Chapter 170: The Different Households

In the valley, the Chen, Zhou, Shi, and Lu families were engaged in similar activities.

Old Lady Lu was measuring grain with Feng Liu-nyang into two small cloth bags. Turning to her husband, she asked, "Three measures of rice and one bushel of beans?"

Old Man Lu nodded. "Alright."

Lu Da-lang stood by, watching until Lu Shuzhu prodded him from behind, bringing him back to reality. He then asked, "Father, if you're giving them, do I need to give them some too?"

The moment she heard that their family would also be providing food, Wang Chun-nyang, lying in the small cave, couldn't stay still; it was as if she was pricked by needles. However, with the two elders present, she dared only roll over to look outside, not daring to say another word.

Old Man Lu was just about to nod when Old Lady Lu intervened. "Your family has many children, and you lack hunting skills. You should keep the food for yourselves."

Lu Da-lang responded with two "mm-hmms" upon hearing this.

Wang Chun-nyang in the cave genuinely let out a huge sigh of relief.

Lu Er-lang and Lu San-lang exchanged a glance with their elder brother. Both brothers looked away after a brief glance, remaining silent.

Old Man Lu gave his wife a surprised glance but didn't ask anything. When he went out to deliver the grain to the Shen family, he softly asked after walking a distance, "Why did you stop Eldest Brother?"

Wife Lu shot him a glance. "Don't you know in your heart?"

"If it's from the bottom of your heart, there's no need to ask. But if it isn't, just drop it. Eldest Brother Shen and A Luo might not even want to owe him that favor. Don't add to their troubles."

Old Man Lu sighed. "I also wanted to do something for Shuanzhu."

He had seen how Shuanzhu had been silent and still for a while as he looked at his father, and how he had prodded him.

"Eldest Brother is really not even as good as fifteen-year-old Shuanzhu."

After only a few steps, they encountered the Shi couple, who were also carrying cloth bags. Ahead of them was the Zhou family—the village head and his wife had also come out. None of the three families were idle, and they all laughed when they saw each other.

...

When the Xu family carried the grain bags to the entrance of the Shen family's cave, Shen Lie and Sang Luo both came out to greet them.

"Shopkeeper Xu, what brings you here?"

With a mere sweep of his hand over the grain sack, Shen Lie knew its contents and guessed the purpose behind Manager Xu's visit: "Manager Xu, your family is large, and you also lack food. You can't do this."

Manager Xu took a look at the Shen family's cave – it was indeed small, and he could see everything in one glance. He said, "Lack of food is a problem for everyone right now, but thanks to you and Da Shan, we haven't reached a point where we can't survive. Isn't that better than the situation outside? We can't predict what will happen in the distant future, but if we all tighten our belts a little, each saving a bit, the food for your three children will be covered for several months. It would also ease your burden."

Seeing that the young couple had no intention of accepting the offer, Manager Xu smiled and suggested, "If you're not comfortable taking it for free, you can repay us by occasionally giving us some meat when you hunt. Just think of it as our families exchanging meat."

The mother and children's faces truly looked healthier – a glow that couldn't be achieved with just rice and wild vegetables. Most of the lard on the chopping board was evidence enough that the Xu family had been well-looked after by skilled hunters on a regular basis.

Before Shen Lie could reply, Chen Laoren's voice, tinged with amusement, drifted over. "Manager Xu is always quick on his feet. We were only a step behind you."

Upon hearing the voice, Shen Lie and Sang Luo descended the stone steps leading out of the cave and followed the sound to see the Chen couple approaching. Behind them were Chen Youtian and Qin Fangniang, each carrying a cloth bag. A few steps further back were the Zhou, Shi, and Lu families, all holding similar cloth bags. Even more people, young wives and curious children who had heard about Shen Jin's arrival, had tagged along.

Chen Laowu followed her gaze and chuckled. "Without discussing it, we all ended up doing the same thing."

Everyone laughed. The situation outside the mountains was dire, but precisely because of that, the unspoken understanding and mutual support among the valley residents became even more precious.

The wife of Village Chief Zhou spoke up, "I heard what Manager Xu said, and it's the same for us. Our family has benefited from everyone's help before. In the past, we didn't have much to offer in return, but with Little Jin and the others here, we thought about how much pressure Ah Lie and his wife must be under. If we can lend a helping hand, even a little bit, it'll make a difference. Honestly, knowing the current situation outside, our whole family is grateful. If it weren't for everyone's willingness to include us, who knows what state our family would be in now."

Without mentioning taxes and conscription, they had to relocate to the county town. If the city fell, would they have a good life?

The woman's emotions stirred, and she even pressed the corner of her eye.

Gan also joined in, saying, "We don't need to mention our family. We were able to save these grains all thanks to A Luo's kindness. She included us in her business dealings and helped with purchasing grain alongside Manager Xu. Otherwise, how could we still have surplus grains now? We wouldn't be much better off than those outside."

She glanced at Sang Luo and continued, "In the past, we couldn't even feed ourselves adequately, so even if we wanted to help, we didn't have the strength. Now, this amount of grain won't cause significant damage to us. It's just a token of our gratitude."

Sang Luo knew that Gan was referring to when their main family was separated and they couldn't afford to eat properly. At that time, the government had collected grains in advance, and before the autumn harvest, every household was running low on rice. Everyone was living on meager meals, and they truly lacked the means to help others. Besides, they didn't have such a close relationship back then.

People's friendships developed over time.

Amidst the chatter, Sang Luo was momentarily at a loss for words. However, she genuinely felt warmth in her heart. Perhaps it was because they all appreciated kindness and had compassionate hearts that they came together as a group.

She smiled at everyone and said, "We appreciate your intentions, but you really don't need to give us grains. Jincheng and I have discussed it. He will hunt more, and we'll have more meat in our daily meals, saving as much grain as possible. When autumn comes, there will be plenty of food in the mountains that can replace grains. With careful management, we'll manage."

With the grains already brought, who would take them back? Lu put her own grain bag on top of the two large bags Manager Xu had delivered and said, "A Luo, don't refuse. Every family in this valley has benefited from your support. We can't give much, but this measure or two is our token of appreciation. Raising three children isn't easy; we can't do much to help. The hard work lies ahead for you."

When Lu Po put down her grain sack, every family followed suit. Shen Lie and Sang Luo exchanged glances, at a loss for words for a moment before they both laughed and gratefully bowed to everyone without any further hesitation.

Shen Lie then turned to call out Shen Jin and Shen Yin, who were watching the scene from the doorway. He patted his brothers and said, "Pay respect and express your gratitude to Grandpa, Grandma, uncles, aunts, and everyone else. They're unrelated to us, yet they've provided food in these times. Remember this life-saving kindness."

Shen Yin, obedient as always, was about to kneel and pay his respects when Shen Jin pulled him back, turning him to face Shen Lie and Sang Luo first. He bowed three times with great sincerity and said, "I'm thanking Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law on behalf of my younger brother for not holding grudges from the past and still saving us. In the future, I'll learn to hunt and work hard to support my younger brothers. When we grow up, we'll repay Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law."

After another set of three solid bows, he led Shen Yin to turn around and kneel to thank Chen Po and the others.

Chen Po sighed as she helped them up, patting their knees. "You should indeed thank your Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law. We don't know how long this chaos will last, and no one can truly rely on anyone. We could only help once, but your Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law took in all three of you. That's not easy in these times."

Shen San and Li Shi were sincerely hoping that these children would inherit the best qualities from whoever they resembled, so they would all grow up well-behaved.

Shen Jin nodded. He knew everything, even that the reason everyone had brought so much grain today was because of his big brother and sister-in-law. All these favors now rested on their shoulders.

With the grain delivered, it was time to return the bags. Sang Luo went into the house to find two empty sacks, sorting the grains into their respective types.

Xu Shopkeeper had directly brought over two stones of rice, so his bag wouldn't be returned just yet. The other families had brought various amounts, ranging from more than one to two dou. After combining everything, they estimated they had a total of two stones and six dou of grain.

Sang Luo could roughly identify whose sack was whose and mentally noted them all. After returning the grain bags, she invited everyone to stay and chat inside.

The cave was too narrow, so everyone waved their hands, saying, "Take care of the children. We don't need such formalities."

The adults left, allowing only the shopkeeper to remain with Shen Lie to discuss the cave situation. Chen Youtian also stayed behind, as it was clear that the Xu and Shen families were about to establish a bond through marriage. He intended to assist in any way he could.

Once the adults dispersed, the group of children seized their chance and swarmed around Shen Jin and Shen Yin, engaging in their own conversations.

Xu Wenying had also noticed Shen Jin and Shen Yin. She approached Shen Ning, who was stirring porridge in the kitchen, and asked, "He's Little Jin, right?"

Shen Ning's eyes were still red as she nodded. "I've heard everything from Little Jin. Fortunately, your father and the others arrived promptly to rescue them. Otherwise, Little Jin, Little Yin, and Little Tie wouldn't have survived."

Wiping away her tears, she took a small jar from a cabinet, retrieved a tiny piece of malt sugar, and added it to the porridge. She put the jar back and cracked an egg from another rattan basket, stirring it into the porridge. Then, she divided the mixture into three large bowls, using a ladle to mix the hot porridge and create a sweet egg-flower soup.

Xu Wenying helped shift the firewood aside and said, "My parents and brothers were also fortunate that your brother and Big Shan arrived quickly; otherwise, they would have been in danger too."

Observing Shen Ning carrying the porridge towards the cave, Xu Wenying offered to assist her.

Shen Jin, who had been engrossed in the commotion, had initially been surrounded by his familiar playmates. Upon seeing Shen Ning with the porridge, he hurriedly ran inside to rouse Shen Tie. Together with Shen An and Shen Ning, they fed the porridge to Shen Tie.

Needless to say, the cave was bustling with children.

When Shen Tie opened his eyes, he saw a group of familiar faces, and his usually dull eyes lit up.

...

The children would take care of their own affairs. For the time being, the Shen family's platform could accommodate them all. After discussing, they decided to help the Xu family build a bed first. Hence, Chen Youtian joined Shopkeeper Xu in woodworking.

Sang Luo and Shen Lie were brainstorming ways to create a path leading to the upper cave. This would require utilizing the natural terrain, digging, carving, or paving. The mountain wall happened to be where their vegetable garden was situated; some plants would need to be relocated. The two of them discussed their plans together, and soon, Shen Jin and Shen An also joined in to lend a hand.

Sang Luo surreptitiously observed Shen Jin. Compared to before, the child had become much quieter.

Of course, after everything they had been through, it was only natural for him to change.

By the time they finished creating a path to climb up, it was already late afternoon. Sang Luo entered the small cave and looked around. "It's quite nice. Although not spacious, it's well-arranged, and there's good lighting."

Shen Jin was also inspecting the cave. He licked his dry, chapped lips and asked, "Big Sister, are we going to live in this cave from now on?"

Sang Luo smiled. "Yes, I'll ask your brother and Uncle Youtian to help build a bunk bed and a few cabinets. Just be careful when you go up and down from now on."

A glint of joy appeared in Shen Jin's eyes. With this cave, it meant that the three brothers had truly settled down in the valley. He nodded repeatedly. "We're not afraid of that. We're always in the mountains anyway."

He pointed at the entrance of the cave and asked Shen Lie, "Big Brother, can you build us a stove here?"

Everyone seemed more lively.

Shen Lie smiled. "Sure, I'll make a table and chairs for you too. Jin, you and Xiaonan level the ground. I'll go fetch the tools to chisel the walls smoother."

There was nothing Sang Luo could do either, so she followed him down. When they reached the ground, she said to Shen Lie, "Little Jin has grown up a lot."

Shen Lie pondered and said, "Perhaps it's because he needs to take care of Little Yin and Little Tie."

He was just like himself back then.

Sang Luo looked at Shen Lie. It was clear that they were on the same wavelength. She averted her gaze and said, "Let's build another shelf for the grain bags. Put today's harvest on it. We'll give them another stone of rice and one stone of coarse grains. In total, that's four stones and six bushels, about 550 pounds of grain. With some meat to supplement their diet, they should be able to make it last for two and a half years if they ration it properly. By then, we'll find ways to get more mountain produce. They shouldn't go hungry. If the world remains chaotic, we can give them more."

She continued, "Let's also give them two chickens and two ducks to raise themselves. Divide some salt among them as well. Aside from these, there shouldn't be anything else they need."

Shen Jin had already brought in the earthenware, bowls, pots, kitchen knives, bedding, and the likes by himself.

Shen Lie looked at Sang Luo and sincerely thanked her. After some thought, he added, "There's no need for chickens or ducks. The pheasants we caught are still alive. We can clip their wings and raise them; they'll lay eggs too."

With his words, Sang Luo was unconcerned and nodded. However, she had one concern, "Manager Xu delivered too much grain today. The Xu family has many people now. Will the food be enough?"

Shen Lie calculated and replied, "It should be enough. When the grain was initially transported in, there was more than enough to distribute as gifts. But since each family didn't expect it, they probably won't ask for it now that the Xu family has increased its population. Our family took those two measures of gifted grain. The Xu family should have more than thirty-seven measures left. There's also quite a bit hidden in the refuge outside the town. There's no rush for that. Once things aren't so chaotic, I'll take the Xu family out again to find an opportunity to bring in more grain."

This could be considered repaying their kindness.

For Shen Lie, going out wasn't too difficult, so he didn't give it much thought. He then asked Sang Luo, "I'm leaving the valley early tomorrow morning and will head deeper in. Is there anything you want me to look for?"

Sang Luo nodded. "Yes, there is. Mugwort. Let's gather more while we still can. If there's mature wick grass, we should harvest more too. It's useful for making lamp wicks and pillow stuffing."

She actually wanted to go out with him, as many ideas would come to mind when she saw things for herself. She looked at Shen Lie and asked, "You're really taking Little Gold hunting?"

Shen Lie nodded. "I'll teach him gradually. In two or three years, he'll be fully trained. When everything is peaceful outside, as long as it's not deep in the wilderness, he should be able to catch prey in the mountains without difficulty. He can also protect the household."

Upon saying this, he looked at Sang Luo.

Sang Luo only nodded, not particularly interested in what he said.

Shen Lie observed her expression and realized belatedly, "You want to leave the valley?"

Sang Luo's brows twitched. Looking at Shen Lie again, her eyes shimmered as she nodded. "I want to see what's out there. While there aren't many people in the inner circle now, I could gather some resources, right?"

Shen Lie chuckled. "Let's wait for a couple of days. In the beginning, I won't bring Little Gold along; I'm afraid he might get anxious. After a few days, when I'm more familiar with the woods in the inner circle, I'll take you out, alright?"

Sang Luo's eyes instantly curved into a smile. "Sounds good!"

Just watching her smile, Shen Lie couldn't help but curve his lips upwards. Curiously, he looked at Sang Luo. "Aren't you afraid of the dangers outside?"

None of the Zhou brothers dared to venture out frequently.

Sang Luo was honest. "Of course I am. But can you protect me?"

Shen Lie's brows and eyes crinkled into a warm smile. "I can."