Chapter 125: Home Sweet Home

Chapter 125: Home Sweet Home

The grand entrance into the mountains this time was like a great migration; everyone wore smiles on their faces.

They weren't in a rush to travel. Once daylight illuminated their path, all the children except Xiao Ya, who was carried by her mother, were allowed to walk themselves. However, this was only permitted on safe and flat stretches. When they encountered rugged trails or areas near sinkholes, Wei Dahu, leading the way, would halt, allowing the adults to carry the children over these sections before setting them down again.

Their journey was punctuated with several stops for rest. The little ones behaved admirably, not complaining about fatigue despite their flushed cheeks and trembling legs. They understood and didn't cling to their parents, begging to be carried.

They empathized with their parents too; while they huddled in bed catching some sleep last night, their parents made countless trips between the mountain foot and the village, carrying their belongings. After finishing, they barely rested before preparing for the mountain trek, not closing their eyes for the entire night.

The long procession included everyone except Old Wei, who stayed behind to guard their possessions. At the forefront was Wei Dahu, followed by the aunties who had never ventured into the mountains before - Mother-in-law No. 1, Mother-in-law No. 2, Sister-in-law No. 2, Sanhua, and others. Behind them came the younglings like Tianniu, Dogzi, Duck Egg, and Goose Egg. Following the children were the women - Peach Blossom, Fang Qiuyan, Wu Zhaodi, and so on. This arrangement allowed them to watch over the kids and conveniently pick them up if they couldn't walk anymore.

Behind them were the uncles and the Chen Dashi brothers, and at the very end were Grandpa Lin and Man Cang, with Chen Ergou bringing up the rear.

The procession was well-organized, with the strongest and bravest men leading and trailing. Wei Dahu watched over the front, while Chen Ergou kept an eye on the rear.

For the first trip into the mountains, they brought the essentials. Food and bedding were a given, but this time, they also packed clothes for spring, summer, and autumn, in addition to winter wear. These items were carried by the women, whose bulging baskets seemed to weigh them down like small mountains, the bundles of clothes tied with hemp ropes reaching up to the tree roots overhead. On difficult terrain, they had to crouch to walk, as otherwise, their baskets wouldn't pass through.

This is why the children walk obediently; their mothers, carrying household belongings, have no extra strength left to carry them as well.

Hence, today, Wei Dahu slowed his pace, more considerate than ever before, seeking a spot for everyone to rest after half an hour of walking.

The women's shoulders bear no idle load, and even less so do the men's. Not only do they shoulder food and the family's most precious items—meat, salt, sugar, oil—they also carry baskets filled to the brim with household goods, sparing no effort as beads of sweat the size of beans slide down their foreheads, gritting their teeth to keep up with the group.

It's a matter of necessity, the mountain path too rugged for carts, allowing only enough room for one person at a time, and each trip can only carry so much. To minimize trips, they naturally take as much as possible in one go, so long as they can still put one foot in front of the other, no one complains about the fatigue.

During this monotonous journey, they've all heard about the misfortune that befell Zhou Village the day before, feeling a shared sense of sorrow but also a tinge of relief at having narrowly escaped a similar fate.

They lament the world's instability and the fragility of life, akin to ants trampled underfoot, yet there's a hidden gratitude for not having to face the impending slaughter directly.

With stops along the way, the somber mood doesn't last long, eventually replaced by sheer exhaustion. Auntie-in-Law, her legs already trembling from the sight of the endless mountain path, repeats a question she's asked over a dozen times: "Dahu, how much longer until we arrive?"

"We're almost there, just hold on a little longer," says Wei Dahu, not only shouldering food but also carrying baskets front and back. The front basket, filled with kitchenware like pots and pans, belongs to his own family, while the back basket, bulging to the top, is Second Sister-in-Law's. It's out of necessity; Xiao Ya is still young, a mere babe, so Cao Xiuhong has strapped the child to her front to free her hands for carrying goods. She carries her family's clothes and bedding on her back, but when Goose Egg couldn't walk anymore, Wei Dahu took her basket, leaving her solely responsible for carrying the child.

Taking turns, Goose Egg rests on her second aunt's back, then switches to her brother's back when he tires, allowing him to rest in turn.

The only ones who truly relied on their own strength for the entire journey were Doggie and Ox, the older ones. In such circumstances, they had no choice but to push through, relying solely on their own determination.

Aunt asked how many times, "When will we arrive?" and heard in return as many times, "We're almost there." She was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. It was well past noon, and the sky had already begun to darken. When they were still at the foot of the mountain, she had asked her husband. He said that if they moved quickly, it would take about half a day—around four hours.

They set off before dawn, and now, as they approached dusk, they still hadn't seen the walls of the courtyard he mentioned. She began to doubt that the old man was telling the truth. What four hours? They had been walking for nearly six or seven hours!

In the long line, the only sound was the hurried panting of breath.

But this time, Big Tiger Wei didn't deceive her. After walking for another quarter of an hour, the expressions on Peach Blossom's and Wu Zhaodi's faces grew increasingly relaxed. They had good senses of direction and memory; they could recognize the path now. Even with the snow blanketing everything, they could tell they were close to home by the crooked tree.

Their joy spread to everyone else. Aunt, who had been misled by her nephew more than ten times, showed signs of relief. Her legs felt so weak that they could barely support her weight. Knowing that Peach Blossom wouldn't lie, she took a deep breath. Both hands clutched tightly onto her shoulder straps, which had left marks due to the pressure. The pain was unbearable, but she wished she could just throw them off right then. However, the promise of "almost home" dangled like a carrot in front of her, giving her the strength to push through.

Sure enough, soon enough, those at the front of the group saw a tall courtyard wall. Ox and Doggie were the first to break away from the line, yelling and running toward it. Ignoring the adults' shouts, they plopped down on a log outside the wall. This log was dragged here by Uncle and Second Uncle the day before, and now served as a convenient place for the children to rest their tired feet.

"We're home! We're home!" Ox, perched on the thick log, called out to Duck Egg and Goose Egg, who was carried on Second Aunt's back. "Duck Egg and Goose Egg, come over!"

"Wait for me!" Duck Egg immediately started running with her short legs, not minding the cold on her bottom as she sat down on the log, mimicking their position.

Seeing this, Goose Egg suddenly became energized. He kicked his legs on Cao Xiuhong's back, shouting for his brother to wait for him, struggling to get down. Cao Xiuhong let him down, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Goose Egg, with a runny nose and a smile, ran toward his brother.

"We're home! We're home." He clapped his little hands and jumped up and down, his childish joy bringing smiles to the exhausted adults. They were too tired to wait for the courtyard gate to open. One by one, they set down the baskets and baskets on their shoulders. Free of their burdens, they all felt a sudden lightness in their bodies.

Sanhua had never walked such an arduous mountain path before, and she had been trekking for an entire day. The heat had flushed her cheeks red, and she fanned herself with her hands, her legs weak and trembling. Unable to endure any longer, she went to her two nephews' side to find a spot. Just as she was about to sit down, a hand extended toward her—a straw mat for sitting.

Looking up, she saw it was her cousin's younger brother, and for a moment, she was stunned, unsure if she should accept it.

ManCang, however, didn't overthink it. Seeing that she hadn't reached out, he placed the mat beside her on his own accord, then proceeded to lay down the remaining mats he had. He extended a hand to help his mother and his aunts.

After a night of travel, the wood beneath the snow was cold and hard. The children were accustomed to it and didn't mind, but the women preferred some comfort. These mats were something Uncle Wei had made in his spare time. They were always used by the women when they rested along the way. ManCang, following his sister and brother-in-law's lead, also referred to them as his aunts. Seeing how exhausted they were, barely able to stand straight, he thought it best to let them sit and rest for a while.

Only those who had endured a long journey could understand the feeling—the overwhelming fatigue where one no longer cared what was beneath them, longing to just sit down immediately.

"Good boy, truly a good boy." Aunt One was supported as she sat down, for without his help, she would have collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Every part of her body ached, and she felt as if she would fall if she took another step forward.

Even seated, she still held onto ManCang's hand, her eyes filled with affection as she looked at him. She turned to her sister-in-law and said, "Look at your SanShi, he's a few years older than ManCang, yet he's not as considerate, acting like a monkey jumping around. He doesn't have this kind of thoughtfulness."

As she spoke, she gently patted ManCang's hand. Then, remembering something, she turned to look at her younger sister sitting nearby and asked, "Oh, how old is your ManCang this year?"

Zhao Sufen was massaging her legs and, upon hearing the question, didn't think much of it. She smiled and replied, "By the years, the three siblings are each five years apart. There are some differences in their birth months, so if you add two years to account for that, ManCang is twelve this year. However, he was born in the dead of winter, and his birthday is coming up soon, so you can consider him a thirteen-year-old young man."

At the time, people tended to add two years to their age when calculating it. Aunt One pondered this in her heart—twelve in nominal age, which meant he was actually only ten? Even after his birthday, he would only be eleven.

Indeed, one wouldn't have guessed just by looking at him. She watched ManKang, who had already joined in helping them carry baskets and hampers. The young lad was very diligent, attentive to tasks that needed doing, filial, and meticulous. She had heard her husband mention the boy's story—a lone figure holding up the family these past years, perhaps suffering hardships in earlier times, which left him somewhat slight of build. But he was full of spirit, tall for his age, more like a teenager around fourteen or fifteen than eleven or twelve.

A smile played on her lips as she clasped her daughter's small hand, turning her head to survey their surroundings. "Ah, this is where we'll be living from now on? How wonderful, how splendid."

The courtyard gate swung open, and the children, after riding the trees for a while, burst into the yard with a raucous cry, swarming under Uncle Dogzi's lead to inspect the four hens penned up in the old kitchen.

"Sis, it's time to feed the chickens!" Dogzi called out to PeachBlossom, turning his head.

"In a minute." PeachBlossom, together with her sisters-in-law, carried the hamper inside. The rooms had been assigned beforehand; they simply opened the door to their respective quarters.

"Mama, you must come see. The room is so spacious." Cao Xiuhong, cradling her daughter, circled the room, her face aglow with delight. This was her first visit to the mountains, and when her sister-in-law told her back home that the houses here were built bright and airy, she hadn't quite believed it. Now, she was filled with joy—spaciousness was good, making the heart feel at ease.

What she feared most was a place so dark that even the sun couldn't shine in, gloomy and without a glimmer of light, causing the heart to feel heavy and oppressed.

"Coming!" Her mother-in-law, equally curious, rose with her daughter's support, and then reached for her sister-in-law. They were all like virgins being led to their wedding beds for the first time, filled with wonder!

Laughter and joy filled the courtyard, turning the quiet space lively and bustling.

As they were touring the house, ManKang also led Grandpa Lin into his room. He wanted to support the elderly man, but the old man waved him off—support what support, he was perfectly fine!

The old man, hands clasped behind his back, circled the room twice, nodding repeatedly. He chuckled, "Never thought I'd see the day. I was resigned to growing old and dying alone at home. But here I am, living in this 'grand courtyard,' basking in the filial piety of my grandson!"

Mancang was making the bed when he heard this, and he replied with a smile, "Rest assured, Grandpa. I'll take care of you in your old age; you won't be alone."

"Good, good, good," Old Man Lin repeated, secretly wiping away a tear as he turned away.

Standing by the window, he gazed out at the bustling scene outside. Little children laughed and ran about, a small dog barked as it chased them, people came and went—the place was brimming with life.

Let's see who would dare call him a lonely old man now. They were the lonely ones!

"Author's Note"

Sanhua is three years older than Mancang.