Chapter 168: Return to the Valley

When Shen Lie said he was leaving, it was only to take a few steps away to compose himself. Afterward, he informed Chen Dashan and headed to the small courtyard of the Shen family to collect some clothes and items such as bedding and pillows that Little Jin and his brothers couldn't bring along previously.

Shen Jin knew that his elder brother was gathering his belongings, so he borrowed a hoe from Master Xu's shop and dug a grave himself. He buried Li Shi in a mountain plot not far from his shelter.

No tombstone was erected; instead, he simply remembered the location by the tree beside which she was laid to rest.

The conditions of Shen Yin and Shen Tie were poor. Shen Jin knelt down, said a few words, bowed three times, and then hurried to catch up with Shen Lie and the others, who were waiting nearby. Together, they left Ten Li Village.

As a professional translator specializing in literary works, I will provide an elegant and contextually coherent English translation for each line. Please provide the lines you would like translated.

By the time they reached the cave where Xu had previously communicated with the shopkeeper, darkness had thoroughly descended.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had managed to catch two pheasants and a litter of rabbits on their journey. Wei Qing, who had accompanied them on several trips in and out of the mountains, had also gained some experience. Though he was not skilled in hunting, he had gathered considerable firewood along the way, which they would not lack for in the cave.

The cavern was narrow and long. After the group lit fires to examine every nook and cranny, ensuring that no insects or snakes lurked within, they finally settled the children safely inside.

The tasks of slaughtering chickens for soup, roasting wild rabbits were taken over by the Xu family. By late afternoon, the last remnants of rice gruel and salt-sugar water were consumed by Shen Yin and Shen Tie. Come evening, Wei Lingzhen prepared a pot of oil-skimmed chicken broth, mincing the meat finely. She added a bit of rice, carefully saved from Wei Qinghe's unfinished portion, along with some wild greens picked by Shen Jin on the journey, to create a small clay pot of delicate chicken porridge for the three youngest ones.

The pottery pots, jars, and utensils were what Jin had left behind in the shelter. Shen Yi picked them up and carried them on Wei Qinghe's basket, which could be considered their brothers' belongings.

Despite having five meals a day, each of which was small and mostly liquid, they were still substantial compared to the past few months. Though Shen Yin and Shen Tie still lacked energy, they were much better off than during the day; at least they no longer feared that their brother might fall asleep and never wake up again.

The Xu family, on the other hand, enjoyed chicken soup and roasted rabbit meat. Having endured hardships in Qiyang County, it had been a long time since they had a proper meal. After eating their fill, they all felt drowsy.

After a day of fleeing, both physically and mentally, everyone was exhausted. Shen Lie took the initiative to guard the entrance of the cave, allowing the Xu family and the Shen brothers to rest.

Chen Dashan was also supposed to rest but decided to relieve Shen Lie later in the night. However, remembering how unusually quiet Shen Lie had been throughout the day and that he hadn't eaten anything, he went to the cave entrance after everyone fell asleep. He found a rock nearby and sat down beside Shen Lie, turning his head to ask, "Still can't get over it?"

Shen Lie shook his head.

Of course, he was upset. The situation and realization had dealt him a heavy blow. However, once his emotions subsided, Shen Lie understood that his three uncles' actions were ultimately responsible for the plight of the children. He didn't blame himself too harshly.

Chen Dashan glanced at the cave behind him, ensuring they were far enough away from the others. He then whispered, "Having trouble figuring out how to explain this to your sister-in-law?"

He knew about Sang Luo almost starving to death, as it was his grandparents who rescued her.

Right? But not entirely.

Shen Lie found it difficult to express himself.

He said, "If I explain the situation clearly, A Luo won't be angry with me for this decision. If she were here today, she might have made the same choice."

Pausing, he continued, "It's just that her lack of resentment stems from her kindness. As for me, I genuinely don't know how to bring this up to her."

Even if he could hunt more, how could there be no pressure in bringing three additional children into the valley? There might be no pressure for a year, but what about two or three years?

He wouldn't really let Sangluo starve, but with an abundance of meat and a scarcity of grain, how could he bear to eat rice while watching his three brothers consume grass seeds?

He forced a smile, comforting himself as he spoke to Chen Dashan, "Seems like I'll have to revert to the way we lived in the depths of the forest that one year."

A diet consisting of meat and various wild vegetables.

He could endure such a life, as could Xiao An, An Ning, and Little Gold. However, he couldn't ask Sangluo to share such a lifestyle with them.

In the end, his relationship with Sangluo was only temporary. It would be unjust to drag her into the deep pit that was the Shen family with so many people.

If he didn't want to burden Sangluo, the plan should have been set from the beginning. Shen Lie had already considered the possibility of allocating the slightly smaller cave above his own for the Xu brothers and Little Jin to share.

He would bring some refined grains from home. Once the three children regained their strength, he would provide for their food through hunting, occasionally sparing a portion from his own share.

Although Chen Dashan was unaware that Shen Lie and Sangluo were not yet officially married, he knew that most of the Shen family's grain was actually due to Sangluo's tireless efforts beforehand. Shen Lie had brought back ginseng and sold the furs from his hunts to buy more food and medicine, mostly coarse grains.

In a family, one didn't usually calculate expenses so meticulously. Besides, Shen Lie hunted, and Sangluo wasn't the type to be stingy. It would have been different if it were just Shen Lie and his two siblings, but with six siblings in total, Chen Dashan understood why Shen Lie might find it difficult to bring up the topic.

Patting Shen Lie on the shoulder, he said, "Don't worry about it. I haven't spent much time with your sister-in-law, but I have a general idea of her character. She won't hold this against you. Besides, we managed well enough in the mountains last year. Eating meat and wild vegetables wasn't bad, right? Isn't that far better than eating grass seeds?"

This remark made Shen Lie chuckle, and he felt somewhat reassured.

...

After a brief rest, they roused everyone at dawn the next day, prepared some food for the journey, and set off again as soon as there was enough light.

Thanks to the arrival of the thousands of bandits, their return trip proceeded rather smoothly. For the first two days, they hardly encountered anyone while walking through the woods – presumably, everyone had fled deeper into the forest. It wasn't until the third and fourth days that they saw groups of people foraging for wild vegetables outside.

However, Shen Lie, concerned about the health of Shen Yin and Shen Tie, refused to take detours or waste time. Whenever they spotted signs of other people, the two children were carried by Xu Wenqing and Wei Lingzhen, while Wei Qing, Shopkeeper Xu, and Uncle Xu were armed with their swords. Even if their martial arts skills were undetectable, the sight of all five of them wielding military-grade blades was intimidating enough. Moreover, since they didn't carry any provisions, no one dared to approach them along the way.

By the fifth day, all signs of human activity had vanished from the forest, and by midday on the sixth, the group finally approached the vicinity of Cloud Valley.

Wei Qinghe, exhausted from the journey, beamed with anticipation. Turning to his sister and brother-in-law, he said, "We're almost there. Just a bit more climbing."

The Xu family members looked around in curiosity, trying to locate the cave that Xu Wenbo had mentioned. Only Shen Jin held onto the bundle slung across his body with nervous tension, the fabric strained under his grip.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan surveyed their surroundings, confirming the absence of people. The woods were dense, and once inside, one's figure would quickly vanish from sight. Guided by Shen Lie and Chen Dashan through twists and turns, they eventually stopped at a spot, maneuvering around large boulders before uncovering a lid that was identical to a shelter.

No sooner had the lid been lifted when a voice echoed from within, "Who's there?"

It was Lu ErLang's voice.

Shen Lie chuckled. "Uncle Lu, it's me."

He arranged for the Xu family to descend first.

Upon recognizing Shen Lie's voice, Lu ErLang saw a line of people making their way down. He recognized Shopkeeper Xu and also noticed two young men who bore a resemblance to Xu Wenbo. It dawned on him that Shen Lie had brought the entire Xu family along.

After greeting the shopkeeper, she spotted Wei Lingzhen and Uncle Xu carrying Shen Yin and Shen Tie.

Seeing how emaciated Shen Yin and Shen Tie were, Lu Erlang's expression shifted slightly. He asked Shopkeeper Xu, "Is it chaotic outside?"

Shopkeeper Xu was also inspecting the cave. Hearing Lu Erlang's question, he nodded and sighed. "Fortunately, Ah Lie and Big Mountain went out. Otherwise, our family and these three children might not have made it."

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had erased some traces outside before bringing Shen Jin in last. Without further ado, Lu Erlang locked the entrance from the inside and led the group towards the cave exit.

The Xu family only realized now that the secluded place Shen Lie had found to hide from the world was within such a hidden valley.

With so many people, descending the valley wouldn't be easy. Lu Erlang went down first to send a message, while Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had to bring the others down one by one or lower them down with ropes.

The Xu and Shen families were closest to this entrance, so Sang Luo was the first to receive the news. Shen An ran to inform the Xu family.

Upon hearing that Shen Lie had returned with Shopkeeper Xu's family and Little Jin and his brothers, Sang Luo's anxious heart, which had been hanging for five or six days, finally settled.

Shen Lie had been gone for far too long – over twenty days in total. For the first ten days, Sang Luo could still maintain her composure. But when he hadn't returned after fifteen days, her worry grew with each passing day.

Running out of the cave together with Shen Ning, they watched from below the entrance as Shen Lie descended the cliff holding a child in his arms. Both the aunt and niece looked up with joyful eyes.

Since she heard that Shen Jin and the others had arrived, Shen Ning couldn't contain her excitement. Now, as she saw her elder brother descending with a child in his arms, she guessed, "Sister-in-law, who do you think has come down? Is it Tian Ya?"

Upon observing the figure more closely, she ventured another guess, "Could it be Xiao Tie?"

Sang Luo nodded. "It seems like Xiao Tie. We'll know for sure when they come down."

At that moment, Grandma Xu was also hurrying out with the three children, following closely behind Shen An. They all gazed eagerly at the entrance of the cave high above. If not for the constraint of not wanting to shout loudly within the valley, they would have called out in excitement.

There was nothing more thrilling than a family reunion amidst the chaos of war.

Shen Lie descended to the bottom of the cliff and, upon turning around, spotted Sang Luo standing just a few steps away, her face beaming as she looked at him.

He had been gone for over twenty days. Seeing both Sang Luo and the tranquil An An waiting for him, his heart felt as if it was being gently caressed by a warm breeze. He held Shen Tie closer, his throat constricting as he stepped toward Sang Luo.

"I'm back," he said. The words seemed to get stuck in his throat, and after a brief pause, he continued in a low voice, "I've also brought Little Jin and the others back. I'll explain the details later, alright?"

Throughout their conversation, he was keenly observing Sang Luo's expression, so much so that his palms grew sweaty from holding Shen Tie tightly.

By now, Sang Luo had noticed the state Shen Tie was in – a far cry from what she remembered. He was practically skin and bones, and still asleep despite having just come down from the mountain. Suspecting something might have happened, she nodded, "Alright."

Reaching out to take Shen Tie.

Jin Lie hastily stepped aside and said, "He hasn't changed his clothes for days. I'll carry him in. Could you make some congee? The children must be starving; their health might have deteriorated. They can only start with light congee for now."

Sang Luo nodded. "Alright, has something happened outside?"

Jin Lie nodded. "Yes, Qi Yang County was attacked by bandits."

Jin An and Jin Ning, standing by the side, were already dumbfounded. Even at their toughest times, they had never been as thin as this. They couldn't imagine what could have happened. The siblings followed their eldest brother and sister-in-law into the cave hurriedly.

Shen Tie was placed on the bed where Jin Lie usually slept. It was hot now, so the thick bedding had been stored away. Only straw mats and a grass mat were laid out, with a thin summer quilt covering him.

Jin Lie had to go to the upper cave to receive more people, so Jin Ning took the initiative to cook the congee. Concerned about the situation outside, Sang Luo asked Jin Ning to make it light and to add an egg to make egg drops once it was done – that would nourish the body.

Jin Ning agreed repeatedly, quickly washing the rice while glancing back at Shen Tie's bed from time to time.

Until now, he still hadn't woken up. Her eyes were slightly red. After washing the rice, she promptly started the fire.

...

Both Shen Yin and Shen Jin were carried down by Shen Lie and Chen Dashan, one in front and the other behind. Shen Yin was in much better condition than Shen Tie. Though she was also emaciated, upon seeing Sang Luo and Shen An, her eyes reddened as she called out to her sister-in-law and second brother. In contrast, Shen Jin was much more reserved. He greeted everyone in turn and cautiously surveyed the valley, daring only to look straight ahead and not even turning his head to look around.

Shen An saw that Jin, Yin, and Tie had all descended and, staring fixedly at Shen Lie, asked, "Brother, where is Tian Ya?"

After posing the question, she glanced upward at the cave leading to the exit, where there were still people present.

Yet, Shen Lie merely patted Shen An and said, "Take Little Gold and Little Silver inside to rest."

Shen An stood there, utterly stunned. His gaze fixed on Shen Jin, his throat tightened with emotion, and after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to utter, "Where is Tian Ya?"

Shen Jin merely bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. Even Shen Yin's eyes reddened in an instant.

How could Sang Luo not guess? She patted Shen An and took each of Shen Jin and Shen Yin by the hand, saying, "Let's go in first. We'll talk inside."