Chapter 110: Blending In

Families with children over nine years old, including young men like Lu Sanlang and Zhou Sanlang who had just come of age, joined in the training led by the four men returning from outside the village, along with those setting up market stalls, those escorting their wives to the stalls, and others who wanted to prepare themselves – a substantial crowd indeed.

This gathering was bound to be more noticeable than usual, but with the adults supervising, it was still managed well. They all knew to keep quiet, assembling silently with shared torches on a mountain path far from the village, near the small path where Sang Luo’s family returned home.

When Sang Luo and Shen Lian’s family emerged from the trail, they were greeted by a sea of people under the torchlight. Even Uncle Shi Erlang had come, and the Zhou family was represented in full, from the married Zhou Dalang and Er Lang to the youngest, Wu Lang, adding up to perhaps thirty people, including the women heading to market.

Zhou Dalang said somewhat sheepishly, “We thought we’d learn survival skills too, as we’re not much better than San Lang, Si Lang, and Wu Lang in the woods.”

Shi Erlang added with a smile, “Count me in. I can’t be expecting my nephews to protect my family in the woods.”

Shen Lian laughed, “That’s great. Starting with a jog is just to warm up. As it gets a bit lighter, we'll pick up the pace. What we're training for is the stamina and speed needed for traversing the mountains...”

Qin Fangniang and the other women chuckled, not fully aware of the training specifics. They, along with Chen Youtian’s group, left first with a torch. Sang Luo, not participating in the run, waved to Shen An and Shen Ning, joining Qin Fangniang’s group.

Unaware of what Shen Lian and the others were doing, Sang Luo’s group had walked about two miles before the rest caught up. The once formless crowd now appeared organized into two distinct groups, each led by Shen Lian and his companions.

Despite the number of people, their running steps were still uneven, but looking back, Sang Luo and Qin Fangniang were impressed by the semblance of order they achieved.

Organizing the children into orderly groups and teaching them various techniques as explained by Shen Lian and Chen Dashan took some time. When they caught up with Qin Fangniang’s group, the kids were joyful, calling out to their mothers and aunts, with Shen An and Shen Ning excitedly waving and calling out to their sister-in-law, creating a lively scene.

Shen Lian didn’t impose strict control; it was their first day, and they weren’t conducting real military training, so he let them be.

The youth brigade didn’t actually run to the county town, as attracting the attention of the town guards would spell trouble. They ran as far as Sanli Village and then headed back, completing a round trip before returning to the village for other training exercises.

However, Shen Lian and Chen Dashan, leading the way back, handed over the command of the two groups of children to Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang when they encountered Sang Luo’s group, as they needed to accompany her and the others to the county.

Qin Fangniang curiously asked, “Why go to the county at this time?”

They couldn’t fetch the grain until late afternoon.

Chen Dashan replied with a smile, “We're buying bowstrings; when we return, we’ll start making slingshots for the kids.”

Bowstrings at that time were made from materials like silk, cattle tendons, and fish glue, processed and refined repeatedly. They couldn’t make these themselves, so they had to buy them from specialized shops in the county.

This clarification enlightened Qin Fangniang.

Gan’s wife then inquired, “Did Uncle Shi give you the money? If not, let me know how much it costs, and I can contribute.”

Such materials weren’t cheap. Even the hair ties used by women and children, which were of much lower quality, cost a considerable amount. Bowstrings would undoubtedly be more expensive.

Shen Lie chuckled, "That's already been taken care of."

"Everyone, based on the number of children they have, has a fixed quota. The money was given in advance yesterday. Mrs. Gan and the others are just too busy to know about it yet."

Speaking thus, he naturally moved closer to Sang Luo's side.

Sang Luo whispered to him, "Shall we start making the slingshots first?"

Shen Lie nodded, tilting his head slightly towards Sang Luo and replied in a hushed tone, "Just a small batch for now. The kids can take turns using them. We'll save the rest and make more selectively later."

What exactly to make next didn’t need to be explicitly stated.

Qin Fangniang, witnessing the couple whispering closely together, felt envious. She glanced at her own son, who was even two years older than Shen Lie, wondering if it was time to start considering a daughter-in-law.

Such a troubled world.

These thoughts, however, she could only dare to contemplate.

Once in the county town, Qin Fangniang and the others each went about their business. Sang Luo and Shen Lie, along with Chen Dashan, took different paths – Sang Luo to buy fabric, and Shen Lie with Chen Dashan to buy bowstrings. After completing their purchases, they met up not far from the medical clinic.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan were both waiting together for Sang Luo.

The reason was simple: the money to pay for the medicines was expected to come from Sang Luo. This had been agreed upon the day before between Shen Lie and Sang Luo. They had decided not to ask the other families to contribute to this expense. Firstly, the families had already spent their savings on buying grains and still needed to stock up on salt and medicines. Aside from the head of Zhou Village, it was unlikely that the other families could spare much money.

Secondly, the poison recipe was a family secret from Granny Chen’s maternal home. Having shared it with Shen Lian and Sang Luo, they didn’t plan to disclose it further, as informing the other families would necessitate explaining what they were buying.

According to Granny Chen, this herb could also be found in the mountains, but it wasn’t the right season for harvesting. With enough funds at home, Shen Lian and Sang Luo decided to buy the initial batch themselves, keeping it private for now.

Chen Dashan felt somewhat embarrassed and rubbed his nose, “Sister-in-law, I’ll contribute half the cost for the medicine after I’ve sold some game.”

Sang Luo smiled and accepted his offer without protest, simply responding, “Alright.”

The trio entered the clinic, where they were recognized by the owner, the senior doctor, and the apprentice from their visit the day before.

Seeing them return so early in the morning, the staff was momentarily startled, wondering if there had been a problem with yesterday’s medicine. That seemed unlikely.

After greeting them, the clinic owner learned they were there to buy more medicine and breathed a sigh of relief, “What medicine do you need today?”

Chen Dashan took the lead, “We’re looking to purchase a herb called ‘Mouse Head.’”

The owner was surprised, and even the doctor, who had just entered the clinic, came over, “You mean caowu? What do you need that for? Though a medicine, it’s extremely toxic. The saying goes, ‘Nothing is more poisonous than chicken poison,’ and that refers to caowu.”

So, it’s called caowu in the clinic?

Shen Lian chuckled and explained, “To be honest, we need it for its toxicity. We’re hunters, as you know, and we’re planning a journey that involves traversing mountains. We need it for self-defense against potential dangers like wolves or tigers.”

Hearing that they were hunters, the clinic owner and the doctor understood.

The herb was commonly used by hunters and sometimes even by the military. Applied to arrowheads, it was almost lethal.

The senior doctor shook his head, “It’s best not to use it if you can avoid it, as it's against the natural order. But if you're venturing deep into the mountains…”

He sighed, “Carrying some might be wise.”

“While humans bear no malice towards tigers, tigers might still harm humans. It's prudent to take precautions.”

The owner inquired about the quantity needed. Sang Luo asked the doctor how much herb would be required to make three or four jars of the finished product in small porcelain containers.

The doctor's face showed slight surprise, to which Sang Luo explained, indicating Chen Dashan, “It’s a recipe from his maternal family. This is our first time making it.”

The doctor: “…”

“Are you sure you know how to make it?”

After carefully questioning Shen Lian and Chen Dashan, and feeling assured there were no issues, the doctor allowed the owner to prepare the herbs. He couldn’t help but frown and add, “Just for self-defense, do you need so much?”

Seeing the doctor's concern, Sang Luo replied, “We might stay in the mountains for a long time. There are several skilled hunters among us. If we encounter a pack of wolves, it’s best for each person to have a bottle.”

The doctor looked at her for a moment before nodding and walking back to his desk.

Sang Luo smiled and, after the apprentice had packed the herbs and she had paid, approached the doctor and whispered, “Sir, the price of grain in the county might rise further. It’s getting unsettled in the north… If possible, it would be wise to stock more.”

After saying this, under the doctor's slightly stunned gaze, she smiled, bowed slightly, and left with Shen Lian and Chen Dashan.

“It’s getting unsettled in the north” – Sang Luo had whispered these words, audible only to the doctor.

The doctor watched them leave from the doorway, lingering for a while before turning and heading towards the owner’s counter.

……

When Shen Lian and the others returned home around mid-morning, Sang Luo busied herself with sewing, while Shen Lian and Chen Dashan secluded themselves in the Chen residence to work on the arrow poison.

It was almost noon when, after checking with Granny Chen, they learned that Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang were leading a group to a deeper mountain to chop bamboo for making slingshots. They went to take a look.

There, amidst a group of children, they spotted three particularly young ones eagerly helping out and handing over materials.

When Shen Jin saw his elder cousin, he instinctively hid behind Shen An, with Shen Yin and Shen Tie following suit.

A whole row of them shrinking back – as if that could hide anything, especially when you're the smallest and most noticeable!

Shen Lian: “…”

Should I pretend not to see, or really not see?

Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang tried to hold back their laughter upon seeing this.

When they returned to the village with the group, these three had been squatting around, eyes shining at the sight of the returning crowd, thinking they could sneak in unnoticed at the end of the line.

Without comment from Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang, the trio followed quietly, avoiding eye contact as if to remain invisible to the two men.

It was both pitiful and endearing.

The children from the other families seemed to have an understanding, occasionally shielding Shen Jin and his brothers. Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang found it amusing yet touching, noticing the good relations among the children.

Despite Shen San and Li Shi's poor reputation, Shen Lian wasn’t one to hold grudges against these little ones, so the two adults also played along with feigned ignorance.

Seeing Shen Lian's arrival and the reaction of Shen Jin and his brothers, Shi Dalang and Lu Erlang struggled not to burst out laughing. Even Chen Dashan, arriving a bit later and despite his disdain for Shen San and Li Shi, couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the three brothers.

Shen Lian: “…”

Shen Lian glanced at Shen Jin and his brothers. Meeting his elder brother’s gaze, Shen Jin struggled to muster a sweet and innocent smile, just like the one he had in his younger years.

But none of the brothers dared to call out 'big brother' as they used to.

Their big brother had declared he no longer recognized their family.

Shen An and Shen Ning also smiled.

Shen Lian turned away, losing interest in the scene, and asked about the bamboo materials, “How many can be used?”

Lu Erlang responded, “Three, they just need the bowstrings attached.”

Shen Lian then took out the purchased bowstring, signaling Chen Dashan to start attaching them.

Both men had learned to make slingshots and later secretly bows and arrows in their youth, skilled and efficient in their work.

The once nervous Shen Jin, Shen Yin, and Shen Tie brightened up, seeing their cousin saying nothing to them; though he ignored them, he didn’t send them away.

Shen Jin tugged on Shen An's sleeve, grinning with his tiny teeth showing.

Shen An pushed his forehead away in mock annoyance, scrunching his nose, his expression saying, “Go laugh over there, I can’t bear to look.”

Unbothered by the shove, Shen Jin happily squeezed behind the older children to watch their cousin make slingshots.

Slingshots!

They could be used to hunt pheasants and rabbits!

Of course, Shen Jin wouldn’t have one of his own. He had heard that Hu Zi and a few others had contributed money for the bowstrings. Perhaps he could borrow someone else's slingshot to try and learn too?

Author's note:

"In the world, nothing is more perilous than the poison of a chicken" - Han Dynasty, "Huainanzi"