Chapter 180: Hunting Expedition

After a journey of more than ten days and a near day and night effort to fortify the Zhou family's defenses, Shen Lie and the others briefly informed the valley dwellers about the outside situation before returning to their own homes.

Sang Luo had been in low spirits throughout the journey, but Shen Lie noticed her mood. He wanted to console her, but she had already made an effort to pull herself together.

Endure, she thought. Compared to being trapped in the county or the plight of the Zhou family before, her situation was much better. If she held on and worked hard until the battle outside produced a decisive outcome, things might improve.

But she wondered how long this process would take.

She asked Shen Lie, "With people trapped in the county and the refugees being recruited, aren't there not many people left in the mountains?"

Seeing that her thoughts had shifted, Shen Lie felt somewhat relieved. He nodded and said, "There are far fewer than I initially anticipated. Most are likely those who had escaped earlier, or a small number who managed to flee the county or refused to be recruited for rebellion. But it's not easy to penetrate the inner circle. As long as they can still find food outside, it's unlikely anyone would risk venturing deeper."

Sang Luo nodded. "Then let's stock up on supplies while we can during autumn. I'll go out with you tomorrow."

She was familiar with the mountain's resources and needed to personally gather them. Once Shen Lie was acquainted with the area, she could bring Shen Jin along later.

Thinking of this, she told Shen Lie, "I'll prepare some food. You should also freshen up and get a good day's rest."

After more than ten days of tireless efforts outside, she had just noticed that Shen Lie and Chen Dashan appeared slightly better off, while the rest of the Xu family members were visibly exhausted.

Shen Lie felt a warmth in his heart. He thanked Sang Luo for her hard work and then took the bucket to fetch water himself.

Their return was quiet; the few children who were able to read were staying in Shen Jin's cave. By the time they returned to help with the feeding, Shen Lie had already washed away the dust of the journey and, after a warm meal, had fallen asleep.

Upon entering the cave, Shen An and Shen Ning were about to call out to their elder sister when Sang Luo placed her index finger on her lips, gesturing for the siblings to look at the bed.

Only then did Shen An and Shen Ning realize that their older brother had returned. They immediately silenced themselves, walking softly so as not to make any noise.

Sang Luo smiled and pointed to the kitchen, gesturing for the siblings to serve themselves dinner.

This half-day and evening were precious moments of respite for Shen Lie. Starting the next day, both he and Chen Dashan would find it difficult to have any leisure time throughout the autumn. They carried not only the burdens of the Chen and Shen families but also those of the other households in the valley and the Zhou family outside it.

For all these people to survive and endure in this deep mountain, living long enough to witness a peaceful era, a few capable individuals had to take on more responsibilities, and everyone must unite their efforts, giving it their all.

...

The following morning, the men spent the entire day working outside, only returning to the valley at night when they had completed the other three families' caves and built simple wooden beds. That night, Shen Lie gathered the younger ones before he and Sang Luo left the valley. Without delving into details about their new dwellings, he told them that their journey would take some time, and he entrusted them with some household matters.

Whether it be Shen An, Shen Ning, or Shen Jin, all are now proficient in managing household affairs. They tend to the sheep, feed the chickens, cultivate crops, and prepare meals without any cause for concern. Even the task of milking the sheep, Shen Ning performs with remarkable skill and precision.

Master Shen Jin was also aware that his elder sister could recognize quite a few items. Since it was necessary to venture out in the autumn, he wasn't in a hurry. He would simply wait for his elder brother to take him on the next trip.

In the valley, the capable elderly and figures like Head Villager Zhou and Manager Xu remained, along with one or two able-bodied young men in each household. The chaos in the mountains had already reached their doorstep. After discussion, they decided to have Shi Da, a seasoned man who had seen his share of violence, take charge in the valley. Others would assist him, and the entrance to the valley would be sealed from within. Guards would be stationed there day and night, leaving nothing for Shen Lie and Chen Dashan to worry about. All they needed was for the households to assemble, and they could lead their group out for the autumn hunt.

By now, Lu Dalang finally sensed something amiss.

Old Man Lu had previously accompanied the others to cut trees for doors and soak beans with them. At that time, Lu Darang only thought it was about chopping firewood. Old Man Lu had also avoided having Lu help with soaking the beans, instead enlisting Old Man Chen's assistance. The entire Lu family resided in a large cave, and while they wove mats from ramie to hang as curtains on their beds for privacy during the summer, many items were still placed on shelves. It was inevitable that some things would be seen when tidying up.

Liu Erlang and Liu Sanlang didn't just bring weapons on this trip; they also packed furs, blankets, a clay pot for boiling water, and two sets of bowls and chopsticks.

After sulking alone for less than half an hour, he couldn't resist the urge to peek at the basket Liu Erlang was preparing to carry on his back.

Surveying the basket, he then turned to his two younger brothers, who were still filling small bamboo tubes with salt. He ventured to ask, "Why are you bringing all these items this time?"

Liu Erlang's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Autumn is coming, and we need to venture deeper into the mountains to search for goods that can be stored or dried. We might not return for days, and we also want to avoid leaving too obvious tracks from frequent trips in and out. The goods will be processed outside and brought back in batches after some time."

Upon hearing that they planned to go even deeper into the mountains, Liu Dalang's courage wavered. On their journey so far, encounters with fierce beasts in the inner perimeter had been frighteningly numerous. It was common to stumble upon them twice in a single trip. How could they venture further?

She immediately refrained from asking any further questions.

As for the idea of dealing with the mountain goods outside and sending them back only after a while to minimize traces, that would indeed be beneficial for the valley's safety. He kept his gains to himself, not voicing any concerns or inquiries about how Lu Er and Lu San managed their living conditions and safety outside.

Lu Po shot him a glance and urged Lu Erlang and Lusan to hasten their pace so as not to keep others waiting.

Once the two brothers had left, Liu Nü led Ah Wei out to see them off. Then, turning to look at Lu Dalang, she said, "Ah Lie went out for a trip, and it seems chaos has ensued outside. We have no idea how long we'll need to hide in the mountains. Our food supplies are limited, and this valley doesn't offer much land for cultivation. Your family should be more frugal with your consumption. Don't rely on your brothers to feed you all if you run out of food. It wouldn't be fair to burden them when they're risking their lives too."

Lu Dalang's face turned crimson with embarrassment. He obediently replied, "Mother, I understand."

Then, he turned to Lu Daniu and said, "Did you hear what Grandma said? From now on, use less beans, and don't do any strenuous work. After eating, just rest. Save as much food as possible."

Lu Daniu hastily agreed.

The burden was once again shifted onto the children, and Lu Po didn't feel like saying anything more.

None of them wished to reach this point, but with Lu Dalang being incapable of shouldering responsibilities and Wang Chunniang causing endless troubles, the couple's relationships with the other families in the valley, let alone their own siblings, were reduced to mere formalities. Lu Po had no choice but to take on the role of the villain upfront.

Lu Po didn't leave either. Instead, she found some tasks to do by the entrance of the cave.

Lu Shuzhu wanted to say that he could go out hunting too, but deep down, he knew it wasn't about whether he dared or not. He lowered his head silently without speaking.

The only thing he could do was to take care of his mother and ensure nothing else went wrong.

...

The Lu family's affairs were their own concern. As Shen Lie and his group left, Shi Da and Zhou Sanlang were in charge of guarding the cave this time.

The mountains were no longer safe. Shen Lie and Shi Da, along with Zhou Sanlang, agreed to return every five to ten days, though the interval was uncertain. The entrance would be sealed with stones, and they established a secret knocking code for communication. They instructed him to stay vigilant and, upon their return, help remove the bar securing the entrance.

Both men noted this down. Shen Lie lifted the hidden door to the entrance and, using the plants covering it, surveyed the outside. Finding nothing amiss, he ventured out and called for the others to follow.

As he had said, the entrance and its surroundings were concealed with large rocks and various obstacles. They also dealt with the visible trail leading to the entrance and erased any traces. Once they deemed everything normal, they headed for the cave, setting up bedding and arranging bowls and chopsticks inside. There was no more fussing around.

Chen Dashan brought out a water bucket and filled it at a nearby mountain spring. After each family took turns watering their soybean plants, they armed themselves and set off with their baskets.

Among the group leaving, there were only two women: Sang Luo and Shi Erlang's wife. Naturally, this was due to the scarcity of young, able-bodied men in their households.

Shen Lie loaded a clay jar, water, a few neatly stacked bags of varying sizes, and a piece of animal hide into his own basket. He gave the two some precautions and whispered to Sang Luo, "Stay close to me at all times."

San Luo held the sharp hoe in her hand and nodded.

Shi Erlang's wife was initially quite nervous. Initially, it was supposed to be Elder Sister Gan who would come out, but the outside cave was small and not very comfortable. Knowing that San Luo and later Shen Jin would also venture out, she volunteered to join them.

Looking at San Luo now, she wasn't as tense.

In fact, apart from Shen Lie paying attention, the others who left the valley subconsciously positioned themselves on either side of San Luo and Shi Erlang's wife, protecting them as they traveled. Without delay, they headed straight for the mountain where the Zhou family resided.

Liu Erlang wasn't lying to Liu Dalang. They had indeed been moving around the vicinity frequently, hunting almost all the pheasants and rabbits. Although there might still be wild boars, they certainly wouldn't be as abundant as those in the inner region. Hence, they didn't bother exerting effort to search for them and went straight to explore deeper within.

Zhou Lazi and his son were busy with the wooden stakes around the planting area, while his wife and daughters were cultivating soybeans with the younger children. Hearing some distant commotion, they were startled at first. Upon realizing that it was Shen Lie and his group approaching, they were overjoyed and abandoned their work, rushing forward to greet them.

Hunting and gathering—on their own, they dared to venture only as far as three men together; they never dared to go too far.

When Zhou Lazi saw the weapons in Shen Lie's and Chen Dashan's hands, along with the bows on their backs, his sun-browned face lit up with excitement. "Going hunting today?"

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan smiled. Chen Dashan replied, "Yes, we're here to take you along. Let's have two people join us. Uncle Zhou, who from your family will come?"

Zhou Lazi didn't need to think. "My second son and I will go."

Turning to his eldest son, he said, "Stay here and continue building the fence to protect your mother and sisters."

Knowing the area was teeming with wild beasts, Zhou DaLang promptly nodded.

Zhou Lazi's wife led her eldest daughter over. Upon seeing Sang Luo and Shi ErLang's wife, she was inexplicably delighted. Having been hidden in the mountains for so long, encountering fellow villagers, especially women, stirred up strong emotions within her. She approached them to chat.

Sang Luo sized up the Zhou family mother and daughter. They were extremely thin, and their faces, as Jin Lie had mentioned, were abnormally pale from hiding in the cave for too long without sunlight. She wasn't particularly close with the Zhou family duo, so she only greeted them politely. However, Shi ErLang's wife, who had been married into the village for years, was more familiar to her. They exchanged a few friendly words with smiles.

Seeing that Shi ErLang's wife and Sang Luo also carried baskets and carried hatchets, Zhou Lazi's wife deduced they were heading into the mountains together. She couldn't help but feel envious, "My body can't manage even the simplest tasks."

Zhou Daughter greeted Shi ErLang's wife and Sang Luo before informing her mother. She hurried back to the cave to prepare water in bamboo tubes for her father and second brother.

Jin Lie and the others truly didn't have time to linger. After exchanging a few casual words, Zhou Lazi and his son returned with their baskets. Accepting the two bamboo tubes filled with water from their daughter, they fetched the hoe and hatchet they used for self-defense outside before joining Jin Lie's group.

Informing the Zhou family of their uncertain return time, the group headed into the mountains. Zhou Lazi's wife and children watched them depart until they were out of sight before resuming their work with renewed urgency.