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

Chapter 170: Each Family

In the valley, the Chen, Zhou, Shi, and Lu families were doing similar things.

Mrs. Lu, with Feng Liuniang, was measuring out grain with two small cloth bags. She turned to ask her husband, “Three liters of rice and one bushel of beans?”

Old Man Lu nodded, “Yes.”

Lu Dalang was watching nearby until Lu Shuanzhu nudged him from behind, snapping him out of his daze. He asked, “Dad, if you’re giving some, should I also contribute?”

Hearing that their family might also need to give grain, Wang Chunniang, who was lying in the small cave, felt restless, as if she were lying on pins and needles. But with the two elders at home, she only dared to turn over and look outside, not daring to say a word.

Old Man Lu was about to nod when Mrs. Lu cut him off, “You have many children and no hunting skills. Keep the grain for your own family.”

Lu Dalang responded with a couple of “okay”s.

Wang Chunniang in the cave let out a real sigh of relief.

Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang glanced at Lu Dalang but quickly looked away without saying a word.

Old Man Lu gave his wife a surprised look but didn’t ask anything. As they headed out to deliver the grain to the Shen family, he quietly asked, “Why did you stop him?”

Mrs. Lu gave him a look, “You don’t know?”

“If he really wanted to give, he wouldn’t have asked. Since he doesn’t, forget it. Shen Lie and Ah Luo probably don’t want to owe him any favors, so let’s not bother them.”

Old Man Lu sighed, “I just wanted to set a good example for Shuanzhu and the others.”

Seeing his eldest son’s hesitation and inaction, Old Man Lu had noticed it too. Even the small nudge from Shuanzhu didn’t escape his eyes.

The eldest son wasn’t even as good as fifteen-year-old Shuanzhu.

Not long after, they met the two couples from the Shi family, who were also carrying cloth bags. Ahead of them were the Zhou family, including the village chief and his wife. No one’s hands were empty, and they all exchanged smiles.

…

When the Xu family brought their grain bags to the entrance of the Shen family’s cave, Shen Lie and Sang Luo came out to meet them.

“Shopkeeper Xu, what’s this?” Shen Lie ran his hand over the grain bags, immediately understanding their contents and guessing Shopkeeper Xu’s intention. “Shopkeeper Xu, your family has many mouths to feed and is also short on grain. We can’t accept this.”

Shopkeeper Xu glanced at the Shen family’s cave, which was indeed small.

He said, “Every family is short on grain right now, but thanks to you and Dashan, we’re not in immediate trouble. We’re much better off than outside. We can’t predict the distant future, but for now, if everyone tightens their belts, we can save enough to feed three more children for a few months. This will lighten your burden a bit.”

Seeing that the young couple wasn’t inclined to accept, Shopkeeper Xu smiled, “If you don’t want to take it for free, you can give us some meat from your hunts occasionally. Consider it a trade between our families.”

The faces of the mother and children truly looked healthy, a glow that couldn’t come just from eating grains and wild vegetables. There was a half-full jar of lard on the counter as well. Shopkeeper Xu didn’t need to ask; he already knew that his family had often received help from skilled hunters.

Before Shen Lie could reply, a cheerful voice from Old Man Chen came from the other direction, “Shopkeeper Xu, you’re quick on the draw. We’re a bit behind you.”

Hearing this, Shen Lie and Sang Luo stepped down the stone steps at the cave’s entrance and looked over. They saw the old couple from the Chen family approaching, followed by Chen Youtian and Qin Fangniang, each carrying a cloth bag. Not far behind them were people from the Zhou, Shi, and Lu families, all holding cloth bags. Following them were young wives and curious children peeking around, wanting to see Shen Jin and the others.

Seeing this, Old Lady Chen looked back and laughed, “No one planned it, but we all ended up doing the same thing.”

Everyone laughed. The situation outside the valley was dire, but precisely because of this, the unspoken agreement and mutual support within the valley became all the more precious.

The village chief’s wife from the Zhou family said, “I heard what Shopkeeper Xu said. It’s the same for us. We’ve received a lot of help from everyone, but we usually don’t have much to offer in return. Now that Shen Jin and his brothers are here, I thought Shen Lie and his wife must be under a lot of pressure, so we wanted to help a bit. Honestly, hearing about the situation outside, we’re all grateful. If it weren’t for everyone’s support, who knows what our lives would be like now.”

Paying taxes, conscription, and being driven to the county town—if the city fell, would they fare any better?

The woman, emotional, even dabbed at the corner of her eyes.

Mrs. Gan also spoke up, “We don’t need to say much. The fact that we have any surplus grain at all is thanks to Ah Luo’s kindness in including us in her business dealings, and Shopkeeper Xu helping us buy grain. Without that, we’d be no better off than those outside.”

She looked at Sang Luo, “In the past, we couldn’t even feed our own families, no matter how willing we were to help. But now, this little bit of grain won’t hurt us much. It’s just a token of our appreciation.”

Sang Luo understood that Mrs. Gan was referring to when their branch of the family had been split off and couldn’t get enough to eat. Back then, the government had taken their grain early, and with the autumn harvest not yet in, everyone’s rice bins were nearly empty, and they were barely scraping by on thin gruel. There wasn’t any strength to help others, and there wasn’t this kind of relationship either.

Relationships between people are built over time.

With everyone chiming in, Sang Luo felt truly warmed in her heart. Perhaps it was because they all remembered and appreciated kindness and had soft hearts that they had come together like this.

She smiled at everyone and said, “We appreciate your kindness, but there’s no need to give us grain. Shen Lie and I were just discussing that he will go hunting more often, and we’ll make more meat dishes at home to save grain as much as possible. Come autumn, the mountains will provide plenty of food that can substitute for grain. If we tighten our belts, we’ll get by.”

Since the grain had already been brought over, no one was going to take it back. Grandma Lu placed her family’s bag of grain on top of the two big bags brought by Shopkeeper Xu and said, “Ah Luo, don’t refuse. Every family in this valley has benefited from your care and help. We can’t give much more than this, just a few pecks and bushels to show our goodwill. Taking care of three children is no small burden, and there’s not much more we can do, so the hard work will still fall on you.”

Grandma Lu’s gesture was followed by everyone placing their bags of grain down. Shen Lie and Sang Luo looked at each other, not knowing what to say at first, but then they smiled and accepted the gifts, bowing to thank everyone.

Shen Lie then turned and called over Shen Jin and Shen Yin, who were peeking at the scene from the doorway. He patted them and said, “Bow and thank your grandparents, uncles, and aunts. These aren’t blood relatives, and in these times, giving out grain is a life-saving kindness you must remember.”

Shen Yin, being very obedient, was ready to kneel and bow as soon as his big brother instructed, but Shen Jin pulled him around and first knelt down in front of Shen Lie and Sang Luo. He kowtowed three times firmly, saying, “My brother and I thank our big brother and sister-in-law for not holding our past against us and for saving us. I will learn to hunt well, work hard to support my brothers, and repay you both when I grow up.”

After saying this, he kowtowed three more times before turning to kneel and thank Mrs. Chen and the others.

Mrs. Chen sighed and pulled them up, patting their knees, and said, “You should thank your big brother and sister-in-law. Who knows how many more years of chaos we’ll have? We can only help you this once. Your big brother and sister-in-law bringing you three brothers back is no easy task in these times.”

Shen Jin nodded, understanding everything. He knew that everyone bringing so much grain today was out of respect for his big brother and sister-in-law, and all these debts of gratitude were falling on their shoulders.

He understood it all.

With the grain delivered, they had to return the bags to everyone. Sang Luo went inside to find two bags and began sorting the grain into their own bags.

Shopkeeper Xu had brought over two kilogram of grain, so his bag wouldn’t be returned immediately. The rest had brought a mix of coarse and fine grains, each contributing from a peck to two pecks or more. In total, they had about two kilogram and six pecks of grain.

Sang Luo recognized which bag belonged to whom and carefully noted it down in her heart. After returning the empty bags, she invited everyone inside to sit and chat.

The cave was too small, so everyone waved it off, saying, “Take care of the children. We don’t need formalities.”

The adults returned to their homes, but Shopkeeper Xu stayed to discuss the cave with Shen Lie, and Chen Youtian also stayed, as the Xu and Shen families clearly needed to make more beds, and he was ready to help.

With the adults gone, the children finally had a chance to gather around Shen Jin and Shen Yin, chattering away with their own conversations.

Xu Wenyin also saw Shen Jin and Shen Yin and went over to the kitchen where Shen Ning was stirring porridge. “Is that Xiao Jin?” she asked.

Shen Ning, with red eyes, nodded and said, “Xiao Jin told me everything. Fortunately, your father and the others got there quickly and brought them out. Otherwise, Xiao Jin, Xiao Yin, and Xiao Tie wouldn’t have survived.”

She wiped away her tears, took out a small jar from the cupboard, broke off a small piece of malt sugar, and threw it into the porridge. She put the jar back, took an egg from another basket, cracked it, and stirred it. She then divided the egg into three bowls, poured hot porridge into each bowl while stirring, and made a sweet egg porridge.

Xu Wenyin helped push the firewood to the side and said, “My parents and brothers were also lucky that your big brother and Dashan got there quickly, or they would have been in danger too.”

She saw Shen Ning carrying the porridge into the cave and helped her carry it.

Shen Jin, who had been chatting with his familiar friends, saw the porridge being served and quickly ran inside to wake Shen Tie and help feed him along with Shen An and Shen Ning.

Needless to say, the cave was crowded with children.

Shen Tie opened his eyes and saw a group of familiar faces, and his once listless eyes brightened up.

…

The children managed their own affairs. The platform at Shen’s place was temporarily enough for them. After a brief discussion, they decided to help the Xu family make a bed first, so Chen Youtian also went with Shopkeeper Xu to work with the wood.

Sang Luo and Shen Lie were figuring out how to make a path up to the upper cave, utilizing the natural terrain by either digging, chiseling, or laying down materials. This part of the mountain wall was where they grew vegetables, so some plants needed to be moved. As they were discussing and working, Shen Jin and Shen An joined to help.

Sang Luo observed Shen Jin quietly. The boy had become much quieter compared to before.

It was only natural after everything he had been through.

By the time they finished creating a path to the upper cave, it was late afternoon. Sang Luo entered the small cave, looking around, “This is very nice. Although it’s small, it’s neat and well-lit.”

Shen Jin was also inspecting the cave. He licked his dry, chapped lips and asked, “Sister-in-law, will this cave be for us to live in?”

Sang Luo smiled, “Yes. We’ll have your big brother and Uncle Youtian make a bunk bed and some cabinets for you. Just be careful going up and down.”

Shen Jin’s eyes lit up with joy. Having this cave meant that the three brothers truly had a home in this valley. He nodded enthusiastically, “We’re used to climbing around the mountains every day.”

He pointed to the entrance of the cave and asked Shen Lie, “Big brother, can you build us a stove here?”

Everyone seemed more lively.

Shen Lie smiled, “Of course. We’ll also make you a countertop and chairs. You and Xiao An can level the ground. I’ll go get the tools to smooth the walls.”

With nothing else to do, Sang Luo went down with him. Once they reached the ground, she said, “Xiao Jin has grown a lot.”

Shen Lie pondered and said, “Probably because he has to take care of Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie.”

It reminded him of his own past.

Sang Luo glanced at Shen Lie, clearly thinking the same thing. She looked away and said, “We should also make a shelf for storing grain. Today’s collected grain will be placed there. We’ll give them an extra kilogram of rice and a kilogram of coarse grain. Together, that’s four kilogram and six pecks, over 550 pounds of grain. With some meat to supplement, they can stretch it to last two and a half years. If things are still chaotic after that, we’ll give them more.”

She added, “Let’s also give them a couple of chickens and ducks to raise, and some salt. Apart from that, they shouldn’t lack anything.”

Pots, bowls, chopsticks, clay basins, knives, and bedding were all things Shen Jin had already brought in himself.

Shen Lie looked at Sang Luo, and with a serious tone, expressed his gratitude. He then said, “There’s no need for chickens and ducks. We have some live pheasants we’ve trapped. We can clip their wings and raise them, and they’ll lay eggs too.”

Since he said so, Sang Luo didn’t insist and nodded. She then mentioned, “Shopkeeper Xu brought over a lot of grain today. They have a lot of people in their household now. Do they have enough grain to eat?”

Shen Lie calculated and said, “They should have enough. We brought in a lot of grain initially, planning to distribute it to the households. Now that the Xu family has so many more people, they probably won’t need it. We took the two kilogram of grain, and the Xu family should still have about thirty-seven kilogram left. There’s also a lot stored in the shelter outside the county, so that’s not urgent. Once things calm down outside, I’ll take the Xu family out and bring the grain in. That’ll repay the favor.”

Traveling outside wasn’t too difficult for Shen Lie, so he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he asked Sang Luo, “I’ll be leaving the valley early tomorrow and heading deeper into the woods. Is there anything you need?”

Sang Luo nodded, “Yes, I’d like some mugwort leaves. It’s a good time to harvest them. Also, if you find any fully grown rushes, collect some too. They’re useful for making lamp wicks and pillow stuffing.”

She actually wanted to go out and explore herself, thinking there were many things she’d realize she needed only by seeing them. She looked at Shen Lie, “Are you really planning to take Xiao Jin hunting?”

Shen Lie nodded, “I’ll teach him gradually. In two or three years, he should be capable. When things outside are peaceful again, he should be able to get some game in the mountains, as long as it’s not too deep in the forest.”

He looked at Sang Luo while saying this.

Sang Luo just nodded, showing little interest in his words.

Seeing her expression, Shen Lie realized something, “You want to leave the valley?”

Sang Luo’s eyebrows moved slightly. She looked at Shen Lie with her eyes sparkling and nodded, “I want to see what’s outside and gather some resources while the inner area is still not crowded.”

Shen Lie laughed, “Then let’s wait a few days. I won’t take Xiao Jin out initially, in case he gets anxious. After I get familiar with the inner forest, I’ll take you out.”

Sang Luo’s eyes lit up with joy, and she smiled brightly, “Alright!”

Shen Lie watched her smile and couldn’t help but let his own lips curve upward. He looked at Sang Luo curiously and asked, “Aren’t you afraid of the dangers outside?”

Even the Zhou brothers were hesitant to venture out frequently.

Sang Luo answered honestly, “Of course I am, but you’ll protect me, right?”

Shen Lie’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he replied, “Yes, I can protect you.”