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

Chapter 164: Surrounded/Rescued (Still in the City, Choose as You Like)

In the county school’s makeshift shelter area, many people had gathered around the Shen family’s shelter.

When Shopkeeper Xu arrived with Uncle Xu, he saw a dense crowd near the Shen family’s shelter area.

Shopkeeper Xu, looking from a distance, was puzzled: “Why are there so many people?”

Uncle Xu sighed.

He had planned and schemed extensively, but he never expected that despite keeping everything to himself, Ah Lang would think they could leave at night. When Uncle Xu was about to head out early in the morning, he remembered the Shen family’s children.

Originally, he intended to check on the Shen family’s accommodation, but since the shopkeepers on the main street had all been summoned to the county office, Uncle Xu was the only one who went. Shopkeeper Xu only heard later that the Shen family’s shelter was located near the county town, but he did not know the exact location.

Seeing Uncle Xu heading out early, Shopkeeper Xu realized that if Uncle Xu returned late at night, they would have to leave immediately. So he asked Uncle Xu to take him to check on the Shen family’s situation near the county school.

Uncle Xu still refrained from mentioning yesterday’s events. Instead, he advised Shopkeeper Xu not to get involved with the Shen family’s troubles, given their questionable character.

Shopkeeper Xu was well aware of the Shen family’s reputation and replied, “It’s fine. We’ll just take a look from a distance. They’ve exchanged some supplies before. If they can manage for now, we won’t interfere. But if we manage to encounter Shen Lie after we leave, at least I’ll have seen it and won’t have let his request down.”

The two of them made their way to the area around the county school and were somewhat puzzled by the commotion.

Shopkeeper Xu squeezed his way to the back of the crowd and asked a nearby person, “Old sir, what’s happening? Why are so many people gathered here?”

The elderly man glanced at him and, seeing he was a middle-aged man in simple clothes, assumed he was also from the nearby shelter area. He said, “I don’t know. I can’t get any closer. I heard it’s a case of a couple killing each other. Both of them are dead, and the scene is quite gruesome. There are three children left, and two of them are near starvation.”

The elderly man spoke with a tone of despair, as if the fate of the children mirrored his own uncertain future.

Shopkeeper Xu was taken aback to hear that it was a case of a couple killing each other. Hearing that there were three children, he didn’t immediately think of the Shen family’s shelter.

Uncle Xu, however, felt a jolt in his heart.

The image of Mrs. Li’s manic and desperate state from yesterday flashed before him. The youngest child of the Shen family was already dead, and now there were only three left.

“Three children, two of whom are near starvation.”

Uncle Xu’s heart pounded rapidly. He squeezed into the crowd, shouting, “Please make way, make way!”

The people who had previously disapproved of Shopkeeper Xu coming were now moving quickly inside. Shopkeeper Xu was startled, suddenly realizing something, and followed Uncle Xu into the crowd.

At the center of the crowd was indeed the Shen family’s shelter. Even before entering, the heavy stench of blood was already apparent. Uncle Xu’s breathing grew rapid; he dared not move another step forward.

Shopkeeper Xu, standing beside Uncle Xu, saw his expression. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak, swallowing hard before asking, “Is this their shelter?”

Uncle Xu nodded, his throat and ears feeling dry.

Shopkeeper Xu tightened his grip on his side, bent down, and entered the shelter.

What Shopkeeper Xu saw inside the shelter was something he felt he would never forget.

The light-colored straw mat on the ground was soaked with darkening blood. The scene inside was so horrifying that even he couldn’t bear to look twice.

Out of the six family members who had entered the city that day, one was missing, and among the five remaining, four were lying down.

One lay on the straw mat, their face and neck unrecognizable; a few steps away on the ground, a woman in coarse clothes had six or seven bloodstains on her clothes, with a pool of blood beneath her; the two young boys lay near their deceased mother—one was unconscious, while the other, perhaps sensing someone’s presence, could only open his eyes slightly.

The only child who could still stand was covered in blood and stood protectively in front of his mother and two younger brothers, watching Shopkeeper Xu warily.

Shopkeeper Xu never imagined that, after just over ten days, he would encounter such a horrific scene. He stood there, speechless, unable to utter a word.

Uncle Xu followed into the shelter and, upon seeing the scene, felt his chest heaving rapidly. His nose felt blocked, his throat was constricted, and he struggled to breathe. Despite the horrifying sights and the nauseating smell, he was paralyzed with shock and disbelief, unable to react with any impulse to vomit, only left with sheer horror and disbelief, or perhaps something else.

Shen Jin recognized him and, after a moment of surprise, slightly relaxed his defensive stance. He opened his mouth to call out “Peddler Grandpa” but hesitated.

Before closing her eyes, his mother had insisted that he must take his younger brothers away.

But with Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie unable to move, he was too weak to carry them. Moreover, by midnight, Xiao Tie’s limbs had already gone cold from hunger. Shen Jin had no choice but to gather up all the blood-stained soybeans scattered on the ground, clean them, crush them, and cook them to feed Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie.

He fed them a little at a time, and by the time he finished, it was already dawn. Even if he didn’t make a sound, the heavy smell of blood had attracted people from the nearby shelter.

Although he didn’t know why the peddler had appeared, he was one of the few who had shown them kindness or even helped them recently. Shen Jin was torn between asking for help and remaining silent.

He had tried to ask for help before.

Among the nearby shelters, there were former villagers who had come to check on their situation, some of whom were still standing outside and hadn’t left.

He had asked each one for help, but either they avoided him or said they had no food and left in a hurry. Among those who stayed to observe, some showed clear signs of greed. Several people outside the shelter had such greedy looks, and there were two in particular who frightened him the most.

With the county office no longer staffed with officials or constables and the soldiers not patrolling here, he didn’t dare leave the shelter or abandon Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie. He was too afraid to ask for help again.

He remained silent, but Shopkeeper Xu, having regained his composure from the initial shock, quickly moved to check on Shen Yin and Shen Tie.

Seeing that someone was approaching his younger brothers, Shen Jin grasped a nearby kitchen knife, trembling as he tried to block Shopkeeper Xu.

“What are you doing?”

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Xu halted his steps. Realizing the child didn’t recognize him, he spoke softly, “You must be Xiao Jin, right? I’m Xu Yuanchang, and I know your eldest brother, Shen Lie. Before your brother went into the mountains, he asked me to look out for you. Please move aside so I can check on your brothers.”

Fearing Shen Jin might not believe him, he pointed to Uncle Xu behind him and said, “This is Uncle Xu, a member of my household. He’s been pretending to be a peddler to keep an eye on you.”

When Shen Jin heard his name and his elder brother’s name, his hands began to tremble. Hearing the additional explanation, tears immediately fell from his eyes.

He realized that his elder brother had indeed arranged for someone to look after them. He began to cry softly, then thought about how bad Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie were, especially Xiao Tie. He hurriedly stepped aside, saying, “Please, save my brothers. They are about to starve to death and have been eating dirt cakes for days.”

Hearing about the dirt cakes made Shopkeeper Xu’s face change. He stepped forward, crouched down to check the children’s condition, noting their body temperature and responses, and then turned to Uncle Xu, saying, “Come, help carry one of them. We’re going to the clinic immediately.”

Shopkeeper Xu asked Shen Jin, “Is there anything particularly important that you need to bring?”

Shen Jin was taken aback by how readily help was offered and, after a moment of confusion, shook his head and then nodded vigorously. He turned to grab a cloth bundle, which contained the small bow his elder brother had given him and the stones he had collected.

He glanced around the shelter, unable to think of anything else to take, and picked up a kitchen knife to use for protection.

That was all he managed to gather.

Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu each picked up one of the children, and as Shen Jin prepared to leave, he looked at Mrs. Li lying on the ground and began to tremble and cry.

Seeing this, Uncle Xu felt a pang of sympathy and whispered, “It’s more important to save your brothers first. If we can manage to take care of your mother later, I’ll figure out a way to send her to the crematory and bring back her ashes. If we can’t manage it, we’ll have to focus on saving the living.”

The phrase “rest in peace” meant nothing in a county overrun with starving people.

Shen Jin nodded, tears streaming down his face as he thanked them.

Uncle Xu glanced at Shen San and seemed to want to ask something, but Shen Jin lowered his head and remained silent, not mentioning anything.

The two helpers seemed to have guessed what was going on and didn’t press further. Shopkeeper Xu, after a moment’s thought, asked, “Do you have a younger sister?”

Shen Jin’s eyes turned red instantly, and he struggled to hold back sobs. He shook his head, unable to say anything.

Shopkeeper Xu, remembering the brutal deaths of Shen San and Mrs. Li, could guess the situation and patted Shen Jin on the head. He then called to Uncle Xu, carrying Shen Yin and urging Shen Jin to hurry out of the shelter.

Outside the shelter, among the crowd a few steps away, were several villagers from Shili Village, former neighbors of the Shen family. One lean man, seeing the two unfamiliar people about to take the siblings away, approached and asked, “Who are you? Where are you taking Xiao Jin and his siblings?”

Shopkeeper Xu was amused.

After standing there and watching the commotion without offering any help, this man now came asking questions.

“And who are you?”

The lean man replied, “A villager from the same area. The children usually call me ‘uncle’ or ‘older cousin’.”

“Uncle?” Shopkeeper Xu was not interested in wasting time with him. “I’m a friend of Shen Lie. Do you have any objections to me taking them?”

Hearing Shen Lie’s name, the lean man’s heart skipped a beat.

He had forgotten about Shen Lie.

With Shen San and Mrs. Li dead, Shen Lie was still alive. If he had really intended to harm these children, it would be disastrous if Shen Lie found out. If he ever crossed paths with Shen Lie, his family would be in grave danger.

Although the relations between the first and third branches of the Shen family were severed, these children frequently visited the first branch, and he hadn’t seen anyone from the first branch come to help. He reluctantly stepped back and said, “Oh, a friend of A Lie’s? Why didn’t you come earlier?”

Seeing Shopkeeper Xu’s intense gaze, the lean man quickly shook his head, “No, no problem. You can go ahead.”

Shopkeeper Xu didn’t waste any time. Seeing the path clear, he carried the child and led Shen Jin away. Shen Jin’s hands were still trembling, his whole body tense. Shopkeeper Xu didn’t have the luxury to comfort him, and as the crowd made way for them, he quickly headed towards the medical clinic.

Away from the crowd, Shen Jin had to practically run to keep up with Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu’s pace. He kept glancing back to ensure no one was following them. Once he felt a bit safer, he looked up at Shopkeeper Xu and said, “Uncle Xu, just now, the people outside our shelter, there were two of them… they eat…”

The words “eat people” were too terrifying to utter.

He took a few deep breaths and continued, “My sister was given to them by my father. You have to be careful.”

His eyes, swollen like peaches, filled with tears at the mention of his sister, and though he didn’t say much, Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu understood the gravity of his words.

It was just as they had feared.

Even a biological daughter was given away as food. No wonder Shen Jin didn’t look at Shen San when they left.

Shopkeeper Xu glanced back and asked Shen Jin, “Is anyone following us?”

Shen Jin shook his head, “Not yet.”

Shopkeeper Xu nodded, “Okay, got it. We don’t know those people, so you need to be extra cautious.”

…

At the clinic, most of the patients were wounded soldiers, with hardly any civilians seeking medical help. Shopkeeper Xu and his group stood out immediately as they entered.

The old doctor was extremely busy, so Shopkeeper Xu turned towards the clinic Shopkeeper, who was treating minor injuries.

Anyone who could run a clinic, even if they hired a doctor, would have some medical knowledge themselves. Shopkeeper Xu, having been at Dongfulou for many years, had good connections in the county.

He approached the shopkeeper and called out, “Shopkeeper Fang.”

Shopkeeper Fang turned and immediately recognized him, surprised, “Shopkeeper Xu?”

His gaze fell on the two nearly lifeless children Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu were carrying. “What happened here?”

Shopkeeper Xu explained, “These two children have been starving for a long time and have eaten a lot of dirt cakes. Please, see if you can save them and how.”

Shopkeeper Fang’s expression changed upon hearing this. Without delay, he excused himself from the soldier he was treating and led Shopkeeper Xu to a consultation area. He examined the children by feeling their pulses, checking for abdominal distension, and asking detailed questions about their recent diet and the amount of dirt cakes they had consumed.

After Shen Jin answered everything, Shopkeeper Fang breathed a slight sigh of relief.

“Luckily, they haven’t eaten too many dirt cakes. Although they are severely malnourished, they were brought in just in time. If they had eaten more dirt cakes, I would have been helpless.”

He looked at Shopkeeper Xu and whispered, “To be honest, I’m running out of medicine here. Fortunately, they don’t need medication for this. Give them some saline sugar water, and if possible, some rice broth, followed by light congee. With proper care, they should recover.”

Hearing that his brothers could survive, Shen Jin was so relieved that his hands shook. But his relief quickly turned to fear as he noticed a shadowy figure outside the clinic door.

He dared not look outside. He carefully tugged at Shopkeeper Xu’s sleeve, his voice trembling slightly, and whispered, “Uncle Xu, someone followed us. They’re standing against the wall opposite the clinic.”

Shopkeeper Xu understood immediately. Without looking outside, he whispered to Shopkeeper Fang, “Looks like we’ll need to use your back door to leave.”

He took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, “Do you have malt candy here? Honestly, we can’t afford it at home right now. Even if we had money, there’s nowhere in the county to buy such things.”

Shopkeeper Fang nodded, saying, “We have some, not much. I’ll have the boy fetch you two pieces to take with you.”

Shopkeeper Fang overheard Shen Jin’s quiet words and knew that Shopkeeper Xu and the others might be in a bit of trouble. Being astute, he didn’t look outside and called out loudly to the boy, “Lead them inside, mix some salt and sugar water to administer first. I’ll prepare some medicine and acupuncture later.”

His voice was loud enough for those outside to hear clearly.

Afterwards, he whispered to Shopkeeper Xu, “Tell the boy to let you out the back door once you have the candy. Take it home and administer it yourself.”

Shopkeeper Xu thanked him, glanced at Shopkeeper Fang again, and bid him to take care.

Shopkeeper Fang nodded. As medical practitioners, they were now under the guard of soldiers. Whether they stayed safe or not was a matter of fate. After exchanging a few words with Shopkeeper Xu, he turned and went back to his tasks.

While Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu spoke with Shopkeeper Fang, they subtly glanced outside with their peripheral vision, memorizing the appearance of the person Shen Jin had mentioned. Just as the boy arrived, they followed him into the inner room.

…

In the back hall, they explained the situation to the boy and received two pieces of malt candy from him. The group quietly left through the back door under his guidance, taking winding alleyways to avoid detection, and returned to their old residence in the west of the city.

Wei Lingzhen was at a loss when she saw him return with three children. She didn’t know how to react at first.

After Shopkeeper Xu secured the door, he whispered, “These are the children entrusted to me by Shen Lie. The youngest one has passed away, and their parents are also gone since last night. I brought them back here.”

He handed the malt candy wrapped in a small piece of oiled paper to Wei Lingzhen and said, “These two younger ones are starving. I just had them checked at the clinic. This malt candy was obtained from there. Divide it into several doses of salt and sugar water, and I’ll help them swallow it.”

Turning to Shen Jin, he added, “Prepare an extra bowl.”

The older child wasn’t much stronger than the younger ones. His complexion was poor, and another day or two without food might have been fatal.

Upon hearing that they were Shen Lie’s younger cousins, Wei Lingzhen hurriedly took the malt candy and went to the kitchen to boil water.

Shen Jin had been tense the whole way, only allowing himself to relax once they entered the courtyard, relieved that he and the children had escaped danger. Without saying a word, he knelt down on the ground, knocking his head against Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu’s knees.

Shopkeeper Xu held him, unsure of how to comfort him without pulling him up. He could only call for him to rise.

When Xu Wenhong opened the main house door with a broom, he saw this scene.

Shopkeeper Xu couldn’t explain much more. He called for his son, “Wenhong, help Xiao Jin up and take him inside.”

He carried Shen Yin into the main house.

Xu Wenhong didn’t yet know where the extra brother had come from. He put down the broom confusedly and went to help Shen Jin, leading him into the main house.

…

Wei Lingzhen was still boiling water in the kitchen. Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu had already settled the two younger children on the main house floor and came out of the main house first.

It took so long that Uncle Xu had to go to the city tower. Earlier, he had also agreed to help Shen Jin get rid of Li’s body, and he had to figure out what to do.

Of course, he didn’t plan to go alone. The Shen family was being watched by several people with bad intentions, especially the two pointed out by Shen Jin. There was also a man following them blatantly. The Shopkeeper and servant had also seen the faces of the other party today. If he went there again, he would easily be framed.

Uncle Xu was thinking about how to ask the people who had helped him carry the wounded and corpses in the past few days to help him. These people were under the jurisdiction of the garrison and their job was to carry the wounded and corpses. No one dared to ask any questions when they went to carry Mrs. Li.

Just as he was thinking about it, Shopkeeper Xu asked him to wait, and went into the kitchen to whisper a few words to Wei Lingzhen. Wei Lingzhen went back to the main room, and soon took out a gold bracelet and handed it to Shopkeeper Xu.

Shopkeeper Xu turned around and handed the item to Uncle Xu, saying, “The Shen family is being watched by some people with bad intentions, and they saw us today. You should be careful when you go out later. Take this bracelet to bribe the steward and find a reason to see if we can avoid carrying the wounded today. Also ask the soldiers to carry away Mrs. Li’s body and burn it. Help collect the ashes and take them privately and come back quickly.”

He added, “If the Mrs. Li matter is difficult to handle, don’t force it. It’s important for you to come back. I will continue digging the tunnel in a while. We will leave at night. Don’t make any more trouble.”

The most important thing for Uncle Xu was to get out of this situation himself. As for Mrs. Li, Shopkeeper Xu did not have much good impression of her. However, Uncle Xu often came into contact with several children, and seeing that her death was too tragic, he could not bear it, so he agreed. If he could bury her, he would bury her. If he could not, it was her fate.

Uncle Xu took the gold bracelet and said, “With this arrangement, it should be no problem. At my age, it shouldn’t be difficult to pretend that I have a back injury and let me rest for a day.”

A gold bracelet, help to bury a person, and then be given a day off.

That young steward is greedy for money, and a gold bracelet is a good amount of money for him. What he is asking for is not a big deal, and the army is in quite chaos now, so it should be possible to arrange it.

He didn’t say much. He turned around and changed into the same refugee clothes he wore when he left the city. He then ruffled his hair down to cover most of his face. His body was slightly more hunched than usual. Then he opened the door and went out.