Chapter 065

Chapter 065

Longxing Mountain, Western Ridge.

The Western Ridge refers to the entire stretch of the Longxing Mountain range on the northwest side of this county, extending for hundreds of miles with countless peaks and valleys.

Typically, the deeper one ventures into such rugged terrain, the more dangerous it becomes. The Imprisoned Dragon Ridge, occupied by bandits, is a perilous area surrounded by sheer cliffs that seem to trap any creature unfortunate enough to enter, even dragons said to be capable of flying.

Ordinary villagers rarely venture deep into the mountains; they mostly gather wood and firewood near the outskirts. Hunters may go further in, but they avoid these remote areas.

Bandits choose this location to evade the authorities' pursuit, knowing that the more treacherous the terrain, the safer they are.

Initially, there were only about a dozen bandits, all locals who had turned to crime due to famine or to escape military service. Desperate and with no other options, they raided their own villages, abandoning their families and fleeing with whatever money and food they could carry.

At first, their goal was merely survival. Over time, realizing the authorities ignored them, they grew bolder. They began recruiting young men from nearby villages, building houses and even farming within the Imprisoned Dragon Ridge, establishing themselves as lords of the mountain.

Over six or seven years, while the outer regions of the Imprisoned Dragon Ridge remained desolate, the inner area had developed into a small village. The men lived like ordinary villagers, marrying and having children. When supplies ran low, they would gather and raid villages below.

Their actions were inhumane, but if they showed mercy, their families would die. They had to be ruthless.

This was the mindset of the bandits in the Imprisoned Dragon Ridge, and their families accepted this way of life, including some women who had been captured and brought up the mountain. Those who survived became numb, caring only about their own survival and ignoring the origins of their food and the lives lost to obtain it.

Last year, when the war ended, there were only about three hundred bandits in the Imprisoned Dragon Ridge. This year, after a disaster struck the western region, a wave of refugees arrived. Some hoped for government aid, while others joined the bandits. After careful selection, over two hundred new members were added.

With increased power came increased mouths to feed, making raids during the harvest season inevitable.

On the sixth day of the sixth month, the three leaders gathered to discuss when and which village to raid next.

All three leaders were surnamed Kong, brothers born to the same parents, originally butchers skilled with knives.

Kong'er, the most impulsive, said bluntly, "Why bother discussing? Just raid whichever village is closest. It's much simpler."

Kong Da countered, "No, we've been too harsh in the past few years. Many villagers in nearby towns have moved away, leaving the land uncultivated. We promised not to harm anyone if they supplied us with food, which encouraged people to return. To ensure a steady supply, we must avoid scaring off nearby villagers."

Kong San agreed, "Big brother is right. If we scare away the nearby villagers, we'll have to look further afield."

Kong'er grumbled, "But collecting only ten percent from each household isn't satisfying."

Kong San stroked his small beard and said, "Remember what happened in Pine Village? Lingshui Village, where the incident involving the Qin family occurred, has over three hundred households, several wealthy families, and plenty of land and food. We can lead our men there, killing and looting as we go, gaining both wealth and prestige."

Kong'er exclaimed, "Right! What's this Xiao Qianhu? Just an old man in his seventies, daring to challenge us!"

Kong Da, still calm, warned, "We shouldn't underestimate them. Five members of the Xiao family and two from the Sun family managed to fend off over a hundred refugees. We mustn't be complacent."

Kong San dismissed his concerns, "Brother, those refugees were weak and hungry, easily intimidated by the seven men from Lingshui Village. Our men are true heroes, skilled with swords and horses. Dealing with them will be easy."

Recalling their successful raids over the years, Kong Da relaxed and instructed, "Let's start with Lingshui Village. Tomorrow night, take a hundred new recruits and a hundred veterans. Surround the Xiao family, intimidating the villagers so they don't interfere. Once we've dealt with the Xiao men, the villagers will submit."

Kong'er grinned, "I heard the Xiao family has several beautiful young widows and a noble lady."

Kong San nodded, "The noble lady goes to big brother, the rest we'll share."

Kong Da smiled, reminding his brothers, "Focus on the task at hand. We can deal with the women later."

---

On the seventh day of the fifth month, the Xiao family was busy early in the morning.

The women packed the wheat grains into sacks downstairs, while Xiao Shouyi and his four nephews carried the sacks to the roof, emptied them, and brought the empty sacks back down.

Xiao Mu stood on the roof, using a rake to spread out the mounds of wheat.

The Xiao family had plenty of wheat and multiple rooftops, making the process efficient.

During a break, Xiao Mu leaned on the rake and looked around, noticing most rooftops in the village had men doing the same thing.

Suddenly, Sun Xinghai arrived, dressed in coarse clothes and wearing a straw hat, looking like a typical farmer.

As the village head, he was ultimately a commoner, assisting the government with village affairs.

Xiao Mu climbed down the ladder and invited Sun Xinghai to the study.

Noticing the blisters on Sun Xinghai's mouth, he poured him a bowl of water, saying, "When will you learn to control your temper?"

Sun Xinghai sighed, pointing to his neck and lowering his voice, "This concerns the lives of everyone in the village, more important than the government's orders to settle refugees and collect taxes. How can I not worry? Unlike you, who remain calm even when facing a crisis, I barely slept last night."

Xiao Mu reassured him, "The guns have been distributed, and we've practiced how to respond if refugees attack the village at night. We've done everything we can. Trust in fate."

Sun Xinghai counted on his fingers, "You said they'd come before the tenth. Today is the seventh, so we have the eighth and ninth—just three nights left!"

Xiao Mu replied, "Tonight, I'll send the second and third sons to patrol."

Sun Xinghai nodded, "It's my second son's turn. His brother stayed up all night yesterday but probably couldn't sleep anyway."

Xiao Mu advised, "Tell him to get enough rest; worrying won't help."

Seeing the elder's calm demeanor, Sun Xinghai felt reassured and left after a brief chat.

---

In the evening, Tong Sui and her sisters-in-law prepared a large batch of noodles as per the elder's instructions. They planned to have cold noodles for dinner.

Cold noodles are a common summer dish, and Tong Sui didn't think much of it until Liu Chu brought out two trays of eggs from the west room and told Lin Ningfang, who was helping, "Aman should add more firewood. Let's crack these two trays of eggs. Grandfather said tonight we're celebrating Aman's birthday, and everyone will have a bowl of longevity noodles."

Noodles eaten the night before a birthday are called longevity noodles.

Tong Sui was taken aback.

Lin Ningfang smiled and stood beside Liu Chu, and together they cracked the eggshells. Including A Fu and Ah Zhen, the entire Xiao family consisted of fifteen people, with fifteen eggs, one for each person. If one person did it alone, the first eggs might be half-cooked by the time the last ones were added.

Since it's longevity noodles, they should be eaten hot. Liu Chu went to pick a basin of tender cabbage, washed it, and put it into the pot.

With eggs and vegetables, the noodles would be especially fragrant.

Madam He and Xiao Yuchan set up two low tables in the courtyard. The family enjoyed their meal while chatting, basking in the gentle evening breeze.

Up until now, only Xiao Mu, Xiao Shouyi, Xiao Zhen, and Tong Sui knew what might happen these few nights. Even though others had already seen the village head distributing wooden spears to the villagers, they still held similar views as the villagers, considering it as a precaution.

Xiao Yuchan continued to pout, "Grandfather is just biased. When my sister-in-law and I had our birthdays, I've never seen you this happy. Now that it's Second Sister-in-law's turn, you're willing to cook so many eggs."

Xiao Mu replied, "How many times have you celebrated your birthday since childhood? Your sister-in-law was treated the same way in her first year after marriage; afterwards, it stopped."

He then looked at his third grandson, "When Ningfang's birthday comes around, remember to tell me."

Xiao Yan glanced at his wife and said, "She has to wait until July; it's still early."

Last summer, they rescued Lin Ningfang and took over a month to return to Lingshui Village. So, Lin Ningfang's first birthday in the Xiao family indeed hadn't been missed yet.

Lin Ningfang thanked the elder and continued eating her noodles with her head bowed.

The longevity noodles were warm, and Tong Sui's heart felt warm too, even though celebrating the new daughter-in-law's birthday with noodles was just a tradition in the Xiao family.

After dinner, Liu Chu pushed Tong Sui away when she offered to help: "Tonight is special. Go back to your room and talk to the second master. He still has to patrol later tonight."

Tong Sui didn't insist, remembering that Xiao Zhen might have something to tell her.

Passing through the Moon Gate, Tong Sui looked up and saw Xiao Zhen and Xiao Ye standing under the eaves of the east wing, seemingly discussing something in hushed tones.

She paused, unsure if it was appropriate to approach them.

Xiao Zhen waved her over.

Xiao Ye stepped aside and smiled, "Second Sister-in-law is back. I was just telling my brother that I prepared a small gift for you. You'll get it tomorrow morning."

Tong Sui responded instinctively, "Why go to such trouble? I..."

Xiao Ye interrupted, "No trouble at all. I made it myself; it didn't cost anything."

Tong Sui was speechless.

Even in the dim night, her blushing face was noticeable.

Xiao Zhen pretended to kick his brother, who exclaimed and limped back to the west wing.

Xiao Zhen pulled the easily flustered girl into the east wing and closed the door behind them.

Tong Sui tried to explain, "I didn't mean for Fourth Younger Brother to give me an expensive gift. It just came out that way."

Xiao Zhen replied, "I know. Fourth Younger Brother was teasing you on purpose."

Tong Sui bit her lip. Indeed, Xiao Ye wasn't very serious, which was why she felt most at ease with Xiao She.

After they finished washing up separately, Xiao Zhen went to pour water, while Tong Sui returned to the room first.

She had already lain down when Xiao Zhen came in and unexpectedly lifted her out of the bed.

Tong Sui looked at him in disbelief. Last night had been peaceful, but tonight the bandits were more likely to come. Did he really have the mood for that?

Xiao Zhen smiled at her expressive eyes, "I want to, but I won't."

Tong Sui was speechless again.

In terms of being unserious, he, as the older brother, wasn't much better than his younger brother; he was just more composed outside.

Under the dim light, she sat on the edge of the bed, watching him move a low cabinet from the wall, revealing a dusty floor beneath.

Xiao Zhen didn't touch the dust. With both hands, he pressed down on two bricks, ensuring Tong Sui saw clearly before applying force.

The two bricks sank, and the middle part rose.

Tong Sui opened her mouth in surprise.

Xiao Zhen quickly removed the entire slab of bricks and retrieved a copper box, wiping it clean before presenting it to her. "This is what my mother left for her two daughters-in-law before she left. I was entrusted to keep it safe. When you first married into our family, I wasn't sure if we could last long together. Perhaps there were aspects of you I couldn't accept, or perhaps you couldn't accept me."

Tong Sui lowered her head and softly said, "I understand. I also have things I haven't told you."

Xiao Zhen urged, "Open it."

Tong Sui took the heavy copper box, lifted the lid, and inside were golden and jade-colored items—jewelry like gold hairpins and two pairs of jade bracelets.

Xiao Zhen explained, "They are not the same style, but the weight is similar. Since you married in first, you choose first."

Tong Sui didn't move, closed the lid, and said to his chest, "In the past, I might have worn these after marrying into your family. But now everyone hides their wealth, and wearing them would only cause trouble. It's better to keep them hidden. By the way, I also have a dowry. Let's keep it together."

She then took out a money bag from the chest at the north end of the bed, containing five taels of silver and a jade bracelet. Facing Xiao Zhen's gaze, she said, "At that time, I wasn't sure if you were reliable. Many men beat their wives. If you were one of them, I would definitely return to my parents' home."

Xiao Zhen stroked her head, "Let's not hide it. Keep it close to your body. If anything happens to the family, you can run away with it."

If the Xiao family fell completely, even if she knew where the items were hidden, coming back alone would be dangerous.

Tong Sui's eyes instantly welled up with tears, clutching her money bag, "Then I'll keep this, and you put yours back."

Xiao Zhen said, "If anything happens to me, rather..."

Tong Sui covered his mouth, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Don't say such things."

He was too tall, and covering his mouth was an effort. Crying, she buried herself in his chest, sobbing softly.

Xiao Zhen hugged her tightly.

In the end, she still stuffed several pieces of jewelry into her money bag.