Jiang Laosan was injured, and the injury was quite serious. It was said that he was injured by a scoundrel who broke into his house to steal.
Amidst Jiang Laotai's wailing and curses, Jiang Wan understood how Jiang Laosan's injury came about.
The refugees did not attack the county town, but the county magistrate was scared out of his wits, so he fled with his family. The yamen runners and officials in the county also disappeared, so some rascals and hooligans became rampant, specifically targeting families in the county that had some wealth but not much power.
Jiang Laosan's in-laws were such a typical family, so last night several scoundrels teamed up to break into the Liu family to steal. Jiang Laosan refused to let go of the family's money and property at the time, and was stabbed with a knife.
Jiang Wan's family listened from afar and did not go closer.
They had already broken ties with the Jiang family, and the Jiang family's affairs had nothing to do with them.
Seeing that the time was almost up and everyone had returned, the village chief called the villagers to set off.
Chen Yuezhi wanted to carry Jiang Wan, but Jiang Wan refused to do so. "I'll walk myself!"
Although she was small, she had good stamina, and her little bit of flesh was not light. She felt sorry for her mother and did not want to tire her.
Jiang Pan simply picked her up and placed her on the luggage on the cart. "Daughter, sit tight and hold on, we're setting off!"
Before Jiang Wan could sit steady, Jiang Pan pushed the cart. After the inertia, Jiang Wan's small body leaned back and fell onto the soft bedding. She was not scared at all, and instead found it very fun, so she giggled.
After climbing up and sitting properly from the bedding, Jiang Wan looked back at their village's procession, a long line, about a hundred meters long. Their family was in the second position in the line, with the village chief's family leading the way.
Seeing Jiang Wan sitting on the pile of luggage, the village chief looked down at his two little grandsons, so he also had his son carry them onto the luggage to sit.
The two boys were originally envious of Jiang Wan, but after they also sat on it, they were extremely excited and waved at Jiang Wan, laughing, "Wanwan, look, my family has an ox cart, the ox cart is more comfortable."
Jiang Wan couldn't be bothered with those two real little brats. She lay down on the bedding, crossed one chubby leg over the other, and assumed a leisurely posture.
The dirt road was bumpy, but with the thick bedding cushioning it, Jiang Wan did not feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, she felt very comfortable. As she swayed, her eyes began to close.
When she was woken up by Chen Yuezhi, she found that the procession had stopped, and the villagers were preparing to find a place to start a fire and cook.
It was said that they were cooking, but in fact, everyone had already prepared their dry rations in the village last night. Now, they were just starting a fire to boil some water to eat with the dry rations.
The water was collected from the mountains. Each family had prepared some, but they couldn't bring too much. Therefore, when they drank, they didn't dare to drink too much at once, because no one knew when they would find a new water source.
Jiang Wan's family didn't bring too much water either, enough for the family to drink for four or five days.
The containers for the water were made of bamboo cut from the mountains. The partitions in the middle were hollowed out, and the water was poured inside, and then the opening was sealed with mud. This was to prevent the water from splashing out.
However, this method was not convenient. Fortunately, when they were at the general store, Jiang Pan found several water bags, each capable of holding about ten catties of water. Now, while resting, Jiang Pan took Dalang and Erlang to pour the water from the bamboo tubes into the water bags.
The neighboring families saw this and couldn't help but feel envious. "Brother Dapan, you are truly far-sighted to have brought water bags. Do you have any extra? Can you spare one for my family?"
As soon as the person spoke, several nearby families immediately looked over, their eyes clearly conveying their meaning. As long as Jiang Pan agreed, they would definitely come to ask for them.
Jiang Pan was a little unsure how to refuse.
They were all from the same village, and a few water bags, obtained without spending money, made it difficult for him to refuse. If he refused, it would easily offend people. But these things were also very important to his own family, and he didn't want to give them away. And if he gave to one and not the other, it would be even easier to offend people.
Jiang Wan suddenly ran over, spread her arms, and blocked the person. "No, these are my water bags! I'm not giving them to anyone!"
As she spoke, Jiang Wan unexpectedly opened her mouth and started to cry. "The water bags are mine, don't snatch my things. I'm only five years old, don't covet my things, woo woo woo..."
Her voice was loud and her strength was sufficient. She cried without restraint, clearly enunciating every word, her voice carrying far, attracting many people to look over.
Chen Yuezhi immediately stepped forward and picked her up, pretending to coax her. "Wanwan, don't cry. Wanwan misunderstood. Your Uncle Dayou was just joking. How could he want something from a little girl like you? Stop crying, or people will laugh at you later."
Jiang Wan cried, "Wanwan doesn't believe it. Wanwan heard Uncle Dayou ask Dad for water bags. Those are my water bags, no one can snatch them from me."
Chen Yuezhi quickly said, "Your Uncle Dayou was really just joking. If you don't believe me, ask him if he was joking?"
Jiang Wan immediately turned to Zheng Dayou and asked with a pout, "Uncle Dayou, you were joking, right?"
Zheng Dayou was at a loss for words. He really wanted that water bag, as it was too convenient, and Jiang Pan's family had several.
But with Jiang Wan staring at him with such a wronged expression, he really couldn't bring himself to say that he wasn't joking.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Wan wailed again, "He wasn't joking, he wanted to snatch the water bag from me, a five-year-old little girl, woo woo woo... Wanwan is so sad, Wanwan is so upset, Wanwan is only five years old, how can someone snatch things from a five-year-old child..."
Under the accusations of a five-year-old girl and the scornful glances of many villagers, Zheng Dayou was so embarrassed that he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. "Yes... yes, uncle was joking with you. Wanwan, stop crying, uncle doesn't want your water bag."
After speaking, Zheng Dayou ran away as if his backside was on fire.
Seeing him leave, Jiang Wan wiped her eyes as if pretending. "Ah, so Uncle Dayou was really just joking!"
Chen Yuezhi said, "Do you believe it now? How could an adult compete with a five-year-old child for things? Wouldn't that be too embarrassing?"
Jiang Wan nodded heavily. "Mom is right!"
Chen Yuezhi rubbed her little head. "Go play on the side, Mom will get you something to eat."
Sanlang came over, took Jiang Wan's little hand, and sat her down beside the cart, smiling slyly. "Wanwan, you are so smart. You helped Dad out of a difficult situation with just a few words."
Jiang Wan chuckled. "Anything that belongs to our family, no one should even think about coveting it!"
Chen Yuezhi and Su Shi quickly roasted the yams. These things didn't keep well, so they had to eat them quickly to avoid them spoiling and feeling regretful.
As the family was eating roasted yams, Liu Shi, Jiang Laosan's wife, suddenly came over with a maid.
Liu Shi's attitude was somewhat arrogant. She glanced at the yams in their hands, with a hint of undisguised disdain in her eyes.
"Sister-in-law, are you eating? After you finish, please go and see my husband's injury. Don't worry, it won't be for nothing. After you've seen him, I'll give you two catties of grain."