落尘小说网

第 58 章（第1页）

Themcamequietlyoverthefrontiervillage。Therainfromthepreviousdayshadleftthegrounddamp，andathinmiststillgtothefields。Mostofthevillagershadalreadybeguntheirusualwork。Somecarriedbasketstowardthefields，whileothersrepairedfencesdamagedbytheheavyrain。

Suyuanstoodhevillagewatchtower，lookingovertheroadthatledtowardthefroheywereleavingsoon。Beforesheleft，however，therewasohingshewaomakesureof。

Sheturowardthevillagersgatherednearby。“Ifsomethinghappensagain，whatwillyoudo?”

Thevillagerslookedatoneanother，anolderfarmerscratchedhishead。“Ringthebell?”

Suyuannodded。“Yes。Butafterthebellrings，wherewilleveryonego?”

Themaated。Thatwastheproblem。Theyhadlearnedhowtowatchtheroads。Theyhadwatchtowers，bells，andpeopletakingturnskeepingwatchatnight。Butifdangeractuallycame，therewasstillnoclearplaceforeveryoogather。

Suyuanwalkedtowardtheedgeofthevillageandpoiowardanoldsteareabuiltslightlyawayfromthemainroad。“Thisplacecouldbeusedasatemporaryshelter，”shesaid。“Butitshouldnotbetheonlyone。Iftheroadisblocked，peopleneedanotherwayout。”

Shelookedtowardthenearbyhillside。“Thereshouldbeanothershelterclosertothehouses，andanotherrouteleadingtowardtheneighbvillage。”

Thevillagerslistenedcarefully。Suyuantinued，explainingwherethesafestgatheringplacesshouldbeandwhichpathscouldbeusedifthemainroadbecamedangerous。Children，elderlyvillagers，andanyonewhocouldnotmovequicklywouldobesideredfirst。Shedidnottellthemthatsuchpreparationswouldguaraheirsafety。

Nothingcould。

Instead，shetoldthemthatpreparationwouldatleastgivethemacetorespondinsteadofstandinghelplesslywhendangercame。Shealsoexplaihewatchtnalsoncemore。“Ifsmokeisseenfromthetower，everyoneshouldbeealertandpreparetomove。Ifthebellrings，gatherattheagreedplace。Donotruntowardtheroadtoseewhatishappening。”

Afewvillagersnodded。Oneyoungmanraisedhishand。“Whatifwedontknowwherethedangeris?”

“Thenyoudontgolookingforit，”Suyuanansweredimmediately。“Youstaywiththeothersandwaitforinformation。”

Themannoddedseriously。XieZhenghadbeenstandingashortdistanceaway，listeningwithoutinterrupting。

Afteramoment，hewalkedoverandglaowardtheproposedshelter。Thisoneistooclosetothemainroad，”hesaid。“Ifsomeonetrolstheroad，theycoulddiscoveriteasily。”

Suyuanlookedattheplaceagain。Hewasrightso，shesidereditforamomentbeforenodding。“Thenwemoveitfartherback。”Therewasnumeweenthem。Shesimplyacceptedtheweaknessandbeganthinkingofanotherlocation。Thevillagerswatchedthetwoofthemquietly。TheyhadbeeacedtoseeingSuyuanbesidethegeneral，askingquestionsandnotigthingsthatmanypeopleoverlooked。Shewasnotawarrior，norcouldshedoheavyworkliketheothers，butsheuoodhowtolookataproblemfromseveralsides。

Anelderlyfarmerapproachedherwithasmallbasketoffood。“Takethisfortheroad，”hesaid。Suyuanlookeddownatthebasketandsmiledfaintly。“Youvealreadygivenusenough。”Theoldfarmershookhishead。“Youvedoneenoughforustoo。”Suyuandidnotknowwhattosaytothatso，shesimplyacceptedthebasketwithbothhands。

Bymidday，thefinalarraswerenearlyfihesheltersstillneededwork。Someofthepathswouldobecleared，andthewatwouldhavetotinuepractigthesignals。Butnoweveryoneknewwhattheyweresupposedtodo。

Wheurothebarracks，thereplatanderhadalreadyarrived。XieZhengsmenwerepreparingthehorsesandchegthelastoftheirsupplies。Ayaowasbusymakingsurenothinghadbeebehind，whileNannyZhaedlyremindedhertenoughwarmclothingforSuyuan。

Suyuanstoodoutsideforawhileandlookedbacktowardthefrontier。Shehadeherecarryingthegriefofhermothersdeathandnow，shewasleavingsomethingbehindthatwasnotgrief。Thevillagewasstillpoorandthepeoplewerestillvulnerablebuttheywerenolongerpletelyunprepared。

Andaheadofthemlaythelongroadtowardthecapital。。。。。