Chapter 111

Chapter 111

"Did the Village Head really say that?"

Before dawn, the whole family was packed into the main room, all eyes on Zhao Dashan, who was chugging water from a gourd dipper.

After hauling ass through mountain trails all night, especially on strange hills, scared shitless he'd trip into a hole, Zhao Dashan had been on edge the whole way and only loosened up a little once he got home. He nodded and said, "I heard it loud and clear. That's exactly what the Village Head told those people. A prince from a nearby prefecture is coming to help our Qingzhou Prefecture wipe out the refugees. Once this fight's over, the guys who got drafted might get sent back."

"That's good news. If this goes smooth, we won't have to worry about refugees jumping out to kill and rob us every time we step out." Wang Shi, holding her sleeping daughter, let out a sigh after saying that. Even though they'd made mortal enemies of a few villages, that was a separate issue. Only a mother really gets the pain of not knowing if her son's alive or dead once he's out the door. Deep down, she hoped the drafted men would be let go and come home to their families.

But the catch was they had to survive the battlefield, or none of it mattered.

"Something feels off to me," Zhao Sandi said, frowning. "Didn't that prince refuse to stick his nose in Qingzhou Prefecture's business before? Why's he suddenly game?"

Zhao Dashan obviously hadn't heard what the Village Head was really thinking—about that official who wrote a memorial telling the emperor to step down for Prince Cheng, only for the emperor to blow his top and order Prince Cheng to crush the rebellion in Qingzhou Prefecture, while also calling Consort Cheng and the heir to the palace as hostages... He also figured it couldn't be that simple. The Village Head probably hadn't spilled everything; there had to be more to it.

Back then, when the villagers heard about the coming battle, they were scared shitless. They took whatever the Village Head said as gospel. When he told them all to go home and keep their heads down, they nodded along, having lost all the bluster they'd shown earlier when they were yelling about reporting to the authorities.

Once they left, the Village Head's yard gate shut, and no more sounds came from inside. So he picked up his little sister and rushed home.

"Dad, what if I head to the county seat?" After some hesitation, Zhao Dashan finally spoke up. "I can't rest easy without knowing what's really going on out there. Us country bumpkins don't even go to the market town unless it's a big deal, let alone the county. Our news is always late, and we just believe whatever people tell us. I don't fully buy what the Village Head said. I want to go and find out the real deal myself."

"And about the rebel armies and the famine refugees." He put down the dipper, looked at his folks, and dropped his voice. "Our family's original plan was to cut and run as soon as things went south. But if that Village Head wasn't lying, and refugees from the north are already coming south, then where do we run? The north's a no-go. Where can we go in the south? Dad, we need to sort this out."

This was what had been eating at him. This year's drought was a sure thing; Little Bao's dream wouldn't lie. Even if the old well had Little Bao sneaking water into it, what about the river? The river would dry up eventually. When the riverbed was completely exposed, that's when this endless drought would really kick in.

Now, people from the north were all flooding south. After busting their asses to get here, they'd find the south was in drought too. When their hopes were crushed and their way to survive was cut off, what would they do?

They'd probably burn out like candles, going crazy and destroying everything.

By then, the south would fall into total chaos, turning into a living hell.

Zhao Dashan was on edge. He wanted to go and check things out. If there really were rebel armies and famine refugees, they should take the chance to bolt before the south went to hell, before the northern refugees swamped them and escape was impossible.

As long as the outside world was really in chaos, who'd bother checking travel permits?

Even if that prince calmed down Qingzhou Prefecture and things didn't get crazy right away, they could take the mountain trails. Once out of Qingzhou Prefecture, they could blend in with the refugee crowds. Even if they ran into government troops on the road, they wouldn't be scared. Soldiers would go after bandits, but they wouldn't kill refugees. Only bandits, locals, and rebel armies would mess with refugees.

The name "rebel army" sounded good, but they were really just a bunch of thugs. Their actions weren't much better than the court's. They also drafted men and enslaved folks.

The coming drought, the useless court, the growing rebel armies, the rampaging refugees, and all the possible chaos ahead... The more Zhao Dashan thought about it, the more he felt the future was grim, with danger around every corner. Life was really tough.

Old Man Zhao felt the same way, even more than his son did. The rich families who'd skipped town early, and that weird, suspicious big granary—these two big things weighed on his heart like stones. He couldn't make sense of them, but deep down felt something was off, like a big danger was hiding in there.

Qingzhou Prefecture was a dangerous place.

"We should go out and get the scoop, but it might not be safe to leave now," Old Man Zhao hesitated. The Village Head had been held up a day on his way back, and his eldest son had been gone another day. If he went to the county seat now, he might walk right into the battle, which was too risky.

But staying home without knowing what was going on outside was also killing him.

"Dad, I'll go with Big Brother. We'll take Little Sister, and we'll be okay," Zhao Sandi stepped forward. "We'll go to the county to get info. You all stay home and be ready to take off at a moment's notice. If there really are a ton of refugees fleeing south from the north, we'll leave early. And you need to figure out where we're headed. Also, my wife's family, Big Brother and Second Brother's in-laws, Uncle Da He from the village and his folks, even the whole village—we can't keep this from them. We need to tell them ahead of time. If they want to come with us, they should pack their stuff fast over the next few days."

He had thought of the same things his dad and big brother had. Since the situation was bad, and they'd have to flee sooner or later, it was better to leave early. Unlike the village heads from the other villages, who thought that with the neighboring prince coming to help suppress the refugees, Qingzhou Prefecture would return to its former state of peace and prosperity—impossible. The stability of Qingzhou Prefecture had been doomed from the night the prefect and his family were massacred.

As long as there were already refugees outside, they could start fleeing.

But once they left, they might never return. They would have to abandon their ancestral graves, homes, and fields—just like their ancestors who had fled to Wanxia Village. Once they stepped out the door, life and death were no longer in their hands. They might die of illness, exhaustion, thirst, hunger, or be killed and left to rot in the wilderness, never to return home.

Even if they survived, they would probably have to start over in a strange place.

Starting over was the hardest part. No land, no house, and being outsiders, they'd surely be bullied by the locals... That was why people were reluctant to leave their homeland. No one wanted to leave the place they'd lived for most of their lives unless they had no choice.

At their age, with death looming, who had the courage to start over?

Zhao Sandi hoped more familiar people would come along, to band together. That way, their chances of survival would be higher. But he also knew not everyone would be willing to go with them, especially the village elders. They were too old, their legs no longer what they used to be. The young might not mind them, but they minded themselves. Were they stupid? Not necessarily. Sometimes, stubbornly insisting on dying in the old house they'd lived in all their lives was just a way to avoid being a burden to their children.

"Fleeing famine" sounded simple, but the hardships were something the older people understood all too well.

This was a tough problem, and it was up to his dad to worry about it.

"What about the crops in the fields?" The family had already mentally prepared for fleeing, so hearing this didn't surprise them much. Wang Shi only cared about the crops. "Even if we harvest early, we need to let them grow another ten days or so. We've worked so hard carrying water to irrigate for months. It would be a waste to harvest now."

If they harvested now, they'd probably get less than half of what they'd normally get in a good year.

"Getting less is better than having no life to eat it," Old Man Zhao said, looking at their courtyard wall. They'd put a lot of effort into keeping out wild animals from the mountains. Xiao Wu and the other boys had been going out every day under the sun to cut grass to prevent wildfires, coming back dripping with sweat. They'd guarded against this and that, but still couldn't keep up with the changes in the world.

It just showed that people could only focus on the present, not the future.

No one could predict the future.

"Eldest, you've worked hard today. Go rest now. Get your energy back for the trip to the county tomorrow," Old Man Zhao began to make arrangements, having made up his mind not to dawdle. "Second, take Xiao Wu and Gu Zi tomorrow to inform the three in-laws. Explain the situation clearly. If they're willing to come, tell them to pack their belongings quickly over the next few days. Remember, try not to let outsiders know. If you can't hide it, don't tell the truth. Just make up some excuse to brush them off." Hiding it would be hard, especially since they'd need to harvest the crops. But he had to be cautious, to avoid word leaking out and the people from those other villages coming to block them, delaying their departure.

"As for those who don't want to come, make it clear to them too." He paused and sighed. "Once we leave, we might never come back. Let them be mentally prepared. If they want to see their daughters and grandchildren, they should come quickly."

Then he looked at his daughters-in-law: "Our family has done everything we can to be thorough. If your families don't want to leave, don't hold a grudge."

Zhu Shi and the other two quickly nodded. Though their hearts were in turmoil, caught off guard, their minds were clear. They knew that once a woman married, her future depended on her husband and sons. That their father-in-law and mother-in-law were willing to inform their families was already a great kindness. They dared not ask for more.

"Dad, we don't hold any grudges," Zhu Shi, as the eldest sister-in-law, stepped forward to speak. "We agreed on this long ago. It would be best if our families come with us. If they really won't, we'll accept our fate."

Old Man Zhao nodded. It was good that they understood.

"It's hot, and it'll be hard to cook on the road. Water will be scarce too. Should we steam more coarse grain?" Though she said this, Zhu Shi's heart was in turmoil. Thinking of her own parents—if they couldn't bear to leave their crops, house, and fields, this farewell might be forever. She forced herself to stay busy, so she wouldn't overthink. "Once we leave home, everyone will be chewing on coarse grain buns. We'll have to do the same."

The wooden house's baskets and backpacks were filled with countless steamed buns, stuffed buns, and flatbreads. She'd thought it was enough before, but now that they were really about to flee, thinking of the endless days ahead, she felt uneasy and wondered if they should make more.

"We should steam some," Wang Shi said. "If you don't, how can you dare to take out food later? But don't make too much. It won't keep in this heat. Steam enough for two days' rations at most." This was for show. In private, when the family was hungry, they could avoid others and let Little Bao get food from the divine place.

"Alright," Zhu Shi nodded. That was what she was thinking.

"Let's pack the clothes first. Then we'll have Little Bao put some in the wooden house. We'll keep a little with us, so the cart won't be as heavy," Sun Shi and Luo Shi said.

Wang Shi nodded. With Little Bao around, when it came to fleeing, their family didn't have that desperate, life-or-death feeling. Maybe having a safety net meant they weren't too panicked.

The family chattered on, and soon they'd more or less settled things.

They would definitely take the mountain paths. Donkey carts couldn't get through the mountains, so their belongings would have to go on wheelbarrows. Only if they later took the main roads could they use the donkey cart, which would make things easier.

They could also get an ox cart, which would be even easier, but no one said it. Everyone tacitly decided that the family's little ox would spend its life in the divine place, never to be seen by others.

The wooden wheelbarrows had been made long ago. As for the crops in the fields, letting them grow a few more days wouldn't hurt. It was hot anyway. Harvesting, threshing, and drying would be tiring, but it wouldn't take many days.

The only thing they were unsure about was where to flee.

"We can't go north. The south isn't safe either. Where can we go? West?" Zhao Sandi rubbed his hands. He remembered that Jinyu had mentioned his uncle was the Western General. He didn't know the details, but "Western General" meant he was in the west, right?

When fleeing, it was best to have someone to turn to, so they wouldn't be like headless flies, with no direction.

Old Man Zhao and Wang Shi thought the same. They had no relatives elsewhere. When it came to seeking refuge, Jinyu was the first person they thought of.

But he felt a bit uneasy in his heart. The child had only stayed at their home for two months, and when they sent him back to his uncle’s house, his aunt had returned many gifts of thanks. Old Man Zhao, a mud-footed peasant, couldn’t figure out if there was any hidden meaning behind such generous gifts.

He worried that if the whole family set their hearts on seeking refuge with Jinyu, and Jinyu had long forgotten them, wouldn’t it all be a wasted journey? That’d be real embarrassing.

Of course, when life and death were at stake, embarrassment was a minor matter. But where exactly did this General Who Guards the West guard? The west was vast—they had no idea!

Moreover, had the borderlands suffered drought? Were they safe? They didn’t know that either!

What if they fled from the wolf’s den straight into the tiger’s lair—out of the frying pan and into the fire? That would truly be a great calamity.

“Never mind which border it is. As long as the place is stable, we’ll take it one step at a time. We’re just common folk; isn’t the whole point of fleeing disaster to find a peaceful place to live? No one can predict the future.” Mrs. Wang stroked her daughter’s sweaty cheek. In chaotic times, where was there absolute safety? It was just that when the north was dangerous, they fled south; when the south was dangerous, they fled west. That was how their ancestors had always done it, and so must they.

Zhao Sandi sighed, feeling his mother was right. Plans couldn’t keep up with changes—better to focus on the present.

“Second son, come on, let’s go to the village.”

The sky was just starting to lighten, a pale fish-belly white, and the wind carried a hint of muggy heat. Old Man Zhao clapped his knees and stood up.

“Yes.” Zhao Ertian slipped on his straw sandals and quickly followed.