Chapter 166: The Fall of the City
Uncle Xu didn't have to wait too long, and got the small cloth bag after more than an hour. He thanked him and told him to be careful, then he took many detours and returned to the small courtyard in the west of the city.
When Shen Jin received the cloth bag from Uncle Xu and knew what was inside, tears started to fall. He knelt down and kowtowed three times to Uncle Xu, leaving a red mark on his forehead.
During this period, Chen Tie was fed salt and sugar water again, and he was still asleep. Shen Yin drank two bowls of salt and sugar water, and now he can open his eyes when he hears noises. When Manager Xu and others took him away, he was actually still conscious and heard everything he should have heard. He turned his head to see his brother crying, and kowtowed to Uncle Xu. He guessed something and tears rolled down his eyes.
Wei Lingzhen couldn't bear it, so she held her sore nose, turned around and went out to find a small jar of suitable size and handed it to Shen Jin. Shen Jin held it and cried for a while, then put it away, asked Wei Lingzhen for a piece of cloth to wrap it again, and then put it away in his bag.
…
Li's life ended like this. Compared with most people in this chaotic era, he was extremely lucky to have someone to bury him and his several young children were rescued.
Uncle Xu didn't need to go to the city wall, so he just dug a tunnel with Manager Xu and his son. Wei Lingzhen looked at the situation of Shen Yin and Shen Tie, and seeing that it was almost noon, he also started to pack up.
In fact, there was nothing to pack. All the valuables were in the small bags that the mother and daughter brought with them when they came from Shezhou, along with some things belonging to Manager Xu and Uncle Xu, and some remaining salt.
As for rice, there was none left. Wei Lingzhen shook the rice bag again and again, but only a tiny bit of rice could be scraped out on the palm of her hand. When spread out, it was not much bigger than two copper coins.
She took a small clay pot, filled half of it with water, and cooked all the rice. When it was cooked, she scooped out all the rice grains that could be scooped out, added another bowl of rice soup, and shared it among the three brothers. She let the remaining rice soup dry in the pot, and after it cooled down, she filled it with a water bag.
There are three water bags at home, one for boiled water, one for rice soup, and one for the salt and sugar water that can be dissolved at the end.
They drank the cold boiled water themselves, and as for the rice soup and salt and sugar water, they didn't know whether it would be convenient to make a fire and cook when they went out, so Shen Yin and Shen Tie had to prepare food first.
Shen Jin and Wei Lingzhen fed the two younger brothers rice soup. When Wei Lingzhen asked him to drink the remaining soup, he saw that none of the Xu family members came up to eat. He asked and found out that this was the last bit of rice cooked by the Xu family. The remaining half was filled up in a water bag to save for Xiaoyin and Xiaotie.
No one knows what Shen Jin has really been through these days. His father was so hungry that he had to eat him and his sisters, but it was the Xu family, who were almost strangers, who rescued the three brothers and gave them the last bit of food to keep them alive.
A tear fell into the bowl, splashing ripples in the remaining rice soup.
Seeing him like this, Wei Lingzhen said, "Don't worry too much. We have hidden some food outside. We should be able to escape tonight and have food to eat then. That's why we are keeping an eye on you first. If we really don't have anything to eat ourselves, we won't be able to help you even if we want to. You will have to stand up on your own by then."
Shen Jin raised his hand to wipe away his tears, then looked up at Wei Lingzhen and said, "Xu Bo Niang, thank you for saving us. My brothers and I will remember your kindness forever, and we will definitely repay you when we are able to do so!"
Then he thought it was too empty to talk about the future, so he said quickly: "My eldest brother taught me how to trap pheasants and rabbits, and I also know a lot of wild vegetables. When I go out, I will definitely find a way to get some food so that you, Uncle Xu, Grandpa Xu, and my two brothers can also eat meat and vegetables."
Wei Lingzhen laughed when she heard this and said, "Okay, then grow up well. Only by surviving can you have a future."
In the end, Shen Jin was reluctant to drink more of the rice soup, so he fed two spoonfuls to Chen Tie, who was in the worst condition. The last two mouthfuls were his own. Naturally, he was not full, so he added some cold boiled water to rinse it and drank the water to feel full.
Wei Lingzhen didn't stop them when she saw it. If the younger one didn't eat more, it would be really dangerous.
…
The Xu family had run out of food. After waiting for so many days in the cave, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan gradually lost hope.
Chen Dashan asked, "As for Wei Qinghe, the food we left for him should be almost gone, right?"
Are Manager Xu and his men really digging a tunnel?
Chen Dashan and Shen Lie are not so sure now.
Chen Lie paced in the dark cave for several steps and said, "Let's wait until tonight. Even if they have dug through the tunnel now, they probably won't dare to come out in broad daylight. If they haven't come out by daybreak, they may not come out."
He gritted his teeth and said, "Then let's go back."
They have been out for too long, and the people in the valley are still worried. After waiting for so long, they must have been able to dig out. If they haven't come out yet, there is only one possibility, that Manager Xu didn't dig the tunnel. In this case, no matter how long they wait, it will be in vain.
As he was speaking, he suddenly looked up towards the ground. Chen Dashan also heard something wrong. The sound of war drums and shouting, compared with the occasional noises in the past few days, seemed particularly wrong. Was it too intense?
The two men's faces changed, and they both went up a few steps on the dug steps, lifted the lid of the shelter a little and listened carefully.
As the lid was opened, the sound became clearer and Chen Lie's palms suddenly began to sweat.
The city was broken?
This sound is too much like the morale boost and excitement that occurs when a siege is successful.
…
At the same time, in the city, in the dilapidated house of the Xu family, Xu Wenhong came out of the tunnel excitedly. Even if he lowered his voice, he couldn't suppress the excitement in his eyes: "Mom, we dug up the roots of the tree. It's a very strong root system!"
Wei Lingzhen was also excited when he heard this and stood up suddenly.
If they found the tree roots, it meant they had found a shelter to dig out.
She asked Shen Jin to stay outside and followed her son into the tunnel to check the situation.
Shopkeeper Xu was also very happy. Together with Uncle Xu and Xu Wenqing, they had already dug a place around the tree roots that was large enough for a person to stand. They were now digging a hole upwards and had already dug a depth of nearly two feet.
Manager Xu whispered to Wei Lingzhen, "We dug half a foot deep at that time. Now we will dig three feet upwards, leaving a thickness of more than one foot. Once we dig through at night, we can leave."
The tunnel was too narrow to accommodate Wei Lingzhen, so she could only help by putting the dug soil into a dustpan.
In the main house, Shen Jin was also very excited.
They can leave at night.
He squeezed Shen Yin and Shen Tie's hands and said, "Xiao Yin, Xiao Tie, did you hear me? We can go out tonight. Once we are out of this county, I will catch pheasants and dig wild vegetables for you to eat."
Chen Tie's eyelids moved, trying to open them, but he failed.
It was Shen Yin who opened his eyes slightly and curled the corners of his lips to respond to Shen Jin.
Shen Jin touched Shen Tie's hand, and it was no longer as cold as it was this morning. Although it was just his eyelids moving, he was very happy. He wanted to say a few more words of encouragement to Shen Tie, but he seemed to hear something wrong in his ear. He tilted his ear, let go of Shen Tie's hand, got up and walked out of the main house, opened the door and went to the yard.
As soon as I entered the yard, the sound that was not very clear just now became a little clearer.
Shouts of killing?
Many people shouted and killed.
Shen Jin was stunned for a moment, then his face turned pale. He rushed to the main house and entered the tunnel.
He still remembered what Xu Wenhong had told him, that he could not speak loudly here, and could only run quickly. When he ran to the end of the tunnel, he pulled Xu Wenhong who was standing at the outermost part and said, "Brother Wenhong, Uncle Xu, something is wrong. There are a lot of people shouting outside. Did the bandits break in?"
The expressions of Shopkeeper Xu and his companions suddenly changed.
He thrust the hoe into his youngest son's hand and said, "Keep digging, dig faster!"
He called Uncle Xu and Wei Lingzhen, "Quick, go block the gate, grab our belongings, and carry the child into the tunnel."
The three adults ran out in a flash. Xu Wenqing and Xu Wenhong began to dig the exit upwards at a very fast speed. Shen Jin was worried about Shen Yin and Shen Tie who were still upstairs, but when he heard that Manager Xu had not forgotten his brother, he didn't care anymore. He picked up the hoe thrown by Uncle Xu and started digging the fallen soil into a pile of earthen steps. He stood on it and helped dig the exit upwards.
The bandits have entered the city, and racing against time means racing against life.
…
As soon as Shopkeeper Xu came out of the tunnel, he heard the noise of siege in the city every day, but there was always a distance between them. The sound today was different, it was too close, and getting closer and closer. Moreover, hearing the sound, it was obvious that the city was in chaos.
Without saying a word, he and Uncle Xu went to find something to prop up the gate. Actually, there was nothing that could be used to prop it up. When the family left, they took away everything they could, including firewood. As for things that could not be taken away, such as furniture, Manager Xu mostly chopped them up for firewood. Now they could only use some wooden boards to prop up the gate.
After the two men propped up the courtyard gate and waited for Wei Lingzhen to get all the things, Uncle Xu picked up an axe that was placed in the yard, and the three of them retreated into the main house together. They also moved the only remaining eight-immortal table in the main house over and blocked the door of the main house.
Wei Lingzhen first carried Shen Yin down the tunnel, then turned back to carry Shen Tie, and took Shen Jin's bag and kitchen knife. Then he returned to the tunnel and quickly took over the work from Shen Jin.
Shen Jin didn't say much. He didn't have much strength and was small. Even if he stepped on the mud and held up the hoe, he couldn't reach the height. He couldn't dig as well as Xu's aunt. He gave up his position, took out the small bow, put a handful of stones in his pocket, and held the kitchen knife, standing in front of Shen Yin and Shen Tie who were lying on the ground side by side.
In the main room, Shopkeeper Xu bolted the door and turned to the bed. He dug out a dagger from under the mattress and took out a small medicine bottle from his bosom. It was the one that Chen Lie had given him for self-defense. He and Uncle Xu stood on the left and right of the eight-immortal table, listening attentively to the noise outside.
The shouting, crying, screaming and killing sounds were now close enough to be heard clearly.
"This house belongs to us!"
Wei Lingzhen, her mother and her two sons dug desperately in the tunnel, not caring about skills. The dirt fell all over their heads, faces and bodies. They only wanted to dig the exit as soon as possible.
The gate of the courtyard was slammed with a bang. Manager Xu's breathing became heavier and the veins on his hand holding the dagger bulged.
Shen Jin ran to the entrance to see what was going on. When he heard the noise outside, he hurried back: "Hurry up, someone is knocking on the gate."
Xu Wenqing's eyes turned red and he dug fiercely.
In the passage lit only by a dim oil lamp, he shoveled forward, a large piece of soil fell, and with it a small piece of skylight!
It’s connected!
Even Shen Jin noticed the light and turned to look.
"I'll go call Grandpa Xu and Uncle Xu."
He ran out as fast as he could.
The gate had been knocked open, and Shen Jin ran to the entrance: "Quick, quick, dig it through!"
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu no longer cared about what was happening outside and followed Xiao Jin into the tunnel. Xu Wenqing just dug, quickly expanding the entrance to a size where one person could pass through.
Not knowing what was going on outside, Xu Wenqing stuck his head out first and saw a forest. Perhaps the bandits had rushed into the city. He looked around and saw no one there, so Xu Wenqing quickly pushed himself up with his hands and went up.
Next came Xu Wenhong, Shen Yin, Chen Tie and Shen Jin. Wei Lingzhen and Manager Xu passed the money to them from below, and Xu Wenqing received it from above.
All the children went up, and Wei Lingzhen was also pushed up by Manager Xu. After Wei Lingzhen went up, Manager Xu handed her two hoes and a shovel, and told Uncle Xu to hurry up.
Uncle Xu was unwilling to leave first.
"Ah Lang, hurry up."
There was another noise outside the tunnel. It was the table being pushed away. Shopkeeper Xu said nothing more and went up in a few steps. He was pulled up by Xu Wenqing and Wei Lingzhen together.
One could even hear the bandits in the passage shouting excitedly: "There's a tunnel! Chase after it!"
He didn't say much, and asked Xu Wenqing to quickly pull Uncle Xu, Wei Lingzhen and Xu Wenhong to pick up Shen Yin and Shen Tie. He hid the dagger, took out the small medicine bottle and dipped the tip of the hoe into it. The tips of the two hoes were quickly dipped in the medicine.
At this time, Uncle Xu had already come up. He had only walked three steps out of the tunnel when a strong man came out of the tunnel.
Shopkeeper Xu was already waiting there, and he started to hoe right away.
He was not a man with any talent for fighting, and the hoe did not accurately hit the man's head, neck, and other vital parts, but only hit the man's arm.
There's blood, there's blood!
Shopkeeper Xu's eyes were shining with excitement.
The man didn't know what he was about to face. He screamed in pain, grabbed the hoe in anger, pulled it out, and climbed up.
Shopkeeper Xu was not as strong as him. After the man pulled out the hoe, he still held it in his hand, and he couldn't move it at all. Xu Wenqing and Uncle Xu at the side hurriedly picked up the hoe and shovel to help, but before the shovel could hit him, the strong man only climbed halfway and his movements became stalled.
Shopkeeper Xu pulled back his hoe, and this time he pulled it out easily.
"Go! Go!"
He let Wei Lingzhen and the others go, and he stayed at the entrance of the cave. If there was any way to kill the bandits who were chasing them, the most effective way would be to use the terrain of the cave, which was only wide enough for one person to climb out, to swing a poisoned hoe at them.
The three robbers chased in. When they saw the first one climbing up scream, they knew he was attacked. He was still trying to climb up, but then his movements slowed down again. He asked loudly, "Second brother, what's wrong with you?"
The second one was dragged down by his two companions, and his lips began to turn black.
These three were originally brothers from the same family. How could they let their brothers go when they were killed? Especially since the quilts and mattresses they had just seen were all brocade quilts.
He lived in a shabby house, but he was covered with a brocade quilt and had a tunnel. It was obvious that the rich man had deliberately found this shabby house near the city wall to dig a tunnel and escape.
Bandits also have their own rules. They cannot rob rich families, so they can only rob small families. If they come across a fat sheep among the small families, how can they let it go?
But the two brothers were not stupid. They knew how their second son died and they knew that poison was used. They were not stupid enough to rush to die immediately.
The boss rushed up and shouted, "If you have the guts, guard this cave entrance."
He turned to the third brother and said, "Third brother, go call someone!"
The third brother agreed but did not really leave. He was just putting pressure on the people above him. The fat sheep would naturally be divided among the brothers.
Manager Xu really didn't dare to defend it, and he knew he couldn't do it. There were too many bandits over there, and if too many people came, even ten of them would not be enough to kill them all.
He motioned to Uncle Xu to leave, but Uncle Xu turned away and tightened his grip on the hoe in his hand: "I'll guard here, you go!"
Every moment you can hold on is a moment of victory.
Manager Xu was not willing to let him guard the place because if he did, he would die. Besides, even if he risked his life, he would not be able to buy much more time.
Shopkeeper Xu couldn't bear to risk Uncle Xu's life for such a short time, so he grabbed Uncle Xu and said, "Let's go together!"
Xu Wenqing was eager to go over and help. Just as he was about to take a step, Shen Jin beside him suddenly shouted in a suppressed excitement: "Brother!"
Following his line of sight, I saw a tall young man who looked to be around 20 years old standing behind the bushes.
Shen Lie took the initiative to expose himself to Shen Jin, and only asked the little guy to call him "big brother" before he pressed his hand to his lips.
Shen Jin quickly covered his mouth.
But this one sound was enough for Shopkeeper Xu to hear. He followed Shen Jin's gaze and when he saw who was standing behind the bushes, he was so excited that he wanted to thank God.
Deep and fierce!
Looking to the side, there is also Chen Dashan!!
God please save their family!!!
Shopkeeper Xu's throat rolled over. He felt that he must have done a lot of good deeds in his previous life.
Chen Lie and Chen Dashan had already taken their bows. They waved to Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu, signaling them to run. Then they pulled arrows from the quivers on their backs and drew their bows.
Shopkeeper Xu understood immediately and raised two fingers to remind Chen Lie and Chen Dashan of the number of bandits. After seeing the two nodded, he withdrew his fingers and said to Uncle Xu, "Let's go! Whoever stays here will die. We can't hold on for long. We can't outlast them. Run."
Uncle Xu also saw Chen Lie and Chen Dashan, and knew that he was saying this for the bandits below. When Shen Jin called them "Big Brother", they knew that it was Chen Lie who came. The bandits would just think that the person the child was calling was originally a member of this family, and would not think much about it.
He also cooperated, sighed, stamped his feet, and ran away with Manager Xu.
The two of them ran wildly in the direction of Wei Lingzhen and the others. The family fled forward in a panic, shouting to run faster all the time. Their voices clearly exposed their location.
The two bandits below felt relieved, and the two brothers took turns climbing up. The first one who came out only had eyes for the fleeing Shopkeeper Xu and his family, and didn't notice that there was someone behind the bushes in front of him.
One person climbed up, but Chen Lie didn't move.
He waited for the second one to come up before taking two steps. The second step hadn't even landed yet. Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had a tacit understanding after working together for several years, so they didn't even need to discuss it a little. The arrows in their hands were shot out at the same time.
The two bandits who were about to chase the fat sheep with their knives raised only heard the sound of breaking air. The hairs on their backs stood up and they realized the danger. Before they could even see where the danger came from, they felt a pain in their hearts and their bodies stiffened. They stood still and lowered their heads in disbelief, only to see a trembling arrow feather in front of their chest.
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