Chapter 23: to Hibiscus Town
The mellow wine entered his throat, he swung the bottle happily and hummed a ditty.
"Giggle."
The melodious tune caught my ears, and the sisters Su Ziqin and Su Qingluo looked at each other and couldn\'t help laughing.
*****
Li Xiu\'e was concerned about her daughter and made up her mind to buy a house in the county seat. Su Hu drank alcohol and his cerebral cortex was excited, so he made the decision that night.
Su Qing got the letter, and was so excited that he didn\'t sleep well all night. Counting the days on your fingers, counting when the academy will be on holiday, how many days are left before you can start your journey.
From Woniu Village to the county seat, it is necessary to transfer through Furong Town. On a sunny day, it takes five hours to take a donkey cart to Furong Town, and then change to a horse-drawn carriage from the town to the county seat. Leave the village early in the morning and arrive at the county seat in the evening.
When the weather is not beautiful, it is windy and rainy, and the mountain road is not easy to walk, it will take more time. He couldn\'t make it before the gate of the county was closed, so he had to eat and sleep in the open, and slept in the carriage for a night, and then entered the city the next day when the gate opened.
It\'s not easy to take the family to the county seat, Li Xiu\'e made preparations early. On the way, the children need to drink water when they are thirsty, eat when they are hungry, bring umbrellas when it rains, change clothes when their clothes get wet, bump into bumps, and need ointment to stop bleeding.
They collected a lot of things and stuffed them into her and Su Hu\'s back baskets, but they still couldn\'t fit them.
Before leaving, sister Qiao and Doudou had to carry a basket each, and even sister Yu carried a small basket decently, filled with some small things she thought she needed.
*****
On the second day of the academy\'s summer vacation, Su Hu\'s family woke up early, closed the doors and windows, and locked them. After saying hello to the village head, we crossed the river by boat, took a donkey cart to a neighboring village, and embarked on a journey to Mingshui County.
The three children who had never traveled far were very excited, laughing happily on the donkey cart, their cheerful faces were like the morning sun, full of youthful vigor.
When the adults heard the children\'s laughter, they couldn\'t help but curl their lips, and they felt happy, and they felt energetic.
When Su Hu\'s family arrived in Furong Town, they didn\'t dare to waste any more time. They didn\'t take a break, and then changed to a carriage for Mingshui County.
The carriage is much larger than the donkey cart, and ten people can sit in one carriage. Each passenger needs to pay fifteen copper coins for travel, and children pay the same fare as adults.
A five-year-old girl like Sister Yu has to pay the same fee for occupying a seat.
Su Hu counted seventy-five copper coins, handed them to the owner of the car, and got into the car with his wife and children. When the ten passengers were assembled, the driver skillfully swung the whip and steered the horses away.
*****
At noon in the hot summer, the carriage rattled forward, and the rear compartment was stuffy and hot, with the curtains open, it was still oppressive.
With a bitter face, Su Qingluo struggled for a long time before he got Li Xiu\'e\'s consent, moved out of the carriage, sat on the front shaft, and borrowed the wind from the carriage to blow away the depression accumulated all the way.
The little girl, who was only five years old, was dangling her short legs, admiring the beautiful scenery along the way, giggling happily.
"Hula la."
In the woods ahead, the birds flew up in all directions in panic, hovering in the sky and singing non-stop.
Su Qingluo\'s nerves tensed suddenly, and the tips of his ears moved slightly. He vaguely heard the clash of swords, horses neighing in pain, and the terrified cries of women and children.