The man patted his chest with lingering fear and said,
"It's still flooded. There's water everywhere. In our Dongli Town, only some rooftops can be seen. Floating corpses often drift downstream, including cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, and also... also poor people. There's a disgusting smell in the air. We didn't dare to get close. We just took a distant look and then came back."
Sighing heavily, the man continued, "Mrs. Jiang is right. The prince doesn't let us go down the mountain for our own good. Going down the mountain now won't help. We can only stand helplessly on the shore with nowhere to take shelter."
The people sent out all said almost the same thing. Word spread quickly. In less than half a day, the originally restless villagers calmed down completely. No one thought about going down the mountain to go home anymore. They continued to take shelter in the mountains.
...
After the rain stopped, the thick dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and the sky returned to its blue expanse. The sunlight shone unhindered on the earth. The once silent forest was filled with the sweet chirping of birds, and the wild animals and birds began to come out and move around.
During the days of taking shelter in the mountains, all they could eat were some dry rations and thin porridge. They hadn't eaten meat for a long time.
To fill the villagers' stomachs and let them regain their strength, the guards received instructions from Xiao Wuchen and went hunting in the mountains. Moreover, every time the guards went out, the dogs scattered in the mountains would follow them. They managed to bring back quite a few pheasants and hares, and occasionally one or two wild boars.
The abundant prey made everyone overjoyed. They immediately sharpened their knives and started slaughtering.
One pheasant after another was placed on the fire. The aroma of the burning meat fat made everyone feel more alive.
Although each person could only take one or two bites, they were very satisfied. The leftover bones were distributed to the dogs to fill their bellies. Humans and dogs coexisted harmoniously.
Wild dogs have no owners and are not as docile as domestic dogs. To protect or grab food, they often hurt people. So these ownerless wild dogs in Dongli Town used to be a real nuisance.
But during this natural disaster, if it weren't for these dogs, it would have been very difficult for them to find their way in the stormy weather and come to this mountain to take shelter. So in their eyes, these dogs were extremely cute.
Especially the majestic big yellow dog beside Jiang Mian. Many of the wild game such as pheasants and hares that the villagers ate were brought back by it leading the other dogs!
Every time they saw it walking proudly beside Jiang Mian, as if patrolling its territory, someone couldn't help but praise, "Mrs. Jiang, your Big Yellow is really amazing! Every time it goes out hunting, it can bring back a lot of prey. We owe a lot to your Big Yellow!"
"Mrs. Jiang, how on earth did you train Big Yellow like this? It's worthy of being called the king of dogs!"
"If my Ah Huang had Big Yellow's skills, we could eat pheasants and hares every now and then."
After everyone finished speaking, they all laughed. Their looks at Jiang Mian and the yellow dog were full of envy.
Someone even tried to tempt the yellow dog with a delicious chicken drumstick, saying, "Big Yellow, don't follow Mrs. Jiang anymore. Come to my house. I'll stew chicken for you every day. How about it?"
The yellow dog squinted its eyes slightly. Its small, black bean - like eyes were full of disdain. It ignored the person completely. Its arrogant look unexpectedly made everyone laugh again.
"You fool. Big Yellow can hunt pheasants on its own. Does it need you to stew them for it?"
"Exactly. A loyal dog won't easily abandon its master. Mrs. Jiang saved your life, and you actually want to steal her dog. You might as well give up this idea."
Another relatively wealthy person smiled at Jiang Mian and said, "Mrs. Jiang, how about I give you fifty taels of silver and you sell Big Yellow to me?"
Hearing this, the yellow dog bared its teeth fiercely at the man, then turned around and ran to Jiang Mian's side. It rubbed its head against her leg and let out a wronged whine.
Jiang Mian squatted down, suppressing her laughter and stroking the yellow dog's head. She said, "I've raised Big Yellow from a tiny puppy. It's like my child. Not to mention fifty taels of silver, even if there were fifty thousand taels of gold in front of me, I wouldn't sell it."
The yellow dog seemed to understand. Gaining confidence, it jumped in front of the villager who had said he wanted to buy it for fifty taels of silver and barked loudly.
"Isn't this what they call a dog relying on its master's backing?"
Everyone laughed so hard that they bent forward and backward. There was also a big smile on Jiang Mian's face.
For the villagers, as long as they could fill their stomachs, avoid getting sick, and endure a bit, they could get through this natural disaster.
Except for worrying about Xiao Jingcheng, everyone stayed in the mountains safely, waiting for the flood to recede completely. They didn't cause any more trouble for Xiao Wuchen and the guards.
What Jiang Mian and the others didn't know was that when no one was around, the villagers would quietly take out a small statue of the crown prince carved from wood or stone from their bags and pay three respectful bows, as a way to pray for Xiao Jingcheng.
The sick people gradually recovered. Jiang Mian no longer had to be as busy moving around among the villagers as before. She had more free time.
Apart from taking care of Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing, she almost spent the whole day in the cave where Xiao Jingcheng's body was placed, keeping him company.
Xiao Jingcheng's wounds on his body were healing rapidly. In just two or three days, they were completely healed and starting to scab. Except that his eyes remained tightly closed, he looked just like he was sleeping, and there were no other problems.
Staying by his side was actually the most relaxing time for Jiang Mian. In the cave, besides her and the big yellow dog that always followed her closely, there was no one else. She sat cross - legged on the ground. In her hand, she held a piece of cloth and scribbled on it with a charcoal pencil, recording her experience of treating the villagers this time.
After this incident, her medical skills had improved greatly. If she returned to the Huichun Hall, she believed that she could now diagnose others' pulses with ease without worrying about making mistakes.
"After we return to the capital, the first thing I'll do is find my master and reunite with him," Jiang Mian said to the man with his eyes closed beside her. "I haven't seen him for a long time. I wonder how he's doing in the capital?"
The yellow dog lay beside her legs. Hearing her words, it nudged her palm with its head.
Jiang Mian laughed and hugged the yellow dog tightly. "I'll also tell my master that I've found my father. He'll definitely be happy for me. Maybe he'll even become friends with my father."
"By the way, maybe my master can cure my mother's mental illness."
Her eyes lit up. "My master's medical skills are so good. He must have a way!"
"Looking at it this way, going back to the capital also has many benefits for me!"