He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 70 Nighttime Wildfire

Fire overcomes wood, and Meng Fuqing has always kept his distance from fire ever since he acquired wood-based superpowers.

At that moment, she sensitively detected a distinct smell of burning in the air.

Meng Fuqing thought it was a change in wind direction that caused the smoke from the campfire to blow in her direction, but she had a bad feeling, so she summoned vines to go around the villagers sleeping on the ground and search in all directions.

Upon investigation, they discovered that a tree on the side of the not-so-large mountain where they were staying was on fire.

About ten meters away from the tree, several people were fast asleep.

These lone refugees, afraid to provoke them, would rest nearby for a sense of security. However, their numbers were small, and even with someone on watch, it was difficult for them to remain awake throughout the night, making it impossible to detect the fire in time.

Winter is dry, not to mention that it hasn't rained for months. When resting in the mountains, the biggest concern is wildfires.

Meng Bochang was aware of this and had repeatedly reminded the villagers, but not everyone was aware of it.

Meng Fuqing retracted the vines, lifted the blanket and pretended to go to relieve herself. She walked around the foot of the mountain to a spot where she could see the firelight, and then immediately ran back to her resting place.

In just a short while, the wind picked up considerably, fueling the fire. She could already hear the frightened cries of the refugees who had been awakened.

"Miss Meng, what happened over there?" Mu Sheng, who had also heard the commotion, stepped forward and asked.

Meng Fuqing stated succinctly, "There's a wildfire; we need to evacuate as soon as possible."

The mountain wind howled, which made Mu Sheng very clear-headed. He instantly realized the urgency of the situation and turned to inform everyone.

Hearing their conversation, the night watchmen hurriedly stood up and, without thinking, woke everyone up.

After a brief explanation of the situation, someone got up to look, and was so shocked by the fire that it almost made them lose their shoes.

After a period of chaos, everyone swiftly loaded everything onto the carts, carried the crying children, and the carts returned to the main road.

The night wind grew stronger and stronger, so much so that it was as if people were walking ahead and the fire was chasing them from behind.

The raging flames, with their destructive and world-destroying force, devoured everything in their path, leaving only glowing red embers in their wake. Before long, half the sky was ablaze, as if the end of the world had returned.

Meng Fuqing's mule cart was in the middle of the procession, while Shan Qiyu's horse-drawn carriage was in front of her. Meng Ranran and Meng Ali were huddled inside the carriage.

The firelight illuminated their small faces, making them glow red. Meng Ali was a little scared, and her thin body trembled slightly.

He had just seen someone take advantage of the chaos to steal another person's food, push that person into the fire, and then run away.

The screams seemed to echo in his ears.

Meng Ranran, just like a mother comforting herself, kept patting his back gently, whispering, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Meng Fuqing said to Meng Ranran and Meng Ali, "Don't be afraid, sleep a little longer. When you wake up, your older sister will give you something delicious to eat."

Meng Ali whispered, "Big sister, Ali is giving you something delicious to eat. It's dragon beard candy. Thank you, brother, for giving it to me."

"Okay, don't forget when you wake up."

As if they had found their pillar of support, Meng Ranran and Meng Ali snuggled together and fell asleep.

As dawn broke in the distance, the group, having been forced to travel for more than half an hour by the raging fire, finally stopped in a flat clearing after they had completely distanced themselves from the wildfire.

Without time to rest, the group cleared away all the weeds in their resting area, creating a large enough open space so that even if the wildfire came again, it wouldn't burn them.

Weeds can also be used to feed livestock.

Everyone was exhausted from the journey. The events had happened so suddenly that they seemed to be still half asleep when they arrived several miles away.

Many people took a nap, and Meng Fuqing, now used to the noise around her while she was sleeping, also closed her eyes and caught up on sleep in the carriage.

When I woke up again, it was already broad daylight.

The wind that started before dawn was now even stronger than it had been in the morning; stepping out of the carriage, one felt a stinging pain in their face and ears.

The wildfire was stopped somewhere, and it didn't reach their new settlement, but there were many more refugees around.

They have just fled and still have some food left. They are numerous and there are many refugees around them. If they are followed like this again, they can no longer turn a blind eye.

Regarding last night's wildfire, Meng Bochang reiterated to everyone: "Everyone, don't be lazy. Every time, you have to clear a space before lighting a fire, and when you leave, you have to stomp out all the embers. Like last night, if Qingya hadn't discovered it in time, we might not even have had time to load the goods onto the truck..."

Only then did everyone realize that Meng Fuqing had been the first to discover the wildfire, and they couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "This girl is really lucky! How come she didn't notice it before?"

The villagers of Mengjia Village were thinking even more about it. It was strange, because as soon as her father died, all sorts of good things seemed to come her way.

Of course, these words couldn't be said aloud.

After what happened last night, the group wasn't in the mood for a proper meal this morning, so they continued their hurried journey.

Meng Ali still remembered what she had said last night. Sitting in the carriage, she first fed Meng Ranran a piece of candy, and then handed Meng Fuqing, who was driving the carriage, a piece of dragon beard candy. Meng Fuqing opened his mouth and ate it.

"Thank you, Ali."

The further you go, the more refugees there are on the official road. Most of them are adults and children carrying sacks, baskets, and bundles, slowly moving forward. There are also a few families driving carts, with their belongings piled high on the carts.

There were quite a few others like them who fled as a whole village.

Niu Dan is bold, burly, and has a stern face that makes him look intimidating. Just by looking at him, no one dares to mess with him.

But when he wanted to talk to someone, he would smile slightly and become as honest and simple as Niu Er. If he wanted to find out some information, he would get off the carriage and talk to other drivers, asking them where they came from and where they were going.

After asking around, I learned that almost everyone in the surrounding counties who heard the news had fled.

One of the families, knowing that Niu Da came from Qingping County, couldn't help but sigh that he had left early and escaped a disaster.

"The first place the Hu people went to was Qingping County. They didn't even need to fight; they entered the county town without any hindrance. They burned, killed, and looted along the way, committing all sorts of evil deeds! The county magistrate didn't even show his face. The people all thought he had fled first, but who knew that he was found dead in the tavern where he was staying!"

Niu Da felt a cold sweat break out on his back as he listened, not daring to imagine how many of his family members would have survived if they hadn't escaped with Meng Fuqing.

Suddenly, he felt guilty for accepting eighteen taels of silver, and thought he should make up for it in other ways later.

He went back and told his family what he had found out, and soon the news spread throughout the entire convoy.

The people of Mengjia Village were both grateful that the village chief had led them away in time, and deeply worried about their loved ones whose fate was unknown.

As for the Sun family and their ilk who were offered a way to leave but refused to go with them, they no longer had much time or energy to worry about them.

After a long day's journey, the livestock were exhausted and listless.

The people of Mengjia Village cherish these livestock very much. After settling in, they would feed the livestock hay while they were still hungry.

After the sun set, the wind that had been blowing all day finally subsided a bit. As everyone was cooking, a family suddenly walked towards them.