Chapter 220

Chapter 220

The recognition of kinship was not widely publicized, not even shared with the people of Wanxia Village. Everyone just saw that the Shi Family were extremely warm toward the two newly arrived children, looking after them with great care, which sparked considerable curiosity.

Some, unable to contain their curiosity, came to Old Man Zhao to ask, but got nothing good out of it. The old man glared and scolded them back: "Is it any of your business? Mind your own affairs, stop sticking your nose into others' matters."

Having fled the famine together all this way, everyone knew the Shi family was heading to the prefectural city to seek refuge with their aunt, who had married into a wealthy family. Gan Lei had no intention of changing his name or identity—the boy clearly wanted to keep his identity hidden. So it was inconvenient to gossip; the fewer people who knew, the less risk of exposure.

Whether out of pity for the child, friendship with the Shi family, or being mindful of his Grandma Xiu Zhu, who might help them get into the prefectural city… In short, Old Man Zhao took this very seriously. He wouldn't allow anyone in his circle to gossip, and scolded anyone who came asking, spitting saliva right in their faces.

The people of Wanxia Village were already used to being scolded by him, so they didn't mind much. If he said not to ask, then they wouldn't ask—it wasn't anything important anyway.

The people of Liuhe Village cared even less. They didn't even know the Shi family, let alone Gan Lei.

Besides, they were too preoccupied to pay attention to others. They were all worried, not knowing what decision to make.

After the communal meal, Village Chief Sun gathered all the villagers and told them that Old Man Zhao and his group weren't going to the Qushan County resettlement site. He also shared his own concerns. This involved the life and death of the entire village, and he had no one to consult. The burden was too heavy for his shoulders. For the clan members, it was one thing, but the non-clan families might not need him to bear that weight. To avoid resentment later, he decided to lay it all out in the open and let everyone make their own decision.

Should they go to the refugee resettlement site in Qushan County, trusting the county government, prefectural city, and imperial court? Or should they trust their gut and follow the people of Wanxia Village—those "cowards" with escape experience? The choice was entirely theirs.

Whichever path they chose, whether it led to life or death, they couldn't blame anyone else later.

That night, many had heavy hearts, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

…

The next day, before dawn, the pine forest was already bustling.

The sooner they left Fengchuan Prefecture, the better—every extra day meant more danger. Old Man Zhao decided to take Gan Lei to Niujia Village that very day, using his Grandma Xiu Zhu's connections to enter the prefectural city to secure necessities. Then he would also visit Er Niang's family to see if they needed help and ask if they wanted to join them on their journey.

Regardless, the couple had helped them settle in Liuhe Village, busy arranging things without a moment's rest. He was deeply grateful.

And then there was Zhu Laicai. No one knew what he was thinking. He had seemed inclined to go to Qushan County, but upon learning they would continue fleeing, he slapped his forehead and said he wouldn't go either—he wanted to go with them.

Big Sister and Er Niang were deeply attached as sisters, though he felt Er Niang would stay in Fengchuan Prefecture. After all, she had managed her business there for years, built connections, and it was hard to abandon everything at once. Besides, Xu Geer was studying in the prefectural city; a child's future wasn't something parents could casually discard on a whim. He didn't understand much about it, but he knew good private schools and good teachers were hard to find. In short, it was a troublesome matter.

The women of both villages were busy cooking, and occasionally a stifled sob could be heard.

After a night of deep thought, more than half of the households in Liuhe Village chose to go to Qushan County, including some from the Sun clan.

The epidemic hadn't actually occurred, and the county was distributing grain daily. Their roots were in Liuhe Village. As soon as the floodwaters receded, they could receive disaster relief grain and return to the village. This winter might be harsh and difficult, but as long as they could endure until next spring, the county would distribute seeds. In spring, the mountains wouldn't lack wild vegetables. Every household had distant relatives; as long as they could borrow one or two bags of transitional grain, endure until the autumn harvest, life would return to normal, thriving and smooth.

Follow the people of Wanxia Village to flee? They were reluctant and afraid.

They had seen firsthand how miserable the refugees who fled to Fengchuan Prefecture were—homeless, shunned by locals, driven away, and if they were unlucky enough to encounter a compassionless prefect, they might even be surrounded by garrison troops, arrested, and thrown into prison to feed rats and snakes. It was terrifying. Just thinking about that kind of future made their vision go dark, and they dared not imagine further.

Besides, if Fengchuan Prefecture was dangerous, was it safe outside?

Where wasn't it the same? Many elderly thought, "Even if we die, we'd rather die in our hometown. What's the point of dying outside? So far from our ancestors, we won't even be able to find our forebears in the underworld. Even as ghosts, we'd be bullied."

So early in the morning, the people of Liuhe Village split into two groups: one heading to Qushan County, and the other deciding to stay for now, wanting to wait with the Wanxia Village group. If, by the day they left, they still couldn't make up their minds to go to Qushan County, then they would completely follow the Wanxia villagers.

Among those making two completely different decisions were blood brothers whose parents were still alive but couldn't convince their two sons—one unwilling to make the trek, the other not trusting the court. Helpless, since they had already divided the family property, beating and scolding were useless. They could only each take their own families and go their separate ways.

The atmosphere of separation lingered. Dazed children were carried by their mothers, looked at their cousins, wondering what was happening. Just yesterday, they had been happily carrying baskets to dig wild vegetables together, and today they were going their separate ways.

"You've always had a mind of your own. I can't control you, and you never listen to me or your father," a mother said, wiping away tears as she looked at her second son, who was staying. Half reproachful, half reluctant, she pounded her son's arm. "Your father and I will go with your eldest brother. Don't blame us. This path you've chosen—we old bones can't walk it. We can't handle all that moving around anymore. And we can't leave our hometown. This is where our ancestors have been rooted for generations. We can't bear to part with it, and we can't abandon it."

"We'll stay put. If you regret it later and want to come back, your mother and father will still be here. We'll keep your two rooms for you."

"Second son, take care. Remember the road, so you won't get lost and can find your way home!"

"Mother doesn't know if this time I'm going along with you is right or wrong. But right or wrong, it's your choice, and it's our choice. Whether we live or die, we won't blame anyone! Even though you and your eldest brother are heading in different directions, the two of you remember this: we are always a family, forever a family!"

Upon hearing this, the second son could no longer hold back. He hugged his parents and elder brother, wailing loudly.

There were many such families. Some were siblings, some were cousins, and some were old couples arguing—one wanting to leave, the other wanting to stay, quarreling so fiercely that even their sons couldn't stop them.

The people of Wanxia Village watched in silence. It wasn't easy to get involved or to offer advice. Like Village Chief Sun, they thought: Let them choose for themselves. Whatever the future brings, good or bad, they must bear it alone, without blaming anyone.

"Those going to Qushan County, hurry up and get down the mountain! If you arrive early, you might still get a corn bun," Old Man Zhao said, picking his nose for a while. Seeing them crying and talking endlessly, he grew impatient. They still had to get to the prefectural city; any more delay and they wouldn't make it to Niujia Village before dark.

"Alright, alright, hurry up," Village Chief Sun immediately stepped in to call everyone to action. After arguing with his wife all morning, his lips were dry, and he wasn't in the mood for much else. "I won't say much more. Just this: whether you stay or leave, once you've chosen your path, keep your head down and walk it through. Good or bad, it's all fate."

For now, no one could say who was right or wrong. There was nothing more to say except, "It's all fate."

Those who stayed felt hollow inside, unable to see the future. The road ahead seemed shrouded in fog, and they didn't know where to place their next step.

Those who left, on the other hand, were full of hope for the future, stepping firmly and clearly seeing the path beneath their feet.

Village Chief Sun was also lost. He followed his instinct and stayed, but this decision made his wife and daughter-in-law resisted and resented him. His wife blamed him for the death of their eldest son, and his daughter-in-law couldn't let go of her natal family, unable to believe that all her relatives had died. If she really followed the Wanxia villagers to flee Fengchuan Prefecture, she would never, ever find her family again.

Moreover, why flee? What was the reason? He was the village chief, a clan elder. He had spent most of his life building a few spacious brick-and-tile houses and accumulated ten or twenty mu of land. Just when he was about to enjoy his old age in comfort, he was becoming more and more foolish, not trusting the county government, instead believing these outsiders. It was completely baffling!

But no amount of quarreling could change things. In the end, the head of the family was still the village chief. Unlike other old men in the village who couldn't control their sons with different ideas, watching helplessly as their sons went their separate ways to find their own livelihoods, he had shown unprecedented firmness in this matter. He couldn't control the clan members distant by five generations, but for the few immediate households of the Sun family, he forced them all to stay.

He couldn't shoulder the burden of the whole village's life and death, but for those few immediate families, even if he made the wrong choice this time, as the clan elder, he could take on that responsibility.

Similarly, Old Man Sun's family also stayed.

First, Village Chief Sun forced them not to go to Qushan County. Second, Sun Xuming made a huge fuss, begging his grandfather, grandmother, second uncle, and third uncle to stay. He was now a loyal follower of Old Zhao's family. His life had been saved by Uncle Qing Xuan, and he still had to repay that debt—he had to stick with them through thick and thin.

Perhaps it was a child's instinct, but being with them gave him a sense of peace.

Even if Qushan County offered shelter and corn buns, it wasn't as satisfying as sleeping in the mountains and eating wild vegetables.

No matter how reluctant they were, the time for parting had come.

Over the past two days, they had made two more rafts. With nothing else to do in the mountains, the women and children dug wild vegetables while the men cut bamboo in the groves. The more tools they salvaged, the easier it became to make rafts.

A large group of people went down the mountain, carrying their families, but the rafts couldn't hold everyone in one trip. They had to make multiple trips. Since the families staying behind knew how to steer rafts, they helped out without complaint.

Old Man Zhao had originally planned to help transport people to the county, but Village Chief Sun knew they had business in the prefectural city, so he told him not to bother. He himself would steer a raft; the task of transporting people was theirs to handle.

Going to the prefectural city required passing through Qushan County, and half the journey was along the same route. Old Man Zhao didn't refuse. On this trip, he brought Second Son, Third Son, and his precious boy Gan Lei. The eldest son stayed in the mountains to recuperate and also led the village men to hunt game to build up their food reserves.

But before they left, there was a commotion in the mountains over money.

Old Man Zhao asked the village elders for silver. It was the ten taels Zhu Laicai had paid when joining the group, and the one tael paid by the Zhu girl for the straw coat.

Besides that, he also asked the other villagers to hand over all their hidden savings. His words were blunt: "We have no clothes, no bedding, no food now. You stupid fools didn't even manage to grab a hoe. Without tools, what's the point of fleeing? You won't take two steps before your wives and children are snatched away."

"If I can get into the prefectural city this time, I'll see if I can buy some used clothes, bedding, and grain. This is a village-wide matter. You can't expect my family alone to handle it. My pockets are emptier than my face—I don't have that much savings. We all have to pitch in. The more we pool, the more we can buy."

"This is a rare opportunity. Don't hold back now. After months of fleeing, you all know that even if you have silver, there's nowhere to spend it. Having food, clothes, and proper tools is what matters. If you want to save silver, wait until you survive, find a place to settle, and are fully settled before you think about it."

He held out his hand, his meaning clear: give me the money, all of it, hand over your private savings.

The sharper ones, like the village elders, caught on quickly. Without a second word, they went to find the women who held the purse strings, shouting at them to hand it over: "Da Gen is right. Without household registration, we can't even get into the prefectural city, let alone buy grain. We have money but no way to spend it!"

"Da Gen is the one running around for everything. We can't have him do all the work and also pay for it—that's no way to do things!"

"Silver is yours only when you're alive. When you're dead, it becomes someone else's. Don't dawdle, don't chatter, and don't be stingy. If you can spend your silver right now, thank the heavens—otherwise, hiding it on you is no different from a useless rock!"

"Hurry up and pool together, more is better. When on the road, it's better to have plenty of money. Whether we go hungry or full depends on each of our own willingness!"

The Village Elders spoke one after another, yet they still couldn't get anyone to budge. People hesitated, hands trembling as they clutched their pants legs, reluctant to reach for their money.

Even the poorest family could scrape together an ounce or half an ounce—if nothing else, some copper coins. It was impossible to have absolutely no savings.

The problem was that no one was willing to take the lead. The village elders setting an example wasn't enough; someone else in the village had to step up first. After all, it was silver—their life's savings. Everyone loves money, toiling their whole lives just for it, and the poorer you are, the tighter you hold on. They'd work their fingers to the bone without a complaint, but ask them to fork over cash? Oh, heavens—they just couldn't bear it!

Feng Shi glanced from one person to another, then steeled herself, stamped her foot, turned around, and reached into the tightest bindings of her chest to pull out five taels of silver. Fighting back her own reluctance, her gaze swept over the faces of the women and old ladies, and she snorted coldly, "There are some things Brother Da Gen can't bring himself to say, but I'm not afraid to play the villain. Let me make it plain to you. I know it's not easy for any of you to save up what little you have. We're poor—all our lives we've squeezed every copper until it cried. Now we're supposed to hand over our savings to buy food and clothes for everyone to share and wear together—it doesn't feel fair, does it? You worked so hard for your own stash, and now it's going to benefit strangers. Seeing someone toss in a few coppers while you have to give up one or two taels—how galling! You feel cheated... If any of you are thinking that, I advise you to drop it right now."

"Just remember this: the only reason we've made it this far alive to Fengchuan Prefecture is because we've all pulled together as one rope, watching over each other's families and helping one another every step of the way." Feng Shi carried a lot of weight when she spoke among the women. Like Wang Shi, once she opened her mouth, even the notoriously difficult Granny Zhou dared not mutter a word of complaint but listened quietly. "When we left our hometown, every family still had their own grain, and you could hide your savings however you liked—nobody coveted a single copper. But now, after the flood, we've lost everything—food and clothes all washed away. All of us are left with nothing but the few coins we've managed to keep hidden on our bodies. If we want to survive and keep going, we can't afford to be selfish now. You can't count every penny you put in versus what you get out. Since we're all from the same village, remember that firmly—we are a village, a collective. If you want others to put out effort for you, you can't be always worrying that someone is taking advantage of you. There's no such thing as one person taking advantage of another. From the day we left our village, we no longer had small families—only this big family of the village. Anyone who only thinks of their own small family won't make it, and we don't want such people traveling with us."

She looked around at everyone, including even those from Liuhe Village who had decided to stay. They all had to contribute silver; no one could expect to eat for free—there was no such logic.

They didn't exclude those who stayed, but everyone had to show good judgment. This was a two-way street, not a one-sided effort.

When fleeing disaster, people had no strength to carry grain, but silver—that little thing didn't take up much space. Anyone with sense would bring some along, more or less.

Now it was time to see the true nature of people. Those willing to give silver and effort would be considered one of their own going forward. Those who gave nothing and only tried to take advantage should just head to Qushan County by themselves. Their Wanxia Village had no use for selfish people.