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

Chapter 190: Preparation/Discontent

Heaven have mercy, Dong Ge’er, who had been running with excitement and joy, stopped just three steps away from Sang Luo. Seeing not only Sang Luo but also Shen Lie, and recognizing Shi Dalang and Zhou Sanlang, his tears started falling uncontrollably.

He cried and laughed at the same time, wiping his tears.

Normally, this would seem foolish, but given the chaos, encountering familiar faces, and not just one but several, was a welcome surprise. It wasn’t just Dong Ge’er; Gan Erlang’s mother also rushed over, her eyes filled with tears of joy as she cried and laughed, just like Dong Ge’er.

Sang Luo finally came to her senses and, seeing Dong Ge’er’s hair, which looked like it had been burned and was still scorched in places, couldn’t help but ask, “Did you escape from a fire?”

Dong Ge’er nodded repeatedly.

Shi Dalang, seeing his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, was also emotional. However, he was currently being pulled by Gan’s mother, who was asking about the well-being of her daughter and grandson.

The answers were all reassuring, with everyone being fine. Feng Dalang, Feng Er, and Gan Erlang, meanwhile, were curious and took a moment to look at Shen Lie and the strangely dressed boy who had followed them: “Do you know him?”

Shen Lie and Sang Luo both nodded, “We know him.”

Sang Luo was also intrigued, asking, “How did you end up together?”

Before Feng Dalang could answer, Dong Ge’er scratched his disheveled hair and explained, “After our family escaped from the county, we stayed in the mountains for a while. When we ran out of food and found the area unsafe, we encountered them and decided to follow them.”

At this moment, Dong Ge’er finally turned to Feng Dalang and the others to express his gratitude: “Thank you all for your care.”

Feng Dalang waved his hand, saying, “It’s nothing much. We just happened to know each other. It’s quite a coincidence.”

Dong Ge’er’s parents, along with his siblings, had also arrived.

Dong Ge’er’s parents had heard their son’s shout earlier. To be honest, they recognized Sang Luo, who had taught them how to dig hiding spots last year. The couple wanted to thank her but, lacking their son’s enthusiasm, remained silent, seeing as their benefactor seemed to be acquainted with many others. They weren’t sure how to begin expressing their gratitude.

Reuniting with old friends and acquaintances in such a critical moment naturally led to a lot of talking. Shen Lie looked at the sky and asked the older men from the Feng family, “Do you have any specific place to go?”

Without needing to discuss, the old men shook their heads. Feng Dalang’s grandfather said, “We were just trying to escape the chaos on the outskirts, so we took the risk and moved inward. We don’t really have a place to go.”

He hesitated for a moment, thinking that in such times, sticking together was crucial. Their clan had only been able to hide in the mountains thanks to the warnings from the Lu family and this young man. They had learned the skills needed to survive in the mountains from others. He decided to ask, “Young Master Shen, could you suggest a suitable place for our clan to settle?”

This was a tactful way of asking, without directly inquiring where Shen Lie and the Lu family were located but rather requesting a recommendation for a place where they could settle. This allowed Shen Lie to make the decision, and the suitability of the place would be assessed together by the clan members.

In this situation, Shen Lie was not put in a difficult position. He glanced at Zhou Laizi and Zheng the butcher’s eldest son, who were clearly excited and pleased about having reliable neighbors to support each other.

Since Shen Lie and the Lu family were familiar and had a good relationship with Zhou Laizi and Zheng’s family, and since Zheng’s family had also been relying on Shen Lie and Chen Dashan’s help, they trusted him completely. They all nodded in agreement.

Seeing no objections, Shen Lie said to the old man, “There is a place we can go. It’s getting late, so you might as well come with us. You can rest and, if it seems suitable, you can find a place to settle nearby.”

Upon hearing this, both the Feng family and Gan Erlang’s family were delighted. Dong Ge’er’s parents were a bit anxious, but Dong Ge’er, being quick-witted, asked Shen Lie and Sang Luo, “Mr. Shen, Mrs. Sang, can you take our family with you?”

Sang Luo responded with a smile, “Of course, we can.”

Seeing her response, Dong Ge’er felt relieved, knowing that even Shopkeeper Xu would be pleased to hear this.

With a place to go, the group that had joined Dong Ge’er halfway didn’t dare to approach directly. They clearly saw that Dong Ge’er and the others were familiar with the group, so they kept their distance, planning to follow at a moderate distance. Once everyone was settled, they would find a nearby spot to settle themselves.

This approach made sense. After all, the mountains were not owned by anyone, and as long as they didn’t follow too closely or have ill intentions, no one would drive them away.

…

That evening, the area near the Zhou and Zheng families became lively as 70 to 80 people arrived. The remaining locals were quite frightened. Once they saw that the group was led by Shen Lie and learned that a significant portion of them were from the Lu family, their anxiety turned into anticipation and joy.

The more reliable neighbors, the safer they felt in their current situation.

Finding a suitable place to stay wasn’t easy. With nightfall approaching, the group didn’t separate but instead settled in a cave not far from the Zhou and Zheng families’ homes. In the mountains, it’s important to prepare for night rain, especially since they had food and bedding to protect. Finding a cave was essential, even if it was cramped; it allowed the elderly, weak, and children to rest while the men took turns keeping watch.

Both the Feng and Gan families still had some food, but Dong Ge’er’s family was in a worse situation. Although they initially had provisions, the bandits had taken whatever they could carry before leaving, fearing there might still be people hidden in the city. They refused to leave any resources in Qiyang County for those left behind and set fire to various places in the county. Dong Ge’er’s family was lucky to have escaped; they hadn’t been able to salvage any food and had been relying on wild vegetables for sustenance.

Shen Lie and Sang Luo had learned the general situation on the road. Seeing that Dong Ge’er’s family had only scavenged clothes from abandoned villages, they gave them a mountain chicken and a wild rabbit from that day’s hunt, along with some mushrooms and wild fruits. They promised to inform Shopkeeper Xu of their situation before parting ways.

…

By the time they returned to the village outside the village, it was already getting dark. The families who had stayed behind in the village had heard the news. The most excited were Shopkeeper Xu and the Lu family brothers, while Shi Erlang was also happy for his sister-in-law.

Although it had only been five days since the last return to the valley, today’s significant events made everyone eager to pass on the news. They decided to return to their caves to sort out their recent gains and wait until late at night to send a few people back to the valley.

Back in their cave, Sang Luo and Shen Lie placed the two small rabbits they had in a rabbit cage next to the cave. Since most people had stayed behind at the village outside, they would try to catch live mountain chickens and wild rabbits when hunting. They divided the catch among the families, raising the animals. Rabbits grow quickly and breed rapidly, making them an easy source of food, and raising them posed no significant burden. They planned to save them for future provisions.

Today, they had found a nest of rabbits and distributed some to the other families. Their own catch included just two, but because they occasionally obtained more, they now had seven rabbits at home.

Sang Luo was feeding the seven rabbits of various sizes, while Shen Lie was starting a fire to burn wood. He turned to ask Sang Luo what she wanted for dinner.

With the spare time available from guarding the village, the stone boards and mills outside the valley were now complete. The earliest planted leafy vegetables were ready to eat, and they had also brought out radishes and pumpkins from the valley. Sang Luo thought for a moment and said, “Let’s steam some bean rice, make a radish stew with some meat, and see what vegetables you want. If you want roast meat, cut some yourself, and I’ll come and season it later.”

Shen Lie understood that Sang Luo wanted some soup, so he smiled and agreed. The bean rice had been prepared in the morning, and he set up a clay pot with water, placed the wooden steamer Sang Luo had asked him to use, lined it with cloth, and spread the bean rice evenly inside. He then put the wooden steamer on top of the clay pot and covered it with a wooden lid before heading to the vegetable garden to pick some vegetables.

The makeshift stove outside the cave now had a rain shelter, a small roasting stove for grilling meat, and a wooden counter for chopping vegetables. Inside the small cave, there was a small rectangular wooden table that was placed beside the bed during meals and moved to the side afterward.

Shen Lie and his group regularly cleared any potentially dangerous animals around their area, making the village outside relatively safe. They tidied up their home and prepared dinner. After eating well, they organized the items they needed to store in the valley.

As more people arrived in the mountains and hunting became more routine, the amount of game collected from nearby areas decreased compared to the initial days. They kept a small portion for themselves and sent the rest into the valley. Although the amount was not large, they had plenty of firewood, fresh grass for sheep and chickens, and seeds for planting. Sang Luo even included some Guanyin tea leaves for Shen An and his siblings to make tofu.

With Shen Lie around, Sang Luo didn’t need to go out at night. She closed the cave door and rested while Shen Lie went out.

…

In the valley, families had become accustomed to receiving supplies at night. Previously, items were marked and lowered from above with ropes. Today, however, Shopkeeper Xu, Lu Erlang, and Shi Erlang returned to the valley.

Shopkeeper Xu was straightforward. He had heard from Sang Luo that Dong Ge’er and his family had escaped a major fire in the county city with nothing. After consulting with his mother and wife, he decided to bring some food and seeds from home and deliver them to Dong Ge’er’s family the next day.

The old lady and Wei Lingzhen, knowing Dong Ge’er’s background, had no objections. The two women personally prepared practical items like beans, wild fruits, and even some salted meat, ensuring nothing was left out. Though not much, the salt would add a bit of flavor.

Seeing that they had many chickens and ducks at home, the old lady shook her head and asked, “Have you and Wenqing been raising mountain chickens and wild rabbits outside?”

Shopkeeper Xu nodded, “Yes, we plan to send them two rabbits and one mountain chicken once they are settled. Grass and seeds for feeding can be obtained from cutting grass, and that will be their food. There’s not much more we can do. We’ll have Wenqing teach them how to trap wild rabbits and chickens. As long as they’re safe together in the mountains, they’ll manage.”

“Mother, please pack some vegetable seeds as well,” Wei Lingzhen suggested.

As soon as she spoke, Wei Lingzhen had already brought out a few small packages wrapped in dry leaves. “All packed. It’s difficult to write on them, but they should recognize the items.”

Shopkeeper Xu smiled and nodded, “They should recognize them. They’re also from the countryside, so they’ll understand. There are people growing crops in the outskirts of the county.”

…

The Xu family was the calmest, while the Shi family was more emotional. Mrs. Gan was both laughing and crying upon hearing that her younger siblings were nearly pushed into the jaws of wolves by their uncle, almost losing their lives. Their faces were nearly destroyed, causing her immense sadness.

She had prepared medicine at home and discussed with her sister-in-law about sending some medicine to her siblings. Shi Erlang’s wife eagerly agreed, “Yes, yes, yes. Sister-in-law, you don’t know how much I envy you.”

Mrs. Gan, understanding her concerns, reassured her, “Don’t worry. Your family, being from the same clan, also went into the mountains early. They will be safe, as will ours and the Liu family.”

Shi Erlang’s wife nodded, finding solace in the fact that the Feng and Gan families, who had prepared in advance, were mostly safe. This was her greatest comfort at the moment.

Mrs. Gan was busy looking for medicine and asked a few children to help identify the unfamiliar characters. Shi Erlang’s wife noticed her busyness and, knowing the Gan family had originally prepared food, helped pack some preserved meat and mountain goods into baskets for her to take out later.

Indeed, Mrs. Gan would be going out of the valley.

When her family from her maiden home arrived, and considering the major issues her maiden brothers and sisters-in-law were facing, it was only right for her to visit them. However, given the number of people around and the difficulty of frequent movement in and out of the village, it was risky if someone with ill intentions noticed and remembered her. If she disappeared for a long time after having been seen, it could lead to suspicion.

Therefore, if she were to leave, she would need to stay in the village outside for an extended period.

Mrs. Gan was accustomed to hardship. With Sang Luo already outside, she was not worried. After discussing with her husband and sister-in-law, she decided that Shi Erlang’s wife would take care of the farmland and poultry in the valley with the children. Mrs. Gan planned to stay outside, focus on farming and raising animals, and minimize trips to the valley, which would also help increase the household’s income.

As for accommodation, they had previously locked two empty caves. Shi Erlang planned to choose the one closest to their home for temporary use and vacate the cave where the Shi family currently lived to accommodate her brothers and sisters-in-law.

…

On the Lu side, Feng Liuniang was making similar preparations. Aside from the emotional concern for her family, it was important for her, as a married woman of the Feng family, to make an appearance since all the clan members had arrived.

Old Lu supported this. She and her husband could manage the farmland in the valley, and she reminded Lu Erlang to ensure Feng Liuniang was well-protected outside.

She also checked with Lu Sanlang to see if he could stay with Shi Erlang, which reassured her and helped her organize things.

Although the discussions between the mother, son, and daughter-in-law about the items to be taken were completed at the valley entrance, Feng Liuniang still had to retrieve the items from the cave. Living in one of the caves, Feng Liuniang’s excitement and the old lady’s efforts to prepare everything, including clothes and bedding, led to some suspicion from Wang Chunniang.

In the dimly lit small cave, Wang Chunniang watched her mother-in-law and sister-in-law prepare things and saw Lu Erlang waiting there. Uncertain about what the entire family was up to, she pressed her lips into a straight line.

During the day, she was wary of the old lady and had to hide her dissatisfaction. But now, with the cover of night, she no longer needed to be so cautious.

Yes, she felt like a rat in the sewers, and her dissatisfaction could only be expressed freely in the dark of night.