Farmers

The tea stall was extremely crude, with nothing but a thatched awning overhead and several tables and chairs beneath it. Travelers passing by would stop to rest whenever they were thirsty or hungry, so it was often quite crowded.

Once everyone had satisfied their curiosity and looked away from An Ziran and his group, the tea stall filled once more with the sound of conversation. The waiter's loud voice occasionally rang out among them. Their tea and pastries were quickly served, and this time, the waiter did not dare sneak any more glances at them.

Even in spring, the noonday sun blazed fiercely.

Several plainly dressed farmers suddenly appeared at the tea stall with their children.

Each adult carried one or two large bundles on their backs, their complexions poor as they led the children toward the stall. Whenever newcomers arrived, everyone would instinctively glance their way.

The conversation between two men at the next table caught An Ziran's attention.

"Disasters are happening everywhere. Life is getting harder and harder these days." A man dressed in rough hemp clothes wore a gloomy expression as he heavily set his cup down on the table, making a considerable noise.

The other man at his table immediately said, "How do you know they came here to seek refuge?"

The man said, "You haven't returned in three years, so naturally you don't know. This is the only route from Prosper Prefecture to Maple City. What kind of place is Prosper Prefecture? It's the region where natural disasters occur most frequently. Every so often, one or two disasters strike—either floods or droughts. A flood broke out last year, submerging many fields and villages. Countless commoners were displaced and had no choice but to relocate elsewhere."

The other man nodded. He did remember hearing about it now.

He said, "Maple City is the closest place to Prosper Prefecture. If they were relocating, they would certainly go to Maple City. But it seems there has been no word of any natural disaster in Prosper Prefecture this year. Why are its people still appearing here?"

"I don't know." The man stroked his chin. "Perhaps they are worried another disaster will strike in the future, so they moved in advance. That happened last year too."

"It's better to leave Prosper Prefecture sooner."

"Exactly. Many people in Prosper Prefecture can barely survive anymore. The imperial family doesn't even..."

The other man hurriedly shushed him and lowered his voice. "Discussing the imperial family in public? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at An Ziran's group. For all he knew, they might have come from Gentlemen City.

The man immediately fell silent.

One of the farmers asked the waiter for a pot of tea. As soon as the tea was delivered, he took out the dry provisions he had brought with him. They were coarse grain rations that had been stored for a long time, making them rather hard. He handed a rough flatbread each to his wife and son, then swallowed his own with tea. The flatbreads did not taste good, and both adults frowned from time to time. The child could not eat it either, so the farmer's wife asked the waiter for a bowl, tore the bread apart, and soaked it in water. Once it had softened, she fed it to the child.

The child could not stomach the food and kept staring at the several steaming buns on Steward Su's table.

Seeing how the child was starving and sallow-faced, Steward Su felt a surge of pity. Noticing the child's gaze, his heart immediately softened. He beckoned the child over and gave him the three leftover buns on the table.

The child hesitated at first, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of the buns. To his parents' surprise, he immediately ran over, took the steaming buns, and excitedly ran back. He was very sensible and offered the buns to his parents first.

The farmer and his wife's eyes stung with tears.

Another family looked over enviously. They had come from the same village, and they too were eating rough flatbreads. They had not brought much money with them, so in order to save what they could and reach Maple City sooner, they had eaten only the dry provisions they brought along throughout the journey.

Steward Su's sympathy overflowed, and he immediately looked at An Ziran questioningly.

An Ziran did not hesitate. He called him over and whispered something into his ear. Steward Su immediately understood, told the waiter to bring more buns, then personally delivered them to the families.

"Hu... Ziran, why are you suddenly interested in Prosper Prefecture?"

Under An Ziran's silent glare, Fu Wutian very consciously swallowed the word "wife" that had nearly followed. He replaced it with a new form of address. He had also heard what An Ziran said and discovered that his princess consort had asked Steward Su to inquire about Prosper Prefecture, so he was quite curious.

An Ziran said, "Nothing. I'm just asking."

Since An Ziran was unwilling to say more, Fu Wutian did not press him further.

A while later, Steward Su returned. He had divided more than a dozen buns evenly between the two families and received their sincere gratitude. Afterward, no matter what he asked, they told him everything they knew.

Fifteen minutes later, the convoy set off once more.

There is another update later. Happy Christmas Eve, everyone!