Chapter 59: The Situation Outside

“Throughout recorded history, years of disaster have always seen natural calamities accompanied by man-made misfortunes, with the actual severity often exceeding our imagination.

Since we’ve made the decision to stay together as a family, we should plan our response early and prepare thoroughly during this cold winter.” Leng Xiao hesitated for a moment before speaking plainly.

Droughts don’t form overnight. According to historical records, they often last two to three consecutive years. This year’s harvest has already been severely affected. If next year’s yield decreases further or fails entirely, Tongcheng will become nothing short of a living hell.

No, not just Tongcheng.

“Teacher Qin says the three counties surrounding Tongcheng are even worse off. Whether more distant areas are affected remains unknown. The wealthy households in Tongcheng have already sent people to purchase properties elsewhere.” Leng Xiao shared all the information he knew.

Leng Tian exclaimed in surprise, “Other places are also experiencing drought? It’s not just our Tongcheng?”

His most direct experience of this year’s reduced rainfall was the rising food prices. He wasn’t sure about rice and fine flour, but coarse rice and grains had risen from seven wen to nine wen, while dark flour had increased from three wen to four wen.

With so many areas affected by drought, how high would grain prices rise next year?

“Floods in the south, droughts in the north, earthquakes in the northwest—these have occurred in every dynasty throughout history. It all depends on how the imperial court and local officials respond. Whether they open granaries, reduce taxes, and resettle refugees, or…” Leng Xiao trailed off, not continuing.

Even unspoken, both listeners understood Leng Xiao’s meaning.

Neglect.

Suppression without regard for refugees’ lives, turning natural disasters into man-made calamities.

Often, man-made disasters are more terrifying than natural ones.

If they encountered a prosperous era with wise rulers, it might be manageable, but if they met with… Leng Tian didn’t dare think further about such disrespectful possibilities.

Far from Jingcheng, they didn’t know what the current emperor was like, but with this year’s poor harvest, they’d heard from the village chief that landowners hadn’t received any tax reductions.

Whether it was the emperor in distant Jingcheng or the local officials who were supposed to be parents to the people, from current appearances, those at the bottom couldn’t rely on either.

Next year would likely be more difficult and brutal than they could imagine.

Memories of that period of displacement and homelessness surfaced from deep within. Leng Tian asked anxiously, “Eldest Brother, when will we depart next year?”

Leng Xiao glanced at his younger brother’s expression and replied, “The provincial examination has three sessions: August 1st, August 3rd, and August 5th. The location is Ruzhou.”

“So we must reach Ruzhou before August 1st,” said Wen Nuan Nuan, who had gained a general understanding of Tongcheng since arriving these past days.

Zhongzhou was equivalent to a province, divided into eight counties and Ruzhou. Ruzhou served as the provincial capital, while Tongcheng belonged to Anyang County among the eight counties.

This meant they needed to travel from the foothills of Tongcheng to the provincial capital Ruzhou for the examination. “How far is Ruzhou from here? How long would the journey take?”

When it came to examinations, Wen Nuan Nuan had plenty of experience!

She couldn’t even count how many exams she’d taken since childhood. The earlier ones were manageable—just local tests requiring arrival at the examination venue ahead of time.

Starting from her senior year of university with national civil service exams, provincial exams, postgraduate entrance exams, and public institution recruitment tests, followed by interviews, she often traveled back and forth. Although she mostly didn’t pass—this could be overlooked—she had gained experience in planning travel time, hadn’t she?

“Ruzhou is over three hundred li from Tongcheng. With a carriage and smooth travel, it would take about eight or nine days,” Leng Xiao answered readily.

After hearing Leng Xiao’s response, Wen Nuan Nuan immediately calculated in her mind: eight or nine days on the road under ideal conditions. What if conditions weren’t ideal?

At the very least, there should be ample time to spare, allowing for a buffer of five or six days.

The exam is on August 1st. After the exhausting journey, Leng Xiao needs enough rest to perform well in the exam, and they also need to visit the exam location in advance.

Calculating it this way, they must depart from Tongcheng no later than the tenth day of the seventh month.

If funds are sufficient, they could even leave at the end of the sixth month or the beginning of the seventh month, which would only mean spending a bit more on accommodation.

Arriving early in Ruzhou would allow Leng Xiao to rest properly.

Settling down in Ruzhou early would also give them peace of mind.

Leng Xiao concluded, “We must depart no later than the tenth day of the seventh month. Next year’s circumstances are unusual, and the likelihood of unexpected incidents on the road is higher than usual. Ruzhou, after all, is the capital of Zhongzhou, a gathering place for the wealthy and powerful, so its public order is certainly better than Tongcheng’s.”

Wen Nuan Nuan nodded repeatedly. This aligned perfectly with her own thoughts. Rounding it off, she could consider herself quite capable.

Wait, Wen Nuan Nuan suddenly realized a serious problem.

The journey from Tongcheng to Ruzhou, plus their stay in Ruzhou, would take nearly a month. What about the trip from Ruzhou to Jingcheng?

“How long does it take to travel from Ruzhou to Jingcheng?”

“If everything goes smoothly, over two months.”

Oh, Wen Nuan Nuan understood. If things didn’t go smoothly, three months or more would be normal.

That meant the journey from Tongcheng to Jingcheng would take over four months!

Good heavens, they would be traveling from midsummer all the way into winter.

That’s far too long!

Wen Nuan Nuan silently repeated to herself: Don’t worry when things happen, don’t shout when angry, don’t tremble when anxious—stay as steady as an old dog!

Although the journey was long, at least it gave her the entire winter to prepare. Even if the drought persisted and no rain fell, that would be next year’s problem.

With the long winter ahead and ample well water, she could roll up her sleeves and work hard!

Moreover, she had an entire section of her storage room filled with water.

Compared to others, she felt reassured—a rare and precious advantage.

“The journey is long, and we’ll need to prepare a lot of food. Wait until winter, and I’ll help you make it when I return,” Leng Xiao said, gazing at Wen Nuan Nuan.

Wen Nuan Nuan waved her hand dismissively. “No need. We have plenty of time to prepare, and I don’t find making food tiring.”

Besides, for items like flour and rice, she could accumulate leftovers daily and make a batch to store once a certain amount was reached. It wasn’t something she had to do every day, so why would it be tiring?

But why did Leng Xiao’s eyes slowly lower?

Could it be… did he want to cook in the kitchen?

She never expected the powerful minister to have a hobby of cooking. But it was a good hobby, and Wen Nuan Nuan happily changed her tune: “Sure, if you like it, I can teach you.”

When he returned home on break, his back injury would have healed, and kneading dough wouldn’t be a problem.

Leng Xiao raised his lowered eyes, which seemed to sparkle like stars. His deep voice was almost inaudible: “Yes, I’d like that.”

Wen Nuan Nuan didn’t hear clearly, but whether she did or not made little difference. She thought of something else: “Tomorrow, I’ll make something delicious for all of you! It’s simple and easy to make, and just as simple and easy to eat. If you like it, I’ll make a lot and store it in the storage room for the journey.”

Hearing about the delicious food, Leng Tian had already cast aside his unease, focusing only on the thought of tasty treats.

Leng Xiao sighed silently to himself.

Well, at least Eldest Brother was no longer troubled by that unease.