"Oh, forget it! Who would believe you at this moment?" Old Master Tai was so amused that he pushed him into the house. "Even a true god wouldn't dare to claim infallibility. What if you miscalculated and someone got into trouble? You can't afford to compensate them!"
Banxianer snorted angrily and was speechless.
The old man took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. "Besides, you calculated that Taina County is safe, but what about outside the county? What about you? You'd better hide away honestly. Nothing is more important than your life!"
Yang Lihua just came out and joined in, "Yes, Uncle Banxian. Just think of it as a trip into the mountains! If you don't come with us, I'm afraid we won't see our family all winter! Especially Zhuzhu, she's been missing you so many times!"
As expected, Banxian'er immediately put on a smile and carried Zhuzhu into the house. "Oh, our Zhuzhu is so adorable. Grandpa Banxian'er can't bear to let her go. Grandpa Banxian'er wants to follow Zhuzhu into the mountains and share more of her blessings!"
Everyone laughed when they heard this. This stubborn old man was extremely confident in his abilities. Fortunately, there was still a Zhuzhu to subdue him!
Old Master Tai stuffed a handful of copper coins into the Min family's coachman's hand and asked him to deliver a dagger to Manager Min.
The dagger was not some magical weapon that could cut through iron like mud. It was something Tai Jiye brought back from the grassland.
But it is a weapon after all, and it can be used to protect yourself at critical moments.
Everyone went into the mountains, only Manager Min was outside. The old man was worried that if he was in danger, he must have something to protect himself!
That night, Banxianer stayed at Tai's house.
Early the next morning, the remaining young and old in the village packed their last luggage and prepared to head east into the mountains.
Village chief Dong brought more than 20 people, men, women, young and old, driving a ox cart. They set off before dawn and arrived in time.
Their eyes were red, and Village Chief Dong's face was very dark. It was obvious that he had quarreled with many villagers before setting off. But he was only the village chief, not the clan leader, and he couldn't influence everyone's decision.
We can only... go our separate ways!
The valley is so secluded and difficult to navigate that even horses can't get in, let alone carriages!
The old man and He Shan had already made arrangements for this matter. The carriages were hidden in a mountain cave about seven or eight miles away.
In the summer, that place was a puddle full of cattails. In the winter, because of the wind and the snow piled up outside, it became the shape of a super big bowl.
It would be very easy to hide dozens of carriages in it, and no one would be able to find them.
As for the horses, they were all driven to the cabin. There were two kings, the big black horse and the big white horse, and the rest were kept in good order, and none dared to act naughty.
Moreover, He Shan and his men would be stationed there normally so they could take care of it at any time.
The yards of each household were kept very clean. Small jars, pots and jars that could not be taken away from home were buried underground, wooden objects were stored in the cellar, and the doors of the houses were locked tightly.
From a distance, it looks empty and desolate.
The Tai Family Courtyard, in particular, had a newly renovated roof that was still as new and straight as ever. The villagers had drunk wine, eaten meat, held meetings, divided money, laughed and played here, carrying with it so many memories of happy days...
Next time I come back, I don’t know if this place will still exist. Maybe it will just be ruins and overgrown with weeds!
One woman couldn't help feeling sad and started crying with her hands covering her mouth.
Even Yang Lihua and Liu Dongniang shed tears, and they could only pull up their sleeves and wipe them away.
Children are the most sensitive. When they see their mother crying, they also start crying at the top of their lungs.
Zhuzhu was lying in the basket behind her mother. She tried to straighten herself up, hugged her mother's neck tightly, and coaxed her in a baby voice.
"Don't cry, Mommy, be good!"
Yang Lihua turned around and hugged her daughter, choking with sobs and saying, "Be good, Zhuzhu, don't be afraid. I'm just worried about the yard at home..."
Zhuzhu blinked her big eyes, stretched her neck to look at her own big yard, and replied, "What happened to our yard? Daddy buried my baby. Will it be dirty? I want to play with it when I come back!"
Yang Lihua suppressed her sadness and comforted the fat girl, "Don't worry, your toy box has been wrapped in several layers of straw mats by your father, so it won't get dirty. Besides, when your third uncle comes back, he will bring you other goodies!"
Zhuzhu clapped her hands happily and shouted, "I miss my uncle and my brothers so much. Come back soon too!"
Zhuzhu's interruption softened everyone's feelings of separation. Home is important, but keeping everyone, young and old, safe and healthy together is even more important!
Where there are people, there is a home!
Old Master Tai took a deep breath and called out to everyone, "Let's go into the mountains!"
Everyone responded, "Here we come, here we come!"
The luggage was picked up again, and they supported the elderly, held the hands of children, and carried food, thick clothes and bedding. They quickly disappeared into the mountains and forests, leaving behind the quiet mountain village, which became even more deserted as the north wind blew!
Taijia Village, Liujia Village and Zhangjia Village are not very big or rich among the villages near Tai'an, but their combined population is about five or six hundred.
Taijia Village is particularly famous in Tai'an because of its cashmere clothing business, corn planting, and ice lantern carving in the city.
Now the village is suddenly empty and everyone has left. The news spread and caused a small sensation.
Many families who were hesitant about seeking refuge also began to pack up their things and prepare to take shelter as well.
Of course, most people talked about it in private with disdain.
"Isn't the old man from the Tai family a formidable figure? He used to kill people from the underworld and annihilate wolf packs, and he was so brazen that everyone wanted to call him an old hero. What's wrong with him now? Is he scared out of his wits?"
"Who knows? We don't know what's wrong with this old man! There are tens of thousands of troops on the border, and the walls are high and thick. The Russian devils don't have wings, how can they fly over here?"
"Maybe they made a fortune and did something bad, so they're afraid that if something goes wrong, their family will be the first to suffer."
“That’s hard to say!”
It’s not bad for those who say these words, at least they just move their mouths.
There were also some daring ones who thought that since the three villages were deserted, they could sneak in. If they could find some good stuff, they would make a small fortune and have a good New Year.
Taijia Village, in particular, had previously made a lot of money from its cashmere clothing business. Should they be allowed to prosper, while everyone else shouldn't share in the profits?
That night, five or six people gathered together and sneaked into the entrance of Taijia Village. Their primary target was of course the Taijia compound.
The two men squatted at the foot of the Tai family's courtyard wall, used their shoulders as a ladder, and carried their brothers to the top of the wall.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the brothers entered the yard, there was no movement.
The two men stood guard and waited, but there was no movement at all.
So, one of them shouted at the top of his voice, "Hey, Li Laosi, are you guys okay? Did you find anything good?"
There was no response in the yard except the sound of the wind.
The two of them became increasingly anxious, and began to discuss, "Has something happened? Let's run!"
But even though they said this, they were afraid that if they really got something in return, they would lose the right to share the spoils because they deserted.
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