Fox Road Travel Notes

While they were talking, Monk Tong opened the door and came in.

He shouted: "Commander Wang, I asked the brothers to change into clerk's clothes and control the store door and the stairs."

"I went out and took a look, damn, there were at least five to six thousand people outside."

"There's still a steady stream of people coming around, the guy said..."

He looked up and saw that Chen Zican was there too, and touched his head awkwardly.

"Brother Chen, you - why are you up too?"

Chen Zican smiled and said: "Brother Tong, I haven't seen you much these days? Are you avoiding me?"

"Ah You--"

Monk Tong was taken aback and smiled: "No, there's nothing to do. I'm just busy, um, busy!"

"Last time, it was all my fault that I was careless and didn't protect you and Military Advisor Wang."

"As a result, that Alima took advantage of the loophole. If Brother Chen hadn't been so capable, I, I..."

Chen Zican understood in his heart that it turned out that Monk Tong felt that he had failed to fulfill his responsibility and put Wang Heming and Chen Zican in danger, so he felt guilty in his heart.

He stretched out his two fists, which were bigger than the mouth of the bowl, and made a boxing stance towards the young monk.

"Brother Tong, are you laughing at me, Chen Zican, for being useless?

Come on, let's make some gestures! "

"Hmph! If I had these invincible hammers, I wouldn't be afraid of Alima..."

Monk Tong and Wang Heming were startled and laughed at the same time.

Monk Tong said with some guilt: "Haha, I feel relieved now."

"Two days ago, I saw Brother Chen always full of worries and depressed."

"I thought you were angry with my old boy, so..."

Only then did Chen Zican realize that this seemingly careless child monk was actually very delicate and sensitive.

He couldn't help but laugh: "Hey, it seems that it's my fault."

"I encountered a problem myself and couldn't figure it out. It has nothing to do with you."

Monk Tong patted his chest: "Brother Chen, if there is anything difficult to do, leave it to me, Old Tong."

"If you say something about murder and arson, I won't even frown!"

Chen Zican secretly smiled bitterly. In the world in his previous life, they said that as long as a problem can be solved with money, it is not a problem.

In this world, it seems that as long as problems can be solved by murder and arson, they are not problems.

Unfortunately, my own problems can neither be solved with money nor with murder and arson. How sad!

At this moment, there was a tidal wave of noise outside the door, as if countless people were moaning, crying, and begging...

The three people rushed over at the same time, opened the window, and saw that the sky was already brightening.

In the inn, big buckets of steaming rice porridge were brought out, and the waiters shouted hoarsely to maintain order.

The crowd is like a raging tide, people are pushing each other, raising their heads, stretching their hands...

Like a group of fish in a muddy pond, almost suffocating.

Wang Heming's face changed color and he shouted: "Brother Tong, please ask everyone to go out and help maintain order."

"If there is a bad sheep, knock it out first and then throw it out!"

Monk Tong jumped out of the window and shouted: "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, there won't be any trouble..."

After closing the window, both of them felt very heavy.

After a long silence, Chen Zican asked: "Brother Wang, where is that Mr. Xi? How is he doing now?"

Wang Heming didn't expect that he would suddenly ask this. He was stunned for a moment and then said: "He has other uses for our Dongting Water Village."

"When I captured him that day, I immediately sent him back to Dongting. I guess he is still on the road now."

Chen Zican nodded, as if he thought of something, but stopped talking.

He stood up and said, "I'm going to wash up and tidy up. We'll leave the city soon and go to the Wa Palace to see..."

The inn's porridge service starts at dawn and ends at noon every day.

Chen Zican took Guan'er and rode out the back door with Wang Heming, followed by two guards in black.

Along the way, I saw that except for the government offices, the surroundings were almost all low and dilapidated earthen houses.

People have expressionless faces and dull manners, as if they were walking zombies.

Historically, Handan has been used as the capital of many countries and has rich cultural heritage and a long history.

In later generations, it was also a large city with a population of tens of millions.

But now, there is no need to ask for directions at all. When we reach the cross street, there is a city gate in the southeast, northwest and northwest.

Along the dusty, rutted streets, victims in ragged clothes lay lying in twos and threes, not knowing whether they were alive or dead.

There are several porridge soup places in the city, but they are all equally blocked.

When we arrived at the gate of the city, we saw two rows of officers and soldiers wearing uniforms and tassels on their heads, holding swords and guns, as if they were facing a powerful enemy.

There were many people lined up outside the city gate, and heads with bloodstained faces and hideous expressions were stuck on the sharpened wooden stakes.

Kou'er was still riding on the big black horse with Chen Zican. When he first saw this scene, he screamed, turned around, hid his face in Chen Zican's chest, and shivered all over.

Chen Zican also felt his heart beating wildly and his throat was as dry as smoke.

A sweet smell filled the mouth, making people gag.

He swallowed hard and suppressed the annoyance in his heart.

Look at Wang Heming, although his expression is very bad, he is much stronger than himself.

After all, he was someone who had personally killed people, fought in battle, and commanded armies...

He put his arm around Kuan'er's shoulders and comforted her softly, not looking at the bloody heads.

Everywhere, there were moaning and crying people, densely packed like ants crawling on dead leaves in a flood.

They stretched their hands in vain toward the sky, the earth, and everyone who passed by, making meaningless sounds, like souls in Avici Hell, waiting for redemption.

Wang Heming lightly reined in his mount and walked alongside Chen Zican.

Asked: "Kuan'er is scared, why don't I have someone take her back..."

"I do not--"

Kou'er turned his face with tears in his eyes.

"Kuan'er is the one who survived from the pile of dead people. Kuan'er is not afraid!"

Wang Heming sighed: "There are at least thirty to forty thousand people outside the east gate alone!"

"I heard there were more in the past few days."

"The government was afraid of the consequences for the refugees, so they ordered the city gates to be closed half a month ago, and any intruders would be killed without mercy."

"The victims were unable to enter the city, so they slowly dispersed!"

Chen Zican shook his head: "Heaven and earth are unkind, and the officers and soldiers are tyrannical. If you stay here, you are just waiting to die!"

Along the way, we encountered refugees from time to time, either in small groups, or in dozens or hundreds, all wearing quail clothes and as thin as skulls.

They supported the old and the young, and their steps were stumbling, just mechanically dragging their feet.

There was no trace of life in his blank eyes.

When Kou'er took out the sesame cakes from his arms and handed them to the two skinny little sisters, who were supporting each other, greedy and fierce glances immediately came from all around.

The two guards in black reined in their horses and drew their knives at the same time.

The horse hissed, and the man stood up, blocking Kuo'er and Chen Zican.

Wang Heming shook his head and looked at the pair of little girls, the older one was only seven or eight years old, and the younger one was only five or six years old.

He said to the two guards: "These two children have obviously lost their parents."

"They are holding sesame cakes in their hands. As soon as we leave, I'm afraid they won't even be able to save their lives."

"Each of you take one and send it back to the village to raise him!"

He turned back to Chen Zican and Kuo'er and said, "There is an orphan camp in Dongting Water Village, which is dedicated to adopting children who lost their parents during the war."

"In these years, although the situation has been difficult and I have been hungry and full, I have been able to survive at least. Compared to these... sigh!"

Chen Zican nodded silently.

At this moment, he suddenly gained a little more understanding of the world and human nature.