Chapter 135

Chapter 135

The sky had long since darkened, with a bright moon hanging high and a river of stars glittering in the night.

Old Zhao, carrying two buckets of water on a pole and his freshly washed, sweet-smelling daughter on his back, slowly emerged from the woods with a purposely tired look on his face.

Qing Xuan heard the sound of rustling footsteps approaching from afar. He rolled over and got up, grabbed his clothes from the tree branch, and quickly put them on. Just as he fastened his belt, he saw Zhao Xiaobao, tied to Old Uncle Zhao's chest with a rope, her head tilted, sound asleep and drooling.

Every single night, this happened—it was a real pain.

"Uncle, let's be more careful with the water. Going to haul it every day is too much work." He went over to help him take the buckets off.

Old Zhao's shoulders felt lighter as he held his daughter's bottom with one hand and untied the rope around his waist with the other, carrying the snoring kid to the cart. He shook his head at that. "How are two buckets supposed to be enough? In this kind of heat, it's not even enough for people to drink, let alone washing hands or rinsing a towel. A few scoops and the buckets are almost empty—they don't go far."

He added, "No problem. It's a bit far, sure, but as long as we can find water, that's what matters. We're lucky we're not going thirsty."

"Then, Uncle, just tell me how to get there, and I'll go get it tomorrow." He was strong and not afraid of walking at night—he'd been on his own for years, and day and night were the same to him; he was long used to it. "You and Xiaobao stay and watch the donkey and the meat. Don't let her come along and tire herself out. The mountains have too many snakes and bugs at night—it's really dangerous."

No way, Old Zhao thought to himself. There's no deep mountain water source at all! He'd made the whole thing up. If you go, you won't find any water. He could only brush it off with a laugh. "No, I can't let you go into the mountains by yourself. Xiaobao is fussy—if she doesn't bathe and wash her hair for one day, she'll itch and can't sleep, complaining about it. I take her along so she can wash up easily, so we don't waste water when we get back."

He felt bad lying to the kid, but there was no choice. If he didn't get his daughter cleaned up, he could already imagine how hard his wife would pinch his arm. It's not like they didn't have the means—the adults could tough it out, but how could he let his daughter suffer?

Old Zhao only gave his daughter a bath; he didn't bathe himself, just gave himself a quick wipe-down, still looking like a dirty refugee from the outside. Qing Xuan was a sharp kid—even harder to fool than Jin Yu, he thought. He was also worried he might slip up and let something show, which was really worrying him.

He wanted to meet up with his wife and the others soon, and to dump this kid off with Xiao Wu and the other boys as soon as possible. Then he could keep him and Xiaobao apart, reducing the chance of exposing the Immortal Land.

Two straw mats lay tightly side by side, with the donkey tied to a tree and the cart unloaded behind them.

Old Zhao took his daughter, who was crying in her sleep in the cart, and placed her in the middle of the two mats. Qing Xuan sprinkled insect repellent powder around them. Before he finished, he heard snoring and turned to see Old Uncle Zhao already asleep next to Zhao Xiaobao.

The tiger cub, lying like a furry pillow by Zhao Xiaobao's head, lazily lifted its eyelids and glanced at him.

Qing Xuan sighed, kicked off his straw sandals, and lay down on the other side of Zhao Xiaobao, flanking her with Old Zhao on the left and right.

He pillowed his head on his arms, gazing at the starry sky, but couldn't fall asleep.

He remembered how Old Uncle Zhao had once told him to stay away from Zhao Xiaobao, and now here they were, letting them sleep on the same mat. It wasn't that Old Zhao was careless—perhaps in this unfamiliar environment, without a reassuring presence nearby, Zhao Xiaobao would cry out for her parents when sleeping alone in the cart.

Sleeping outside wasn't safe either, for fear of snake bites in the night, so they had no choice but to put her in the middle.

Qing Xuan wasn't an ignorant child. When he was a little beggar, he often loitered outside the gates of entertainment establishments, where patrons were generous, tossing copper coins and silver fragments to show off and win favor. Sleeping on the same mat as a little girl made him a bit uncomfortable. Even though Zhao Xiaobao was just a clueless little squirt... she was still a girl.

As his thoughts wandered, a chubby leg shoved over. Qing Xuan stared at the night sky and habitually pushed it back.

"Brother Qing Xuan, why aren't you asleep yet?" Zhao Xiaobao groggily opened her eyes, rolled over, and curled into her father's arms. But the smell of sweat on his clothes made her uncomfortable, so she pinched her nose and rolled over again, squeezing tightly against Qing Xuan.

His clothes were freshly washed—not fragrant, but not smelly either.

"..." Qing Xuan couldn't help but push her. "Move over a bit. It's hot."

"Oh." Zhao Xiaobao scooted back a little, her lower half still pressed against her father, while her upper half clung tightly to Qing Xuan. She had moved, but it was like she hadn't.

Two snoring sounds, one big and one small, rose and fell in turns.

Crickets chirped, and low growls echoed. Qing Xuan stared at the sky, slowly exhaling a sigh of frustration, then closed his eyes.

...

The next day, the three continued their bitter wait.

For some unknown reason, they noticed that the number of refugees passing by on the main road had noticeably decreased. In the entire morning, they only saw two mule carts hurry past.

It wasn't until the afternoon that a few sparse refugees pushing handcarts slowly appeared on the road. From their chatter, it seemed they were brothers who had divided the family property, each with their own wives and children, heading to Fengchuan Prefecture to seek refuge with relatives.

"Big Brother, Aunt hasn't sent word home in years, not even during holidays. If we just go to her like this, won't she not want to see us and drive us away?" The younger-looking man walking behind spoke with concern.

Back home, the drought had dried up the well half a month ago. While the villagers were still wailing and burning incense, begging the heavens for rain, Big Brother decisively told him to pack up their belongings and head to Fengchuan Prefecture to seek refuge with their aunt.

Their grandparents had only two children in their lifetime: their father and their aunt, who had married into Fengchuan Prefecture long ago.

Their father was an honest, simple man with no real skills, spending his whole life as an uneducated farmer in the village. Their aunt, however, was different. Even as a young girl at home, she was sharp-witted. By chance, she met a traveling merchant from Fengchuan Prefecture, a well-off man with a silver tongue and some skill.

She had chosen this match herself and insisted on it. Although their grandparents disapproved, thinking it too far and a mismatch that would lead to a hard life, their aunt was adamant. The family couldn't sway her and eventually agreed.

After marrying, their aunt lived well, returning home every year with generous gifts and doting on the two brothers.

But for some reason, a few years ago, their aunt suddenly cut ties with the family. Around that time, their father passed away, and they couldn't leave. They sent word to Fengchuan Prefecture but only received a package in return; their aunt didn't come back.

Later, when Xiping County was hit by an earthquake, their village also suffered. Their house collapsed, the ancestral graves caved in, and his only son died.

They sent word to Fengchuan Prefecture again, asking if their aunt was well, and only got a message that she was fine, but she still didn't return.

Given their aunt's nature, even if she didn't come herself, she would have sent something. The fact that there was nothing at all was strange. The steward only said that their aunt was old and lacked energy, and had been in poor health for the past two years. The message even hinted that they were already grown and should rely on themselves, that the distance made visits inconvenient, so they should stop corresponding.

The attitude was distant and cold.

They could only think that perhaps with their father gone, their aunt had no more ties to her natal family and didn't want to return. They didn't dare overthink it, afraid of becoming poor relatives showing up to beg, earning their aunt's disdain.

But with the great drought, they couldn't survive in their hometown and had to flee.

Their only relative elsewhere was their aunt, so they had no choice but to seek her out, even knowing they might be rejected or driven away. They would have to swallow their pride and go.

"We still have to go first," said the older brother, his hair half-gray and his face visibly aged, though he was only in his early thirties, in the prime of life. "The sooner we leave, the fewer refugees on the road. Staying in the village is a dead end, Second Brother. These days won't get better."

His tone was wistful, and he was certainly worried, but they had no other choice.

In earlier years, their aunt often helped the family. Their father saved that money to buy a few acres of good land. On his deathbed, he spoke of their aunt and divided the property between the two brothers. They had a good relationship and didn't fight over the split. Though they each managed their own households, during busy farming seasons, they helped each other out. Life wasn't as good as before, but it was manageable.

But the world was unstable. First came natural disasters, then Second Brother lost his only son, and he lost his only daughter. Even his younger son's leg was crushed by a beam, making life harder and harder.

Yet even in hardship, he never thought of begging. He only wanted to get his own life in order and send some new grain to Fengchuan Prefecture after the autumn harvest as a token of filial piety.

But who knew the heavens wouldn't give them a way out!

Actually, he had sensed something was off with the weather since early spring. His father was an old hand at farming, able to read the seasons and handle field work expertly. While alive, he taught the two brothers many tricks only old farmers knew. At the time, he didn't take it too seriously, thinking the year's weather might just be bad and the harvest poor. He never dared to think it would lead to a great drought!

But what he dared not imagine had come true!

He and his wife had two sons and a daughter. The daughter died, one son was crippled, and the remaining one was only thirteen, not yet useful. Second Brother had one son and one daughter. The son died, and the daughter was only eight, sensible but a girl, not helpful either.

As the drought worsened and the fields yielded almost nothing, while villagers fought bloody battles over water, he was already planning to flee. If they didn't leave now, when more people joined the exodus later, the two brothers wouldn't be able to protect their belongings, wives, and children.

With too few people, the road might not be safe. He thought of finding a few other families to travel together—familiar villagers from the same village would be more trustworthy than strangers. But to his surprise, after earnestly persuading them, he was met with scolding and curses. They preferred to stay in the village, fighting over water, chewing tree roots for moisture, burning incense, and praying to gods, rather than flee. They even called him crazy for abandoning the land his father had worked a lifetime to buy, calling him a wastrel and saying his father's coffin lid would pop off.

He was both angry and helpless, and in the end, could only leave with Second Brother's family.

The hardships of the refugee journey were just as he had expected. From the moment they left home, difficulties piled up. If not for the hope of Fengchuan Prefecture ahead, he wasn't sure he could have held on.

Shi Dalang said, "Let's find Aunt first. If she's well, we can rest easy."

He was uneasy, but he truly did care for her. However, the steward back then had said some really nasty things, and he couldn't bring himself to get back in touch.

Now, there was no other choice. If he couldn't make it, his son and niece still had to live. He had to find a way out for them. Even if his aunt really hated them, they'd have to go to her and let her hate them to their faces.

Worst case, if they got kicked out, they could still find another way. Begging in Fengchuan was better than rotting back home.

Shi Erlang nodded. "I'll follow Big Brother's lead." He wasn't as smart as his big brother, so whatever his brother said, he went along with it.

He turned and saw his daughter wiping sweat off her face, her wheat-colored skin all red from the sun. The pole on her shoulder looked like it was bending her in half, and his heart ached. He'd lost his son; now he only had this daughter left, and he couldn't let anything happen to her. "Big Brother, let's rest a bit? It's getting late. We've been walking all day and haven't eaten since lunch."

Shi Dalang wiped the sweat from his brow. His wife, carrying their youngest on her back, was pale from exhaustion. He glanced around; it was quiet, so he nodded. "Let's find a spot in the woods to rest. Don't stay out in the open—it's too noticeable."

Shi Erlang nodded, found a less dense path, and pushed the cart into the woods. His daughter, Shi Daohua, followed with her load of baskets, then hurried back to help her mother unload the heavy backpack. The overflowing pack scraped against the low-hanging branches. The frail woman, loaded down with bedding and clothes for the family of three, was bent so low her forehead almost touched her stomach. Even the gaps were stuffed with stuff like a water dipper and bamboo tubes—maximizing every bit of space.

In the woods, the sun couldn't reach them. Though still muggy, it was much better than outside.

The two families rested for a while, caught their breath, and then pushed their belongings deeper into the woods. Like Old Man Zhao and his group, they were cautious of strangers, since there were so few of them. Better to hide far away and not be discovered.

Old Man Zhao had been listening closely, never expecting them to stop and cut into the woods—right toward them.

It was too late to hide, and no point anyway. An old man and two children sat cross-legged on a straw mat, watching them approach.

"..."

"..."

Shi Daohua was carrying her mom's backpack, the huge pile of bedding and clothes blocking the view of anyone behind her. Shi Erlang pushed the cart, and when his daughter stopped, he was about to ask what was wrong when he spotted a donkey tied under a large tree not far ahead.

"Big Brother, it's a donkey!" Shi Erlang's eyes lit up with excitement. "A wild donkey!"

"Wild, my ass!" Shi Dalang had already spotted Old Man Zhao and the others. They were sitting while his group stood, and his niece was blocking the view, but those at the back could see clearly. Only his brother, being closer, was blocked. His face went pale, then red—pale from anger at his brother's stupidity. Anyone with half a brain would know that wasn't a wild donkey. What was he so excited about?

The flush came from a sudden urge to retreat. Why were there people here?

What now? Find another place to rest?

A dead silence hung in the air.

"That spot over there is pretty good—flat, with enough leaves for shade," Old Man Zhao said, pointing to an open area a few yards away, breaking the silence. "It's a good place to rest."

He looked at the group, especially Shi Daohua at the front, admiration in his eyes. What a sturdy girl! Carrying a backpack taller than herself, she walked steadily, showing no sign of strain. She was about the same age as his eldest grandson but had much more strength.

And she was filial, knowing to help her mother first.

He had been watching them since they entered the woods. He had to be cautious—he had two kids with him and a valuable donkey that might tempt others. If these people had ill intentions, a conflict would be unavoidable.

But they seemed fine—ordinary farmers. The elder brother was capable, the younger one a bit dim, and the rest were women and children. One child even seemed to have a leg problem, carried by his mother without touching the ground.

No threat.

"Thank you, elder," Shi Dalang said, also sizing them up. Seeing only three people, two of them children—a girl as delicate as a porcelain doll, as fair as his aunt's children, clearly not a country kid, and a rougher-looking boy, still just a child, shorter than his own eldest son.

The old man was sturdy and strong, but alone. He and his brother were two people. Even if they couldn't win a fight, they could at least run.

They were too exhausted to move again.

Old Man Zhao turned to his daughter beside him, pointing at himself. "Elder? Me?"

Am I that old?? Your hair is grayer than mine!

Zhao Xiaobao wasn't paying attention to her dad. Her mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, staring at Shi Daohua's back with envy. "Brother Qing Xuan, is that what 'good bones' look like? Xiaobao is so jealous!"

That sister must be amazing at horse stance!