In a chaotic world of infrastructure development, a woman's path to survival after being reborn

"What do you want?" Zhao Zexuan asked, looking at Su Li standing in front of him.

Upon hearing this, Su Li expressed her thoughts, saying, "Lingnan is thousands of miles away from here. I want a vehicle, whether it's an oxcart or a donkey cart. I can pay for it myself."

Hearing this, Zhao Zexuan pondered for a moment and then said, "There should be some extra carts in the village. I'll find someone to help you buy a cow. That should be enough."

Upon hearing this, Su Li became happy and said, "Thank you."

Seeing Su Li's happy expression, Zhao Zexuan's mood inexplicably brightened as well. He explained, "You don't need to worry about my mother's attitude. I've already taken care of it, and she shouldn't cause you any more trouble."

Upon hearing this, Su Li didn't say anything. She didn't care much about this nominal mother-in-law. She was selfish and only cared about her own interests. She generally wouldn't interfere in matters that didn't harm her.

……

What was promised in the morning was fulfilled in the afternoon. Su Li looked at the cart frame and ox that had been delivered and nodded in satisfaction. She then spent the rest of the time arranging her oxcart.

Although Zhao Zexuan suggested that a soldier could drive the oxcart for her, Su Li refused. She had experience riding horses before and was experienced in driving oxcarts. Moreover, she had space and could protect herself to some extent, so Su Li preferred to drive alone.

Zhao Zexuan was not surprised by Su Li's refusal. Of course, he did not object, but simply instructed his soldiers to pay more attention to Su Li's safety.

Perhaps understanding Su Li's thoughts, Zhao Zexuan had the carriage frame delivered to him be a standard horse-drawn carriage body, which could be used immediately after being installed.

Su Li had intended to tidy up the carriage, but realizing her current situation—lacking both money and food—she refrained from doing so and obediently followed instructions. She decided to postpone any additional items until they reached the next city.

……

Other supplies for the vehicle can be purchased later, but food is indispensable. Although Su Li has food in her spatial storage, now is clearly not a good time to take it out, so Su Li is somewhat conflicted.

Zhao Zexuan knew about Su Li's situation, so after sending the cart and cattle, he had someone send her her rations.

To outsiders, he and Su Li are now husband and wife, so communication between them is essential; at least for now, they can't let anyone see through their facade.

"Miss Su, this is your and our general's rations for the next three months. The general said to give them to you," Mo Bei said after delivering the rations.

Mo Bei and the others were in the know, having always been by Zhao Zexuan's side, and were presumably aware of the situation between the two. Therefore, Su Li didn't hide anything and asked curiously, "Are your general's rations here too?"

Hearing this, Mo Bei said seriously, "The general said that the grain that was brought back should be distributed to the whole village. Miss Su, you have just arrived and are not familiar with everyone yet, so it is not appropriate to distribute the grain to you separately. Therefore, the general said that it is more reasonable for the two of you to share the grain together."

Hearing Mo Bei's words, Su Li couldn't voice her objections. Instead, she was grateful for Zhao Zexuan's thoughtfulness. Otherwise, she really wouldn't know how to explain the source of the food.

……

Two days passed quickly. As dawn broke, a considerable commotion was heard from a small village deep in the mountains.

Almost every household here owns a vehicle, whether it's an oxcart or a donkey cart, so at first glance, it's quite a sight.

Su Li's oxcart was placed in the middle of the procession, a very good position. Su Li herself was quite satisfied and drove the oxcart with peace of mind among the crowd.

Behind Su Li's oxcart were the Zhao family members, but because of Madam Zhao's awkwardness, even though the Zhao family's sisters-in-law were curious about Su Li, they would not easily come forward to greet her.

Su Li felt that she would not have any dealings with the Zhao family, so she did not take the initiative to greet them.

……

After confirming that everyone in the village had arrived, Zhao Zexuan announced the departure, and the group embarked on their journey to Lingnan.

Because the road down the mountain was quite rugged, the group moved relatively slowly, but that didn't matter, as it gave Su Li a good opportunity to observe the surrounding environment.

Since it was not yet fully light, the group still held up torches, and from a distance, their descent down the mountain resembled a winding fire dragon.

During the journey, Zhao Zexuan sent someone back to inquire about the situation before leaving. Su Li also refused the soldier assigned to drive her car.

Having spent two days on the mountain, Su Li had no idea what the situation was like outside, but this trip down the mountain allowed her to get a glimpse of it.

The location of the exit from the mountain has changed direction, and it is now some distance from the capital. By this time, the capital must be in complete chaos, so there is no need to worry about anyone chasing after us. However, we will encounter some refugees as we descend the mountain.

In this world, life is hard for the poor. A natural disaster can lead to the destruction of families and the loss of lives. In recent years, God has been unkind, and there are no crops in the fields. There are far fewer people farming, and most of them have fled with their families.

There was indeed no food to eat on the mountain, but it was still better than for those who had fled famine. At least everyone looked and soundly. But the people down the mountain were different; they were all emaciated and looked frightening.

The people at the foot of the mountain were terrified by this group of people who suddenly appeared. They squatted down to the side, trembling, not daring to make the slightest move.

Zhao Zexuan walked at the front of the group, frowned as he looked at the disaster victims by the roadside, and said nothing.

Zhao Zexuan and the others had anticipated this situation down the mountain, so although they frowned, they were not surprised. However, the villagers who lagged behind were extremely astonished.

Seeing the state of the disaster victims by the roadside, many women silently hugged their children tightly, their expressions extremely serious.

The more people there are, the more dangerous it becomes. Even though the group of disaster victims by the roadside looked very thin, we still had to be careful. So as soon as we came down the mountain, Zhao Zexuan had his soldiers spread out on both sides of the team to keep everyone on high alert.

People who flee famine are usually those who can't make ends meet and want to try their luck in the capital. When they see such a large group of people, and the people in the group are all well-trained soldiers, they are terrified. Even if they are starving, they don't dare to go forward to ask for food. They only dare to kneel down and beg.

The disaster victims on the roadside were all skin and bones from hunger, their pleading eyes looking at everyone in the group. But such things were not uncommon. Even Zhao Zexuan and the others did not dare to start this, and pretended not to see the scene.

The law of the jungle is a characteristic of every era, and it is especially evident here. Su Li understood this principle long ago, so she did not feel any pity for the gazes of these disaster victims.