Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Originally, they planned to rest for one night and continue their journey early the next morning.

Unexpectedly, plans changed overnight. The three siblings had hurriedly searched the granary for stored grain yesterday. Midway through, Zhao Dashan went to the backyard to feed the ox and, before leaving, added more food to the dog's bowl. He didn't take a turn around the fields to check the crops. Who would have thought that in just one night, the crops in the fields had ripened?

They were busy traveling these days and hadn't paid much attention to this matter. Every time they entered and exited the Immortal Land, it was all about eating and drinking to fatten up. Zhao Xiaobao rubbed her sleepy eyes early in the morning and said that the rice ears in the fields were bending low under their weight, and the grain was submerged in water. This startled her father and three brothers so much they almost jumped up on the spot!

If Qing Xuan hadn't been there, with people coming and going in the yard, Old Man Zhao would have immediately grabbed his daughter and asked her to let him in to see what was happening.

How could farming families bear to hear that the grain was soaked in water? It was like a knife stabbing into their hearts—painful beyond endurance.

"How did it ripen so quietly all of a sudden? The last time I checked, the growth wasn't very promising. I thought we'd have to wait another two months!" In the front yard, they had just harnessed the cart to the donkey and packed up everything like baskets and handcarts. Everyone was squatting outside the yard gnawing on flatbread to fill their stomachs, waiting for the order to set off.

Now, with this sudden development, how could they leave?

"Zhao Xiaobao, are you sure you saw clearly? The rice grains are really submerged in water?" Zhao Dashan was also anxious. Mature grain can't stay in water for long—it will spoil. Farming families guard every grain and half kernel closely. As soon as they heard this, they couldn't sit still.

Zhao Ertian was pacing around the room in agitation, rubbing his hands on his trouser legs. His first reaction was to grab a sickle: "Nothing is more important than an emergency harvest. Dad, we have to cut the rice quickly."

Indeed, an emergency harvest couldn't be delayed. Even lazy men would roll up their trousers and go into the fields during this season. As farmers who have been facing the soil with their backs to the sky for generations, no matter the situation, they always prioritize the crops above all else.

Currently, there were seven mu of land in the Immortal Land. Initially, there were three mu, but later, after buying the ox, the father and sons opened four more mu. The rice seeds for these seven mu were carefully selected from the more than a thousand catties harvested earlier. Ever since the seedlings were transplanted, Old Man Zhao had been thinking about them day and night, hoping for a yield increase of over a hundred catties per mu this time.

When they left the village, the crops were just heading. The first three mu had to be transplanted earlier, while the latter four mu were newly reclaimed land. Considering digging channels, diverting water, and turning the soil, it had taken quite some time. Logically, the harvest should have been in two batches, cut separately. But every time he went to check the growth in the fields, all seven mu seemed to be developing in the same way—too slow at some points, too fast at others. It was like an older brother deliberately slowing down to wait for a younger brother, insisting on walking home hand in hand. Back then, he worried that if all seven mu ripened together, the harvest would be a huge project.

Later, during the famine, he didn't have the heart to tend to the crops. Occasionally, Zhao Xiaobao would take him to the Immortal Land for a good meal and a glance at the fields. Every time he looked, they didn't seem close to maturity. The older boys also said they couldn't tell and guessed it would take another two months.

But now, without any warning, all the crops on the seven mu had ripened overnight.

The Immortal Land had entered a bustling autumn harvest season.

Old Man Zhao stood on the ridge, looking around. The seven mu of golden rice fields shone under the sun. Heavy rice ears bent the stalks, and thick grains hung down into the field. Some were submerged, while others, unable to bear the gentle breeze, had their roots snapped by the heavy yield.

What a magnificent harvest scene!

His eyes widened, his legs couldn't move with excitement, and his hands trembled. He had farmed all his life; where had he ever seen such a sight? It seemed even more impressive than the first harvest. Although he hadn't yet started cutting and threshing, just by judging with his eyes, he could estimate that the granary wouldn't be enough to hold it all. Forget increasing the yield by a hundred catties per mu—it might even double!

"Zhao Xiaobao, Dad feels a bit dizzy. Pinch me." Old Man Zhao's fingers were shaking with excitement, afraid he might get too excited and have a stroke or something. "Oh my god, incredible, incredible. I can't breathe properly." He pinched his philtrum hard, rolling his eyes.

Zhao Xiaobao pinched his thigh gently, not hard enough to hurt. "Dad, should I bring the brothers in to cut the rice?" She rubbed her sleepy eyes, still not fully awake. Though young, she knew the importance of the emergency harvest. Every year at this time, the whole family had to work in the fields without wasting half a day.

As soon as she discovered the crops had ripened, she told her parents immediately. If they wanted delicious rice, they had to tend the crops carefully—no slacking off!

"Cut, of course we cut!" Old Man Zhao laughed heartily with a deep crescent-shaped nail mark under his nose. But when he turned and saw the rice grains soaked in water, his smile faded, and he couldn't help showing distress. "Dad will go drain the fields first. We'll cut the rice today. Only when the grain is safely stored in the barn can we rest easy."

Since they had a place to stay for now, they should seize the time to harvest the grain. On the road, he and the older boys were constantly watched by others. If they turned away for a moment, someone would start shouting for them. Living under everyone's noses made everything inconvenient.

Moreover, when they reached Hebo County and Fengchuan Prefecture, no one knew what the situation would be.

This was the perfect time. A few more days of delay, the more grain they had, the more confident they would be. No matter what the times brought, as long as they had food and drink, and they were careful not to offend the wrong people, keeping a low profile, they could survive.

Grain was of utmost importance. There was no reason to give up this for that.

Besides, three to five days wouldn't make much of a difference.

After digging the irrigation ditch, he squatted on the ridge and washed the mud off his hands. Beaming with joy, he pondered what excuse to make.

Even if three generations worked day and night, rotating to cut, thresh, and dry the grain, it would take at least a few days. Zhao Xiaobao could only take two people at a time, and they had to find excuses to avoid outsiders without disappearing for too long, lest they raise suspicion.

Thinking about this, he was quite worried. That kid Qing Xuan was not as easy to fool as Jin Yu was at the beginning. Although he held the cat all day and said little, when his eyes looked over, it felt like he could see right through you.

Along the way, with Qing Xuan driving the cart, Old Man Zhao kept Xiaobao from going to the Immortal Land too often, lest he notice something. Only when it was his turn to sit on the shaft did he allow the mother and daughter to come and go.

The driver would know immediately whether there were people in the cart. The wooden boards could block the view from outside, but a discerning eye could tell the weight difference the donkey was carrying.

But no matter how worried he was, Xiao Wu and the other boys just tied sandbags to their legs all day to train their skills and refused to drive the donkey cart. When it came to shirking work, Xi'er's heart was tempted for a moment, but he was used to being his brothers' follower—he hadn't even warmed the whip in his hand before dropping it and running off.

His donkey had also taken a liking to Qing Xuan. With daily feeding, they had bonded. The donkey only wanted Qing Xuan to drive it. Occasionally, when it was his turn, the donkey would start snorting and kicking before he even sat on the shaft.

Zhao Xiaobao pushed open the door of the house, ran across the yard, and spoke softly to the group ready to depart: "Mom, Dad says his stomach hurts, so much that he can't get out of bed. He told Xiaobao to let Uncle Shan'ao and the others know that we can't leave today."

"What's wrong? Why does his stomach hurt?" Zhao Shanao, who was resting next door, was startled. Ignoring the cart he was tying, he ran over immediately.

"Is it serious? Does it hurt badly? Is it the kind of pain from needing to squat, or from eating something bad?" Li Laiyin chimed in. "Oh heavens! Why now of all times? I have some herbal medicine here, dug from the hill behind the village, thoroughly dried. Let me boil some for him to drink and see if it helps. In the village, whenever I had a headache, fever, or stomachache, I'd drink this—it works like a charm!"

He then called out to his son to untie the cart they had just bound up, ready to fetch his miracle herbs.

Wang Tiegen and Zhou Fugui also hurried to check their own belongings. Country folks—for minor ailments, they'd just grab a few herbs and boil water to drink. Every family had some remedy for their common pains; drink a bowl, and it was sure to cure.

When Wang saw that her daughter came out alone while the old man hid inside pretending to be sick, she knew they would have to stay a few more days. So she said quickly, "Maybe he ate too much of the snake soup yesterday. Wild game—eating too much at once might upset his stomach... Old man, old man, how are you? Shan'ao and the others are worried and want to come in to see you." Several old men were so anxious they wouldn't rest unless they saw for themselves. She knew she couldn't stop them, so she raised her voice to warn him to act convincingly.

Zhao Shanao was genuinely worried. Stomach pain could be serious. He was also concerned that they might have eaten something unclean on the road, and there could be worms in the gut. If so, it would be trouble.

They had just been talking about Hebo County—its name sounded promising, suggesting more than one big river. If they could hold on for two more days, they'd surely see water there.

They had suffered greatly these days. Juanping County had few mountains, making it hard to find water. The men searched separately, but only San Di was lucky—in ten trips, he'd bring back a few buckets two or three times. Everyone scrimped and saved, barely managing to survive without dying of thirst or heatstroke.

No one else could be relied upon; they always came back empty-handed.

Whether it was San Di, favored by heaven, or their mainstay Da Gen, neither could afford to fall ill!

Not only the old men were anxious; everyone who heard the news came. The yard could hardly hold them. Women outside raised their voices, chattering: "Oh, can you even tell what's wrong? If you can't figure it out, let us in to see! How is Da Gen? Can he get up? If not, let's just not go today. Let him rest!"

"Yes, yes, rest. If he's unwell, don't move him." Everyone chimed in.

It did look serious. The man lay on the kang, his face pale as death. Even without moving, he was drenched in sweat, showing how much pain he was in. When they came in, he forced a weak smile, clutching his belly, his lips trembling for a long time without forming a complete sentence.

The old men who didn't know the truth were terrified. Zhao Shanao was a fellow clan member, so he could speak bluntly. He slapped his thigh and scolded him: "You shouldn't have eaten too much snake soup! An old man acting like a child—still greedy!"

"I, I..."

"You're fine! Very well! You'll live!" Afraid he would say something like "If I die, take care of my wife and children," Zhao Shanao quickly interrupted. "If you can't talk, don't. Just rest. Oh! What can I say to you? Oh!"

"Old sister, Da Gen's condition seems serious. My herbs might not work. Do you have any proper medicine at home? If so, bring it out quickly. We'll boil it with some water and have him drink a bowl to try." Li Laiyin didn't want to scold, but he disapproved. He turned to Wang.

Zhou Fugui sighed repeatedly, turned around, and pushed the crowd that was crowding into the room back out. "What's the point of traveling like this? We'll just wear ourselves out and lose him!"

"Out, everyone out. Why crowd the room? Aren't you hot? Even if you're not hot, I can't stand the stench of sweat." He called for Man Cang and San Wang and gave careful instructions: "We're not leaving today. With Da Gen like this, we'll have to rest for a few days. Keep an eye on everyone, especially the little ones. Don't let them run around. Don't let them leave the village. Watch them closely so no strangers take them away. The rest of you rest as needed. If you can't sit still, go to the mountains, look for cellars, set some snares. If you catch any game, clean it up, dry it, and store it as village rations. The more we store, the less we'll go hungry later."

They had been seizing every opportunity to find food and were used to this routine. They nodded in agreement: "Okay."

When Zhao Shanao and Li Laiyin came out, they herded the crowd that still lingered in the yard out the gate like sheep. They said to Feng and Lv Xiuhong, "Da Gen says it's too noisy. I figure sick people's ears are sharper, can't stand the racket. Sister Feng, I'll have my son clean out an empty room. You move in first and give Da Gen some space to recover in peace, so he won't be disturbed by people coming and going."

Feng nodded readily: "Fine. I'll have my Man Cang clean up. Xiuhong and I share a yard. Don't worry about us; we'll move in a bit."

Zhao Shanao nodded. After giving the instructions, he watched Wang take the medicine pack to the kitchen. She said it was medicine for stomach issues, for stopping diarrhea and pain, bought from the Peace Clinic in town. She vouched that it would work.

With her confidence, he was slightly reassured. He called out over the wall, telling him to rest well and that he wouldn't let