Chapter 652: Hope (Part 1)

"Those with red stripes on your hands, all come this way — bathe, change clothes, men left, women right... each enter your own bathhouse..."

Zheng Xingxiang's entire family, overjoyed, entered Block Yi. Before them was another large level ground. On the right side near the riverbank stood several large buildings billowing with steam, apparently the great bathhouses.

Those holding special passes, guided by the auxiliary workers, entered one section. Inside the fence, it was again packed with a dense crowd, most looking rather honest, whole families gathered together, young and old.

And here, physicians and medical officers with white cotton cloths covering their faces, hung by two thin cords over their heads, stood to the side carefully scrutinizing them.

Some auxiliary workers, their faces likewise covered with white cotton cloth, were inspecting their clothing and bedding. Beside them were desks, and behind, inside a storehouse resembling a warehouse, were piled heaps of men's and women's garments of varying sizes, along with woolen blankets, distributed by different male and female stewards.

"Valuables — take them over there and keep them yourselves, you may put them into the small escape packs. The rest — clothing and bedding, inspection!"

Before the inspection of clothing and bedding, Zheng Xingxiang and the other household heads were issued a small pack. This small pack had an oilcloth outer lining and could be closed. Inside were a water flask, soap pod, face cloth, toothbrush, flint, a small packet of salt, and other items. The pack had straps and could be carried on the back, and could be lengthened or shortened. Somewhat different from ordinary bundles, it rather resembled a soldier's ammunition pouch.

A fine pack, but why call it an escape pack?

Zheng Xingxiang also saw, not far ahead, a small hut with a cloth curtain hanging. Many people were going in carrying large and small bundles, then coming out with the small packs on their backs.

Among the family, Yaya's father, the second son Zheng Tianmin, was rather careful and steady, and had also practiced some boxing and footwork. The family valuables were all in his keeping. He quickly spoke up, telling him to take the small escape pack and the valuables bundle to that hut, and to pack inside the bits of silver and copper coins the family had painstakingly saved, along with jewelry and the like.

"These — don't want them. These — don't want them either."

After the refugees had packed their valuables, each bundle and bedding was opened. Pile after pile of clothing and bedding, after a brief inspection, apart from a small amount of clean clothes and the one set they wore, most of the refugees' clothing and bedding was like garbage. It was taken away by those auxiliary workers with white cotton cloth covering their faces.

Pile after pile was placed into pushcarts, then pushed across the bridge. The crowd saw black smoke billowing from that direction, as if these clothes and bedding were being burned.

Many watched with pained hearts, but for most of them, their clothes were truly tattered and filthy. The clothes many wore, patched and ragged, were like patchwork monk's robes, black with grime, their original colors unrecognizable.

Their bedding, though full of holes everywhere, was so filthy that not even the cotton wadding inside could fly up. Inside, fleas likely filled the quilts, so naturally they had to be taken away and burned.

"The old doesn't go, the new doesn't come."

Zheng Xingxiang consoled himself this way, yet his heart ached terribly. One garment among them had already been passed down for several generations.

Fortunately, next, new clothes were issued.

"All come forward to receive clothing. Adults one set, children two sets, one woolen blanket. Tomorrow, you will proceed to Zhangjiakou, to newly established garrison farms in the Xinghe and Shacheng area. Upon reaching the garrison farms, winter clothes, winter quilts, and some daily necessities will be issued."

Zheng Xingxiang's old wife had died early. He had two sons: the eldest, Zheng Tianliang, whose wife was of the Tian clan, had one son and one daughter; the second son, Zheng Tianmin, whose wife was of the Qian clan, had a daughter, Yaya. They separated by gender and went to two tables to receive their clothing.

At the two tables not far apart, a male steward and a female steward watched them. The male steward called out: "Large-size men's clothing, four sets, undergarments complete."

The female steward called out: "Large-size women's clothing, three sets; small-size, two sets; undergarments complete."

Set after set of cotton-hemp clothing — blue for men, red for women — was handed to them, with white inner and undergarments complete. The same for the women. It seemed a bit embarrassing to look at. Tian-shi, Qian-shi, and the others quickly clutched them to their bosoms. Zheng Tianliang's young daughter, Zheng Jiaoniang, nearly eighteen, was likewise quite bashful, but her face was so smeared with mud and filth that her expression could not be seen.

Only Yaya excitedly took the clothes, looking left and right. Such beautiful bright red clothes — in the past, new clothes only came at New Year's, and now two sets had come at once. How happy she was.

There was also one woolen blanket, packed into a large escape pack, to be carried on the household head's back.

"Quick, quick — everyone go bathe and change clothes. Men left, women right, each enter your own bathhouse. The clothes you change out of, all taken away and burned..."

Inside the enormous bathhouse, divided into separate halls for men and women, everyone stripped completely bare and entered the pool to bathe. The pool was built of blue stone, with water entering on one side and able to drain on the other — simply pull the plug and it was done.

The pool water was full and scalding hot. As the crowd entered, each one grimaced and grinned, yet felt utterly refreshed.

"Ya ya, ya ya, ya ya."

Yaya excitedly slapped the water. Her mother, behind her, wore a smile and vigorously scrubbed her with soap pod. Slowly, Yaya's delicate little face emerged. Beside them, Zheng Jiaoniang also bathed comfortably. After she washed clean, her features too were rather pretty and charming.

Finally, after bathing and changing into new clothes, the male and female refugees emerged and gathered again family by family. Carrying their large and small escape packs, clean and tidy, guided by the auxiliary workers, they proceeded further ahead.

Ahead was another level ground, with long benches arranged in rows. Beside them, some barbers were busy at work. Barbers had existed as early as the Han dynasty and were even more common in the Ming — cutting hair, trimming beards and mustaches, and the like. Unexpectedly, this refugee shelter even had people specially to trim the refugees' hair.

At that moment, quite a few people were already seated on the benches, chatting from time to time. They basked in the sun. Beside them were large buckets of hot water — they could drink water while waiting, waiting for their own haircut and shave. There were also female artisans to comb and arrange the women's hair.

The barbers worked busily. One by one, the men had their hair cut and faces shaved, beards and mustaches trimmed, and hair buns tied. The women likewise had their hair buns tied and hair combed. Whether men or women, each one began to glow with health and vigor.

"Ahh, comfortable."

Han father Han Xianwei, soaking entirely in a wooden tub, let out a deep breath at the scalding hot water.

He bathed with great satisfaction. Throughout this journey, he had been covered in sour stench, little better than a beggar.

Of course, people like them were somewhat fond of cleanliness. Apart from what they wore, almost none of the clothes and bedding in their bundles were taken away to be burned. Naturally, new clothes like those given to Zheng Xingxiang's family were not issued to them either, but they too received a small escape pack.

After his family entered Block Yi, they were led to a place resembling an inn. Medical officers also observed them. Of course, their environment was far better — they could have a family clan divide into several rooms to rest. The food and lodging were both quite good.

The auxiliary worker guiding them said that staying in this place required expenses, but Captain Han had already paid. The Han Squire's family need only be at ease.

"That boy — he's become much more thoughtful."

Thinking of his son, Han father's eyes grew somewhat moist. Yes, in the past he had spoiled his son too much, kept him too confined. It was right to let him venture out on his own now.

Thinking of his son — from childhood, held in the palm for fear of dropping, kept in the mouth for fear of melting. The names of his three daughters — Han Pannan, Han Wangnan, Han Ruonan — showed the Han family's hope for and anxiety over this son, Han Kaijiao. So from childhood to adulthood, he had been watched extremely closely.

But the son was somewhat rebellious, always wanting to make his own career, refusing to follow the path his family arranged. In the end, he even ran away from home.

At that time, how worried he and the boy's mother had been. Especially when news came that their son might have encountered the Tatars — his mother, day and night, washed her face with tears.

Thus they worried for several years, when suddenly a letter arrived. Their son had joined the army on the Eastern Route, had even gone on campaign to Liaodong, had rendered great merit, and was now a Squad Commander in the Jingbian Army, and was even about to marry the daughter of the Fu household in the capital. Persuaded by their son, they had even moved the entire family to the Eastern Route. Ah, thinking of it, it was as if in a dream.

"Ah, there's a well here! Hurry up — Pannan, Wangnan, Ruonan, come out quickly! While there's water, take the changed clothes... and the clothes and quilts from the bundles, bring them all to wash! And that horse — quickly lead it over to brush down..."

When the Han family set out, they originally had three horse carts. But along the way, the horses ate too much. To save rations, two carts and horses were sold, leaving only enough to carry the women and children. Even Han father walked the whole way. The remaining horse, driven day after day, was already filthy, blackened, thin, and weak.

At this moment, Han father was thinking about how, when he passed the water room, they seemed to use coal briquettes for boiling water, each with holes on top — he did not know what for — when he heard his own wife's loud shouting. He could not help shaking his head: "This woman — from the day she married me, wherever she goes she's loud and brash, and loves to take advantage. Decades now, and not a bit has changed..."

"Husband, there's a well over there."

Mr. Li, Li Xiangqing, and his family received one small escape pack.

One set of his family's bedding and several garments were taken away to be burned. The rest they kept. The family separated by gender, bathed in a large bathhouse, changed into the clean clothes from their own bundles, and also had free haircuts, shaves, and hair combing — feeling even more refreshed and clear-headed.

Guided by the auxiliary workers, the family was then assigned their own room — one large communal bunk in a row of houses, many households crammed together. Yet they were already fully content.

Not far behind this row of rooms was an enormous latrine, divided into male and female ends. The auxiliary workers distributed several stacks of paper to each household, saying it was for wiping their bottoms. Such fine paper — how could it be used to wipe one's bottom? Many secretly hid it away again.

After settling in, everyone quietly awaited the issuance of their identification papers and the shelter's observation results. If nothing was amiss, tomorrow or the day after, they could leave the shelter and go on their way.

It was still early in the day. Li Xiangqing's wife, Yang-shi, discovered a well not far to the right, along with rows of laundry platforms and the like. A little farther off, the Juma River could also be used for washing clothes.

So she quickly took the changed clothes to wash, and also the bedding from the bundles, spreading them out to dry in the sun. Like her, everyone else in the shelter's rooms did the same.

That day passed without incident. In the evening, the crowd still drank congee, but at the dining hall in Block Yi. At night, everyone slept extremely soundly, feeling this was the most peaceful day in all their time fleeing disaster. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian to cast recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)