Ye Wenxue didn't go to see Suiye, but called the children to eat, and the topic naturally turned to that gang of bandits:
"The bandit stronghold is quite far from the valley, but there's internal strife inside. If we go out, we might run into some bandits. Anyway, the grain and flour we brought back today will last us for a while. Let's not go out of the stronghold to look for mountain goods for the time being. Let's stay in the valley and finish building the house as soon as possible."
Sanyuan and Su Jiu were still shaken, and nodded repeatedly.
Dazhuang and the others had no objections.
Suiye shook his head silently: "I have other things to do and only occasionally have to come out of the valley. Don't worry, it won't interfere with the work."
Ye Wenxue wished this person would leave as soon as possible to avoid trouble, so she ignored him and said, "Whatever."
Su Jiu glanced at Ye Wenxue, who was focused on eating without looking up, and then at Sui Ye, who would look up at people after taking a couple of bites. Sensing the subtle atmosphere, Su Jiu decisively buried his head in his bowl and ate heartily.
However, from that day on, Su Jiu accelerated the pace of treating Sui Ye's injuries. In addition to teaching the children to recognize herbs and cooking, he also took the initiative to help build the house.
Even without Su Jiu saying anything, Ye Wenxue knew that he was still blaming himself for almost harming Sanyuan. Thinking that it would be good for him to do more work, she let Su Jiu work hard until he was exhausted.
Suiye, on the other hand, works with incredible energy, never seeming to have a moment's rest.
They got up to work before dawn, rested for a while during lunch, and then left the valley with their baskets on their backs.
They would return in the afternoon when it was time to continue working, and their baskets were often filled with mountain produce.
Yesterday I carried back a basket full of matsutake mushrooms, today I carried a basket full of sour jujubes, and the day after tomorrow will be ripe persimmons...
After taking a shower and applying medicine at night, instead of going to sleep, he took a knife and started fiddling with something until the middle of the night.
Ye Wenxue assumed the house was almost finished and was busy planning his descent down the mountain, so he didn't pay any attention to it.
Until one night, Su Jiu secretly complained to Ye Wenxue, who had brought the noisy Shuangshuang and Siwang to see the brat:
“He went out these past few days and came back with injuries all over his body, especially yesterday. He had a huge knife wound on his back and his clothes were covered in blood. He wouldn’t let me tell you!”
Ye Wenxue was taken aback.
Yesterday afternoon, while working in the fields, I was indeed not very agile. My face was pale, and I swayed after taking a few steps, almost falling to the ground several times.
Ye Wenxue thought he was just being pampered and suffering from heatstroke, but he wouldn't go to rest, so she finished work an hour earlier than usual.
It turns out that the old wound hadn't healed before a new one was added; no wonder.
She hesitated for a moment, then decided to talk to Suiye.
It's not easy to bury someone who dies in a valley.
After looking at the rabbits that had grown a bit bigger, Shuangshuang and Siwang went back to sleep, satisfied.
Ye Wenxue walked over to Sui Ye's side, and just as she sat down, she wanted to say a few words.
Sui Ye glanced at Ye Wenxue with restraint, and before she could speak, he made up an excuse to leave.
Ye Wenxue looked for several days but couldn't find a suitable opportunity to follow Ye Liaoliao, and the stalemate continued until the day the earthen house was completed.
Considering that the children might want to sleep alone, Ye Wenxue specially designed several extra rooms. On the east and west sides, there was a kitchen on one side and a vegetable garden on the other. Several plots of land next to them were fenced off to raise chickens, sheep, and rabbits.
The geese were also placed in a fenced-off area and lived there alone.
To better store the sweet potatoes, Ye Wenxue dug two cellars of moderate depth.
It was already late autumn, but the temperature had not dropped; in fact, it was even drier than the sweltering summer.
Sui Ye led Su Jiu to Ye Wenxue, who was taking care of a child. His gaze swept over her face with suppressed intensity before lowering it after a moment.
"The house is finished. I plan to go down the mountain tomorrow to the neighboring county town, Longxing Prefecture. It's the fiefdom of a prince who keeps a private army. It's safer than Tanzhou City, and it's also more convenient to rent a carriage and buy horses there."
After wiping Yuanyuan's sweat, Ye Wenxue pondered for a moment and then looked up: "How far is it from the valley? I'll see if I can give you a ride and buy some winter supplies while I'm at it."
The people of Shanqing Village had planned to go to Longxing Prefecture from the beginning, which was exactly the reason Sui Ye said: there was a vassal king in charge.
The people in the fiefdoms were able to maintain a normal life and barely survive.
Sui Ye's eyes flickered slightly: "It will probably take two days to go there."
After thinking for a moment, Ye Wenxue immediately finalized the plan to go shopping.
Dazhuang had been training in martial arts with Ye Wenxue for some time now. He wouldn't say he could fight several people, but he could definitely protect himself in the valley. He patted his chest and guaranteed it.
"Mother, don't worry, I will take good care of my younger sisters and brothers and not let them leave the valley."
Just like my mother said, this summer was too long and too hot, and winter may see a sudden drop in temperature and heavy snow blocking the mountains.
Winter lasts for several months, and even if you have some food stored up at home, it won't be enough to last until spring.
Moreover, there are only two thin quilts and a few quilted clothes at home, which may not be enough to keep warm.
He can endure it, but his younger siblings, especially Yuanyuan, may not be able to withstand the harsh winter.
Doctor Su is also going down the mountain. His Sanyuan Medical Skills are not yet fully developed... Rather than worrying about food and warmth in winter, it's better to make thorough preparations in advance.
Even if the weather is abnormal this year and winter doesn't arrive, we can still prepare for next year.
Sui Ye and Su Jiu both gave Da Zhuang a deep look. This guy was really clever and insightful, unlike a child who was not even ten years old.
Ordinary children may understand what adults say, but they rarely actually put it into practice.
Let alone children, even adults are the same way—like Su Jiu, he knows that eating sweets is bad for his teeth, but how can he resist eating them?!
After finalizing the plan to go down the mountain to buy supplies, Ye Wenxue spent the night organizing her belongings in the cave, sorting out the things she needed to buy for the winter, and instructing Dazhuang to ventilate the house for a few days until she returned before moving out...
The next morning, Ye Wenxue carried her bundle and followed Sui Ye and the other two down the mountain.
Ye Wenxue had never been to the mountain road leading to Longxing Prefecture before, and the journey was quite unfamiliar to her.
Su Jiu had taught Sanyuan for a while and had developed some affection for him. He was reluctant to part with him and talked to Ye Wenxue a lot, asking her to take better care of the shy and quiet Sanyuan. He even forced a few taels of silver into Sanyuan's hand to buy him some food.
Ye Wenxue initially listened patiently to his rambling, but later she got annoyed whenever Su Jiu spoke and told him to walk ahead and not look back.
When they saw the fairly bustling town at the foot of the mountain, they all felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings of emotion and reflection).
"You go ahead, I have something to say to her." Sui Ye made up his mind and asked Su Jiu to leave.
Lost in the reverie of going home, Su Jiu didn't think much of it and left first.
Ye Wenxue happened to have something to say, so she led her people to a secluded place and took out a gold token:
"Here, I didn't originally intend to return it to you, but considering you've done a good job lately, I'll return it to you."
Sui Ye looked quietly at the ancestral heirloom handed over, and as he reached out to take it, he gripped Ye Wenxue's hand tightly.
Ye Wenxue subconsciously stepped back and slapped Sui Ye's hand: "Go, we'll meet again someday."
Sui Ye stared at her with a deep gaze. Just as Ye Wenxue thought he was about to say something offensive and turned to leave, Sui Ye quickly put away the token and said softly:
"Huo Zhaoqing, my name is Huo Zhaoqing. If you wish to remarry in the future, would you consider me?"
Ye Wenxue frowned slightly.
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