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

Chapter 195: The Old Poisonous Woman

“Pack up your things. Take all the food and essentials for living with you. The grain you just harvested isn’t dried yet, so you can take your share from what we have here.”

Mrs. Lu said this while getting up to help her grandchildren with the preparations. Wang Chunniang, who was on the brink of madness, was not only enraged at her husband but also at her children who were now being held by others. Her anger was different from her hatred towards her in-laws, brothers-in-law, and relatives. It was unstable and short-lived, especially when it came to her own children. Although she hated them when angry, she couldn’t bear to see them suffer when their interests were at stake.

So, when Mrs. Lu’s words were spoken, Wang Chunniang went berserk. Her blood boiled, and she hurled every foul name she could think of at the old woman, cursing even to the point of saying that Ah Xu would never grow up and that the Lu family deserved to be cut off. She was beyond the point of filtering her words.

The older ones, like Shuanzhu, Tiezhu, and Daniu, were initially stunned and then tried to dissuade her, while the youngest, Shitou, was already crying in fear.

Xiao Huzi, ten years old, saw his mother’s frenzied cursing and then watched as his father suddenly erupted in anger and started tearing at his mother through the fence.

Mrs. Lu, though cursed at, did not react much until she heard Ah Xu being cursed. Her face turned green with anger. She turned her gaze to Ah Xu and the crying Shitou huddled in a corner. Struggling to control herself, she managed to get Old Man Lu, whose face was already turning blue with rage, to take the two young ones out first.

Soon, the curses turned into muffled sounds as Lu Dalang managed to silence Wang Chunniang. In that moment of rage, he truly felt a murderous intent, thinking that if Wang Chunniang were dead, their family would finally have peace.

In that fleeting thought, he was momentarily dazed, and he had to forcefully pull Wang Chunniang away and bite her hard. Eventually, Shuanzhu got the key from his grandmother, and the two brothers managed to get the door open, tying her up and gagging her. Only then did the cave regain a moment of peace.

Despite still shedding tears, the siblings understood clearly that they had no choice but to leave. They began to actively pack up their belongings, while Lu Dalang remained slumped, trembling, and staring blankly, unable to even move.

Mrs. Lu said nothing and continued to help with the packing in silence. Occasionally, she asked if certain items had been packed. After more than half an hour of busy work, she estimated the amount of grain from their own side that they would need to take. Once the major items were nearly packed, she took a bowl and, in the dark, left the cave.

Xu Family

Mrs. Xu was surprised to see Mrs. Lu arrive at this particular time. After a moment of shock, she quickly invited her inside.

Mrs. Lu, however, was not in the mood for pleasantries. “I came to ask if you could give me some things.”

This left the Xu family momentarily stunned. Mrs. Xu asked, “Is there something missing at home? Just let me know what you need, and I’ll provide it.”

“I remember you brought some wine when you entered the valley. I’m not sure if you still have any, but if you do, I’d like to ask for a few spoonfuls.”

Mrs. Xu nodded. “Yes, we did bring some. It’s not for drinking but for use in reducing a child’s high fever. It’s effective when applied to the body to lower the temperature.”

She immediately called for Wei Lingzhen to fetch it.

Mrs. Xu wanted to ask why Mrs. Lu needed the wine at this time but, considering the troublesome events at the Lu family today, she decided against it. Instead, she changed the subject and asked if Mrs. Lu had eaten dinner.

Mrs. Lu shook her head, “I have no appetite.”

Mrs. Xu was momentarily unsure how to persuade her, but fortunately, the Xu family’s cave wasn’t very large. Wei Lingzhen had already brought out a small jar of wine from the shelf. The jar hadn’t been opened yet, so Uncle Xu helped break the clay seal before pouring some wine for Mrs. Lu. The bowl was large, and after filling it about three or four times, Mrs. Lu quickly said, “That’s enough, that’s enough.”

Wei Lingzhen looked up, “Is this amount enough? If you need more, don’t be polite.”

Mrs. Lu replied, “It’s enough. Thank you all for today. My home is still in a mess, so I’ll head back now.”

Mrs. Xu and her daughter-in-law escorted her a few steps and, upon returning, still couldn’t figure out why the Lu family needed the wine at this time. However, it was just a few cups of wine, so if they couldn’t figure it out, they didn’t think too much about it. They instead asked Wei Qinghe, “Are you really calling Shen Lie and the others back tonight?”

Wei Qinghe nodded, “I’ve delivered the message. I’ve also told Zhou Cunzheng about the general situation.”

He looked at the sky, “At this time, Zhou Cunzheng should be out delivering the message.”

Mrs. Xu sighed upon hearing this, “Mrs. Lu seems to have aged four or five years compared to this morning.”

This morning she was full of joy from the rice harvest, but now she looked worn out and tired, with none of the vitality from earlier.

—

Zhou Cunzheng had indeed left the valley. By now, Shen Lie and the others had arrived at the valley, and outside, Shi Er had finished preparing the concealment at the entrance.

At this time, Mrs. Lu had also arrived home. She retrieved some black charcoal from the stove and was grinding it finely in a stone mortar.

The family hadn’t had dinner, but no one could figure out what she was doing, nor did anyone have the inclination to ask.

Lu Erlang had entered the valley by now and had learned the gist of the situation from Zhou Cunzheng. The Lu brothers hadn’t involved Shen Lie, Sang Luo, and Chen Dashan in their own affairs, asking them to go home first. The two brothers hurried home.

Mrs. Lu had finished grinding the charcoal into a fine powder. She then took a bowl, which had been left on the wooden counter, containing a little white wine borrowed from the Xu family. She mixed the charcoal powder into the wine, creating a dark, thick mixture. She then walked over to Lu Dalang, who was sitting absentmindedly outside the gate, “Get up. How long are you going to sit here?”

She handed him the bowl, saying, “Go inside and force this down your wife’s throat.”

Lu Dalang didn’t immediately react. Lu Shuanzhu and his siblings became anxious and spoke out, “Grandmother!”

Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang hurried inside and saw this scene.

Mrs. Lu glanced at the brothers and then addressed her grandchildren, “Don’t worry, I’m harsh, but I’m not cruel enough to poison your mother to death with a bowl of medicine. It’s just to make her stay put and at least not cause any more trouble on the way out.”

Lu Shuanzhu and his siblings breathed a sigh of relief but soon realized the old lady’s slightly self-deprecating tone, leaving them somewhat at a loss.

Lu Dalang, holding the bowl of medicine, looked at Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang with a dazed expression, then suddenly came to his senses and anxiously said, “Erlang, Sanlang, please help plead with Mother. Huzi and Shitou are still so young; being driven out of the valley means they have no way to survive. They call you Uncle Erlang and Uncle Sanlang. Please help plead with Mother.”

Mrs. Lu, seeing that he still used the children as leverage and didn’t mention himself, became enraged and shouted, “Give her the medicine! They are Shuanzhu’s uncles, but you’re their father. There are many people in the mountains now, and those people have no one to protect them. Are they supposed to die? I never knew your bones were so soft. Do you even know how to stand up? Don’t look for anyone to plead with; no one can help. I’ve already told you the consequences.”

Seeing his mother’s stern face, Lu Dalang finally didn’t dare to say more. He went to open the door to force-feed the medicine to his wife.

Wang Chunniang wasn’t going to let herself be fed medicine quietly, especially not knowing what kind of medicine it was. As soon as the door opened, she struggled to escape, and the father and two sons had to work together to restrain her and manage to get the medicine down her throat after a long struggle.

Lu Dalang was okay, but Shuanzhu and Tiezhu had red eyes.

Mrs. Lu watched this scene, knowing that she had played the role of the greatest villain today, and looked at the two brothers, “Do you blame me?”

The two brothers quickly shook their heads.

Mrs. Lu gave a self-deprecating smile, “Whether you blame me or not, I still have to do this. Everyone must take responsibility for their own actions. Soon, I’ll have to put on a brave face and ask Dashan to accompany your Uncle Erlang and Uncle Sanlang to find a place to settle your family. We can’t let your mother cause any more trouble on the road and end up harming others or the entire valley.”

“Your mother was right in one thing she said—I am indeed harsh. When you go out, you could encounter wolves, tigers, or leopards. I can’t be sure whether in a few years, all of you siblings will return safely, or if any of you will come back at all. Who can predict such things? If something bad happens, you can blame me in your hearts, and you can even sue me in the underworld if you want.”

Shuanzhu became anxious, “Grandmother, we really weren’t blaming you.”

Mrs. Lu cut him off, “I’m not saying this so you’ll say you don’t blame me. I don’t care whether you blame me or not. What I want to tell you is that the life you were meant to live could have been even worse than this—like the Jin family that your mother mocks. They were a family of six, and now only three are left, and that’s only because Shopkeeper Xu and their eldest brother risked their lives to save them.”

“Living through near-death experiences is the harsh reality of the world outside. You haven’t seen true human purgatory. The Shen and Chen families have helped you avoid it. The peaceful year you’ve had was a gift from their kindness, not something you deserved. Even so, I still have to shamelessly ask them to ensure your future well-being.”

Mrs. Lu felt as if her face was about to be buried underground; how thick-skinned she had to be to ask Chen Dashan for help.

“I still think I’m not harsh enough. If I were truly harsh, I would have cut out your mother’s tongue to stop her from spreading her twisted logic and leading you astray. Then your lives would be ruined forever.”

“But are you happy about it? Do you hate me to the core?”

“Once you leave, I don’t have any other demands. We won’t talk about repaying kindness, and I’ve taught you what you need to know. Just one thing: don’t repay kindness with hatred. Your parents and I may not be able to correct our ways, but out there, if there are places I didn’t foresee, all you need to watch for is this: don’t make others regret bringing our family along.”

“Filial piety is important, but being filial doesn’t always mean being compliant. There are things you need to learn to distinguish for yourselves. As your grandmother, I can only do so much.”

She turned and took a bag of meat from the shelves of their old couple’s quarters and the second and third rooms. She then instructed Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang to carry half a stone of millet and half a stone of beans, saying, “Let’s go to the Chen family. We can’t let Dashan make this trip in vain. As for these grains, I’ll decide that you two uncles will provide for your five nieces and nephews. Is that alright?”

Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang had no reason to refuse. They picked up the two bags as directed by their mother and followed Mrs. Lu out.

As they left the cave, they could still hear Wang Chunniang’s hoarse voice cursing the old witch behind them. Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang clenched their fists. Even though they pitied the five children, they couldn’t bring themselves to plead on their behalf at this moment.