everyone wave goodbye.

Mu Yuanxiu drove the mule cart, and Zhou Zhaodi drove the other carriage.

Zhou Zhaodi was the second of the Zhou Family sisters. Although she was only ten years old, she was a diligent girl who had been working on the farm since she was three.

Princess Consort Luling saw that she was quiet and capable, and sent her to travel with Li Yuzhu and the others.

The cart was pulled by a gentle horse, with only luggage inside, making it very easy for Zhou Zhaodi to drive.

Mu Yuanxiu’s mule cart led the way in front, while Zhou Zhaodi’s carriage followed behind.

Guoguo’s big cat, the big leopard, followed them from afar behind the two carts.

Leaving the Li Family, with Guoguo’s company, Baili Rui’s face showed a slightly brighter smile.

After all, he was a child, and under Guoguo’s influence, Baili Rui soon forgot his worries and laughed and joked all the way.

When the road was smooth, Mu Yuanxiu drove the cart overnight.

During rainy weather, they would stop to rest either at inns or farmhouses.

Guoguo’s leopard always maintained a distance of about a mile, closely following them.

During their breaks, besides feeding itself, the big leopard often brought back some prey for them.

Throughout the journey, they never ran out of meat.

Sometimes, when there was surplus, Mu Yuanxiu would take it to the market to sell for money.

Traveling in this manner, they reached the areas surrounding Liangzhou City by the end of December.

On that day, they traveled from morning until the afternoon and still hadn’t seen any villages.

Amidst the icy world of snow, everything was a vast expanse of white.

Seeing that night was approaching, if they couldn’t find a place to rest, spending the night in the snow would be unbearable for Guoguo and Baili Rui.

Li Yuzhu lifted the curtain, looked outside, and said to Mu Yuanxiu, "Yuanxiu, it’s getting dark. We need to find a place to rest overnight. If we can’t find a village, then let’s find a cave sheltered from the wind."

Mu Yuanxiu was also surveying the surroundings, "I am looking for one."

Finding a cave sheltered from the cold wind, how easy is that?

On the way, the only sights were low hills or wastelands.

As dusk fell, they walked into a small mountain valley.

Although there were several zhang-high slopes beside the road, the cold wind at the bottom of the valley was not weak at all, roaring like a lion’s roar.

Fortunately, hard work paid off, and Mu Yuanxiu spotted a small mountain cave.

The cave was halfway up the mountainside, several zhang high, and was very shallow, only a dozen steps deep.

Even so, it made Li Yuzhu very happy.

Cover the cave entrance with a wool blanket, light a fire inside, and it became a cozy resting place.

Mu Yuanxiu called Zhou Zhaodi, and the two parked the mule cart and horse carriage in a sheltered spot under the slope.

Li Yuzhu and Zhou Zhaodi each carried a child into the cave.

Mu Yuanxiu went to retrieve blankets from the cart to keep warm.

But just then, suddenly over a dozen horses charged towards them.

From afar, the riders’ joyous shouts could be heard, "Oh oh oh oh oh oh..."

The torchlight revealed the rough and fierce faces of the riders and the cold gleam of their knives.

Li Yuzhu and Zhou Zhaodi, who had just entered the cave, immediately looked down the slope.

"Those are bandits!" Baili Rui looked over, "They want to steal our carriage and belongings."

Li Yuzhu worried for Mu Yuanxiu’s safety, "Yuanxiu, come quickly, if they want to take the carriage, let them! We can always earn more money! Remember, we started with nothing!"

But Mu Yuanxiu waved his hand, pulled out a machete from his mule cart, and faced off against the dozen bandits.

"He’s showing off!" Li Yuzhu angrily set Guoguo down, "Guoguo, stand still, aunt is going to help uncle!"

She took from her space a handful of silver needles laced with a potent anesthetic.

Anyone hit by her needle would be down in three blinks of an eye!

"Don’t be scared, Auntie, Guoguo will call the big cat to help Uncle," Guoguo suddenly grabbed Li Yuzhu.

Li Yuzhu was startled. Oh right, how did she forget the leopard that had protected them along the way?

On their journey, when they camped overnight in the wild, the big leopard would approach and sleep by the fire.

Forget bandits and wild beasts, even birds dared not disturb them.

After saying this, Guoguo immediately took out the golden whistle and blew it.

In no time, the leopard, which was only a li away, ran swiftly towards them.

But at that moment, Mu Yuanxiu also blew a whistle.

He placed his fingers to his lips, and the sound he made far overshadowed Guoguo’s golden whistle.

The big leopard stopped in front of Mu Yuanxiu.

The charging bandits were so frightened they were dumbfounded, none dared advance, and each quickly turned their horse around to flee.

"All of you, stop! Anyone who dares run, I’ll let the leopard bite you, want to test it?" Mu Yuanxiu looked at them and coldly laughed aloud.

Li Yuzhu was surprised, what’s Mu Yuanxiu doing?

Isn’t it better if these people ran away?

Yet he wanted them back?

"Yuanxiu, what are you planning?" Li Yuzhu shouted down the slope.

Mu Yuanxiu waved at her and slightly smiled, then turned around and coldly glared at the dozen bandits.

All of them were on horseback.

If they risked their lives to escape, only one of the twelve would be bitten by the leopard, but none could guarantee who the leopard would bite.

The men hesitated, unsure whether to return.

Then, Mu Yuanxiu shouted again, "Xiao Tie Shou! If you don’t come back, I’ll order the leopard to bite off your other hand!"

The leading man with a full beard was even more scared when he heard Mu Yuanxiu call him out like that.

How did that young stranger know he was called "Xiao Tie Shou?"

"Xiao Shan!"

While "Xiao Tie Shou" was in shock, Mu Yuanxiu called out again.

"Xiao Tie Shou" had no choice but to turn his horse back.

In this world, besides the monk who saved him, no one knew his full name. Before the monk died, he asked for a name, the monk spoke it and then died.

But how did this young man know his full name?

Xiao Tie Shou Xiao Shan’s men were all equally puzzled, "Boss, how does this kid know you? He speaks with a southern accent!"

"How the hell should I know? Damn it, it’s weird as hell!" Xiao Shan cursed in frustration.

The boy’s earlier threat to let the leopard bite him hadn’t mattered to him; he ran fast, and the leopard would likely bite one of his men, allowing him to escape.

But now, with the boy calling his name, he could only let the leopard specifically target him, he dared not go back.

Xiao Shan glanced at the leopard, then rode two steps forward and stopped.

He cupped his hands and paid respect from afar to Mu Yuanxiu, "Young brother, it was merely a misunderstanding earlier, no intentional offense was meant, my apologies."

Mu Yuanxiu gently stroked the leopard’s fur and looked at Xiao Shan, "You think it’s a misunderstanding, but I sought you out on purpose. Xiao Shan, I’m passing through here without finding accommodation, provide us with a warm house, and I’ll have my leopard pardon you, not hold you accountable for startling it."