Chapter 44

Chapter 44

No one could have imagined that the refugees would truly bypass the villages ahead and break into the more remote Sunset Village!

Over thirty refugees, led by five tall, imposing men with brutal-looking faces, clutching large knives and axes, swaggered along the path outside the village. When Er Lai's father spotted them, the group made no attempt to conceal their movements. They were speaking a language he couldn't understand, their voices gratingly loud, their laughter wild and unrestrained.

Er Lai's father was so frightened his legs turned to jelly. Fortunately, there was some distance between them, and his hiding spot was well-concealed, so the group didn't notice him.

He stumbled and staggered his way back toward the village, swallowing hard, his throat tight. For a moment, fear rendered him completely voiceless, unable to utter a single sound. He opened his mouth wide, but only a harsh, rasping sound came out, his frantic desperation bringing tears to his eyes.

"Refugees are coming! Refugees are coming! Run, everyone run!" He waved his arms frantically, finally managing to force a few hoarse, ragged shouts from his throat.

Because the patrols and sentry duty had been uneventful for so long, and even the nearby Zhou Family Village hadn't reported any refugee activity, all the surrounding villages, though distant, were connected by mountain paths and trails. Any major incident would be reported throughout the countryside. Many of Sunset Village's wives had married in from outside, and coupled with the fact that their location was truly a godforsaken place, over time, people had inevitably grown somewhat lax.

The sudden sight of Er Lai's father running back as if he'd gone mad, shouting something, several hard-of-hearing old men were momentarily confused.

The summer sun was scorching. At this hour in the afternoon, few people were in the fields. Even the men were hiding at home to escape the heat. Only a few restless old men, unable to sit still, were fanning themselves with large palm-leaf fans, chatting under the big tree at the village entrance. Seeing Er Lai's father run three steps and stumble, run ten steps and take a major tumble, as if a ghost were chasing him, Old Man Wang, grinning his gap-toothed grin, laughed heartily and shouted at him, "Yong Zi, what are you running for? Is there a ghost chasing you?"

'Talking about ghosts in broad daylight?' was clearly teasing him for a grown man with a kid to be acting like a scared child. A group of old men shook their heads, laughing as they fanned themselves.

"Run, run, refugees..."

"What did you say? If there's no ghost chasing you, then why are you running!"

Zhao Yong's face was etched with anxiety, his arms flailing wildly as he ran and stumbled, gesturing frantically. One of the Zhao family elders sensed something was wrong. He'd only seen Yong Zi act this crazed when Er Lai had his accident; usually, he was a man who didn't show off. Why was he behaving like this today?

The old man dug at his ear, flicking out a piece of earwax, just as a terrified shriek erupted behind him.

"What? Refugees are coming?!"

"Refugees are coming! Refugees are coming! Everyone, pack up and run!"

The first household at the village entrance was the first to react. The matron of that house had sharp ears and a piercing voice. Hearing faint shouts from outside, she pushed the door open to see what was happening and saw Er Lai's father stumbling back into the village. Understanding what he was saying, the old woman was so frightened she dropped the wooden basin in her hands, splashing dirty water all over herself.

Her voice and Er Lai's father's rose almost simultaneously, instantly stirring the previously quiet village into a frenzy.

The old woman froze for a second, then turned and charged back into the house, her sharp, piercing voice rousing her son and daughter-in-law from their deep sleep.

"You worthless lot, wake up right now! Didn't you hear the refugees are coming?! Sleep, sleep, sleep, all you know is sleeping all day long, why don't you just sleep yourselves to death! You old fool, get up now! If you keep dilly-dallying, I'll leave you for dead!"

She rushed frantically into her own room, her rough palm delivering several slaps to her husband's face to wake him. After rousing him, she threw all the family's valuables—the money box, sugar, cured meat from the kitchen, chickens from the coop—into a back-basket. Then she charged into her son and daughter-in-law's room, ignoring the young couple who were frantically prying up floorboards to dig out their stashed-away money. She scooped up her still-sleeping grandson, kicked open the main door, and ran toward the family's cellar on the back hill.

By now, the village was fully alert. Many women were running through the village searching for children who had gone out to play, wiping tears and shouting anxiously. Those who found their children rushed over, grabbed them, delivered a couple of sharp slaps to their bottoms, then hurried home to grab a few things. Those who couldn't find their children stamped their feet in frustration, torn between their belongings and their kids.

The whole village was instantly thrown into a state of frantic panic. Some acted decisively, grabbing money and carrying their young children into the mountains. More people couldn't bear to leave this or that behind—catching chickens, seizing ducks, even driving pigs—it was pure bedlam—chickens flying, dogs barking, total chaos.

Miraculously, the old men's hearing cleared up, propping themselves up with canes and hobbling home as fast as their old legs could carry them.

"Ya Dan, where are you? Hurry home! Murdering, arsonist refugees are coming!"

"Heaven strike them dead! Why don't they go rob the rich Zhou Family Village?! Our land can't even yield two grains of rice per mu, what goes in our bellies barely makes a turd! Blind, stupid fools, they've come to the wrong place!"

"Plague-ridden creatures! Things that deserve to be struck by lightning!!"

His first thought upon reaching the village wasn't for his own home—he veered and sprinted down the hill towards the Zhao house.

The Zhao family lived far from the village. Worried they might not hear, he ran all the way there. So intense was his fear and tension that his legs felt like jelly. Halfway there, he fell into a field ridge, scrambled up in a panic, and kept running.

Seeing smoke rising from the Zhao family's kitchen chimney, he knew someone was home. He tore at his throat, bellowing, "Da Gen Uncle, Wang Auntie, run! Quickly take the children into the mountains! Refugees are coming!!"

"Er Tian, San Di, are you home?! Hurry and take your uncle and aunt into the mountains, hurry!!"

Zhao Xiaowu and his brothers were the first to rush out, barefoot, pushing the courtyard gate open in a panic. "Uncle Er-lai, are you saying refugees are coming?"

"Xiao Wu, quickly tell your grandparents to go into the mountains. Don't bring anything, just run now! Hurry, it'll be too late if you delay!" Seeing Zhao Xiaowu, Er Lai's father let out a breath of profound relief. He urgently repeated his warning to run quickly, then, without stopping to catch his breath, turned and ran toward his own home.

By now, the village was in utter chaos. The squawking of poultry, old women screeching their grandchildren's names, children wailing for parents they couldn't find, the screeching of benches and tables being moved—it was a complete mess.

Er Lai's father ran toward the village, while the villagers ran toward the mountains. The two streams of people passed each other, no one having time to speak.

Everything was chaotic, a complete and utter mess.

Women couldn't bear to leave their belongings; men worried about the grain in the fields. Old men couldn't part with their hoes and baskets; old women couldn't abandon their pots, pans, bowls, and dishes. Couples focused only on carrying their sons and running, leaving behind daughters who wiped tears and called for their parents, panicked and forced to chase their parents' retreating backs into the mountains on their own two legs.

Er Lai's father ran home, swept Er-lai up into his arms. The house of the first family at the village entrance was already ablaze. His home wasn't far; he could already hear the refugees kicking down doors, overturning benches and tables, and cursing loudly. His face changed. He turned and roared at his parents and wife, "Leave the baskets! Drop everything! Run, run now!"

"But this is our family's belongings!!" Granny Er-lai wailed, unable to bear leaving them, wanting to go back for the basket. Her husband grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the backyard. Like the Zhao family, they lived at the foot of the mountain, but one was at the foot of the mountain in front of the village, the other at the foot of the mountain behind it.

"Is property more important than life?! You old woman, do you want to die? If you want to die, don't drag our grandson down with you!" Granny Er-lai tried to break free, but Grandpa Er-lai snarled at her angrily, gripping her arm tightly and pulling her along as they ran.

They fled out the back door, climbed the slope, and plunged into the woods. Er Lai's father didn't dare look back, his arms tightly clutching his son. They were so close they could hear it plain as day—the sound of refugees breaking down doors—that was their home!

Clutching his son, legs trembling violently, he didn't dare stop for a second, only knowing to grit his teeth and run into the mountains.

Once in the mountains, they'd be safer. Ever since Da Shan mentioned his family stored grain in their cellar, he and his father had moved over half their household's grain to the mountain cellar during this period. They wouldn't starve for now. But they couldn't take the chickens and ducks. Biting back his dismay, he pulled up his wife who had fallen. The entire family, young and old, ran into the mountains with tears streaming down their faces.

No one had expected the refugees to really come, especially in the afternoon, nearing evening. Everyone was caught completely off guard.

Upon receiving Er Lai's father's warning, Zhao Xiaowu and his brothers immediately rushed to the storeroom, each grabbing a back-basket. They ran back to their room, stuffed three quilts, thick and thin, from the chest into the baskets, then gathered all the clothes they could find, regardless of whose they were, and bundled them in. The five boys, carrying the baskets, stuffed in anything they saw that would fit, no matter what it was.

The youngest, Xi'er, pulled Wang Jinyu ahead of the rest of the family, heading up the slope from the backyard and running into the mountains without looking back.

"Grandpa, Grandma..." Wang Jinyu kept anxiously looking back.

Zhao Xiaowu and the others, carrying baskets brimming with goods, nimbly scrambled up the slope. He and Zhao Gu each gave Wang Jinyu a slap on the shoulder, pushing him forward. "What grandpa, what grandma? Just run!"

They didn't need to worry about their grandparents. Their only job was to look after themselves and not cause trouble for the family.

Luo-shi went to the kitchen to pack the coarse salt jar, lard jar, soy sauce and vinegar jars, two cured meats, and a half-sack of rice. After packing, she scooped a handful of pine needles from the stove and spread them on top, then continued packing bowls, plates, basins, kitchen knives, fire tongs, and all the other kitchen utensils. When she came out carrying her basket, Zhu-shi, Sun-shi, and Zhao Ertian also emerged from the rooms carrying baskets piled so high with clothes and bedding they were overflowing—all winter clothes. Summer clothes were taken if possible, left behind if not.

"Let's go." As the eldest daughter-in-law, Zhu-shi kept a level head at times like this. Glancing at her father-in-law, who was in the storeroom packing hoes, shovels, sickles, machetes, saws, axes, and all the farming tools, and her mother-in-law, who was in the room packing clothes, she didn't waste a second. She led her two sisters-in-law to follow the children.

The storeroom was crammed full of miscellaneous items. Old Man Zhao couldn't bear to leave this, couldn't bear to leave that, but there was no choice; they couldn't carry much now. A wave of regret washed over him. If only he'd kept Xiao Bao from going into the mountains today. With her here, a wave of her little hand could empty the entire house.

But regret was useless. Things had just happened to coincide this way. He could only take the commonly used, indispensable farming tools—two full shoulder-pole loads. He shouldered them and hurried into the yard. Wang-shi also came out from the room carrying a basket overflowing with clothes and bedding. The old couple exchanged a glance without speaking, called out to their second son who was catching chickens in the coop, and hurried after their already out-of-sight grandchildren and daughters-in-law.

Standing on the slope, Old Man Zhao couldn't help but look back at the village. He saw flames rising from the direction of the village entrance. Villagers who couldn't bear to leave their belongings, trying to take everything and thus running slowly, had been caught. A cacophony of wails and shouts filled the air, mingled with some rough, angry curses he couldn't understand. Thinking of the fate of those people, Old Man Zhao closed his eyes and wiped his face.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and run!" What was he standing there dazed for at a time like this? Wang-shi, worried about her daughter in the mountains, couldn't help her impatient tone.

Old Man Zhao withdrew his gaze, seeing his second son catching up, a hen flapping desperately in his grip. Their family only had two laying hens; the non-layers had already been sacrificed to their bellies. Just the other day, one had been 'lost' to the Immortal Land. The hen in Zhao Ertian's hands was their last remaining valuable asset.

All other money and grain had been stored by Xiao Bao in the Immortal Land. The grain they ate at home was scooped half a sack at a time, eaten, then scooped again, never keeping more belongings outside.

"Father, Mother, what about Big Brother and Little Sister?" Zhao Ertian feared his brother might not realize what was happening below and return home right into the hands of the refugees. If the refugees found no grain at their house, they would surely take it out on them.

"Woof!"

Just as he spoke, a familiar bark was heard. Wang-shi excitedly looked in the direction of the sound. From another direction, Xiao Heizi came charging down the mountain like a gust of wind, so fast his ears were flying backward. Unable to stop in time, his round body tumbled twice on the slope. Regaining his footing, he dashed toward them.

"It's Xiao Heizi!" Zhao Ertian exclaimed with joy, turning to look where it was swooping in from. "Where's Big Brother and Little Sister?"

"Woof! Woof!" Xiao Heizi barked twice toward the mountain. It ran forward a few steps, glanced back at Wang Shi, then ran forward a few more steps.

"Big Brother must have noticed something unusual down the mountain and sent Xiao Heizi to deliver a message." Old Man Zhao let out a sigh of relief when he saw this and turned to his wife. "Let's go, stop worrying. We agreed earlier that if anything happened, no matter what, everyone should head straight for the cellar. Big Brother must have taken Xiaobao there. Let's hurry and find them."

"Where did Third go to chop firewood?" Wang Shi finally remembered that another son had gone into the mountains to gather wood and hadn't returned yet.

"Near the bend under the locust tree." Old Man Zhao reached out and took the hen from him, saying, "Second Son, go look for Third. Once you find him, take him straight to the cellar without delay. We'll wait for you up there."

Zhao Ertian nodded hurriedly.