After a night, although the medicinal soup seemed to have little effect, Xiaoman's grandparents and Xu Dazhu were in good spirits.
Xu Dazhu's gastrointestinal problems began after he became paralyzed.
Because of food-related issues, I've been experiencing diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and bloating in turn.
At first, I drank the herbal medicine, but after one or two times, I ran out of money to buy more medicine, so I just had to boil it myself.
Each time it takes ten days to half a month to gradually relax, and then it all starts all over again.
This time, Jiang Zhi had Xiaoman boil some herbs for Xu Dazhu to drink, and his bloating was relieved in the middle of the night.
It seems that the herbs Aunt Jiang mentioned might actually be effective.
This realization filled Xu Dazhu with confidence, and he hoped that Aunt Jiang could gradually improve his health.
It rained for two more days, and the sky finally cleared up in mid-March.
With the rain no longer an obstacle, Jiangzhi can now officially begin digging for medicinal herbs.
However, she still needs to confirm one more thing.
Thirteen days have passed since the Zhao family was killed in the wildfire, and the body was buried in the rainy night, but there has been no movement down the mountain.
To be safe, one must know oneself and one's enemy. Jiang Zhi also needs to have some understanding of the dynamics in the village.
The road up the mountain was blocked, so she took the unconventional route.
Xu Errui was left to look after the two families, while he took Xiaoman on a detour, walking along the ridge and through the woods, until they quietly arrived at the cliff edge closest to the village.
The rain has stopped and the sky is clear, revealing a rare blue sky and white clouds.
The sun felt warm and cozy on my skin, as if it were truly springtime in March. I just wanted to bask in the sun for a while.
Under the blue sky, the forests burned by wildfires have lost their evergreen leaves and are scarred, like a bald patch on the top of a head.
The only saving grace is that tender grass is already eagerly sprouting from the rain-soaked ground, and it should soon regain its vitality.
Jiang Zhi lay on the rocks at the edge of the cliff, peering down at the village below.
Before her lay the small village of just over twenty households, silent as death.
Jiang Zhi remained expressionless.
She made a special trip to this mountain, hoping to see the village children fighting and crying, the adults carrying plows to the fields, the cattle and sheep defecating all over the village, the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs, and a lively village...
She used to think it was just noise, but now she realizes that this chaos actually means peace and prosperity for the country.
The village houses are now completely unrecognizable.
The ruins, the collapsed walls and broken beams, drenched by the rain, left the remaining mud walls and thatched roofs standing dejectedly, utterly lifeless.
The houses were all destroyed, almost burned to the ground. Not only was there no sign of Xu Youcai's family, but even the refugees walking along the official road outside the village were unwilling to stop in the village. When they passed by, they hurriedly walked and ran.
Xiaoman, standing to the side, glared with eyes that seemed to spit fire, gritting her teeth and saying hatefully, "It must have been Xu Youcai and his gang who did it. Not only did they burn down the village, but they also led the mutinous soldiers to kill Uncle Zhao!"
This was the consensus reached by both families after witnessing the tragedy that befell Zhao Li's family.
Because five members of Zhao Li's family were still missing, and no one had even come to collect their bodies, people speculated that Xu Youcai and his men had led a mob to commit the crimes and had captured Zhao Li's family.
Jiang Zhi did not refute it at the time. She did not know whether Xu Youcai and his group did it, but could only deduce what benefit they would gain from doing so.
The conclusion is that there is neither benefit nor harm.
I learned from Xu Errui and Xiaoman that Zhao Li's family was the only outsider in Xujia Village, and they were inevitably bullied, so the whole family was timid as mice.
When the village chief led the group to flee, Jiang Zhi was looking for people in the village. The family that hid in the cellar and didn't respond was his family.
If Xu Youcai were to occupy the village and want to expand his manpower, it wouldn't be impossible for him to be used as a human shield.
But the tragic state of the village didn't seem to be the work of Xu Youcai.
Not only was Zhao Li's family kidnapped, but Xu Youcai's entire family of more than a dozen people was also doomed.
To do something like this, it must be done by a large, organized group of people with considerable fighting ability.
Jiang Zhi shrank back, her heart pounding with panic: "It doesn't seem like Xu Youcai did it, they're probably all gone too!"
Xiaoman's anger vanished instantly, but Xiao Hei's face turned deathly pale with fright: "Aunt Jiang, they'll die too? So many of them will die too..."
He couldn't continue.
When Xu Youcai's men seized him, they still had the same imposing manner that had intimidated the refugees into not daring to fight back.
Jiang Zhi nodded.
The routed soldiers and deserters are in great danger!
These people are the real menace. They are trained, armed, and perhaps even veterans of war. They are far more terrifying than the vagrants when it comes to killing and arson.
And... Jiang Zhi plucked a withered grass and rubbed it in his hand. Even more formidable than the chaotic soldiers were the regular army.
To boost morale, officers sometimes allow their soldiers to vent their emotions during marches to relieve the stress and panic of battle.
However, it's highly unlikely that a regular army would kill people indiscriminately and leave their bodies to rot in the wilderness.
Whether it was the work of routed soldiers or the vanguard of the regular army, either way suggests that the Xujia Village area will be in the midst of a battlefield.
Beside her, fifteen-year-old Xiaoman was trembling, clutching her head and banging her body against the rocks to control her emotions.
Last time he could still see his home, but this time it was just a pile of ashes, and he felt heartbroken.
Upon hearing that Xu Youcai and his large group of people were missing and their fates unknown, even though he disliked them, they were still fellow villagers. Seeing the scene before him, the fear in his heart was unbearable.
Jiang Zhi grabbed him and dragged him away from the edge of the cliff, whispering, "Xiaoman, don't tell your grandparents too much about what's going on here."
You can say that, but don't make it sound too tragic. Xiaoman couldn't accept that her home was burned down, so the two elderly people must be even more upset.
Xiaoman nodded emphatically, her eyes red: "Aunt Jiang, I know."
Jiang Zhi looked up at the mountain called Laoyun Cliff where she currently lived.
Only then did she understand the origin of the name.
Although it's a sunny day, the area is shrouded in mist, and you can only see the trees in varying shades of light and shadow; nothing else is visible.
Back then, Xu Errui's father was in poor health, so others could open kilns near the village for easy access.
He couldn't compete with others, so he had to choose the furthest place.
Xiaoman's family was in the same situation, only their two houses were neighbors. Now it seems that they turned misfortune into blessing.
Even though Zhao Li's family moved the kiln to a mountain valley, they still couldn't escape human interference.
As for the other villagers who went up the mountain to avoid disaster, they were far away, and Jiang Zhi had no interest in going to see them.
What does it matter if we live or die? In this chaotic world, everyone only seeks to protect themselves. No one can be a living bodhisattva. Moreover, even with Xu Youcai and others leading the way, the odds are probably against us.
Xiaoman left with Jiangzhi without the slightest hesitation.
He's not stupid; his grandparents, older brother, and niece all depend on him to survive, so he doesn't have the extra love to care for others.
After visiting the village, Jiang Zhi and Xiao Man wasted no time on their way back. Putting those things aside, they knew they had to survive, and their families had to survive too.
The two began collecting herbs on hilltops untouched by wildfires.
Xu Dazhu has a sensitive stomach, which is the most pressing issue to address.
They already lack food, and if they continue like this, they will easily run out of food, and it will be twice as difficult to make up for it.
Jiang Zhi walked along the grassy slope, searching for her target.
Before long, she saw a clump of plants about a foot tall with pinnate leaves.
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