Wen Siqing quickly hoisted Yun Ruoxia's bundle onto his shoulder, squatted down to pick up a stick, and comforted her:
"Don't be afraid, Second Aunt. I'm here. When I was young, I often ran up the mountain and even killed snakes. I can definitely protect you."
Normally, Yunling would definitely tease the two of them, but the situation was urgent, and she had so many people relying on her; she couldn't afford to be careless.
"Just follow the path I've taken. I'll let you know in advance if there's any movement ahead, so you don't need to worry too much. Besides, we have Little White and Big Black to keep us in check, so don't be afraid."
As soon as Yunling said this, Li Yuedi and the others quickly changed from walking in a single file to walking in pairs.
The group followed hastily, filled with panic, showing no signs of sleepiness, only fearing that they were too slow to keep up with those in front.
The sky gradually brightened.
Once everyone had a clear picture of what was around them, their hearts gradually calmed down, no longer filled with the fear they felt in the darkness.
Xiao Bai and Da Hei yawned easily. One jumped into Yun Ling's arms for a hug, while the other bit Gang Zi's pants, making him want to hug it. It was truly a bit helpless.
As Old Man Yun gazed at the distant Dongtou Village, at the land that had given him birth and nurtured him, he was filled with a myriad of emotions. For someone of his age, it was natural to yearn to return to one's roots. Now that he was temporarily out of danger, his mindset had naturally changed.
He walked forward, found Yunling, and said:
"Ling-jie, I think this place is quite safe. Why don't we move to the deep mountains? That way we can go home and visit from time to time. What do you think?"
Yunling gave her seat to Old Man Yun, patted Big Black's head, and pointed downwards:
“Grandpa, look.”
Following Yun Ling's directions, Old Man Yun looked and saw dust billowing in the east of the village, accompanied by crackling sounds. He could imagine the terrible scene inside the village.
“Grandpa, we are now one of the wealthier families in the village. Those bandits are definitely targeting us. Not to mention that we are currently in a state of disrepair, the commotion we made last night was enough to alert them.”
“Although our family has always been reluctant to make enemies, we have had arguments with people over matters that are more serious than minor ones. How could someone as opportunistic as Old Madam Lin let us go when it comes to life and death?”
Yun Ruoxia quickly chimed in:
“Father, Ling’er is right. That wicked woman Lin is probably bragging to those bandits about how rich our family is and how many beautiful young ladies we have. If we don’t leave, won’t we be inviting trouble?”
Old Lady Yun quickly grabbed Old Man Yun and said:
“We’re leaving now, what are you still worried about? These houses and fields are just inanimate objects. We, the living, are the most important. As long as our family is together, where doesn’t we have our roots?”
The crackling sounds from the direction of Dongtou Village grew louder and louder. Old Man Yun's tense nerves relaxed a little, and he stopped worrying about these trivial matters. He only hoped that everyone would not mind that he was lame and walked slowly.
The others also witnessed the scene in Dongtou Village. Seeing that it was so close, they were afraid that the bandits might grow wings and take them down as well. At that time, they would truly be helpless.
Therefore, they dared not stop and followed Yunling closely, as if only in this way could they bring a glimmer of hope.
Yunling was under a lot of pressure. Although she had been up the mountain many times, this was the first time she had tried to cross a mountain. Therefore, she could only rely on her special ability to find a place with water and determine the direction to go.
The group kept traveling, as if being chased by a tiger. They couldn't eat or sleep well. One day was okay, three or four days was still manageable, but after seven or eight days, it became unbearable.
Not to mention the Yun family, who are eating and drinking well every day, even the Fan family members feel that their mouths have no taste, as if someone has brushed their mouths with a brush. The eldest sister-in-law of the Fan family feels that if this continues, she can endure it a little longer, but her three children cannot stand it.
She then took out two small pots stacked together from her bundle and said:
“I think we’ve been traveling for quite a few days now, those bandits shouldn’t be able to catch up for the time being. Why don’t we cook some porridge and have some? I brought some rice with me, you see…”
"Cook it, cook it quickly. Hey, I have two pieces of cured pork and some pickled vegetables here. Ling-jie brought them back last time. We'll wash them in the stream later and use them to make porridge. That would be perfect."
Grandma Yun quickly took the items out of her bundle. As soon as the cured meat was revealed, everyone's mouths watered and they all gave Grandma Yun a thumbs up.
Sister-in-law Fan was naturally delighted, but she quickly frowned again.
"Alas, it's a pity I was only thinking about packing flint and steel, and forgot to bring bowls, chopsticks, and other tableware..."
At this point, Zhang was a little embarrassed to speak:
"Actually, I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but when I heard that we were going to escape, I went back to the house and picked up some important things, and I also ran to the kitchen and brought back all the bowls and chopsticks we usually use for meals."
As Zhang took out the bowls and chopsticks, Granny Yun took out wine cups and chopsticks from her bundle again, and said happily:
"Hehe, if I had known you brought bowls and chopsticks, Chunniang, I wouldn't have brought them. I was just thinking that the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, and we need to worship the gods and ancestors."
Yun Ling and Yun Ruoxia's lips twitched involuntarily. Just as they were about to praise Old Lady Yun for her lucky accident, they saw Old Lady Fan take out an identical wine cup and chopsticks from her bundle. She smiled and said:
"That's what I think too."
Everyone laughed and quickly got to work, some gathering firewood, some building a pot, some washing cured meat, some washing rice, and some washing dishes, each busy with their own tasks.
The eldest brother of the Fan family, who couldn't get any work, complained a little. He scratched the back of his head and said:
"Hey, Hua-ge, how about we wander around and hunt a pheasant to add to our meal? What do you say?"
Yun Shenghua put down the seasonings, thinking it was feasible, but just as he was about to agree, Yun Ruoxia objected:
“This won’t work. It’s not that I lack confidence in your hunting skills, but I feel that we are on the run, not here to enjoy life.”
"We already have cured meat and pickled vegetables today, which is quite good compared to the past few days. We can eat the pheasant tomorrow, so it won't be too extravagant. Even if we encounter difficult circumstances later, the difference won't be too great."
The eldest brother of the Fan family thought Yun Ruoxia's words were correct, and added:
"Shall we go pick some fruit to eat?"
But the mention of fruit made everyone's expressions turn sour...
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