Chapter 121: A Visitor in the Dead of Night

The two brothers understood the situation, yet their hearts were inevitably heavy.

Humans are not emotionless like plants and trees; even Shen Ning, upon learning the outcome, squatted in the kitchen, wiping her tears and crying.

Sang Luo was preparing some goose and chicken, slightly boiling them before slicing into strips. She used bamboo sticks previously used for drying sauce to roast them, planning to make jerky to take with them. Watching the little girl crying softly while tending the fire, Sang Luo felt a pang of sorrow recalling her months spent with Shen Jin and the children.

The little girl's eyes reddened at the thought of slaughtering the chickens, ducks, and geese they had raised for half a year, let alone the thought of parting with her cousins with whom she had grown up, as chaos loomed.

She consoled in a low voice, "Even if Shen Jin and the others are willing to come with us, think about it. Tiger, Ah Xu, Er Niu, San Niu - don't they also have cousins? Don't they also care for their cousins as you and Xiao An do? Can we take them all? We can't."

Shen Ning, while wiping her tears and sniffling, said, "Sister-in-law, I know all this. I just can't help but want to cry. I'll be fine after crying a little more, really."

She cried while thinking, if her third uncle and aunt hadn't been so cruel, if they hadn't treated them that way in the past, if they were still a family, then Xiao Jin, Xiao Yin, Xiao Tie, and Tian Ya could have also left with them.

Er Niu and San Niu are cousins.

Shen Ning still understood the difference between cousins and paternal cousins; each family's cousins left together.

But Shen Ning knew all too well what kind of people her third uncle and aunt were; no one in the family would willingly take them along, nor could she bring herself to do so. Recalling the dreadful days of last summer, the fear and despair they felt, and the near-death experience of her sister-in-law, she wondered why they should suffer for them.

The situation of Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin was truly pitiable. Why did they have to end up with such parents? How wonderful it would be if they had loving and caring ones.

Shen Ning realized that this was no longer about secretly sharing some food or playing together. This wasn’t something that could be done quietly.

The faint sound of Shen Ning's suppressed sobbing in the kitchen reached the backyard. Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang sighed, realizing that their family had already received considerable support. At least the eldest brother’s family wasn't cast out, and five out of the six children in the household were in the main family.

Of course, Lu Sanlang was well aware that this was due to the bond formed between his second brother, Shen Lie, and Chen Dashan through years of shared hardships. Their Lu family was deeply involved in this, which was why they were now closely watching over their sister-in-law and guarding against the Wang family, daring not to cause any further troubles.

The two brothers didn’t realize that sometimes, the more you worry about something, the more likely it is to happen.

The Wang mother and daughter-in-law came to Shili Village again.

Madame Lu was truly fed up with this mother and daughter-in-law pair, treating her family’s food supplies as if they belonged to the Wang family. Ever since she returned from the hillside cottage, she had been wary of them, reluctant to tidy up her belongings, fearing that news of the tax would bring the Wangs again, possibly leading to further trouble. While other families began to secretly prepare, her household remained unchanged.

And she was right to anticipate this.

Madame Lu immersed herself in her role swiftly, appearing dejected and overwhelmed with despair. Upon seeing Madame Wang, she approached her as if she had found someone to reason with, exclaiming, “Dear relative, life has become unbearable! They are imposing taxes again. You've heard about it, right?”

Madame Wang’s face also showed distress. Who could have expected that the taxes would be collected earlier and become a habit? It was always earlier each time, increasingly so.

The two old ladies, like close sisters-in-arms, were sharing their woes. However, when Madame Wang subtly shifted the conversation to grain, Madame Lu snapped out of her lamenting state, regaining her usual shrewdness. She eyed Madame Wang warily, "Relative, you're not thinking of borrowing grain from us now, are you? Even without buying grain, we have enough for the tax."

Madame Wang’s expression stiffened; that was indeed her plan. Hearing about the tax, her first thought was of the Lu family’s plentiful grain stores.

But her husband had cautioned her against this approach, explicitly telling her not to make such a request. He warned that doing so might drive Madame Lu to lend their grain to the Feng family instead, inadvertently benefiting them.

Madame Wang quickly replied, "Look at what you're saying, how could that be? I heard about someone in the next village who cut off his own leg over tax issues, and I came to check on you out of concern."

Madame Lu sighed with relief, "Is that so? I've heard about it too. The daughter of that family married into our village. The government is really pushing people too hard."

Madame Wang's eyes flickered, "Indeed."

Glancing around sneakily, she pulled Madame Lu towards the main house, whispering, "Mother-in-law, with things being this way, don’t you have any plans?"

Madame Lu feigned ignorance, "What plans?"

Madame Wang said, "About the tax. With the current grain prices, how much will you have to pay? And there's the military service. Who from your family will go? Will you send your third son?"

After saying this, Madame Wang closely watched Madame Lu’s expression.

Madame Lu’s heart skipped a beat, realizing the Wang family was eyeing her grain.

Fortunately, it was a time of general anxiety. She stared back at Madame Wang, "What do you mean by that, mother-in-law? Could it be that..."

"Exactly what you're thinking."

Madame Lu shook her head vehemently, lowering her voice, "That would mean abandoning our home and livelihood. We're not at that point yet. We've stockpiled grain mainly to safeguard against possible rebellions, but to become refugees over taxes and conscription? Absolutely not."

She shook her head like a rattle-drum, gazing forlornly at her estate, "If we really leave, and there's no chaos, what will become of us? My home, this courtyard, those lands, decades of our family's efforts, all gone. It's not feasible."

She even questioned Madame Wang, "Would your family be willing to do the same?"

Naturally, Madame Wang was also reluctant. Madame Lu was right; they hadn't reached that extreme. What if the chaos never erupted? What if the Daqian dynasty didn't fall? They would lose everything by leaving.

She was merely following her husband's instructions to test the Lu family. Plus, she hadn't visited in some days and needed to confirm the presence of their grain stores for peace of mind.

Seeing that Madame Lu had no intention of leaving, Madame Wang relaxed. It wasn't paranoia; she hadn't seen her daughter in over two months. She had missed her during the New Year visits, and each subsequent visit found the family busy or out.

Madame Lu explained that the local household was rushing to finish their work, mainly due to fear of refugees. They wanted to fortify their compound, even secretly constructing escape tunnels, which meant tighter deadlines for everyone else, leaving no room for rest at home.

Not seeing her daughter, Madame Wang was uneasy. She frequented the Lu household, distracting Madame Lu while her daughter-in-law peeked into the western room to confirm the grain's presence.

Today's probing was also her husband's idea, to gauge the Lu family's readiness to flee. If they planned to escape now, it could disrupt their long-term surveillance, possibly leading them to join the Feng family.

Having tested the waters, and assuming her daughter-in-law had seen enough, Madame Wang shifted tone, deflating like a balloon, "Exactly. Who can bear to abandon everything? But haven't you heard? Our Huainan region is becoming unstable. Many counties face refugee bandits, with entire families and villages being attacked. Our clan has found a hidden spot in the mountains to store grain. Should things turn sour, we can flee anytime. Spring's father sent me to ask if you'd like to store some of your grain with ours, for safety. Otherwise, if refugees cause trouble, how can we save the grain even if we escape ourselves? Wouldn't everything be ruined?"

Madame Lu wasn't surprised that the Wang clan was preparing for the worst, given the bad news post-New Year. Yet, Madame Wang's words irked her. She masked her disdain, feigning curiosity and hesitation, "Hide the grain? Where?"

Madame Wang smiled slyly, "That, I cannot say. All our clan's grain must be hidden there, and we've kept it a secret, not mentioned to anyone else. You're the exception. We can include your share, but the location must remain undisclosed."

Seeing Madame Lu's hesitation, Madame Wang raised an eyebrow, "You're not still distrusting us, are you? If we don't hide the grain now, it'll be too late later. Then, we won't be able to take yours with us. Think about it. If we're short-handed, Spring's brothers could come over at night to help transport it."

Madame Lu internally scoffed at the offer to physically help move the grain, but outwardly she appeared frightened by Madame Wang's final remark, pacing around the room.

After seemingly making up her mind, she finally said, "Mother-in-law, moving some grain for caution's sake is fine. Even a rabbit digs three burrows for safety. It’s wise to store grain separately, but as a woman, I can't make such a big decision alone. With the current tax and conscription, my family in the county must have heard the news. They should return in a day or two. I need to discuss this with my husband before deciding."

"Moreover, if we move our grain, which is our lifeline, you must allow our eldest son and Spring, your daughter and son-in-law, to accompany it. Our family must know where our grain is going. Otherwise, I can't entrust it to you."

She added, as if to soften her words, "It's not that I don't trust you or mother-in-law, but in the chaos, our villages are separated. What if we can't keep up? Then where would we find our grain? That would be a waste."

In other words, that would just benefit your Wang family.

Madame Wang thought to herself, 'Isn't this a lack of trust?' But she only paid lip service to the idea of trust.

However, Madame Lu's cautious approach reassured Madame Wang; it meant the Lu family was truly interested in aligning with them.

Pretending to be in a difficult position, Madame Wang said, "The old saying goes, 'A married daughter is like spilled water.' We don’t see our son-in-law and Spring as outsiders. We trust them, but the clan might not agree."

Madame Lu promptly replied, "Then let's forget it. We'll find another way, see if the Feng family can include us."

This tactic worked on Madame Wang, who quickly grabbed Madame Lu's hand, "No, it's not necessary. We’ve been relatives with your family for longer than the Fengs, haven’t we? Our family shares blood with five of your grandchildren. Aren't we more reliable than the Fengs? Not just for you, but for my daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren too, right? Let's do this: wait for your husband to return and discuss, and I’ll go back and consult with Spring's father and our clan. We’ll figure out a solution. How does that sound?"

Madame Lu smiled, "That’s kind of you to go to such lengths for us. Please speak well on our behalf. Being without relatives here, we ultimately rely on your influential Wang family. There’s really nothing to worry about."

Madame Wang smiled back, pleased to see Madame Lu agree to move some grain to their place. Signaling subtly to her daughter-in-law who entered the room, Madame Wang was reassured to know the Lu's grain was still there.

Now, thinking of the Lu family’s grain felt as if it was their own. Contemplating the Lu family’s taxes and grain contributions, she felt a pang of empathy.

Holding Mrs. Lu's hand earnestly, she advised, "My dear, let's not rush to pay the taxes just yet. The village head also said we have until the 10th. I think we should wait and see, and decide on the last day whether to pay or not."

Mrs. Lu agreed, "Exactly, we already paid last year's grain taxes, it's unreasonable to keep collecting them early. The crops can't grow faster, and this year is different from the last. We paid this year's taxes in advance last autumn, and while most people managed then by tightening their belts, paying again this spring means many will have to survive on wild plants and tree leaves. I foresee trouble brewing, we should watch and wait."

After a friendly alliance, Mrs. Lu warmly escorted her to the village entrance, repeatedly urging Mrs. Wang to speak on their behalf with the clan, showing a clear reliance on her help.

Once parted, Mrs. Wang quietly asked her daughter-in-law, "You're sure about the grain count in our house, right?"

Mrs. Wang's eldest daughter-in-law beamed, "Absolutely, it’s still the same amount as before, not a grain less! Mother, should we really let the Lu family know about our clan's hidden grain?"

Mrs. Wang scoffed, "Let them know for real? Even if our family agrees, the clan won’t. We'll just lead them to a temporary spot first, shift our grain there as a show, and coordinate with your uncles if possible. Later, we’ll move it all back."

Her daughter-in-law smiled in agreement, "That's a clever plan."

Once moved, they would control how the grain is used, thinking of the plentiful store, Mrs. Wang and her daughter-in-law were thoroughly pleased.

After seeing off the troublesome visitors, Mrs. Lu felt relieved. Having managed the last encounter, she looked forward to no more acting or fawning. Next time, she could confront Mrs. Wang outright!

Securing the door and locking the gate, Mrs. Lu took out her key and entered the western room. The bamboo shelf at the back had been cleared out, only the front row 'grain' bags were neatly arranged, just as before.

Mrs. Lu checked the bags, several containing her family's clothes and bedding, disguised as grain. It would be easy for the youngsters to carry them tonight. The rest, heavy but important items, could be moved by her and her two sons.

As for the 'grain bags' seen by Mrs. Wang’s eldest daughter-in-law, let the Wang family keep them; they've been eyeing them for so long. After all, burlap sacks are valuable, bought specially from the county. A parting gift for her in-laws.

She wondered if the old thieves would be outraged, pity she couldn’t see their reaction. But just imagining it was amusing enough for her.

……

The rest of the families, unaware of the Lu family’s situation, had finished their dinner at the halfway hillside courtyard and were tidying up, done with using the pots and pans.

By the time night completely enveloped the sky, nearly everything that could be taken had been packed, save for the bedding on the beds. After a brief rest, they planned to roll up the bedding at dawn and be ready to leave.

As for the courtyard, various shelves, furniture, and heavy items like the rice bins and stone mills in the kitchen, these simply couldn’t be moved and were regretfully left behind.

With everything packed and the hour nearing the end of the night, the mountain and village fell silent. The Lu brothers, already lying down in the kitchen, prepared to sleep, while Sang Luo and Shen Lie, along with the two children, were about to draw the curtains for rest when Shen Lie's ears picked up the sound of footsteps, and not just one person's.

He placed a finger to his lips, signaling Sang Luo and the others to be silent. At that moment, someone lightly tapped on the courtyard gate.

In such a tense period, the six people inside the small courtyard tensed up. The Lu brothers, already in the kitchen, sat up swiftly, while Shen Lie and Sang Luo quietly exited the main house.

Shen Lie called out cautiously, “Who’s there?”