On the second day, under clear skies, the people of Jinli Town who had spent the night in the wilderness lined up listlessly, waiting for the officials to distribute porridge and noodles.
Only the children frolicked joyfully in the fields.
The same children who had been crying to go home the night before were now running under the blue sky and white clouds, chasing each other and filling the air with their crisp laughter.
This slightly eased the adults’ irritation. After finishing their bowls of porridge, they looked at each other and started to zone out.
“We need to work in the fields today,” someone said.
It was May, and there was plenty of work to be done in the fields. They couldn’t afford to be idle for even a day.
The village head was once again surrounded by people.
“Village Head, we need to hoe the fields today.”
“Village Head, I still need to plant corn. We can’t delay this!”
“That’s right, Village Head. Give us a straight answer. Can we leave or not?”
The village head was sweating profusely, feeling like he might get heatstroke. “Everyone, please don’t rush. It’s still early. Let’s wait for the officials to arrive, and I’ll ask them.”
Many people looked up at the sky. “What do you mean it’s early? The sun is already up. On normal days, we’d be in the fields with our hoes before dawn…”
“Normal days, normal days… on normal days, there’s no earthquake either,” the village head muttered, getting a bit irritated.
Someone overheard this and immediately a flurry of questions followed: “Village Head, are you saying our town will have an earthquake?”
The village head gulped down several mouthfuls of water.
He had nearly worn out his lips answering this question.
Fortunately, Yu Jin appeared, and the village head hurriedly said, “Your Highness, the villagers are getting anxious.”
“Anxious about what?”
The village head smiled bitterly. “Your Highness may not know, but May and June are the busiest months for fieldwork. We can’t be away from the fields.”
Yu Jin hadn’t considered these details. After hearing the village head’s explanation, he pondered for a moment and said, “It’s fine for the villagers to go work in the fields, but make sure they return here to sleep after finishing their work.”
Worried that people might just go home after finishing their work, he instructed, “By evening, Village Head, remember to arrange for someone to count the people.”
The village head wiped the sweat from his forehead and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, there are over a thousand people from the town. If some sneak back home, we might not be able to get an accurate count.”
“Do your best.”
“Alright, alright.” The village head could only nod.
“Long Dan, stay here and assist the village head.”
Long Dan saluted. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Yu Jin glanced around and left with Erniu.
By evening, sure enough, about a hundred people hadn’t returned.
The village head had no choice but to send some people back to the town with brass gongs to persuade seventy or eighty people to return.
Yu Jin had spent the entire day in Qianhe County dealing with the resettlement of new refugees. It wasn’t until he returned to Wuji Town in the evening that he heard Long Dan’s report.
“So, eleven people returned to Jinli Town after finishing their farm work?”
Eleven, meaning one in ten.
“Master, that’s right. Don’t you think those people are foolish? You’ve done so much for them, yet they still go back to risk their lives.”
Yu Jin smiled. “How can we force everyone to believe in a dream?”
Long Dan continued, “Later, the village head and his people persuaded seventy or eighty people to come back, but a dozen or so refused to leave.”
Yu Jin frowned, went to the courtyard of their temporary residence to rinse off, and then lay down in his room.
The summer night was lively, filled with the sounds of birds and insects.
Yu Jin couldn’t sleep, his thoughts turning to Jiang Si.
How was A Si doing? Had her belly grown even bigger? Was she still able to move around comfortably?
Without him by her side, was she having trouble sleeping like he was?
At that moment, Jiang Si was indeed awake.
Counting the days since Yu Jin had left, her heart remained suspended in worry.
When exactly would that cruel, merciless second earthquake occur? Or had it already happened, but the news hadn’t reached the capital yet?
The capital wasn’t far from Qianhe County. If that were the case, with an urgent dispatch, they would hear the news by tomorrow.
She gently stroked her heavily swollen belly and carefully turned over.
“My Lady, can’t you sleep?” A Qiao, who was resting on the floor, got up and placed a pillow under Jiang Si’s feet, gently massaging her calves.
In the late stages of pregnancy, Jiang Si sometimes experienced leg cramps at night. When Yu Jin was home, he would always massage her legs for her.
As A Qiao took over Yu Jin’s usual task, Jiang Si found herself missing him even more.
“I’ll sleep now,” she said, staring at the light blue, flower-patterned canopy and sighing before closing her eyes again.
The people of Jinli Town had slept in the wilderness for three consecutive nights. Those in tents were fine, but those sleeping outside were covered in mosquito bites.