Chapter 139: She’s My Cousin Aunt

Chapter 139: She's My Cousin Aunt

Just as Wei Dahu and the others were sorting out their belongings, Chen Dashi returned with ManCang. His face was unnaturally pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead—a clear sign that something was amiss. Even Chen Erniu was alarmed, quickly stepping forward to ask, "What happened? Did something occur in the village?"

Chen Dashi’s fingers were trembling. Seeing that Dahu was also looking at him, he gave a bitter smile, cursing himself for being weak. Upon hearing the news, his legs had turned to jelly, and he couldn’t remember how he managed to walk back. With everyone’s eyes on him, he didn’t prolong the suspense. Wiping his face, he recounted what had transpired on the mountain: "It’s not so much conscription as it is outright abduction. They want every able-bodied man from each family to go die on the battlefield."

In previous years, only one male from each household would be required for labor service. Even during the wars of recent years, there hadn’t been any instance where several men from a single household were conscripted. At worst, if a man died in battle, another would replace him. But this time, it wasn’t a matter of replacement—it was about how many men in your household met the conscription criteria. Every single one who did, regardless of number, was to be sent off.

The translation provided is a direct and detailed rendition of the original Chinese text into English, maintaining the narrative flow and context while ensuring clarity and readability for an English-speaking audience.

It's getting impossible to live, truly impossible.

How could Chen Dashi not be shaken? If they were to follow these requisition requirements, he, his second brother, and even their father would all fall under the conscription scope. All three able-bodied men in their family would have to go to war. The same went for Second Uncle's household; neither Second Uncle nor Third Stone could escape this fate.

Chen Erniu's expression also changed visibly, panic evident on his face. Although he was the only man in his family who met the requisition criteria, he couldn't afford to be taken away. Iron Bull hadn't grown up yet, and if he were to die on the battlefield, his wife's eyes would surely cry themselves blind.

Chen San Shi was even more terrified, his face turning pale as he couldn't help but look towards Big Tiger.

Wei Datiger glared at them, unable to resist cursing, "What are you afraid of? Who cares about the conscription? What does it have to do with you? Do you think I'm joking around by bringing you guys up the mountain to build houses? From the very beginning, I told you about the situation outside. Conscription and war were inevitable, and now it's just being put into action."

Nowadays, it seems like every household in the surrounding villages is digging cellars to hide people in the mountains. Those cunning old foxes must have sensed something amiss; this isn't how conscription works. This isn't conscription at all—it's an outright abduction under the guise of conscription! No one is that foolish, and no one wants to go to their death willingly. The soldiers might be aware of this as well, which is why during their first visit to the countryside, they seized all able-bodied men who met the "conscription requirements" before anyone could react.

The soldiers treat trivial matters as if they were imperial commands, cloaking their abductions in the respectable mantle of conscription. They dare not incite public outrage, for there's a war outside, and the Prince of Qingzhou naturally doesn't want his subjects to rebel. Thus, conscription truly becomes a matter of luck: those fortunate enough can avoid it by hiding, while the unlucky ones are caught in the open and dragged away on the spot by the soldiers.

Currently, every household is digging cellars with the intention of hiding their men in the mountains whenever the soldiers come calling, only to return home once they've left.

If the soldiers had been more forceful, entering the village with swords drawn and demanding a quota based on the household registers, these peasants might have dared not resist. But these so-called soldiers likely understand what "conscription" truly entails. This isn't the emperor's conscription; it's their prince's conscription. In kinder terms, they're "soldiers," but in harsher terms, they're nothing more than his personal retinue.

A prince has no right to maintain a private army; his fiefdom is merely a source of sustenance, a symbol of honor, and nothing more. He cannot possess anything else.

So when it comes down to it, conscription can only fool the honest and naive. Anyone with half a brain can see through it. As long as it's not an official government draft, you don't have to comply. Of course, this assumes you're strong enough; otherwise, in front of the soldiers, you won't be able to resist their swords at your waist, and your words will fall on deaf ears.

The villagers only hide and never think of resistance for this very reason.

They know the truth clearly in their hearts but dare not speak it out or question it. If caught, they can only blame their own bad luck and dare not complain about anything else.

Understanding this, Wei Dahu felt much lighter in his heart. He sneered and said coldly, "What kind of nonsense is this conscription? It's nothing."

"Even if I was mentally prepared, I'm still in a panic upon suddenly hearing this news," Chen Dashi said with a mournful face, feeling cowardly like a soft-shelled shrimp, his legs weak.

"Dahu, let's hurry up and head into the mountains." Chen Erniu scratched his head anxiously; everything was packed, just one load per person plus a basket each, and they were ready to go. He wasn't afraid of bandits, but he did dread those soldiers. He feared being conscripted to fight, not wanting to linger at the foot of the mountain for a moment longer.

Wei Dahu nodded, extending his hand to beckon his brothers: "This trip should wrap things up. The soldiers' presence in the countryside has scared the bandits into hiding, so the grain stored in the mountains should be safe. We can take our time transporting it back."

The group set off to carry the grain, but Chen Dashi remained seated, hesitating. Looking at Chen Sanshi, he said, "There's another matter. That woman mentioned that Daya sent someone home to her family, and the messenger looked quite worried. Perhaps there's some urgent matter."

Chen Sanshi instinctively glanced at Brother Dahu, which infuriated Wei Dahu. He slapped Chen Sanshi on the back and scolded, "That's your own sister! Why are you looking at me?" It was said that after marriage, a girl's brothers became her support, but Chen Sanshi, despite his age, couldn't even find a wife, let alone be of any help. When his own sister sent a messenger home with news, his first reaction was to look at him.

What was the point of looking at him? If there was trouble, whether it was to seek justice or show strength, it should be his own brother standing at the forefront. They, as cousins, could only back him up from behind.

"Did that man mention anything?" He Dahu was greatly concerned, and Chen Sanshi hissed as he sucked in cold air from the beating.

"It's precisely because he didn't say anything that I'm uneasy." Chen Dashi sighed, feeling a headache coming on, along with a twinge of difficulty. On any other day, upon hearing that Daya had sent someone back, he, as the elder brother, would have immediately led his brothers to inquire about the matter without hesitation. But now, with every household hiding from conscription, the mere thought of leaving the village made him shudder involuntarily.

Daya's in-laws lived in Xiaogou Village, not too far but not exactly close either. What they feared wasn't the distance, but rather the possibility of encountering soldiers and being taken away on the road.

Upon hearing this, Chen Sanshi hesitated somewhat. Secretly, he wanted to go to Xiaogou Village to check the situation. He had a good relationship with his sister, who always tended to report good news while concealing her troubles. She never sent word back to her family unless there was something significant. This was the first time she had sent someone back, which surely meant something had happened, something that prevented her from returning herself.

Bandits feared the soldiers, and soldiers only captured men. At present, women were paradoxically the safest. If something truly had happened, why hadn't she returned herself? Why did she send someone else back instead?

His heart was filled with worry.

Chen Sanshi clenched his fists, mustered up his courage, and looked up at the group, determinedly saying, "I want to visit my sister in Xiaogou Village. I'll be fine on my own; if nothing happens, I'll come back as soon as possible." He didn't want to inconvenience them by asking them to wait for him, unsure of how long this trip would take. He turned to ManCang, "ManCang, have you memorized the path? If you have, could you do me a favor tomorrow and meet me at the foot of the mountain?" He felt embarrassed asking this, knowing that he had a poor sense of direction, finding all trees looking the same to him. Without someone familiar by his side, he wouldn't dare venture into the woods.

ManCang nodded subconsciously, then turned to look at his brother-in-law.

Wei Dahu glanced at the sky and asked, "Is ManCang sure he's memorized the path?"

Feeling confident that he had it down, ManCang nodded confidently, "Yes, I've got it memorized."

"Deal." Without further ado, Wei Dahu made his arrangements, "You take Big Brother and the others home. San Shi and I will head to Xiao Gou Village together." With that, he casually grabbed a rag from somewhere, its origin unknown, wrapped it around the knife, and tossed it into an empty wicker basket. He then gave San Shi a nod, signaling him to carry it on his back.

Seeing them leave so abruptly, Chen Dashi was momentarily taken aback. Now that his legs were no longer weak and his body no longer trembling, he hurriedly chased after them outside the courtyard. "Don't we need to go too? Strength lies in numbers, you know."

The Wu family was blessed with a large clan, numerous siblings within the household. In case of any real trouble, what could the two of them do against such odds? They could be drowned in a sea of spittle alone.

But Wei Dahu paid no heed to his ramblings. He led San Shi into the mountains, taking a shortcut. As they passed by the spot where the family had dug their cellar, they saw several men grunting as they swung their hoes. The woman was beside them, cursing and wiping away tears as she dug through the soil. Upon seeing them, she fell silent instantly, like a chicken whose throat had been suddenly clutched.

"What did the messenger look like?"

Wei Dahu's seemingly casual remark, however, was understood by the woman. Her expression shifted repeatedly. Had it been Chen Dashi who asked, she might have glared back at him, but facing Wei Dahu, whose mere presence made it hard for her to breathe comfortably, she reluctantly replied, "A girl with an unusually plain appearance, skin as dark as can be. There's not a soul in the surrounding ten or so villages as unattractive. You'd recognize her at first sight."

Wei Dahu nodded, expressing his gratitude with a word of thanks, and then led Chen Sanshi away.

They didn't stop along the way. Walking only on the mountain paths wouldn't do; some were too winding, so they had to take shortcuts instead. Chen Sanshi was constantly on edge, like a frightened bird ready to take flight at the slightest provocation. His eyes scanned his surroundings vigilantly, and he was poised to dart into the mountains at the first sign of trouble.

But at this moment, not only were there no people around, there wasn't even a bird in sight; the road was unsettlingly quiet.

The mountain path diverged into smaller trails, and along the way, they passed through several villages. Wei Dahu astutely noticed that each village had lookouts, with everyone on edge like a fully drawn bowstring, tense and tight. Upon seeing these two unfamiliar faces, they would eye them warily, their gazes lingering until Wei Dahu and his companion were long gone.

As for Wei Dahu, he was fine, but Chen Sanshi broke out in a cold sweat.

After walking for over an hour, when they reached Xiaogou Village, Chen Sanshi visibly sighed in relief, "Thank goodness we didn't run into any soldiers. We're safe now." Only he knew how terrified he had been, constantly on edge during the journey. Finally, he could catch his breath.

"Do you remember that person?" Instead of entering the village right away, Wei Dahu held him back and found a spot to squat, making them look like two uncouth fellows defecating on the spot from a distance. This wasn't particularly eye-catching.

"What person?" Though puzzled as to why they were taking a rest after arriving, Chen Sanshi always followed his elder brother Dahu's lead, squatting down with his basket on his back.

"The girl, she was dark-skinned." He didn't comment on her looks; what might be ugly in your eyes could be beautiful in someone else's.

Chen Sanshi tried to recall and indeed remembered someone. In previous years when he accompanied his parents to visit his sister, he would always see a girl carrying firewood or pig fodder on her back; she was quite dark-skinned... At the time, he had glanced at her a few more times and was met with a fierce glare from her—it was rather intimidating.

After pondering for a moment, Wei Dahu asked, "Do you know where she lives?"

Chen Sanshi grunted, his face turning red. Seeing this, Wei Dahu flicked his forehead, chiding with a smile, "Don't let your mind wander. I'm being serious here. We're in the dark about everything right now. If we just barge in like this, we'll be at the mercy of others' words. You should know what kind of person your sister is—she wouldn't return home and seek help over something trivial. We should at least ask someone who knows the situation. Since Big Sister Daya sent that girl to deliver the message, it means she trusts her. She must know what's going on. Let's find out clearly before making any plans. We can't let the Wu family lead us around by the nose."

Chen Sanshi hurriedly nodded and said, "Her house is at the entrance of the village, the second house to the right after entering the village. Only she and her mother live there."

So clear? This time, it was Wei Dahu's turn to think deeply, staring at him, "How do you even know how many people live in her household?"

Chen Sanshi's face flushed: "She's dark-skinned, making her quite famous in Xiaogou Village. The village kids told me that her father died early, and she grew up with only her mother. Her mother seems to be a midwife, and they lead a rather comfortable life. Her mother's skills as a midwife are excellent; the babies she delivers are all healthy, and none have ever died young. My sister's first child was delivered by her, and my nephew has been very healthy since birth, never getting sick."

That's why he remembered so clearly—who could blame them for being such good topics of conversation?

Upon hearing that she was a midwife, Wei Dahu was impressed. His eyes immediately changed, and he suddenly became energized.

"You've been to Xiaogou Village before, and the villagers have seen your face. Stay here while I go to their house to check the situation," Wei Dahu cleared his throat, straightened his clothes, and stepped into the village.

"Brother, hey brother..." Chen Sanshi panicked and instinctively got up to follow, but his legs were numb from squatting, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"Hold on!" Wei Dahu composed himself, one foot already stepping into Xiaogou Village.

Sure enough, the lookout at the village entrance saw a stranger entering the village and immediately went on high alert. Three young men stood far away, ready to drive him away until Wei Dahu mentioned that he was visiting relatives. One of the men then asked, "Who are your relatives?"

"The famous midwife in your village."

"Old Lady Huang?" The man looked doubtful. "I've never seen you before. What's your relationship with her?"

"What relationship? She's my aunt, our families are close!" Wei Dahu lied. "If you don't believe me, call out my cousin. Tell her I received the message she sent."

The men exchanged glances, seeing his confidence and believing he wasn't lying. They actually went to knock on Old Lady Huang's door.