An elegant, publication-ready English translation of the chapter, strictly adhering to your guidelines and glossary:
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Despite their rushed pace, the ground was already completely soaked by the time they reached the campsite. Fortunately, the abundance of large trees and the light drizzle meant there were still some dry patches of land.
While the trees offered shelter from the rain, they did little to block the wind. Everyone had to arrange their carts into a circle to somewhat shield themselves from the cold gusts.
Gu Kaiyuan unhitched the cart from the ox. Huang Pingguo had already led the ox away to graze, so Gu Kaiyuan and Zhuang Datou began gathering firewood and fetching water.
This was the advantage of arriving at a designated campsite: the escorts knew exactly where the water sources were, saving them from running around like headless chickens.
