Chapter 210: Almost There

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Almost There

"Almost there! We should reach the town in about three hours!"

Ling Qianfan tilted his head back to glance at the sky, estimating the time before turning to shout at Hua Buwan beside him. He made sure to cheer her on. "Push through, Sister Buwan! The rest of the way will go by in the blink of an eye!"

Hearing this, Ling Yunge hurriedly pulled a plain handkerchief from her sleeve and carefully offered it to Hua Buwan. "Sister Buwan, wipe your sweat with this first," she said softly. "We can slow our pace a bit, and I’ll chat with you as we walk. With good conversation, the time will fly by."

This was a precious piece of experience Ling Yunge had figured out herself.

Back when they were first exiled, they had traveled exactly like this—chatting, laughing, and admiring the scenery along the road. Before they knew it, a whole day’s journey would be over. But if they just kept their heads down and marched, their bodies would start aching miserably within an hour or two. Their legs would grow unbearably sore, as if every step was weighed down by lead.

The further they walked, the more their attention would fixate on the agonizing pain in their legs. However, as long as they managed to distract themselves, things would naturally get much better.

It was just like having a hidden wound on your body. When you hadn’t noticed it, you felt no pain and wouldn’t even realize you were hurt. But the moment your eyes fell upon the gash, it was as if some mysterious force had been awakened. The once-numb flesh would suddenly flare with a burning, unbearable agony, and the pain would crash over you in endless, lingering waves.

Xu Panqing gently took the plain handkerchief and carefully wiped the fine beads of sweat from Hua Buwan’s forehead, offering soft words of comfort.

"Buwan, let’s rest for a moment and keep going once you’ve recovered a bit of strength. If you feel tired again halfway, we’ll stop and rest again. We’ll set off once you’ve regained your energy. That way, the journey won’t feel so exhausting."

After speaking, her observant eyes didn’t forget to carefully scan their surroundings. From her detailed observation, Xu Panqing already understood the situation. There wasn’t a single ox cart or donkey cart meant for passengers in this entire village. It was safe to conclude that finding a ride from here to the town was impossible.

Of course, there weren’t absolutely no carts at all. Simple pushcarts and handbarrows could be seen everywhere, but without exception, they were all used to transport fresh seafood to the town for sale. They were of no use to pedestrians. Therefore, to reach the town, they would ultimately have to rely entirely on their own two feet.

Meanwhile, Ling Qianjun stared fixedly at the winding road ahead, his mind racing as he racked his brain for a solution.

As time went by, more people gradually appeared on the road, all heading in the direction of the town. They traveled in small groups of two or three. Everyone carried heavy loads of various fish on their backs, ready to be sold in the town markets. From the looks of it, they had brought in quite a bountiful harvest.