Mao Junlan hugged the child, her heart a mix of emotions.
Now, there were only a few of them left, and the carriage felt noticeably empty.
But a sense of loneliness also surged. She glanced sideways and saw Ah Jiu crying like a tear-soaked doll.
"Ah Jiu, don't cry. We only found out the news after reaching Nanming City."
Mao Junlan bit her lip tightly, enduring her own bitterness as she comforted Ah Jiu.
"Yeah, why are you crying like this?" Mrs. Wang rubbed her eyes.
"I have plenty of ways to get your parents out, but..."
"But what?" Ah Jiu, tears streaming down her face, looked up at him from her grandmother's embrace.
"You... you have to give me more water."
Mrs. Wang turned her face away, knowing that Ah Jiu would think he was taking advantage of the situation at this moment.
But he never felt that way. If he wasn't strong, how could he protect those around him?
"Here you go." Ah Jiu no longer considered anything else. She took out water skins one by one from her embrace and stuffed them into her grandmother's arms.
"Grandma, you said you can save my parents, I'll give it all to you."
Ah Jiu emptied the last water skin and stuffed it into Mrs. Wang's embrace.
A total of three full water skins.
Li family's daughter-in-law, Mao Junlan, was stunned.
"This one won't do. There's a little earth dragon in this one."
Ah Jiu wiped her tears and pushed one of the water skins back into her embrace.
Mao Junlan stared blankly. Wouldn't such a large water skin, when stuffed back, make her bulge conspicuously?
"You're... giving them all to me?" Mrs. Wang rarely showed an expression of being overwhelmed with favor.
"Then I can drink it?" Mrs. Wang's face turned red with a smile as she tilted her head back and gulped down the water.
Of the three water skins, one housed a small earth dragon, and the other two were completely drunk by Mrs. Wang.
Her belly visibly expanded.
After a satisfied burp, water trickled down the corner of her mouth. He didn't dare to waste it, so he wiped it with his finger and licked his finger.
"Granddaughter, don't disturb me. I'm about to circulate the Heavenly Cycle and convert spiritual energy."
Ah Jiu stood up and watched her grandmother's hands circle around her chest, as if embracing an invisible ball. Then, with a long sigh, she pushed her palms down.
Following that, her breathing became calm, and her face looked serene.
Although Ah Jiu didn't understand what she was saying, this old lady was her own grandmother, her family.
Ah Jiu still had tears on her face, and her grandmother's belly would alternately swell and shrink.
When it was big, it was like a ball, almost bursting the drawstring of her trousers. When it was small, her belly seemed to be sucked in.
"Grandma, what... what are you doing? Can this method save my parents?"
Ah Jiu waited for a long time, and only spoke when she saw her belly's rise and fall had calmed down.
"Yes."
They traveled day and night without a single drop of water. The four peaches were strictly divided, two for each child, and the remaining two shared equally among the four adults.
They continued to the direction of Liu County, enduring the bouncing of the carriage.
Gradually, more beggars appeared, more refugees, and more people. The patrolling county officials also increased.
Especially as they entered the county town, beggars by the roadside flocked towards the carriage:
"Master, master, please give us something to eat."
The carriage was almost overturned.
All of them were so thirsty that their throats were parched, and they had no extra food to give to the beggars.
All the money was with Cai Lihua.
Ah Jiu saw that these people were all fleeing from northern cities to this place, unfamiliar with the land, where would they find life? But she could only watch helplessly, unable to offer any help.
"Ah Jiu, why are all these northerners gathered in Liu County?"
Mao Junlan's words caught Ah Jiu's attention.
"Aunt Li means..."
"Isn't that right? They probably won't let them enter the city. I'll go and ask." Mao Junlan comforted the two children, telling them to follow Sister Jiu, and got out of the carriage.
After asking, Mao Junlan's expression was grim:
"Ah Jiu, I inquired. They said they are not allowing people to enter the city, fearing spies might be mixed in with the refugees. Furthermore, they mentioned a bizarre case that happened recently, so Liu County is now full of refugees."
Ah Jiu gasped. She desperately wanted to enter the city and go to the prefectural office to inquire about her parents.
"Can't get in? What can be done about this?" Ah Jiu murmured to herself.
"Sister Jiu'er, where can't we get in?" Tie Chui blinked his big black eyes at Ah Jiu.