Chapter 146

Chapter 146

After another half day of travel, as dusk fell, the earth was covered in a brilliant golden hue. The setting sun cast long, slanted shadows of the crowd.

Shi Dalang sent word ahead, saying they were about to leave Xinping and enter Wuling Mountain.

"We can't go any further today." It's too dangerous at night, and he had no idea what the situation in Wuling was like. But he knew the villages at the foot of Wuling Mountain wouldn't take them in at night. If they rashly passed through a village, they might be mistaken for bandits, and that'd cause a heap of trouble.

Upon hearing this, a few men bringing up the rear saw Zhao Sandi nod, and Zhao Sanwang ran straight up front to pass the word.

Old Man Zhao had already heard from Qing Xuan. The old man and the kid were still going at it over "How do you know that's Wuling Mountain ahead?" and "I not only know Wuling Mountain, I even know Fengchuan Prefecture!"

By now, Qing Xuan figured he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Shi Dalang could be trusted, but he was at the back. If trouble broke out, he couldn't yell a warning in time. Wuling Mountain was crawling with bandits. Walking in blind, who knows what'd happen?

After a whole day on the road, everyone was dead tired, with no energy left for any surprises.

"You've been holding out on me, kid." Old Man Zhao let out a sigh, but it was just a comment, nothing more. "You know Wuling Mountain well?"

"Not really, just heard of it. I know it's crawling with bandits, practically a local 'specialty.'" After all, it bordered Xinping County. His senior brothers loved a good time and sticking their noses in. The fifth senior brother, the most skilled, once dressed up as a traveling merchant, got himself captured, and spent a while in a mountain stronghold. When he got back, he bragged nonstop, talking smack, saying the bandits were just a bunch of mountain cats, a rabble, nothing to worry about.

He kept that part to himself. He knew his fifth senior brother's skills were extraordinary. What he called "mountain cats" were man-eating tigers to regular folks.

"Wuling Mountain's got more than one bandit hideout. Just like the villages down below, each stronghold has a head honcho and a second-in-command. They're always squabbling over turf and women. One day your stronghold's up, the next it's gone—nothing new." Qing Xuan said, "My fifth senior brother told me the big shots in these strongholds are all ruthless outlaws. They did bad stuff down below, killed people, and ran into the mountains to dodge the noose. They're a bunch of desperate men living on the edge. They got no conscience. Killing's no big deal to them. Regular folks better not mess with them."

One meal or three squares a day—even the bandits had a deal. For traveling merchants and regular folks, they'd bleed 'em dry. Long as you paid up, they usually wouldn't kill you.

Unless you were unlucky enough to run into a psycho who killed for fun, didn't care about money, women, or nothing, just wanted your life. Then even the King of Hell himself couldn't save you.

Besides the crooks who had no future down below and headed for the hills, there were also poor families with no land who, just to survive, dragged their old folks and kids into the mountains to turn bandit. The strongholds didn't turn them away; in fact, they welcomed 'em. After all, they were labor—men could work, women could pop out kids. In good years, these folks could even farm. When strongholds went to war, besides women and cash, this labor force was a big prize to fight over.

When Senior Brother Wu talked about this, he went quiet for a long time. He said bandits weren't good folks; they burned, killed, and looted, doing every bad thing you could think of. Yet they also took in regular folks who couldn't make it on their own. Wuling Mountain had a bad name, but there were hardly any beggars on the streets of Wuling County. The law and order was way better than in Xinping or Juanping. The curfew was even later than in the other counties.

Regular folks couldn't wrap their heads around all this. Especially the villages near Wuling Mountain, which got hit hard. They'd go to the county office every few days to bang the drum and demand the bandits be wiped out. They couldn't figure out why their magistrate looked the other way, never sending troops even after ten complaints.

At first, Qing Xuan didn't get it either. Then his fifth senior brother said, "Officials, especially small-timers like county magistrates, always play it safe—don't seek credit, just avoid blame. If they got connections up top, they might get transferred in three years. Wiping out bandits is a thankless job, better to leave it for the next guy."

"Besides, having bandits around ain't necessarily a bad thing for officials. Because of them, there's fewer beggars in the county, the worst crooks have run off, and starving folks got a bowl to eat from. Outsiders who don't know the real story come here and think Wuling County is all peaceful and prosperous, that the magistrate is a living Judge Bao, a good official who runs things right. The yearly reports come out spotless and look good on paper."

"Magistrates who can be transferred don't want trouble; those who can't be transferred even less want to stir up trouble. It's better to stay still than to move. Everything is about balance." Qing Xuan still remembered his fifth senior brother's expression at the time—some melancholy, some helplessness. "With all my skills, killing a few bandit leaders would be as easy as lifting a hand. Why do you think I just took a stroll and came back?"

"Killing is simple; cleaning up the aftermath is hard! Our temple is a place of incense, and we don't have many acres of farmland below. If I destroy the refuge of the suffering commoners, they might not thank me. They might even resent me, saying I meddled unnecessarily."

"Little junior," the fifth senior brother patted his shoulder and taught him earnestly, "People have to learn to turn a blind eye. Don't be a busybody. We can act chivalrously to save a girl being harassed, but we can't kill the wicked noble who did it just to save her. Don't think that because you're skilled, you can right every wrong in the world. The patriarchs of our temple, the eminent monks of Buddhism, even the emperor on his throne—none of them dare say that. I want to save the toiling commoners in the strongholds, but they're content just because they have a meal from their labor. You want to save them, but outsiders may not want your help. Unless you can give them a better life, provide them with three meals a day, keep them warm in winter and cool in summer, then they'll thank you. Otherwise, your good intentions will be wasted, and those you helped will hurt you the most."

Memories flooded back. Qing Xuan missed his unreliable senior brothers. While answering Old Uncle Zhao's questions, he cursed them all in his heart.

Was he really just picked up?

Eighth Senior Brother had carried away the gold leaf and hadn't even bothered to take him, his junior brother, along. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

His face puffed up. Old Man Zhao thought he had asked too many questions and the boy was getting impatient. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I get it. Three big strongholds, far apart, right? They charge a toll? They won't both come out of one road to demand money, will they? That would be impossible to pay!" He figured the bandits were quite particular, like the officials below, with their own territory management. As long as you paid the toll to one stronghold, you could pass through all the land under their control without hindrance. If someone robbed you, you could even seek their protection.

It sounded like a legitimate business, almost like hiring an escort—pay for safety.

Of course, that was only if you paid. The toll wasn't cheap, more extortionate than any escort agency, and there was no after-sales service. If you offended them, they'd kill you and not even bother to bury you. That was how Wuling Mountain had earned its fearsome reputation.

As for all this, Qing Xuan had told him about the situation in peaceful times. What it was like now, Qing Xuan admitted, "I'm not sure. We'll have to observe when we get there."

As for the safer path Shi Dalang mentioned, Qing Xuan also said, "What safe path could there be on Wuling Mountain? The good spots are all taken by the big strongholds, leaving the corners for the small ones. If you didn't run into anyone demanding a toll, it was probably just luck."

Of course, with their numbers, they didn't need to fear such small strongholds. The problem was that path was too hard to traverse. Donkey carts couldn't pass, and handcarts were difficult to push. He didn't recommend taking that route either. If something happened, there would be no room to flee. A panicked crowd was no joke.

They had to take the village road. Old Man Zhao pondered for a moment. He didn't trust Shi Dalang, but he trusted Qing Xuan completely. After spending days together, he could see the boy's character clearly with his years of experience. Despite his youth, he wasn't one to spout nonsense.

Taking the village road didn't mean passing through the center of a village. At the foot of Wuling Mountain, it would take five or six days to get out, and that was without rain, when the roads were dry and not muddy. Otherwise, it would take even longer.

Those villages were more like inns at the foot of the mountain. They not only provided food and lodging for passing merchants and commoners but also, for a fee, helped carry goods or people. Since the mountain paths were hard to traverse and goods were cumbersome, wealthy people would even hire villagers as guides to save time.

If you brought your own dry food and refused to stay in the village, the villagers wouldn't say anything. But if they set up obstacles on the road to make things difficult for you, you'd just have to accept it.

Reasoning was useless. The road at the foot of Wuling Mountain that led to the outside world was a money-making path their ancestors had carved out with their own hoes. Even when government officials came, they still had to pay.

These were all open rules. Shi Dalang used to pay for lodging and food. In short, traveling through Wuling required paying twice—once in the village and once on the road. The first payment got you food, the second got you passage. Back then, to avoid trouble, he paid willingly.

But Old Man Zhao didn't want to pay. Damn it, they were refugees fleeing famine. Why should they have to pay to pass? What was he thinking? Did he look like he had money?!

He silently calculated. It seemed his family did have quite a bit of money—gold leaves and silver ingots. They could indeed afford to pay.

But there were so many people. He glanced back at the large crowd. After being scolded that morning, they were all behaving now. Except for those pushing handcarts and unable to spare a hand, the women, old ladies, and even children all had straw tucked under their arms, each holding a roughly shaped straw hat.

They were chatting lively. The old hands were teaching the children who couldn't weave. The children were eager to learn, following instructions. It didn't matter if the hats were ugly—as long as they blocked the sun.

"Grandpa, I've learned," Gou Sheng said, sitting on the handcart, holding up a straw hat with a finished top to Grandpa Er Lai, who was walking beside him.

The Zhao Quan and Zhao Yong families got along well, helping each other along the way. Gou Sheng's leg was lame, so he hadn't walked much. His wife was gentle and short, with little strength. Zhao Yong's parents helped look after the children and occasionally pushed the handcart. Their friendship had deepened.

"Good, good. Gou Sheng's hat looks decent. Er Lai still needs more practice." Grandpa Er Lai nodded approvingly. His grandson didn't like learning handiwork but preferred following Zhou Santou around, trailing after the five Zhao boys.

Gou Sheng was still a child, but he had a patient nature. Perhaps because his leg made it hard to run around like the others, the old man and the boy had grown close during the journey. He cherished the child's obedience.

"Are you on your period?" Er Lai's mother glanced at Gou Sheng's mother, who was pale and sweating, occasionally rubbing her stomach. She asked quietly, "Is there still water in the bamboo tube? I have some here, warmed by the sun. Drink some to warm your stomach."

"Sister-in-law, no need. Keep it for yourself." Gou Sheng's mother shook her head, smiling shyly. "I'm fine. Just tired. It's not serious." Her face flushed red—from the sun and from embarrassment. Women's private matters were always hard to discuss.

"I noticed Sandi's wife stayed in the donkey cart all day. Even Auntie was walking. Maybe she's on her period too." Among the village women who were close, they all knew that Sun Shi, usually strong, turned into a sick cat during that time of the month. She couldn't touch water or work, and the whole family indulged her.

Which woman didn't envy that?

Fleeing a famine wasn't hard. Even if their shoulders were bleeding from the ropes, they didn't mind. They had suffered all their lives and could swallow any hardship. They were so used to it, they didn't even feel it.

But comparisons were painful. Especially during those vulnerable days. The discomfort couldn't be shown to outsiders, and even their own husbands couldn't understand. They thought all women were the same—why were you different?

Others didn't hurt—why did you?

It was annoying and frustrating. They couldn't argue because even they couldn't explain why. It was like sweat soaking through their undergarments—they had to endure the heat and rashes, not daring to take off their clothes to wipe. Women seemed born to endure more.

Of course, they didn't think that way anymore. It wasn't about being born to endure—it was about not being cherished. Look at Sun Shi's luck. At home, her parents doted on her. After marriage, her husband cherished her. Even her mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and younger sisters-in-law were all kind. She was the envy of all.

Gou Sheng's mother was envious too, but it was okay. Her husband was good to her, fussing over her all the way, trying to carry everything himself. Between them, he cared for her, and she cared for him. She didn't want to put all the burden on him. These days were uncomfortable, but there was no help for it. She just had to endure.

"Did you hear what Dashan's wife said? When we find a place to rest, we'll dig two latrines—one for men, one for women. Ours will have a shelter!" The eldest daughter-in-law of Li Dahe's family, walking ahead of them, turned to join the conversation.

"Really? Isn't that too much trouble?" Er Lai's mother's first thought was the hassle. After all, they were only staying one night. Why go to all that effort? Digging a latrine was one thing, but building a shelter?

The previous latrines weren't separated. At most, people went in groups, with one person standing guard to shoo away men. The men did the same. There hadn't been any problems. Everyone followed the rules.

Why suddenly change the rules?

"I don't know," Li Dahe's eldest daughter-in-law said. "Whatever. It's a good thing. No more squatting in fear of a man popping up. Separate is better. And with a shelter, we can change clothes easily. No more being drenched in sweat and unable to clean up. Not like the men, who have it easy. I'm jealous watching them change."

That was true, Er Lai's ma thought. Men and women being different, it was better to keep them apart, avoiding gossip and making things more comfortable for herself.

It's just that the kids are gonna have a harder time. Before, they only had to dig one hole, but now they'll have to dig two and even build a shelter.

Even her own son, who had been sickly and frail back in the village, had been tagging along after Xiao Wu and the others every day since leaving home. He even tried tying stone bags around his ankles, and after all that searching for water and digging pits, his body had actually grown much stronger.

With all the care and pampering, he had never gone a day without his herbal medicine.

But now, exhausted and struggling to survive, he was healthier instead.

There's just no making sense of it.