Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 33

Han Junye, who had been petting the dog beside him, suddenly froze. He tried to continue as if nothing had happened, but Lin Chu squatted down in front of him.

“Tell Auntie, did you draw this?” Lin Chu pointed at the ink marks on the map that looked like random scribbles.

Han Junye’s chubby little face turned serious.

Just as Lin Chu thought he was about to reveal some shocking truth, he carefully glanced at her, his big black-and-white eyes welling up with tears. Then, in a trembling voice, he sobbed, “I… I didn’t mean to mess it up… Wuwuwu…”

Lin Chu: “…”

Alright, she had overthought it.

The extra ink marks on the map did look like a child’s careless doodling. But… how did it just happen to blot out the exact route she had drawn earlier?

Since that part of the map was covered, Lin Chu had to piece together the original path using the surrounding markings. That’s when she noticed—there was a canyon between the two mountains. Getting past the first mountain would be easy, but entering the canyon was a different story. If enemy forces spotted them there, they’d be trapped like fish in a barrel.

This route was no longer an option. But for now, she wasn’t in a rush to reach Jintong Pass.

The border was out of salt. If the military was already raiding civilians for supplies, what would happen to the common folk? She recalled from the original novel that merchants, after bribing the authorities, smuggled salt from the south and sold it at sky-high prices to desperate people near the border, making a fortune off the country’s crisis.

This was the northwest. In Lin Chu’s previous world, the region had many saltwater lakes. If this world was the same…

Lost in thought, she let the matter of the map slide.

Meanwhile, Han Junye, seeing Lin Chu deep in serious contemplation, nervously clenched his hands. He squeezed his eyes shut hard for a long while, forcing out a few teardrops. Then, with a pitiful expression, he tugged at Lin Chu’s sleeve.

“I… I really didn’t do it on purpose… I know I was wrong… Please don’t abandon me…”

Looking at the little bun sobbing pitifully, Lin Chu suddenly felt like a terrible person. She gently wiped his tears and coaxed him softly, “Alright, don’t cry. Auntie isn’t mad at you.”

Han Junye sniffled, his delicate little face scrunching up. Lin Chu’s heart ached at the sight. Since he had lost his parents, he was probably extra sensitive. Maybe her questioning had made him overthink things. She quickly reassured him with gentle words.

Seeing that his act had worked, Han Junye finally stopped squeezing his eyes shut. His face muscles ached…

A man sheds bl00d, not tears. Did she know how hard it was to squeeze out just two drops?

—

Everything was ready. Now, they just had to wait for midnight.

The soldiers guarding the courtyard changed shifts every two hours at night. In this freezing winter, no one could stand watch outside for an entire night.

With half an hour left until the next shift change, the two guards at the gate had already lost focus. Leaning against the wall by the entrance, they sought shelter from the wind and caught brief moments of rest.

Lin Chu packed two bundles—one with water and the flatbreads she had prepared earlier. With war breaking out, food would be hard to come by on the road. Carrying dry rations made sense to Jing He, but she was puzzled by the white silk fabric Lin Chu packed as well. Still, being someone who didn’t ask unnecessary questions, she simply carried everything without a word.

Midnight arrived.

Han Junye, being just a child, was fast asleep. He didn’t stir, even when Jing He carried him over the wall.

Waiting for them were five people, all dressed as commoners to avoid suspicion. Leading them was a yellow-faced man.

Jing He was about to hand Han Junye over so she could assist Lin Chu when she suddenly noticed Lin Chu perched on the wall—holding a dark, furry bundle in her arms.

Jing He reflexively glanced down at the child she was carrying.

“Jing He, give the child to someone else and help me with Little Gray!” Lin Chu whispered.

Bewildered, Jing He handed Han Junye to the yellow-faced man and stepped forward, ready to catch whatever Lin Chu was holding.

Little Gray, sensing the tension, hesitated. The little dog perched on the edge of the wall, peering down at the drop below. Then, turning its head, it gave Lin Chu a pitiful look.

Lin Chu stroked its fur and whispered, “Be good, Little Gray. I’m taking you with me. Stay quiet, okay?”

She tossed Little Gray down. Jing He caught it easily. The little dog’s eyes went wide in terror, but it didn’t make a sound. Once placed on the ground, Little Gray cautiously tested its footing, then let out two soft whimpers before looking back up at Lin Chu.

“Madam, jump down. I’ll catch you,” Jing He said.

Lin Chu glanced at the two-meter-high wall, took a deep breath, and leaped.

She was light, so Jing He caught her with ease.

To avoid drawing attention with the sound of hooves, the group had parked the carriage at the street entrance. A few dozen more people were waiting there, ready to move.

Once inside the carriage, Jing He covered Lin Chu with a thick wool blanket.

“There’s still time before dawn and before the city gates open. Madam, you should get some rest while you can.”

Lin Chu knew that the coming days would be spent on the road with little chance to sleep. Since she had a moment now, she decided to rest. But whether from nervousness or excitement, she simply couldn’t fall asleep. Little Gray curled up at her feet, its warm body a small comfort.

She pulled the blanket over little Han Junye and asked, “Did you find a local who knows the terrain outside the pass?”

“Yes, the cook, Old Zhao. He grew up outside the pass. He’s one of us.”

Lin Chu was satisfied with the answer. “I want to meet him.”

Jing He was surprised. She didn’t understand why Lin Chu was in such a hurry to see Old Zhao.

“Madam, it’s late. If you have questions, why not ask him tomorrow?”

Lin Chu shook her head. “I need to understand the terrain before I decide where to go next.”

Jing He hesitated. “Madam, don’t worry. General Song and his men have been stationed outside the pass for years. They know which places are safe. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Lin Chu glanced at Jing He, the usual warmth in her eyes completely gone. “Jing He, just do as I say.”

For a brief moment, an undeniable authority radiated from her. Jing He realized she had overstepped and quickly bowed before retreating.

Not long after, she returned with Old Zhao, who stood outside the carriage, waiting. Lin Chu kept her voice low so as not to wake the child.

“I heard you grew up outside the pass. Do you know if there are any lakes nearby?”

“Lakes?” Old Zhao seemed surprised by the question. “There’s one outside Yao City, and if you head west past Lianqing Mountain, there’s another one up in the mountains… Even though this region doesn’t get much rain, there are still plenty of lakes.”

Lin Chu nodded, having gotten the answer she needed. “That’s all. You may go.”

Before dawn, she had the carriage head toward the tea stall near the south gate. Ever since Li Jianye had been beaten up, he hadn’t shown his face, and with the city still closed, the area was eerily quiet.

Lin Chu knocked on the door.

Madam Qin was brewing morning tea when she saw Lin Chu and froze in surprise. “Madam Yan… what are you—”

Lin Chu didn’t waste time. She signaled for Jing He to bring the child inside.

“Madam Qin, I need to go find my husband. Taking the child with me would be too dangerous. While I’m away, please look after him. If I don’t return, find a way to send him to the commander’s residence or the relay station to find Sixth Young Master. Show them this letter, and they’ll know what to do.”

She had written the letter overnight. No matter what happened next, she didn’t want the child to be caught up in it. If something happened to her and Yan Mingge, Han Junye’s identity would eventually be exposed, and he would be taken back to the Han family in the capital. At least then, he would have a place to belong.

As she spoke, Lin Chu placed a bag of silver on the table. “Take this as payment for looking after him.”

“Wait… are you trying to escape?” Madam Qin’s face was full of worry. She had just visited Lin Chu the day before and knew the authorities weren’t even allowing her to step outside. If she got caught sneaking out, what would happen to her?

“I’m worried about my husband. I can’t care about anything else right now.” Lin Chu lied without hesitation.

Her eyes landed on the large pot Madam Qin was using to boil tea, and an idea struck her. “Do you have any more pots like this? Can you sell me two?”

Madam Qin was caught off guard. She had been about to comfort Lin Chu, but now she was talking about buying pots? As someone who ran a tea stall, she had several large pots for boiling water, with two spares in storage. Without hesitation, she agreed. “Yes, I’ll have someone bring them out for you.”

Just then, Han Junye, who had been pretending to sleep in Jing He’s arms, suddenly opened his eyes. With a pitiful expression, he reached out and clutched at Lin Chu. “Auntie, don’t leave me…”

Lin Chu hadn’t expected him to wake up now. She stroked his head and reassured him, “Be good. Auntie won’t leave you. I’m just going on a trip. When I return, I’ll come get you first thing.”

Han Junye’s eyes turned red. “No! I want to go with you!”

Lin Chu’s expression turned cold. “Listen to me. Stay here.”

Nearby, the burly man was already loading the pots onto the carriage. The sky was getting brighter—it was time to leave. Lin Chu led her group out.

Han Junye cried out for her, his voice heart-wrenching. Madam Qin chased after them, trying to return the money, but Lin Chu had already climbed onto the carriage.

She called back, “Madam Qin, I won’t argue with you about this. I’m going to find my husband, and I don’t know if I’ll make it back. In these troubled times, carrying silver is as good as carrying a bag of rocks. Just keep it for me. It’s getting late—I have to go.”

Steeling herself, she didn’t look back at Han Junye.

The carriage rolled away.

Han Junye stood at the door, gripping Madam Qin’s hand, his red-rimmed eyes filled with unshed tears.

That foolish woman! She actually left without taking him! How stupid!

After passing through the north gate, Jing He turned to Lin Chu, about to speak, when she suddenly noticed Little Gray still curled up in the carriage. 

She sighed. “Madam, we forgot to leave Little Gray with Madam Qin.”

Lin Chu shook her head. “Little Gray is coming with us. He’ll be useful on this trip.”

Jing He was puzzled but didn’t ask further.

When they reached the lake Old Zhao had mentioned, Lin Chu stepped out, carrying Little Gray in her arms. The ground was covered in frost, so she had the men clear a small patch before setting him down.

“Little Gray, lick it.”

The little dog hesitated, then took a tentative lick. Almost instantly, he recoiled and ran back to Lin Chu, rubbing against her feet.

So, it wasn’t a saltwater lake.

Animals have sensitive taste buds and often crave salt. In regions with saltwater lakes, livestock and wild herbivores tend to graze on nearby plants and even lick the soil. Lin Chu had originally planned to judge the lake’s salinity by observing the local wildlife. But with the grass dried up for winter and the ongoing war forcing people to abandon livestock, this method wasn’t reliable.

They pressed on, traveling for another half a day until they reached the base of Lianqing Mountain.

Yao City hadn’t seen any snow, yet here, the mountains were blanketed in white!

The steep paths made it impossible for the carriage to continue. They had no choice but to abandon it, transferring their supplies onto horses before continuing on foot.

At last, they arrived at the lake in Lianqing Mountain. It stretched vast and serene, like a piece of jade nestled in the snow-covered landscape. The view was breathtaking.

Due to the winter drought, the water level had receded, exposing dry patches along the edges.

“The snow is thick everywhere, but none has settled around the lake,” the burly man observed.

Saltwater lakes have high salt concentrations in the soil, preventing snow from accumulating.

Little Gray, thrilled to be off his leash, dashed through the snow, heading straight for the lake. He licked the damp soil, then immediately stuck out his tongue, smacking his lips before going in for another taste.

A smile spread across Lin Chu’s face. She hadn’t been certain they’d find a saltwater lake, which was why she had brought Little Gray. If they hadn’t, she had planned to dig wells in areas with high salt content. But now, with a saltwater lake right in front of them, things just got a whole lot easier!

Placing her hands on her hips, she called out, “Set up the pots and start a fire!”