With her own life at stake, Luo Taohua dared not think any further and quickly followed Jiang Tangtang's instructions, helping the two sisters and heading towards the cave.
The villagers hurried toward the cave, with Lu Shiyan lagging behind to prevent anyone from catching up while also erasing any traces left by their hurried journey.
The group didn't emerge from the cave until midnight.
Once outside the cave, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and sat down to rest.
Luo Taohua quickly took out the dry food she had brought and shared it with everyone.
We were all so nervous just now that we didn't realize we were hungry. Now that we've belatedly realized it, we're all wolfing down our food.
Soon, the cassava that Luo Taohua and the others had taken out was all eaten up. The group, still savoring the meal, exclaimed, "Is this the tree root we dug up on the mountain the other day? It tastes so good! It's sweet and powdery."
"Sanlang's wife said that it's called cassava, and it's not an ordinary tree root."
"Yes, yes, tree roots don't taste like that at all. If this were a tree root, it might break all your teeth."
"With this treasure, we won't have to worry anymore."
"That's right, everyone should thank Sanlang's wife properly."
...
The villagers chattered about how good Jiang Tangtang was, but Guo Xuantong just pursed her lips, completely unimpressed.
These villagers have never seen anything good before.
What kind of cassava is this? Even her dog wouldn't eat it, yet these villagers still rave about her.
Her gaze fell on Lu Shiyan.
At this moment, Lu Shiyan and Jiang Tangtang were sitting on the grass, sharing a bamboo tube of fried rice with eggs.
She couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
He married this village woman and is now burdened by these villagers. This is the kind of life he can only live...
If she married him, she would definitely not let him live such a miserable life.
Seeing her daughter secretly glancing at Lu Shiyan, Cui Shi quietly pinched her, giving her a warning look to make her behave.
Guo Xuantong reluctantly withdrew her gaze.
After resting briefly at the entrance of the cave, everyone set off again with their belongings.
Looking at the towering mountains all around, and recalling how the vines had obscured the cave entrance when they entered, Cui couldn't help but marvel at how daring these people were.
Among the crowd were not only highly skilled warriors, but also those who had discovered this hidden paradise.
If someone hadn't led the way, outsiders would probably never have imagined that there was a path behind the vine-covered mountain wall.
Now that the mother and her daughters know about this secret, I'm afraid this group has no intention of letting them leave.
I wonder how these people will deal with them?
Just as Cui was worrying about the future, she suddenly heard a joyful shout.
"They're back! They're back!"
The villagers, carrying torches, ran towards Lu Shiyan and his group. The elderly and children searched for their relatives, and upon seeing that they were safe and sound, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Some people helped carry things, while others inquired about the situation outside, asking why it had taken so long today.
Looking at the ragged villagers, Cui suddenly realized that this gang of robbers was not what she had imagined.
She never imagined that the valley was inhabited by such a group of elderly, weak, women and children.
As Cui observed the villagers, they too noticed Cui and her daughters. The villagers all inquired about who these women were.
Upon learning that they were family members of a corrupt official, they all gave the group a cold shoulder.
Many villagers did not understand Lu Shiyan's actions, and did not understand why he did not simply kill a few people, but instead took them back to the valley.
Village Chief Song was equally puzzled. After all the things were moved to a flat area in the valley and placed there, he secretly asked Lu Shiyan, "Sanlang, what do you plan to do with these people?"
"Let a few people stay in the valley for now."
Lu Shiyan thought for a moment and then said, "Please ask Village Chief Song to tell the villagers not to bully the mother and daughter, as they will be useful later."
Village Chief Song trusted Lu Shiyan completely and repeatedly replied, "Whatever you say goes."
Seeing that the villagers were not sleeping either, and were gathered around the spoils they had brought back from outside that day, even late at night.
A hint of worry flashed in Village Chief Song's eyes. "Should we keep an eye on those things that were brought back today? Although we're all from the same village, money can be a powerful motivator, and it's hard to guarantee that some of them won't develop any disloyal intentions."
Lu Shiyan said, "I will arrange for someone to keep an eye on things. We will also stay in the valley for the next few days. Almost everyone contributed this time, so I plan not to distribute these things. They will be considered as the village's public property and used for the construction of village water conservancy and defense projects."
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Song was extremely excited, but he also felt sorry for Lu Shiyan, and said repeatedly, "How can that be! You contributed the most, wouldn't it be a huge loss if we didn't give you a share?"
Lu Shiyan said, "I am also a villager. Only when the village's defenses are repaired can everyone be safe. Water conservancy benefits the whole village. Once it is built, our family will also benefit."
"It's because you're a generous and kind person, always thinking of the villagers, that you've helped everyone. We all remember your kindness," said Village Chief Song, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.
He needs to give the villagers a good talking-to, so that those short-sighted people don't disappoint the Lu family.
He didn't even bother to sleep; he immediately gathered the heads of each household together and discussed the distribution of the property.
The heads of each family were taken aback upon hearing this.
Village Chief Song's face fell, and he reprimanded everyone, saying, "Sanlang is truly a remarkable child. He contributed the most to getting those good things, and even if everyone only gets a small share, no one can say a word."
But they had no selfish motives whatsoever; they gave everything they had to contribute to everyone.
You must keep a close eye on your family members and not let them break their hearts.
To be honest, with his abilities, he and his family could live well anywhere. Why did he have to settle in this valley? Wasn't it all to take care of everyone?
“Village chief, don’t worry, we’re not ungrateful people. We’ll keep a close eye on our families when we get back and make sure they don’t do anything foolish.”
The villagers surrounded Village Chief Song, all giving their assurances, but the Fang brothers were not convinced.
Fang Junmu muttered to himself, "He said he wouldn't take a single copper coin and would give it all to the village, does he really mean it? Those things are all under his people's control, the good stuff might have already been distributed to them."
Fang Qingmu agreed with his third brother's words, "That's right, we didn't contribute anything, but it would be best if we could gain a good reputation for nothing."
He looked at the villagers surrounding Village Chief Song and echoing his words and cursed, "A bunch of idiots, being insulted and still paying for it."
"Fang Lao Er, Fang Lao San, what are you two brothers whispering about?" Village Chief Song scolded impatiently. "Don't think I'm being soft-hearted. The reason I haven't kicked you out is because I can't do anything with you. If you dare to cause trouble and harm the villagers, I'll tie up your whole family and throw you into the mountains."
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