Chapter 177: Village Beyond the Village (Slightly Revised)

They were indeed live sheep.

Not just one, but two, with a mother sheep leading the way and her two little lambs following.

It took much effort for Shen Lie and Chen Dashan to guide the mother sheep through the entrance. Thankfully, the two lambs led the way, allowing them to successfully carry the sheep inside.

Descending into the valley was an even greater challenge. The wolves and the dead lamb were manageable as they wouldn't struggle, but the three live sheep had to be bound in a basket, secured with multiple ropes to prevent them from escaping before being carefully lowered down.

The bleating of the sheep first caught the attention of the children in Shen Jinkan's cave. The commotion was so unusual that they rushed downstairs out of curiosity.

After everything was safely lowered, Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang finally descended to the bottom of the valley. The three sheep and the dead wolf were already surrounded by a group of children. The Xu family, who lived nearby, had also heard the noise and hurried over.

Uncle Xu looked at the wolf, swallowing hard. Even mushroom picking could result in encountering wolves.

Xu Wenqing, on the other hand, had his eyes shining with excitement. After digging the pond, the inner part of the valley was too small. Apart from the tree area designated for the children to play, there was no space left for archery practice. He had already moved his practice sessions to the outer part of the valley, precisely where the compost pits were dug...

He didn't mind the stench anymore.

Well, it seems they used a special composting method, so there wasn't a particularly pungent smell.

In any case, everyone was filled with excitement.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan still had to go out and tidy up. Unlike when they previously hunted wild boars, which were processed outside before being brought back, they now brought the sheep directly, one of them still injured. They were worried that blood might have been left behind, so they needed to investigate the area and deal with any traces.

Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang first carried their belongings back to the cave. Upon hearing the news, Old Man Chen and Old Lady Chen came out, calling for Chen Youtian to help them prepare the large cave to accommodate the sheep. Actually, there wasn't much preparation needed; the most crucial task was to build a wooden fence to create a pen. With crops and vegetables growing outside, they couldn't afford to let the sheep wander freely and ruin everything.

A group of children followed, and from the Xu family, Manager Xu, Xu Wenchao, and Uncle Xu came out to assist. The Shi, Zhou, and Lu families also heard about it, and the men brought along extra wooden planks and strips that they had from making furniture at home.

With around ten people working together, led by Chen Youtian, they quickly constructed a fenced enclosure with a gate.

Initially, they planned to enclose the entrance of the cave, but the women, being meticulous, thought that just as humans needed sunlight, the sheep did too. In the end, they created a small circle outside the cave entrance, giving the three sheep a few square meters, similar in size to a modern balcony, to bask in the sun and get some fresh air.

When the three sheep were released, they bleated and scurried into the cave, leaving the children standing outside the fence, disappointed with their long necks stretched out.

Little girls were especially fond of these cuddly creatures. Xu Wenying's attention didn't shift away from the sheep until they were out of sight. She exclaimed to Shen Ning, "You'll be able to drink goat milk now!"

Xili Village was a small village, and Shen Ning had never seen anyone raise goats there before. Thus, the idea of drinking goat milk from raising goats was unfamiliar to him. It wasn't until Xu Wenying mentioned it that he realized what she meant. He turned to look at Sang Luo, asking, "Big Sister, there really is goat milk?"

Sang Luo chuckled. "Yes, but the mother sheep is injured and has to nurse two lambs. She's also timid from being in a new place, so let her settle first."

Upon hearing that there was indeed a sheep, Shen Ning, despite having no idea what goat's milk tasted like, couldn't help but feel delighted.

The adults, being more pragmatic, began considering how they would feed the animal in the future.

Before Sang Luo could speak, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan returned. They immediately sought out a few key household heads to discuss matters, and soon, everyone became aware of their plans.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan proposed occupying several caves near the valley before the refugees entered the inner perimeter.

Shen Lie said, "A’Luo brought it up, and after discussing with Da Shan, we realized that it makes sense. Rather than allowing outsiders to settle here and making our comings and goings passive, we should seize the initiative and occupy the area ourselves, putting up locks on the entrances. That way, whether we're chopping wood nearby or leaving obvious traces from daily activities, the numerous signs will blend in, making them less noticeable. This way, our valley can receive better concealment, and the elderly, women, and children can hide safely."

"It's almost autumn, and our harvest in the valley is limited, but resources outside are abundant. Folks, we can't keep hiding in the valley. Uncle Zhou, Manager Xu, if your families are willing, you can send a few people to join us. We'll venture out to gather more supplies before the season changes, so we can save some food for the winter."

"If we encounter anyone while hunting or gathering, we'll temporarily stay in caves outside. Then, under the cover of darkness, we can transfer our findings back to the main cave at the entrance of the valley. This will save us a lot of trouble. In fact, to avoid leaving obvious traces, the main workforce could even live in those smaller outside caves during the gathering season, only sending supplies into the valley every few days. As long as we set up proper defenses and look out for each other, there shouldn't be any major issues."

Who would refuse such a proposal?

No matter how cautious they were, their movements would always leave some trace. Over time, it would be difficult to conceal them. The valley couldn't provide enough food, vegetables, meat, or firewood to sustain itself. It was unrealistic not to venture out at all.

With people wandering outside, both visibly and invisibly, the valley could be concealed thoroughly in contrast.

Not to mention that with able-bodied men free to hunt and forage, the risk of exposing the valley was significantly diminished.

It was well-known that autumn was a bountiful season in the mountains. Even Lu Erliang and Shi Dalang dared to venture only as far as they were accompanied by Shen Lie and Chen Dashan; the Zhou and Xu families wouldn't dare to burden them at all.

Now, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan offered to secure an external cave, guide them out, and help gather resources – something they hadn't even dared to request before. How could they refuse?

They were more than eager to accept!

One by one, they agreed.

Only then did Shen Lie say, "There's one more thing. Each family needs to decide who they're sending, and they'll have to be approved by either me or Big Mountain. They also need to be someone we can manage to bring along."

In simpler terms, they had to be individuals the group was willing to take with them and not become too much of a burden.

Everyone understood this, and in reality, these rules restricted the four families that needed assistance.

Lao Lu was the first to declare, "For us, it'll still be Second and Third Brother."

Schirr Da-lang declared, "In our family, it'll be my second brother and me."

When it was Zhou Village's turn, he pondered for a moment before saying, "We should also leave some able-bodied men in the valley. I have three sons; they can take turns to go out in pairs."

After hearing all the other households' arrangements, Shopkeeper Xu thought for a while and proposed, "In our family, it'll be me, Uncle Xu, Wenqing, and Qinghe taking turns as well, with two of us going out at a time."

There was no need to discuss matters for the Chen and Shen families. The Chens would alternate between Qin Fangniang and Chen Youtian, while for the Shens, either Shen Lie would bring along Sangluo or Shen Jin. Whether or not Sangluo joined them would be up to her.

With the matter settled, Shen Lie didn't waste any time. "Those who will venture out of the valley later, gather and meet up with me and Big Mountain. Before nightfall, we'll scout the nearby hills, especially the entrances, to determine the number of caves. We'll choose which ones to use and bring along machetes or axes to chop firewood for storage."

Stockpiling firewood was a major task. The large cave above was spacious, and aside from the small area near the entrance that would be used for conveying supplies, it would be best to fill the rest with firewood, as transporting it wouldn't always be convenient.

Sangluo wanted to join them, but with the addition of new sheep and the harvest of silver ear mushrooms, fungi, and wild fruits that needed to be cleaned and dried before sunset, she decided against it. Trusting Shen Lie to handle things competently, she put the matter aside and planned to ask him to bring her along another day.

Before Shen Lie left, she instructed him to collect some tender leaves from shrubs that the sheep enjoyed eating, as well as plenty of fresh grass to feed the chickens, ducks, and sheep.

When Shen Lie and Chen Dashan ventured out again, each carried an empty basket on their backs.

It was already late afternoon, yet a large group of people were still going out. The heads of each household were well aware of the reason, and if their wives inquired, the men would discreetly inform them. However, they did not mention a word to their children.

Although the Lu family had split into different branches, when Old Man Lu counted the number of participants, he made no mention of Lu DaLang.

The members of the Lu family's main branch were not allowed to leave the valley – this was an unspoken understanding among all its inhabitants. Hence, even without Shen Lie explicitly instructing them, everyone tacitly agreed not to mention anything about the cave to their children who were most likely to spread rumors.

When Lu DaLang saw Lu Er and Lu San heading out with their axes at this hour, he assumed that Shen Lie had called everyone to gather firewood and didn't give it much thought.

...

When Shen Lie left, the children led by Shen Ning, having had their fill of watching Chen Youtian prepare hay for the sheep, set up the water and feeding troughs, returned to assist Sang Luo in drying mushrooms and washing silver ear fungus.

A group of children, including Xu Wenying, joined in the fun, making the task proceed swiftly. Towards the end, Sang Luo took out the two clusters of slightly purple wild grapes that Shen Lie had picked and asked Shen Ning to wash them. They were then shared among the children in the valley.

The mere thought of it made her wince, yet the group of children were incredibly fond of it. With puckered faces from the tartness, they still eagerly gathered around, asking for more.

Sang Luo found it amusing and couldn't help but laugh.

During this time, Chen Youtian was called over to skin the wolf and remove the flesh from the wound on the lamb. The meat was then divided between the two families. Sangluo asked Shen An to deliver a portion of the meat to Master Xu's household, along with a bowl of mushrooms. She also shared some among Shen Jin and his brothers.

Shen Lie and his group made two trips back to the large cave, delivering firewood and lowering two baskets of grass leaves from above. After that, they left again, not returning to the valley until it was almost dark.

By then, Sang Luo and Shen Ning had already prepared dinner. It was indeed late, and everyone was famished. However, Shen Lie's eyes sparkled. After washing his hands and face, he whispered to Sang Luo, "Our family's cave is located on another peak beside the entrance. It's the closest cave to the entrance. I'll take you there tomorrow."

Unspoken but noticeable, ever since Sang Luo asked him to sit beside her while she practiced calligraphy, Shen Lie had consistently occupied that spot during meals. At first, Shen Ning didn't catch on and had her seat taken by her elder brother for three or four consecutive days. Gradually, she realized what was happening and silently switched seats.

Thus, Shen Lie now had the opportunity to whisper a few secret words to Sang Luo.

Sang Luo had grown accustomed to his occasional proximity and nodded with a smile.

...

With enough herbs gathered for a substantial amount of medicine, Sang Luo abstained from the next day's gathering. She let Shen Lie take Shen Jin out for a walk, allowing the younger ones to collect mushrooms and hunt some wild chickens. After all, their meals also included what Shen Lie had provided.

Shen Lie, aware of Shen Jin's concerns, invited people from the other families to join them the following day without going herb-gathering. They set off early in the morning, returning in the late afternoon with their prey and mushrooms. Leaving Shen Jin behind, Shen Lie took an axe, hoe, and the young men from each family and headed out again.

They didn't return until the sun began to set, ready to show Sang Luo the cave.

The Shen family's external cave was situated on a neighboring peak above the entrance to the valley. The other families' caves were scattered across the surrounding mountains, all situated around the mountain near the valley entrance. The advantage was that they were close to the entrance, and not too far apart. If someone shouted at the top of their lungs, those in the other caves would hear and could provide assistance if needed. This was a beneficial arrangement.

The drawback, as Shen Lie had mentioned, was that the cave was tiny, extremely small. Sang Luo estimated that her family's cave was no more than six or seven square meters. After placing a bed, there wouldn't be much space left. Moreover, Shen Lie said that there were two other caves even smaller, which resembled recessed rock walls that needed a stone wall and a door to be inhabitable safely.

There were larger caves, but they were too far away. For the purpose of guarding the entrance to the valley and mutual support, these caves were the best choice.

No wonder Shen Lie and Chen Dashan never considered using these caves.

However, as a temporary shelter, they would suffice.

The Shen family's cave already had a door constructed, made from thick logs, several times thicker than a regular door plank, likely for protection against fierce beasts. A thin door wouldn't be enough if a destructive force were to arrive.

Sang Luo examined it closely. Someone had ingeniously left a small opening on the door that could be opened and closed from the inside. It allowed observation of the outside situation and even allowed one to shoot arrows outward in case of an attack. It was indeed a secure design.

Outside the cave was a small clearing. Walking around it, Sang Luo found it relatively flat. She suggested, "In the future, we can put a bed inside and build a shelter outside, along with a simple stove. It should serve well as a temporary residence when you go hunting. Yes, we can also transplant more anti-venomous herbs nearby."

Speaking of planting anti-venomous herbs, Sang Luo suddenly paused. She looked at Shen Lie, who was also looking at her, both their eyes lighting up.

Sang Luo swallowed and said, "Shen Lie, since we're living out here, we can fully cultivate this mountain land. We can still plant a crop of soybeans now, and many vegetables are still viable. As long as we can protect them, they'll be our food source."

If refugees did pour in and they couldn't protect the crops, the loss would only be the seeds and effort. With the seeds they had planted in the valley, they could save some for future use, with minimal loss. As for effort, they currently had plenty of it.

In a land as bountiful as Mountain Full, it was uncommon for an ordinary person to touch something that clearly belonged to someone else. If one did resort to such actions, they were either morally depraved or struggling to survive.

The southern region was mountainous and fertile, so those capable of venturing deep into the wilderness were less likely to be in dire straits. As for those with wicked intentions, Shen Lie and his group weren't pushovers either.

Considering they aimed to conceal the valley by putting up a facade, wouldn't it make more sense to cultivate additional crops besides settling in a cave?

It seemed Shen Lie and Sang Luo were on the same wavelength. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Let's go back for lunch. Afterward, we'll ask Little An to invite the villagers to discuss this matter."