Chapter 108: I Want to Learn Too

"Didn’t you ask Uncle Youtian for help?"

"Of course we asked for help, but only for the really tough tasks. Sister-in-law does everything she can by herself, saying favors should be saved for critical moments, not just any little thing."

Hmm, that makes sense, but she's still so young. A young woman like her doesn't need to prove herself so much.

Yet, on second thought, when she first arrived with Xiao An and Ah Ning, it must have been tough. My uncle and aunt aren’t exactly amiable people in the village, often offending others rather than making friends. I only got by because I stuck close to Chen Dashan, and even then, our families weren't close.

Today, being on good terms with four families is all thanks to Sang Luo's own efforts. The tofu-making business is one part of it, but her manner of handling things has undoubtedly played a significant role too.

The smile that had been constant on Shen Lian's face that day finally fell, and he asked Shen An, “What else around the house has your sister-in-law made by herself?”

"There’s a lot!"

Shen An rattled off one thing after another, making sure to differentiate between what was made with help from Chen Youtian's family, and what was accomplished by their little 'scout troop.'

While working, Shen Lian listened to his brother describe in detail how everything at home came to be, asking questions about what he particularly wanted to know.

Before even finishing the bamboo racks, Shen Lian had gained a general understanding of what life had been like for Sang Luo and their younger siblings in the village over the past six months.

To what extent? He learned about their initial struggles after the separation, the worst of their hunger, their first fishing trip, making the first block of 'magical' tofu, setting up their stall, clearing land, building a house, and even the letters sent home by Shen Jin, and their uncle and aunt’s attempt to scale the wall at night and getting bitten by geese.

Shen An narrated vividly, with moments of disappointment, joy, and exuberance. Listening to him, Shen Lian felt as if he had experienced all these events himself.

As their conversation came to an end, Shen An’s face showed signs of loss and worry: "Big brother, will there really be war here? Does war mean many people will die?"

Shen Lian was silent for a moment. He wanted to reassure his brother, but eventually, he chose to tell the truth: "It's highly likely, so we need to prepare well. If chaos erupts, we might have to retreat into the deep mountains for quite some time."

Shen An felt reluctant; the small courtyard had been built gradually under his watch, with much of his own work. However, he understood that they wouldn’t flee to the mountains unless absolutely necessary. If it came to that, the loss of the courtyard would be the least of their concerns.

"Big brother, are there many wild animals in the mountains?"

Previously, his brother and sister-in-law had strictly forbidden him and Ah Ning from venturing too deep into the mountains, allowing them only to roam the outskirts. They said going deeper was only slightly beyond what the villagers would dare.

Shen Lian nodded: "Yes, there are. That’s why you need to learn skills to protect yourself, your sister-in-law, and Ah Ning. We'll start maybe tomorrow or the day after. Chen Dashan, Lu Erlang, Shi Dalang, and I will take turns teaching you, Ah Ning, Er Shan, Da Niu, Er Niu, Shuan Zhu, Tie Zhu, Da Ni, Hu Zi, and also Zhou Uncle's family's San Lang, Si Lang, Wu Lang. All you older kids need to learn."

The way he and Chen Dashan had learned in the past was how these kids would be taught, perhaps even more rigorously. Every bit of skill reduces risk, both for the individual and the group.

Hearing that his elder brother planned to teach them survival skills for the mountains, Shen An's eyes lit up: "Brother, really? Will you teach me archery?"

Like most boys, Shen An was no stranger to the allure of martial prowess.

Shen Lian smiled: "Archery is just one part. You'll also need to learn how to identify animal tracks and respond appropriately. Of course, improving physical strength and running speed is crucial. Climbing trees and swimming are essential too; if you can’t fight, at least you should be able to run."

The art of escaping, whether on land or in water, without distraction, is vital.

Shen An's eyes sparkled even brighter: "Brother, where will we get the bows and arrows?"

The children knew that keeping arrows at home was forbidden. Shen An's question about archery came from knowing his brother and Chen Dashan had hidden their homemade bows and arrows in the mountains.

Shen Lian flicked his brother's forehead: "What are you daydreaming about? We'll start with learning to use a slingshot to improve aim. And remember, don't talk about things you shouldn’t."

As for bows and arrows, they were secretly made and would be introduced once the kids were proficient with slingshots, with only a few naturally gifted ones being taken into the mountains for further training.

Shen An chuckled, "I know all about it."

……

Making the two bamboo racks, which had been quite a challenge for Sang Luo, seemed almost effortless in Shen Lian's hands. When Sang Luo returned with Shen Ning, she saw him skillfully handling the bamboo. By the time she and Shen Ning prepared lunch and had a short nap, the two racks were already completed.

What efficiency!

More importantly, the racks were not only well-made but also had a unique charm; her own creations paled in comparison.

Sang Luo now understood why Chen Youtian always said Shen Lian was skilled at such crafts. Some people just have a natural talent for it.

Sang Luo examined the bamboo racks, admiring their beauty, which made her previous drying racks seem rather crude.

Sang Luo lent a hand, and together, they moved the two racks into the main house.

The already small house, now with two beds, a grain rack, a table, and the addition of these two tiered racks, felt quite cramped.

Shen Lian looked around and said, "We'll have to make do for a while. I'll leave in the next few days to find a place. Once we have somewhere, we can move these things out."

Sang Luo smiled: "It's not just making do; having so much grain gives a sense of security. But we do need to find a more suitable place soon to move these supplies. It's not safe keeping them here."

Shen Lian nodded and went to move the grain sacks temporarily stored in the kitchen. He easily lifted the items that previously required Sang Luo and the kids to move together. Probably mindful of his new clothes, he didn’t hoist them on his shoulder but relied solely on his arm strength to carry all nine sacks of rice and beans.

Sang Luo finally got a real sense of Shen Lian's physical strength.

It turned out he wasn’t just boasting or trying to save face.

After finishing the work, Shen Lian was about to leave when Sang Luo quickly called out to him: “Wait a moment.”

Shen Lian stopped as instructed, thinking she needed him for another task, but then he saw her take a money pouch from under the pillow.

Sang Luo had placed the pouch there before her nap, and now she motioned for Shen Lian to sit at the table: “Now that we’re living together, you should be aware of our finances. Today’s purchases included grains, medicine, and your clothes and shoes. Here’s all we have left, take a look.”

Living together meant sharing responsibilities. Sang Luo was very conscious of this, knowing that the money in the pouch was earned by both of them. It was important for Shen Lian to know their financial status.

Shen Lian was somewhat taken aback and then said, “There’s no need for me to see it, you manage it.”

His honesty was touching, showing no fear of a future where, should peace return and she leave, he’d be left without even a dowry.

Sang Luo emptied the pouch onto the table, quickly sorting the money: “Nineteen taels of silver, one string of copper coins is a hundred wen, and there’s a little over five hundred wen left.”

Looking at Shen Lian’s clothes, she said, “I’ll go to the village later to buy more fabric and make another set of clothes and a pair of shoes for you, so you can alternate with what you’re wearing now. We'll keep the extra fabric; if we have to leave, we don’t know how long we'll be out, and it's hard to plan for everything. It’s wise to have some spare material.”

Shen Lian’s face began to heat up again at the mention of Sang Luo making clothes and shoes for him, but the feeling subsided somewhat as he listened to her seriously planning their preparations. He nodded and thanked her.

Sang Luo appeared quite composed; to her, making clothes and shoes for Shen Lian was simply a matter of saving the cost of labor, no different than sewing for Shen An and Shen Ning. Not overthinking it, and seeing Shen Lian had no objections, she added, “With the remaining nineteen taels of silver, we don't need to buy more grain. The main issue is that it might be difficult to take it with us if we have to leave.”

She glanced at the stocked grain racks, considering the several sacks of beans still in the kitchen and those stored at Dongfu Tower that hadn’t been brought back yet. For their family of four, mixing coarse and fine grains, they had enough to last a year and a half.

To effectively avoid danger, they had to go far enough, and Shen Lian knew that even mobilizing all the men from the families wouldn’t be enough to transport all their grain into the deep mountains quickly.

Hearing the serious discussion, Shen Lian finally set aside the unusual feeling he had earlier. He nodded, “It’s indeed difficult to transport. We noticed several caves on our way back that could serve as shelters. They're deep in the mountains and away from human paths, but not entirely secure. We need to keep looking. The grain we have now is sufficient. If there’s no major drought or flood, the mountains can provide plenty of food.”

The two reached a consensus on this matter, and Sang Luo suggested, “Then shall we keep these nineteen taels of silver as a reserve for the household? We can use it if the need arises later.”

Shen Lian had no objections: “As you wish, just keep it safe.”

He never intended to manage the money himself.

Sang Luo was quite pleased with his attitude and swiftly put the money back in the pouch and hid it away.

Watching her, Shen Lian's eyes crinkled with amusement, then said, “I’m going out for a bit, to discuss some matters with Dashan and the others.”

Sang Luo responded indifferently: “Go ahead.”

After Shen Lian left, Sang Luo continued with her shoemaking.

Soon, Shen An and Shen Ning, who had been out of sight since she woke from her nap, came running back, followed by Hu Zi and Er Niu.

Shen Ning’s excitement was evident, but the three boys were especially thrilled, huddling together and whispering about something.

It was the first time the children had come over since the snow melted. Sang Luo, busy with her needlework, called Shen Ning over: “Did your brother and his friends find some silver?”

Shen Ning chuckled.

“No, it's not about finding silver. Big brother said he's going to teach them hunting, not just Er Ge, but also Er Shan, Da Niu, Er Niu, Tie Zhu, Shuan Zhu, Hu Zi... basically, all the older kids. He said even me and Da Ni will learn, but Sister-in-law, do girls learn to hunt too?” Her voice was a mix of excitement and nervousness.

Sang Luo blinked in surprise. This wasn't just about learning hunting; it sounded more like survival training in the wilderness.

She nodded: "Isn't it good to have someone teach you? The more skills you have, the better."

This reassured Shen Ning.

Sang Luo called out to Shen An, who was huddled with his friends outside, and when he came in, she asked, “Did your brother specify what he’s going to teach you in hunting?”

Shen An, with sparkling eyes, relayed what his elder brother had said.

Listening carefully, Sang Luo nodded and asked, “In the list of names your brother mentioned, was I included?”

Shen An was puzzled: “???"

"Do you even need to learn this, sister-in-law?"

"Isn't this something for us kids to learn?"

When Shen Lian returned, Sang Luo posed the same question to him. He too was taken aback: “You want to learn as well?”

Sang Luo retorted, “Why shouldn’t I learn? Will wolves and leopards automatically detour around me?”

Shen Lian’s face turned red, stumbling over his words: “I don’t think we’ll encounter tigers or leopards. We’ll be vigilant before bringing you over.”

It would take more than a dozen trips just to transport the grain, and they certainly wouldn’t be camping in the midst of predators.

As he spoke, seeing Sang Luo still looking at him, his explanation trailed off and he swallowed his words, finally saying, “Then I'll teach you.”

Sang Luo chuckled, noticing for the first time that Shen Lian’s ears turned red when she stared at him, despite his tanned, bronze skin.

She smiled, “It’s fine about the other things, but teach me climbing trees and archery.”

Then, with a curious glint in her eyes, Sang Luo asked, “Shen Lian, if we do encounter a fierce beast, is there some kind of poison we can apply to arrowheads? We wouldn’t use it regularly, just for self-defense in critical situations.”

This would essentially make them a group of child soldiers, but no matter how much they practiced, their combat power would be limited. Shen Lian's goal was to make everyone more adapted to the wilderness, so they could escape to safety if needed, while the few with combat skills would handle any confrontations.

However, with poisoned arrows, even women and children who mastered archery could match the fighting capability of hunters in the mountains.

Shen Lian's eyes brightened: “I'll go ask Dashan.”

If anyone was likely to know about such things, it would be Chen Dashan, though the chances were slim since Dashan never mentioned or prepared such things on their journey back.

It made sense, though. During the drought years when Dashan separated from his maternal family, he was only eleven, so his knowledge was limited. Even his hunting skills were self-taught over the years together with Shen Lian.