Crossing the famine to find the white moonlight

After repeated attempts, Ye Wan realized that her brother, Ye Ershun, and Li Ruotao were harboring ulterior motives and plotting against them. She knew that continuing to tolerate them would only put herself and Xiaotong in greater danger. After some calm reflection, she decided to strike back, utilizing the system's map function to set up a "retaliation" for them.

That night, Ye Wan carefully studied the surrounding terrain on her system map and found a difficult trail. The trail was filled with gravel and thorns, and the terrain was uneven, making travel slow and easy to get lost. She knew that if Ye Ershun and his family fell behind on this trail, they would be in trouble and might even have to rely on Ye Wan's help to rejoin the group.

The next morning, Ye Wan quietly called Ye Ershun before everyone set out, and said to him with pretended concern: "Ershun, I was worried about what you said yesterday about exploring the way. We don't know the terrain around us now, and it's easy to get lost if we move forward rashly. Since you are willing to take the initiative to explore the way, why don't you take a few people with you, walk ahead according to the map, and find a suitable direction for the team." Her tone was full of concern and sincerity, and it didn't sound like she was setting up a trap at all.

Ye Ershun was a bit surprised, but he also felt it was an opportunity to show off, so he agreed without hesitation. Ye Wan then pointed him in the direction of what looked like a shortcut, but in reality, it was the same rugged path she had analyzed on the map. She explained everything in detail and even "prepared" some simple rations for him, feigning support.

A hint of pride flashed across Ye Ershun's eyes, thinking that Ye Wan's proactive approach meant she seemed a bit wary of him. So, he invited Li Ruotao to join him, and took a few familiar team members to "explore the way," preparing to lead the team from the front.

Ye Ershun and his group set out on the path Ye Wan had deliberately designated. Initially, they were feeling smug, believing they were ahead of the group and even had some control over the route. But soon, they sensed something was amiss. The path, strewn with gravel and thorns, was extremely difficult to navigate, and the group struggled mightily. Worse still, there was no sign of water along the path; only a desolate rocky beach and dense thorn bushes made it difficult to even move forward.

Ye Ershun began to feel the situation was not good and tried to turn back, but the path was too winding to make it easy. He suddenly realized that Ye Wan might have tricked him, and he felt annoyed and ashamed. He remembered Ye Wan's calm demeanor, and his anger grew. But at this point, he was powerless to fight back. He could only grit his teeth and continue forward, trying to find a way out.

Li Ruotao couldn't help but complain, "Didn't you say this was a shortcut? This isn't a road, it's a trap! Are we being tricked?"

Ye Ershun's face was gloomy, but he had to admit that the "shortcut" Ye Wan had pointed out to them was clearly intentional. Even so, he was unwilling to admit defeat and had no choice but to continue leading them on this difficult road.

Meanwhile, Ye Wan led the main group onto a relatively flat road, moving at a brisk pace. She paused periodically, pretending to wait for the return of Ye Ershun and his group, who had been "scouting" the way, and displayed a look of concern. Seeing her cautious and calm demeanor, the others expressed their trust and respect for her.

As time went on, people gradually realized that Ye Ershun, Li Ruotao, and the others didn't seem to be returning. In particular, some of the elderly and weak people who had trusted Ye Wan deeply began to wonder, whispering, "Ershun and the others always like to stir up trouble. Why did they deliberately run ahead this time?"

An elderly man shook his head slightly and said, "I think Ershun is a little uneasy. Miss Wan has been so worried about us, but he's not being honest. Miss Wan meant well by arranging the scouting, but if they don't come back, it seems like they're deliberately delaying."

Ye Wan heard these discussions and calmly explained, "Perhaps the journey is a little difficult, but don't worry, if they need help, we will send someone to help them at any time."

Her calmness and thoughtfulness convinced everyone, while Ye Ershun and Li Ruotao's behavior aroused more and more suspicion. Gradually, everyone realized that Ye Wan was the one the team could truly rely on, while Ye Ershun's family seemed restless and even a little self-righteous.

A few hours later, Ye Ershun and his group finally returned to the group in a state of disarray. Their bodies were covered in scratches, their clothes were disheveled, and their faces were filled with fatigue and anger. Li Ruotao grumbled in front of everyone, "This road is simply not meant for human beings! We almost couldn't make it back!"

Her complaints drew the attention of those around her. Someone said coldly, "Ms. Ye Wan has always been very careful with her arrangements. Since you volunteered to explore the route, you shouldn't complain."

Hearing this, Ye Ershun and Li Ruotao's faces grew increasingly embarrassed. The surrounding discussions and questioning made them feel ashamed. Ye Ershun looked up at Ye Wan, wanting to get angry, but unable to find a reason. Seeing this, Ye Wan instead gently comforted him, "Ershun, you've worked hard. Exploring the route was certainly not easy, and you must have suffered a lot on the way back. From now on, we can plan our routes together, and work together to avoid going astray."

Her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, without a hint of sarcasm, but it invisibly dissolved Ye Ershun's resentment and left him no chance to refute. Seeing Ye Wan's generosity, the people in the team felt even more respect for her, and were even more dissatisfied and disappointed with the behavior of Ye Ershun and his family.

That night, as the team rested in camp, Ye Wan sat alone, pondering her next plan. She knew this counterattack was only temporary, and that Ye Ershun and Li Ruotao might continue to disrupt the situation. But she also understood that her calmness and wisdom had earned her deeper trust within the team. Her composed response not only solidified her position but also allowed everyone to see the true face of Ye Ershun's family.

Her mother, Ye Cui Niang, came over, patted her shoulder gently, and whispered, "Awan, you've worked hard. You've always been so careful and calm. I know you've been so worried about everyone."

Ye Wan smiled slightly and gently held her mother's hand. "Mom, we are all on the road to escape famine. Supporting each other is the most important thing. As long as we work together, we will definitely go further."