The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 122: Entrustment

Shen Lie and Sang Luo never expected that they would be visited by Manager Xu on the night before their departure.

The people who knocked on the door and led the way were none other than the two brothers Dong Ge’er, who were the servants of Dongfulou and had helped Sang Luo deliver food here many times.

Sang Luo and Shen Lie both looked relaxed. At this moment, they were afraid that the people coming were refugees, and also afraid that the people coming were villagers, so they didn’t dare to cause any trouble.

Shopkeeper Xu saw that only one oil lamp was on in the main house of the courtyard, so he bowed and apologized: “I am really intrusive.”

Sang Luo hurriedly said it was okay, and moved to the side, making a gesture of invitation. However, after the gate was completely opened, she found that Shopkeeper Xu had brought a lot of people with him.

Indeed, in these troubled times, even in broad daylight, people don’t dare to walk alone. Who knows why Shopkeeper Xu would choose to travel at night? It left us at a loss on how to host him.

Shopkeeper Xu, seeing our hesitation, turned to his companions and instructed them to extinguish their lanterns and wait outside for a while.

Sang Luo and Shen Lie both breathed a sigh of relief. The house was too sparsely furnished, and it would be easy for anyone perceptive to notice. Bringing in too many people, especially strangers, wasn’t wise.

…

With no suitable place to entertain guests, they invited him into the main house. Shen An and Shen Ning, who were still awake, greeted Shopkeeper Xu politely and then left the scene.

“Our humble abode is simple and lacks amenities, Shopkeeper Xu, please forgive us.”

It was indeed unfortunate timing. All the water boiling equipment was packed away, buried under baskets, and it wouldn’t be easy to retrieve it now.

Shopkeeper Xu took note of the empty house. Besides two beds and a table, there were just two baskets by the wall. Nothing else remained, not even the grain they had purchased earlier.

Realizing he might have guessed correctly, he was glad he hadn’t delayed any longer and had come immediately. He waved his hand, dismissing their apologies. “Let’s get to the main point.”

Seeing that the adults needed to discuss serious matters, Shen An and Shen Ning went to the kitchen to sit with the Lu family’s second and third uncles.

Once the children were gone, Sang Luo asked, “Shopkeeper Xu, what brings you here?”

Despite his urgency, Shopkeeper Xu hesitated when it came to actually speaking.

Shen Lie noticed this and said, “Shopkeeper Xu, you have helped our family a lot. Feel free to speak openly. If it’s something we can do, we won’t refuse. If it’s something difficult, we will at least help you think of a solution.”

This reassurance gave Shopkeeper Xu some confidence. He sighed, “It’s indeed a difficult matter. To be honest, I just returned from Shezhou.”

He explained how he went back to settle his family at the end of last year, and how he rushed back to Shezhou after hearing troubling news this spring. “Shezhou has more information than here. There are reports of high-ranking military officers rebelling, and due to refugees fleeing south, even our Huainan Road is becoming unstable. Wherever chaos breaks out, large households are the first to be attacked and robbed. Hearing so many of these stories has made me very uneasy. To be honest, I have lost my bearings.”

Shen Lie caught the implication but wasn’t entirely sure. “Are you asking about our escape route?”

Aside from that, he couldn’t think of anything else that would make Shopkeeper Xu come here at night to discuss.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Shopkeeper Xu nodded. “Yes, I heard about the recruitment and taxation on my way back. Knowing that Young Master Shen is familiar with the northern situation and has been preparing for a long time, and considering your past experiences in enemy territory, I thought you might not be willing to pay those exorbitant grain taxes and leave your family behind to join the army. So, I rushed here to ask if you have a relatively safe escape route.”

If anyone else had come to ask such a question, Sang Luo and Shen Lie wouldn’t have admitted anything. In fact, they might have knocked the person out, tied them up, gagged them, and left that very night.

But this was Shopkeeper Xu, and that made all the difference.

Their lifeline grain had all been bought quickly with Shopkeeper Xu’s help. Without him, given the rising prices and daily sales limits, they might still be queuing up in the county to gather enough grain. The same money would have bought much less grain.

They owed him a great debt of gratitude.

Because of this debt, they answered more cautiously. Shen Lie said, “In these times, there’s no guarantee of absolute safety. But we have indeed found a retreat. It’s deep in the mountains, very secluded, and should be safer than most places.”

Deep in the mountains, secluded, safer than most!

Shopkeeper Xu stood up excitedly. Deep mountains were beyond reach for most people, but Shen Lie and his family were different. They had traveled through mountains, crossed borders, and returned across half the Daqian dynasty. This journey alone had given them plenty of experience.

As for seclusion, Shopkeeper Xu couldn’t imagine how it worked, but the first condition alone made it safer than most places.

He clasped his hands together in excitement and then looked at Shen Lie. “Young Master Shen, I have to ask you, last year, did you sell a black bear skin and seven or eight wolf skins in the county? Did you encounter these during your journey to that place? How many people were with you?”

Shen Lie’s eyebrows moved. He understood the purpose of the question and nodded, answering truthfully, “Yes, there were two of us. We encountered the wolf pack and the bear separately.”

Two people hunted a whole pack of wolves and a black bear!!!

Shopkeeper Xu’s face turned red with excitement.

With such skills, living deep in the mountains should ensure the safety of the elderly and children.

He immediately bowed. “Young Master Shen, Madam Sang, I shamelessly ask to entrust my family to you.”

…

At the Zhou family’s place.

“You said the one who helped us buy grain, Shopkeeper Xu from Dongfulou, wants us to take his family with us?”

Shen Lie nodded and whispered, “Not his whole family, just his elderly mother, youngest son, and daughter, who are about the same age as our An and Ning, along with his brother-in-law and nephew, five people in total.”

This arrangement was indeed unusual.

Typically, families would flee together. This was the first time Shen Lie had seen such a separation.

With a bitter smile, he explained the situation to Zhou village head and Mrs. Chen, whom he had quietly called over.

It turned out that Shopkeeper Xu’s family had initially taken refuge with their employer. The owner of Dongfulou had considerable influence in Shezhou, but constant reports of entire wealthy families being massacred had made them uneasy. They devised a compromise. Given that they had many relatives in Shezhou, Shopkeeper Xu’s wife, eldest son, second son, and their relatives would stay behind, still under the employer’s protection. Meanwhile, his younger children would flee with their grandmother and uncle, joining Shen Lie’s group.

This way, if something happened, at least some of the family might survive.

In fact, the background of Shopkeeper Xu’s nephew is quite complicated. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been brought along separately. Shopkeeper Xu’s brother-in-law was coming specifically to take care of his nephew. Shopkeeper Xu explained this only to Shen Lie and Sang Luo, as he intended to entrust the boy to their care and did not want to discuss it further with others.

Therefore, Shen Lie only mentioned what was necessary, saying, “Shopkeeper Xu’s nephew is twelve years old, and his brother-in-law is twenty-one. The elderly lady is also in good health.”

The children were not too young, there was a young adult for support, and the elderly lady could manage the household chores herself, so they wouldn’t be a burden.

“What about the grain?”

“Shopkeeper Xu will arrange for it to be secretly delivered to a designated location. Then his brother-in-law and we will transport it in batches.”

Everything was well-planned.

After explaining the situation, Shen Lie said, “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t be making this midnight trip. But Shopkeeper Xu is different. We owe him for helping us buy grain. The five of our families are in this together. I’m here to hear your thoughts.”

Indeed, everyone was aware of how they had obtained their grain and were grateful for it. Even if Shopkeeper Xu didn’t have enough grain for his family of five, they would tighten their belts, gather what they had, and make sure to bring them along.

“I have no objections.”

“Neither do we.”

“We’re okay with it too.”

…

Thus, the matter was settled. Knowing that Shen Lie and his group had to leave before dawn, Shopkeeper Xu didn’t linger. They agreed to meet at midnight, and Shopkeeper Xu’s group quietly took the mountain path out of the village.

The guards at the city gate had been bribed by Shopkeeper Xu. Seeing their group returning, they recognized Shopkeeper Xu’s lantern and opened the gate for them.

Not far from Dongfulou, in a small courtyard, it was already midnight, but the lights were still on.

Shopkeeper Xu knocked twice, and there was immediate movement inside. His brother-in-law’s voice called out.

Shopkeeper Xu replied, “Qinghe, it’s me.”

Wei Qinghe, hearing his brother-in-law, opened the door and asked, “How did it go?”

Shopkeeper Xu nodded and whispered, “Pack your things immediately. We need to leave now.”

“So soon?”

Shopkeeper Xu replied, “Yes, we were lucky. If we had been half a day late, they would have left.”

Wei Qinghe was startled but didn’t waste time. “I’ll pack right away. Our bundles are still ready.”

Wei Qinghe hurried inside, and the elderly Mrs. Xu, hearing the commotion, came out to ask what was happening. Shopkeeper Xu explained the situation, and she nodded. “Alright, I’ll wake the children.”

…

The small courtyard quickly got busy, and within an hour or so, they were ready. Servants and attendants were waiting, the carriage was prepared, and they were set to leave as soon as the door was unbarred.

Since they were not carrying any grain on this trip, they only had a few bundles each, making it a relatively light journey.

The Xu siblings, with slightly swollen eyes, boarded the carriage. Clearly, they had cried a lot after suddenly leaving their parents and brothers, and now they huddled quietly by their grandmother’s side, looking anxious.

The boy, slightly older than the Xu siblings, had a bundle by his side and another in his arms, sitting silently with his head down. Since leaving Shezhou for Qiyang, he hadn’t spoken much, let alone cried, after the initial questions.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Xu felt compassion and patted his nephew’s head. “Zheng’er, are you afraid?”

Wang Yunzheng looked up at his uncle, then at his maternal uncle sitting nearby, and finally said, “No.”

Though it was clear he was afraid, Shopkeeper Xu patted him reassuringly. “Don’t be scared. The place I’ve found for you might be austere, but it’s safer than staying in the city alone. With your uncle there, you’ll be alright until this chaos passes.”

Wang Yunzheng nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Uncle, for your efforts.”

Shopkeeper Xu and Wei Qinghe exchanged a helpless glance. This nephew had grown up without a mother and had survived only with the care of his uncles. His reserved nature was a result of such an upbringing.

Shifting the topic, Shopkeeper Xu began telling Wei Qinghe about Shen Lie and Sang Luo, their character, and the situation with the families joining them. “Shen Lie is very capable, and Madam Sang has an unassuming but noble background. Both are deeply loyal. Remember to maintain good relations with the Shen family and look out for each other. You can discuss matters with them if needed.”

This advice was for his brother-in-law and also for his mother.

Wang Yunzheng, who had been looking outside the carriage, tightened his grip on his bundle upon hearing they would be retreating into the mountains.

Mrs. Xu, taking in her son’s words, nodded. “Don’t worry. Just remember, if the situation worsens, don’t stay in Qiyang County. Come back early. The family needs you to be the anchor.”

The farewell was heartfelt. Before the third watch, the carriage stopped on a mountain path not far from Shili Village. The coachman stayed with the carriage while Dong Ge’er and his brother led Shopkeeper Xu’s family to Shen Lie’s place.