Chapter 41 – Cannon-Fodder Old Woman Fleeing Famine (Part 11)

At this point, time meant life. Since her family clearly wasn't on the same path as the wealthy group ahead, Wang Daya decided it was best to distance themselves quickly.

Soon, she ordered her family to detour around the large caravan. After all, those people looked like they were leisurely strolling rather than fleeing for their lives — it was downright absurd.

She had no intention of being slowed down by such a group. After all, if the Tartars came charging in on horseback, they'd burn and pillage everything in their path. Every second counted, and she couldn't afford a moment's delay.

Meanwhile, Steward Wang, seeing the Lin family move far ahead of their caravan, finally felt reassured and didn't bother interrupting his master's "fun" again.

Once they were at a safe distance, the Lin family finally dared to speak. Other than the third son, most of them were inexperienced bumpkins — naturally, the sight of a wealthy entourage had left them awed.

The ever-lively second son was the first to speak: "Mom, did you guys see that caravan behind us? Definitely a rich family! Just look at their wagons… and the size of their group!"

Zhang Zhaodi chimed in too, "Tiezhu's right. Why are some people's lives just so good? Unlike us…"

As their chatter grew increasingly exaggerated, Wang Daya abruptly cut them off, "You people have too much time on your hands. If you've got nothing to do, then save your strength and stop talking. You'll conserve water that way."

Once she spoke, no one dared continue. When Wang Daya scolded someone with a stern face, she was downright terrifying — no one wanted to be her target.

By noon, the scorching sun baked the earth. Everyone — except those on the donkey cart — had red faces and dry, cracked lips, barely able to speak.

The heat was unbearable, and Wang Daya had deliberately limited their water to build their endurance.

Seeing their miserable state, she realized it was time to stop and rest.

At her command, everyone slumped to the ground — but they forgot that the ground's surface temperature was over 40°C. The second son, always the first to slack off, was the first to lie down.

He yelped and sprang back up immediately, rubbing his burned butt and cursing non-stop.

The others, who were just about to follow his lead, immediately reconsidered, throwing sympathetic glances at Lin Tiezhu's unfortunate backside.

Thankfully, the eldest daughter-in-law reacted quickly and pulled out a grass mat, finally allowing everyone to sit down without getting scorched.

But the sun overhead was still blazing, so Wang Daya led her two daughters-in-law to pluck some long wild grasses from the roadside, intending to weave straw hats.

The sons were tasked with setting up a pot to cook coarse rice porridge, while the three grandkids were sent with their young uncle to gather firewood. The weather was simply too hot to swallow dry pancakes — porridge would be easier to digest.

Progress on the hats was slow, mainly because most of the wild grass lacked toughness, with only a small portion usable.

Still, after working for a while, they managed to finish four straw hats. Once they put them on, the oppressive heat immediately felt more bearable.

Since there were only a few hats, Wang Daya gave them to the women first, and planned to collect more durable wild grass after their meal break.

She also planned to teach her grandkids (the ones riding in the cart) how to make straw hats, so they could help too. In her mind, only those who work get to eat — and in this world, child labor was perfectly legal.

After lunch, the Lin family didn't waste any more time and resumed their journey along the planned route.

Along the way, the kids gradually completed more straw hats. Though crude in craftsmanship, no one complained — without them, it was like being steamed alive.

After another two and a half hours of walking, it was finally time to stop for dinner and rest.

It was then that the two daughters-in-law started to feel something was off. If they were truly going to visit relatives, why the rush to travel day and night?

Seeing their confused expressions, Wang Daya realized she couldn't keep it a secret any longer, so she told them the truth: the Tartars were likely to invade soon.

As for the treasure left behind by her deceased husband? She had no intention of telling anyone but her own sons.

At first, both daughters-in-law were filled with resentment toward the Lin family — especially since they had been kept in the dark and robbed of the chance to warn their own families. The eldest daughter-in-law was even on the verge of tears.

Eventually, their husbands came clean about the letters they had secretly sent, and only then did Zhao Xiaohua calm down. She understood that, given the circumstances, the Lin family had no other choice.

But Zhang Zhaodi still felt bitter. In her mind, if the Lin family was going to flee, they should've brought her family too. Now, what were they supposed to do?

That night, Wang Daya assigned them all night watch shifts — a habit she had picked up from her experience in her first apocalyptic world.

Everything seemed quiet and peaceful… but Wang Daya couldn't shake a feeling of unease. Something in her gut told her danger was close.

So even at night, she didn't dare fall into a deep sleep, trusting her instinct to keep her family safe.