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

Chapter 161: Father (Siege, Oppression, Tragedy – Choose to Purchase or Skip)

When a person is extremely hungry, their mind can only focus on the craving for food, leaving no room for anything else.

Shen San devoured his food ravenously, unafraid even of scalding himself.

The three brothers in the makeshift shelter exchanged glances and smiled. Wang Meiniang curled up in the corner of the bed, burying her head between her knees, making herself a tight ball.

Shen San didn’t pay much attention to the Wang family’s child from the same village. Besides initially looking at her when she brought the meat soup, his entire focus was on that bowl of soup. It wasn’t until another man from the household returned, carrying a bundle, that he diverted his attention.

Shen San had eaten the entire bowl of soup and meat, finally feeling full and satisfied after a long time.

Once he finished eating, his attention could finally shift away from the hunger and the meat, and he noticed the man.

The man squinted at him and asked about the brothers in the household. After hearing some cryptic remarks from the others, he smiled and then unwrapped the bundle in front of Shen San.

…

Shen San rushed out of the shelter, clutching the wall of an unknown house, vomiting uncontrollably.

His steps were unsteady, and when he returned home, night had already fallen. The surroundings were not quiet; there were sounds of people groaning from hunger everywhere.

The crying of children, like that of hungry kittens, could also be heard: “Mother, I’m hungry, I’m so hungry… I want to eat a cake of dirt.”

Shen Tie: “Mother, I’m also hungry.”

Mrs. Li voice was weak but still soothing: “Hold on, you won’t be hungry once you fall asleep. You can’t eat too much dirt cake; eating too much will make you bloated and could kill you. Be good, close your eyes and sleep. When we win, we can go into the mountains to gather wild vegetables, catch a mountain chicken, and I’ll make chicken soup for you.”

However, this wasn’t enough to calm the frantic children. The youngest, Tianya, was only three years old. She only understood hunger, an aching, gnawing hunger that made her cry, but after being hungry for so long, her cries were faint, like the meows of a starving kitten.

Shen Tie, who had initially not cried, now had a crying tone in his voice: “When will we win? I’m so hungry.”

Shen San drifted back to the shelter like a ghost. The cries of his children and the soothing words of his wife were barely audible to him. His mind was consumed by the scene he had just witnessed and the laughter of the four brothers from that family.

His stomach churned, and he was trapped in extreme fear, but this fear could not be shared with anyone; he was too afraid to let anyone else bear the burden. He huddled into his sleeping position, even afraid to shiver in case Shen Jin, who was comforting Shen Tie beside him, noticed.

Shen San was overly worried; no one had the energy to notice anything else. Fighting hunger had already drained all their willpower and strength.

…

In the ruined house of the Xu family in the west of the city, the old servant Xu Shu finally returned home, moving so quickly that it was almost a run.

The courtyard gate was still locked from the outside. He fumbled with the key, trying several times before managing to unlock the gate. After securing the gate with bolts, he quickly went to unlock the main house.

The Xu family, who had been busy in the tunnel, heard the commotion and stopped to greet him. They were still carrying oil lamps when Xu Shu entered.

The dim, warm light of the lamp did little to warm Xu Shu’s exceptionally pale face.

Shopkeeper Xu, startled, held up the lamp to examine Xu Shu from top to bottom. Seeing that he was not injured, he was slightly relieved: “Xu Shu, what happened? Did they send you up to the city tower?”

Xu Shu shook his head: “No, no.”

“Then what is it?”

Xu Shu gripped Shopkeeper Xu’s arm so tightly that it caused Shopkeeper Xu some pain. It was only then that Shopkeeper Xu noticed Xu Shu’s heavy, labored breathing.

“Xu Shu.”

Without waiting for him to finish, Xu Shu said urgently, “Master, we need to hurry. People in the city are eating human flesh, eating dead bodies.”

Once Xu Shu revealed what he had seen, Wei Lingzhen, who was behind Shopkeeper Xu, immediately began to retch against the tunnel wall.

Xu Shu’s assigned task had been to carry the injured, which naturally included carrying corpses.

On his last trip before returning, he had seen a man who had just been replaced from guarding the city squatting in front of a pile of corpses prepared for burning. It took a while for the man to leave.

Xu Shu felt something was wrong. After the man left, he approached and discovered that the man had just died on the city tower. A terrible intuition led him to tremblingly lift the man’s collar…

Xu Shu’s breathing was heavy: “There’s more than one, more than one family eating human flesh. We need to leave quickly; we can’t stay here. We need to dig the tunnel.”

…

The next morning, the soldiers discovered the bodies of those who had died defending the city, having been butchered for meat. The one caught at the scene was executed on the spot by the defending general, his head rolling far away. The dismembered corpses were then hung in the East Market, with a gong ringing to notify the public, followed by public execution.

One of Wang Meiniang’s brothers-in-law, who had been conscripted, had just arrived for the guard change and witnessed this scene, his face showing deep distress.

That day, Shen San remained huddled in his own shelter.

No one came to conscript laborers, so there was no immediate need to hide.

However, it wasn’t long before the sound of a gong came from outside. Before Shen San could even make out what was being said, he fled in panic, like a startled bird.

Mrs. Li and the children, Shen Jin and Shen Yin, peeked out to see what was happening. As the soldiers with the gong approached and their words became clear, Mrs. Li was struck as if by lightning. Her ears buzzed, her teeth chattered, and her face turned as pale as a ghost.

She clutched her collar, gasping for air. From the base of her neck to the back of her head, a nerve seemed to stretch tight, aching from sour to painful, as if it would snap with the slightest additional pressure. Instead of covering her head, she hugged Shen Jin and Shen Yin, who were shivering beside her, pulling them back while trying to gather the smaller Shen Yin and Tianya.

They had abandoned their mountain life to hide in this county town, fearing they might become someone else’s meat, but now, the danger had arrived in the county town itself.

Shen Jin, who had also heard the soldiers’ words, appeared stunned and wanted to ask something but could only clench his teeth tightly. Shen Yin had already begun to cry: “Mother, Mother…”

Mrs. Li held the children, trembling herself: “Xiao Jin, Xiao Yin, keep Xiao Tie and Tianya close. Don’t leave the shelter, not even a step. The people in the city have gone mad, starved mad.”

She gasped urgently, then let go of the children and turned to rummage through their belongings.

She handed a kitchen knife, an axe, a curved knife, a sickle, and scissors to the children, giving the axe to Shen Jin and keeping the knife herself. She passed the other items to the rest of the children: “Hold onto these things at all times. If anyone tries to take you, shout and use the knife or axe to defend yourselves, understand?”

She gave the smallest scissors to Tianya but noticed she was too small and might hurt herself. With reddened eyes, she took them back and kept them.

The commotion outside spread quickly. Someone went to the East Market and soon word got around that the person who had been cutting up human flesh lived around the county school area. The rumors specified the exact village and family.

The area around the county school was in chaos. People looked at their neighbors with fear, worried that anyone might be the next monster. Everyone grew more vigilant.

That day, Mrs. Li dared not leave the shelter even a step, nor leave the children. As for Shen San, who had been running away at the slightest noise, she had completely lost hope in him.

…

While Mrs. Li had lost hope in Shen San, Shen San still hoped for Mrs. Li.

He had no food, only one meal a day, and that was just a thin piece of dirt cake about the size of a child’s hand. Although he had eaten his fill the night before, he had likely vomited everything he ate during the day.

Today, he hadn’t eaten anything at all.

He was starving, truly starving.

When the gongs ceased ringing from outside, he made his way back to the shelter. Mrs. Li, still tense, relaxed when she saw it was Shen San who had returned.

Shen San didn’t notice anything unusual and asked Mrs. Li, “They’re not conscripting laborers, are they?”

Mrs. Li was too preoccupied to respond.

Shen San knew Mrs. Li disapproved of him not working as a laborer, but he didn’t care. He urged, “Quick, find something to eat. I’m so hungry.”

Who wasn’t hungry?

Shen Jin and Shen Yin were probably too frightened by what they had heard in the morning to feel particularly hungry. Shen Tie and Tianya, on the other hand, were already so weak from hunger that even the mention of food made them open their eyes and look at Mrs. Li.

Mrs. Li had originally planned to wait until noon to cook, but she couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Eating too much dirt could cause bloating and death, but not eating anything for too long could lead to starvation as well. She closed her eyes and turned to start preparing the food.

The most substantial part of today’s meal was the straw dust used to make the shelter, with minimal fine mud added.

Shen San received a small piece, but the portion given to the children was even smaller, especially for Shen Tie and Tianya, who were so hungry they couldn’t control themselves. They were only given a piece the size of a few copper coins put together.

“Don’t eat too quickly. Eat slowly, save a little bit, and take small bites when you’re hungry,” she instructed.

But this advice was almost futile. If Mrs. Li and Shen Jin hadn’t reacted quickly, grabbing the cakes from Shen Tie and Tianya’s hands, the two children would have stuffed the whole piece into their mouths.

Shen San didn’t concern himself with the children. He was so hungry that the small piece of cake, not even as big as a child’s hand, disappeared quickly, yet it only satisfied a fraction of his hunger.

His stomach felt like an empty, insatiable black hole.

Unable to control himself, Shen San thought of the bowl of meat soup he had drunk the night before.

His stomach still felt uncomfortable and slightly unsettled, but more than that was the hunger and the faint, rising desire…

…

When you’re starving, every moment feels painfully long, and willpower slowly crumbles under this prolonged torment.

Shen San realized he had left the shelter and the area around the county school, unconsciously heading back toward Wang Meiniang’s family’s direction.

He only realized what he was doing halfway there, but his feet no longer obeyed him.

At about the same time as yesterday, the same earthen pot, the same smell of meat.

Shen San was again outside the shelter of Wang Meiniang’s family.

The three brothers, who had been somewhat accommodating yesterday, now had no trace of a smile on their faces. When they saw Shen San, their expressions grew colder, and one of them sneered, “Want a taste? We’re just watching the show, and you’ve come to recognize our home, huh?”

Shen San swallowed hard and, with an embarrassed smile, said, “Nephew, I’m so hungry. Can I just have a bit of soup?”

The eldest of the family, Wang Meiniang’s husband, stared at Shen San for a while, then suddenly laughed and nodded, “Sure, I can give you some meat.”

Shen San’s eyes lit up, and he stepped confidently into the shelter. However, before he could get close to the pot, Wang Meiniang’s husband grabbed him, pinning his arms behind his back and pressing him onto the ground.

Shen San hadn’t expected this. He cried out in surprise as Wang Meiniang’s husband stuffed a cloth into his mouth and pulled out a kitchen knife, coldly sneering, “You think our meat grows on trees? Want meat, huh? I’ll cut a piece from you now, slice it thin, and cook it up.”

The third and fourth brothers’ eyes brightened immediately.

The two brothers put down their bowls and approached, keenly examining which part of Shen San’s flesh would be best.

Shen San had never faced such a situation before. Terrified, he struggled and cried out. The cloth was loosely stuffed in his mouth, and he quickly spat it out, pleading for mercy. He promised not to eat the meat, begged to be let go, and even called out for Meiniang and his niece to plead for him.

Wang Meiniang showed no visible anger. When Shen San called out to her, she seemed to not hear him at all. Her eyelashes moved, but her body didn’t budge, and she didn’t even glance in Shen San’s direction.

The third brother had already rolled up Shen San’s sleeves and was even pinching his arms, which were so thin that he commented, “So skinny, the bones might as well be used as firewood.”

He was about to lift Shen San’s shirt, and Shen San was terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat on his forehead within moments.

“Stop, stop, I really won’t eat it, I won’t eat it.”

Wang Meiniang’s husband looked at Wang Meiniang huddled in the corner and asked, “You’re neighbors. At his age, he must have children, right?”

Wang Meiniang, who had been as still as a dead log, flinched and shook her head vigorously.

The man laughed, tossed the kitchen knife aside, released Shen San, and helped him up. He tidied Shen San’s clothes and patted him down, saying with a smile, “Why aren’t you eating? Starving yourself? Or are you planning to eat dirt until you bloat and die?”

He then nodded to his brothers, “Go, get him a bowl of soup, and pick out a couple of good pieces of meat.”

Shen San tried to lean away, wanting to distance himself from Wang Meiniang’s husband. His nostrils flared, and all that could be heard in the shelter was the bubbling of the pot and his heavy, labored breathing.

A bowl of meat soup was handed to Wang Meiniang’s husband, who held it up to Shen San’s nose, letting the steam hit his face before shoving the bowl into Shen San’s hands. “Eat up, eat well. This is two meals’ worth. Remember to bring us some good meat tomorrow.”

Shen San’s hands trembled uncontrollably, but the man just laughed, gave him three slaps on the face, and said, “Hold it steady. This stuff doesn’t come easily. Don’t blame me if you spill it.”

…

The night was eerily quiet.

As Shen San walked back, he was accompanied by two men: Wang Meiniang’s husband and his third brother.

The closer he got to his shelter, the more his legs trembled.

When he reached the entrance to his section of the shelter, he stopped, swallowed hard, and said, “I, I’m here.”

The two men didn’t leave. The eldest lifted his chin, “Go on in. We’ll watch you.”

The third brother added, “Don’t forget tomorrow. If you don’t bring something, we’ll hold you to it.” His gaze lingered meaningfully on Shen San.

Shen San’s breathing grew heavier.

…

Inside the shelter, there were no cries or calls of hunger today.

Li was making a bean paste soup from three grains of yellow beans and was crying while feeding Shen Tie and Tianya with Shen Jin’s help.

Shen San stood at the entrance of the shelter, illuminated by the faint light from a fire in the stone stove, looking at the two younger children who seemed listless. The smallest, Tianya, could barely keep her eyes open. His mind echoed with the words of the brothers from earlier.

“Why think so much? You might starve to death tonight. If you don’t die today, can you survive tomorrow or the day after? It’s not just about dying, but whether you, as a father, can survive. It won’t be all for nothing if you make it through.”

“There are far more bandits outside than soldiers in the city. Can you win against them? Only those with strength can escape when the city falls.”

“Children, you’re alive now. How many more can you have?”

…

He stood there, frozen, unable to move his feet.

Mrs. Li and Shen Jin were entirely focused on Shen Tie and Tianya, leaving only Shen Yin to notice Shen San. With red-rimmed eyes, she weakly called out, “Father.”