The man who emerged from behind the tree appeared to be in his thirties and was well-dressed, but he seemed to habitually bend over and lean forward, making him look more like a servant or attendant.
Perhaps he had suffered some hardship in the mountains and forests, for his face was bruised and blue from the cold, his jacket and trousers were torn to shreds, and although he was holding a wood-chopping knife, it looked more like he was holding a pen, which was quite awkward.
Li Laosan and his companions instinctively stepped back, huddled together, raised their machetes, and shouted, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
The man, his eyes also filled with fear and confusion, carefully examined Li Laosan and the others before replying, "I come from outside the mountains; I'm a refugee. Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Li Laosan and the others were somewhat relieved, as long as they weren't bandits.
"We also fled here from famine, but we went into the mountains a long time ago. Are you all alone?"
Before the man could respond, another coughing sound came from behind the tree, followed by a man and two women emerging from behind it.
A woman, who looked like a servant, was supporting a middle-aged woman who was dressed in very expensive clothes.
The other man was over forty years old. Although he was disheveled, there was a scholarly air about him in his eyes.
Li Laosan and the others were even more surprised. Where did these noblemen and...scholars come from in this deep mountain forest?
The beautiful woman coughed incessantly, seemingly quite ill. The middle-aged scholar was very anxious and stepped forward to greet Li Laosan and the others.
"Fellow villagers, do you live nearby? Is there a doctor in the village? We are also refugees who have come here and urgently need a place to stay. Would you be able to do us a favor?"
"Are there only four of you?" Li Laosan asked cautiously. The middle-aged scholar quickly nodded. "Yes, we left almost all of our original carriage and luggage outside the mountains. We walked for four or five days without seeing any signs of life and couldn't hold on any longer. Luckily, we ran into you all."
Li Laosan hesitated for a moment, then instructed a villager to go back and report the news before leading the four men out of the woods. But he held the machete tightly in his hand the entire time, never letting it go…
The beautiful woman was so ill that she could barely walk. The middle-aged scholar, who had initially been somewhat reserved, eventually disregarded this and took turns carrying her on his back with the maid.
After walking for quite some time, the group finally returned to the mountain stream.
The village chief and Li Lao Er had already brought seven or eight villagers to wait. They had lit a bonfire and, of course, brought machetes and sickles.
Although some villagers had given advance notice and everyone had their suspicions, they were finally relieved when they actually saw the four outsiders.
Because the two men and two women really didn't seem like bandits or thieves in disguise, and the beautiful woman's illness was indeed very serious.
The middle-aged scholar was surprised to find so many people in the mountain stream. After carefully examining the caves on the mountain and the village chief and others, he stepped forward to speak.
He still did not reveal his identity, only saying that he was a refugee seeking a doctor and temporary shelter.
He then took the initiative to instruct the maid and her attendants to hand over their wood-chopping knives.
Seeing this, the villagers naturally couldn't make things difficult for them anymore, but they also didn't intend to let them into the cave.
They were simply invited into a makeshift shed that they had set up on a regular basis. The shed had been cleared of snow and a campfire had been lit. It wasn't particularly comfortable, but it was much better than braving the wind and snow outside.
In each cave, the elderly, women, and children all lifted the curtains and peeked down secretly.
The Li family was no exception, and Jiayin was especially curious, but unfortunately, she was taken back by Tao Hongying before she could even take a second look.
The wind at the cave entrance is strong and can easily give you a headache.
The renowned doctor Zhang is getting old and doesn't want to go through any more trouble. Although he recovered from a cold, he has become even more sensitive to the cold.
Now he was wrapped in a wolfskin coat and a wolfskin hat, curled up into a ball, and reluctantly climbed down the rope ladder.
When he entered the shed and saw the beautiful woman and the middle-aged scholar, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
The middle-aged scholar was also surprised and doubtful. After careful examination, he tentatively asked, "Is it... Doctor Zhang from Jishetang?"
Doctor Zhang coughed twice and quickly adjusted his crooked wolfskin hat. "It is indeed I. I just don't know how Mr. Wen... how did he get here?"
Before the middle-aged scholar could say anything, he grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of the beautiful woman.
"Dr. Zhang, please take a look at me... Madam Cui caught a cold before entering the mountains, and has had intermittent fevers on the way. She has taken some medicine pills, but they only provide temporary relief and have not been very effective."
Doctor Zhang shook his head and muttered under his breath, "How did you two end up together? In this chaotic world, you can run into anything."
The middle-aged scholar looked unwell and sighed, replying, "It's a long story, but Doctor, please save the person first."
The renowned doctor Zhang took the beautiful woman's pulse, and then straightened up and said...
"It's not a serious illness, just a cold that's been lingering for a while, but you still need to take herbal medicine for six or seven days and recuperate properly."
After saying that, he still asked, "Where are you planning to go? Is someone waiting for you?"
The middle-aged scholar shook his head, a hint of complexity in his expression. "We were driven into the mountains by barbarians, and we have nowhere to go and no one to help us. If it's convenient here, could we stay for a few days?"
Doctor Zhang spread his hands and turned to the villagers, saying, "I can't make the decision myself, let's ask everyone."
When the village chief and the others learned that Doctor Zhang knew the person who had come, they became wary.
After all, Dr. Zhang had saved countless lives along the way and was highly respected by everyone.
These people knew him, so they probably weren't bad people. Besides, they had come here alone and posed no threat to the group.
But if we leave them here, the caves will be full. What will we do with them?
Perhaps sensing the villagers' predicament, the middle-aged scholar gestured to his attendant to take the package, from which he took out two five-tael silver ingots and presented them to the village chief with both hands.
"Uncle, we're all in the same boat, please do us a favor. We have nothing of value, only a little silver. If any fellow villager is willing to give us their cave, this is our token of gratitude. Even the smallest cave would be appreciated!"
The village chief quickly waved his hand, refusing to accept the money.
"Mr. Wen, you're too kind. It's not easy for anyone when they're away from home, so it's only right to lend a hand. Besides, you know Doctor Zhang, so you're practically family. Take the money back, and I'll make arrangements for you."
As he spoke, the village chief called over two villagers, who were the husbands of Wu San's wife and Sun Er's wife.
The two families usually got along well, and this time they stayed together in the smallest cave.
"You can leave the cave out for now, and feel free to squeeze in wherever you want."
Uncle Wu and Brother Sun didn't refuse. They were both families of three and didn't have much luggage, so it would be easy for them to move anywhere.
Mr. Wen insisted on giving the silver to the village chief, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, brother. You must give us this silver. If you could also get us some hot water and other basic necessities, that would be even better."
After thinking about it, the village chief accepted the money. He gave one silver ingot to the Wu and Sun families and the other directly to Li Lao Er.
"Second son, your family has the most abundant food and supplies. Go back and talk to your mother to take extra care of Mr. Wen and his family. Let them eat with your family for the next few days!"
Li Lao Er agreed, but refused to give any money. Out of respect for Doctor Zhang, his family felt they should offer him some extra assistance.
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