Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Even though nobody knew why Grandpa Dagen wanted to dig up that tree, a group of men immediately went home, grabbed their hoes, and started working.

Zhao Ertian knew the reason and directed them to be careful not to cut the roots.

In the middle of the night, a lively scene unfolded in Wanxia Village. Their stuff was already packed; now they just needed to tie the grain sacks onto the carts with rope, then throw some quilts and straw on top to hide them, and hang pots, pans, and spoons all around the cart. Wrap the fragile clay bowls and dishes in clothes and stash them in baskets so they wouldn't break.

Leaving home and running for their lives, the road ahead was fraught with danger. Kitchen knives, hoes, axes, sickles—stuff they used to work with—were now weapons to keep the family safe. They had to be where they could grab them quick. Since they were heavy, the men carried them on shoulder poles.

Besides that, there was money. Everybody knows not to put all your eggs in one basket. You can guard against a lot, but not accidents. If things got deadly, having cash on you gave you one more shot at making it. No matter if it was a daughter, son, or in-law, nobody was holding onto their private stash too tight right now. Everybody had to carry a little—sewn into pant legs, hidden in shoe soles—every family had their own sneaky ways.

The kids were woken up and dressed in clothes their mothers had specially sewn, put on pants that were a bit tight in the crotch and shoes that pinched.

The yards were a total madhouse. Though no one raised pigs, every household had a few chickens. They couldn't bring themselves to kill 'em, so they caught 'em and tied 'em to baskets or carts, or just kill and eat 'em on the road if they had to.

"Auntie Li, you folks ready?" A woman leaned over the neighbor's wall and hollered.

"Almost, two big carts, stuffed to the brim." Auntie Li was pacing around the main room, couldn't bear to toss this or leave that, but what could she do? The more they hauled, the slower they'd be. The big stuff—grain, bedding, hoes—that's what mattered. Everything else, even if it hurt to leave, had to go.

Same story in every house. The yards were stacked with baskets and crates, the carts packed tight with grain. The houses were stripped bare, but staring at those beat-up stools they used to hate, they still felt a pang of regret.

"So we're really leaving..."

Yes, they were really leaving. Wang Shi looked at the wall she'd just built and let out a sigh. This yard had been knocked down and rebuilt, over and over. This plot of land held half her life's memories. Now she was leaving, maybe never coming back, and her heart suddenly felt hollow, and for a second, she was lost.

"Ma, everything's tied up." Zhu Shi said gently.

"Mm." Wang Shi snapped out of it, looked at the yard crammed with carts, baskets, and crates, and the in-laws, so nervous they were stomping their feet. Earlier, when the eldest hadn't come back, the old man sent the second son to tip off the in-laws. She figured the Suns would be fine, but the other two in-laws might take some convincing, but to her surprise, Old Zhu and Old Luo, as soon as they heard, called their sons to start cutting rice and get ready to run, didn't give her a bit of worry.

After dodging the draft, they had this almost blind trust in the Zhao family. When the in-laws came to tell them, they were actually relieved, glad they weren't getting left out.

Not knowing when the eldest would be back, and to make sure nobody got left behind, they had the families pack up and crash at their place first, so they could all leave together and avoid any nasty surprises.

Three big families crammed into one yard, not enough rooms for everyone. Good thing it was hot, so the kids squeezed into the rooms, and the adults spread straw mats in the yard to crash. They ate, slept, and worked together, lending a hand whenever. If nothing else, they got a lot closer.

Seeing the in-laws all jittery, Wang Shi asked, "Everything packed? Double-check, don't leave a thing behind."

"All packed! How about you, in-laws? If you need any help, just say the word, don't be polite with us." Old lady Sun said alertly.

"Yes, yes, watching those boys running around the house makes my eyes blur. If you need anything, just holler. We've got plenty of hands!" Old lady Zhu slapped her thigh and laughed, while Old lady Luo beside her nodded vigorously.

They wanted to help, but without the host's say-so, they didn't dare to meddle.

"They're just wandering around." Wang Shi shook her head with a smile. "We packed up early this morning. Everything's loaded."

Most of their grain was stored in the divine land's granary. What was tied to the carts was freshly harvested grain from the fields. The new bedding was also in the divine land. What was stuffed into the baskets were old quilts, and the clothes were similar. There wasn't much to pack; it was mostly for show.

Speaking of grain, despite watering the fields daily and tending them carefully, the heavens hadn't cooperated, and the yield per mu was several dozen jin lower than last year.

The good thing was that, despite the poor harvest, they were about to flee, so they didn't have to pay grain taxes. The bad thing was that if they had waited a few more days to harvest, they might have gotten a bit more.

But nothing could be perfect.

After stacking their belongings, every household left their doors wide open. The men pushed the carts to the village entrance and carried the baskets over, while the women carried overflowing backpacks. Even the little ones weren't empty-handed; they carried or lugged things. Except for babies still in swaddling, even three- or four-year-old children had to walk on their own, as their parents had no hands to carry them.

The whole village gathered at the entrance, staring at the dug-up banyan tree. They were curious but didn't ask. They craned their necks, looking for familiar families, and when they spotted someone, they shouted and pushed through the crowd, dragging their carts over. Close relationships made it easier to help each other—you watch my kid, I help with yours. It was more convenient and comfortable to walk together.

The old Zhao family was the same, surrounded by people. Every family wanted to walk next to them, but couldn't get a spot. By blood, the closest were the immediate family, then the in-laws, followed by Li Dahe, Wu Dazhu, and Lü Xiuhong—those who had allied to kill the refugees. But Wang Shi didn't rank relationships that way. To her, closeness wasn't about order; families she could get along with were equally important, while those she couldn't were judged by depth. The three in-law families were outsiders, so naturally, they had to be kept close to avoid friction from not fitting in with the villagers at the start.

"When there are many people, there are always things you can't watch over. Eldest daughter-in-law, you and the second and third daughters-in-law look after the in-laws. If anything's not working, come to me, don't hide it." Her own family always got more attention, so rather than worrying, she directly assigned the task. Wang Shi frowned at Lü Xiuhong and her son, squeezed to the edge of the crowd. "For big matters, go to your father; for small ones, come to me."

"Alright." Zhu Shi replied happily. These past few days, with her parents and siblings staying at home, she didn't dare to give her nephew an extra chopstick at meals, afraid of displeasing her mother-in-law. Even her own mother had said to treat them like ordinary relatives, not to fuss or worry, and not to do anything extra that might upset her in-laws.

Though she knew her mother wouldn't overthink it, she couldn't help worrying—it was something every daughter-in-law feared.

Now, with her mother-in-law's explicit permission, she could look after her family a bit more on the road without anyone gossiping.

"Go bring Xiuhong and her son over. A widow and orphan with no one to watch them might fall behind." Wang Shi frowned. In the village, it was fine; Da Luo Bo could still help his mother with some work. But away from home, it was different. His young body couldn't even carry a load, and the cart and baskets were all on Lü Xiuhong alone. Even an iron-willed person couldn't handle that.

Zhu Shi nodded, pushed through the crowd, and went to find Lü Xiuhong and her sons at the edge.

"Is everyone here? Turn around and see if anyone you know is missing. If someone's not here, hurry and call them!"

"Where's Old Widower? I don't see him!"

"I'm here, I'm here!" A white-haired old man jumped and waved at the edge. He was the old bachelor who had held a stick during the village's patrol lottery. With no children or family, he survived on handouts from various households. In another village, he'd be the first burden to be abandoned, but in Wanxia Village, even though he was a drag, no one thought to leave him behind.

At most, they'd grumble about him privately.

Zhao Shanao, who was counting people, nodded. "Push your cart over and walk behind my family. Don't fall behind."

"Yes, yes." The old bachelor quickly pushed his cart, which had few belongings, through the crowd to the back of Zhao Shanao's family. He even unloaded the basket Zhao Shanao's eldest grandson was carrying and put it on his own cart, letting the little grandson sit on the cart's edge. He had nothing left but his strength.

The village entrance was noisy and bustling. Zhao Shanao and a few village elders counted heads everywhere. Old Man Zhao, with his three sons, organized the group. It was fine to walk with close families, but they had to arrange who led at the front and who guarded the rear, to avoid leaving vulnerable people like the old bachelor and Lü Xiuhong unprotected. Falling behind now could mean being ambushed later.

"The eldest, lead with Man Cang and the in-law brothers, and pick a few men to go ahead. You know the way to Xinping County, so you'll lead and navigate." Standing under the dug-up banyan tree, Old Man Zhao arranged things methodically. "The third son, take San Wang and guard the rear. You two are sharp, so watch out for outsiders. Don't let anyone sneak in, especially near the village children. Stay alert."

In this world where half a sack of grain could save a life, having something stolen could break your heart. And children were the family's lifeline—lose them, and you lose everything.

"Quan Zi, Yong Zi, Dazhu, you walk on the left side in the middle. Your wives, children, and parents follow us. Don't worry, Aunt Wang and Aunt Feng will look after them. And Xiao Wu and the others, have them keep an eye on Er Lai and Gou Zi." This "us" referred to the allied families. Just as the villagers found their own walking partners, under Wang Shi's arrangement, the allied families' carts had gathered together, so they could trust and help each other on the road. "Song Zi, Bai Zi, Da Niu, you walk on the right side in the middle. My idea is, we need some order, not like scattered sand where everyone goes their own way. When everyone's exhausted and panting, who has the energy to search for others? Better to fix positions. Whoever walks together, from the moment we leave the village, don't switch neighbors. Once on the road, just check if the people in front, behind, left, and right are familiar. If not, shout out. That way, it's harder to lose anyone."

"Uncle Dagen makes sense. We'll listen to you." Everyone nodded, thinking it was a good way to avoid trouble.

It might not seem obvious now, but once legs got tired and strength waned, who would have the energy to think about anything else?

Carelessness often led to accidents, and their village couldn't afford that. Losing anyone was unacceptable.

"As for you all, stay alert. If you see strangers, drive them away. Don't let outsiders near our group, especially the children. Keep a close watch." Zhao Dagen looked at the other village men, emphasizing again to watch the children, and sternly warned, "Remember, once we leave the village, we're one body. Be open-hearted, don't just focus on your own family. Selfishness only brings short-term gain. Only when we're united, all pulling together, can we survive in this world. Got it?"

The village men nodded repeatedly. "Grandpa Dagen, we understand. Whether it's someone else's grain or child, once we leave the village, it's our own grain and child. We'll look out for each other and won't let outsiders take advantage."

"Mm." Old Man Zhao nodded, looking pleased. He had to say this—people had selfishness, it was normal, he himself did. But some things had to be said openly. While taking care of your own, don't ignore others' dangers. Even he couldn't claim to lead his family through this disaster-ridden, chaotic world alone. One person's strength was limited. Even a tiger sleeps. Only with many people, united, could they find a place to survive in this chaos.

The night sky was dotted with stars, the forest buzzed with cicadas, the fields echoed with frogs, and from the mountains came the occasional howl of wolves.

Before dawn, led by Zhao Dashan, with Man Cang, Brother Zhu, Brother Sun, and other young men following, the families at the front of the village began to shoulder their loads. The old men spat into their palms, rubbed them hard, grabbed the cart handles, and with a loud shout, they pushed hard. The wheels began to roll slowly forward, following the guiding torches, stepping into the faint light, embarking on the unknown road of escape.

One family, two families, three...

When it was the old Zhao family's turn, Zhao Ertian and the five boys pushed the cart to join the line.

Wang Shi turned to look at her husband, who stood under the banyan tree holding their daughter. Seeing him nod, she felt reassured and stepped forward to follow.

On the rural path, the crowd moved slowly. From above, it looked like ants migrating, step by step, slow and orderly.

"Da Gen, you're really not coming with us?" Li Dahe, who had deliberately lagged behind, was uneasy. "The road is dark and slippery. It's safer to go together. It's too dangerous for you to go alone with Xiao Bao to find the donkey cart. How about I go with you?"

Just as they were about to set off, Old Man Zhao suddenly said he wouldn't go with them. He explained that Dashan and the others, in their hurry to report back, had tied the donkey cart in a remote forest. He had to go find it. Donkeys weren't cheap; they couldn't afford to lose it. With it, the journey ahead would be much easier.

That's the story they tell outsiders. The donkey, the cart, and even the carriage they'd built on the sly were all hidden in the sacred fields. The in-laws had stayed with them for many days and hadn't seen the donkey out back, knowing the eldest son and his men had taken it out. Since Dashan and the others had returned in a hurry, there was no way to explain why the donkey wasn't brought back, so they had to make up this excuse.

Of course, there was another reason: he needed to go pick someone up.

Now, two big things were stirring up Qingzhou Prefecture. First, Prince Cheng had rebelled. Second, Prince Cheng was on a massive manhunt for Taoist priests and temples.

The second one had nothing to do with the village. The eldest hadn't mentioned it earlier, only explaining before they left why the trip had been delayed so long. It turned out they knew the route to Xinping County because they had just come back from there.

"I heard some fat Taoist priest with a death wish stood up in public the day Prince Cheng beheaded the refugee leader and called it a conspiracy in front of everyone—that Prince Cheng had orchestrated the whole thing to justify his rebellion. The refugees were his own people all along; he wasn't forced to rebel but had planned it from the start."

"He also said refugees were just refugees, ruthless murderers, and that Prince Cheng accepting their surrender was a sinister move."

Whether Prince Cheng was angry, the common folk didn't know. But the next day, the monks of Qingquan Temple openly came out to support Prince Cheng. Their words were roundabout and convoluted, but the gist was the same: the world was in chaos, and the fault lay with the current emperor. Prince Cheng's rebellion was in accordance with heaven's will.

How Buddhist and Taoist sects got along elsewhere, no one knew, but in Qingzhou Prefecture, Qingquan Temple and the once-thriving Qingxuan Temple were at each other's throats. Qingxuan Temple looked down on Qingquan Temple for getting mixed up in worldly affairs, hoarding land and forests, stinking of money. Qingquan Temple despised Qingxuan Temple for its pretentious aloofness, giving out porridge and clothes to buy fame, acting like hypocrites.

The fat Taoist's interference played right into Qingquan Temple's hands. They stirred the pot from behind the scenes, and within just two days, rumors spread like wildfire. They said Xinping County's catastrophe was because Qingxuan Temple was rejected by heaven and earth—from the abbot down to the Taoist novices, they were all demons harming the people. They embezzled the faithful's donations, hoarded land and forests, oppressed the farmers at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, forcing them to work and till the fields. Beneath the temple lay countless bones. Worse still, they claimed the temple was a den of debauchery, with hidden tunnels imprisoning young boys and girls for practicing dark arts.

They also said the Qingxuan Temple abbot loved collecting orphans; all the Taoists in the temple were picked up by him. Those who obeyed stayed; those who didn't were turned into evil pills.

They even asked the locals who had visited Qingxuan Temple if the Taoists there weren't all eerily strange. It was a den of evil!

"The earthquake was heaven's way of toppling Qingxuan Temple. The three counties of Xinping were dragged down by Qingxuan Temple. Pity those countless wronged souls, dying with their eyes wide open!"

The people of Qingzhou Prefecture might not trust Prince Cheng, but could they not trust the revered monks of Qingquan Temple? Many families had been devotees of Qingquan Temple for three generations. As soon as these words spread, Prince Cheng immediately ordered the capture of the fat Taoist, along with every Taoist temple in Qingzhou Prefecture. One by one, the temples were smashed, and the Taoists were arrested.

Zhao Dashan said, "If we hadn't been in such a hurry to get back, my third brother and I would have turned back to find the Young Taoist. Xiaobao kept calling for Brother Dao Tong all the way... In Qingzhou Prefecture, not only can common folks not stay, but Taoists can't either."

"Since we've taken the ashes related to his background, it's only right—when disaster looms—that we can't just abandon him."

By openly slapping Prince Cheng in the face, whether the fat Taoist's words were true or false, this offense was real. From now on, in Qingzhou and Yuzhou, there would be no place for Taoists to stand.

If caught, it meant certain death.