Chapter 167 Embarrassment
The Xu family members who were running forward while keeping an eye on the situation behind them didn't react in time. Chen Dashan and Shen Lie who were behind the tree had already rushed out quickly, stabbed the two bandits who were not yet dead with their swords, sending them to death. Then they pulled out the iron arrows equipped in the army and took away the swords from the two bandits, which were also confiscated from the dead soldiers.
The movements were so decisive and the expressions so calm, it seemed as if they were only reaping prey, and collecting the weapons was just like skinning and pulling out the tendons of the prey during the hunt.
The Xu family members couldn't help but stop, they were shocked on the one hand, and exhausted after escaping death on the other. For example, Wei Lingzhen, not only her legs were weak, her whole body was weak. If she wasn't holding Shen Yin in her arms, she would have collapsed.
The whole family almost died here today.
Shen Lie took big steps and walked quickly. In a few steps, he was already in front of the Xu family. He looked at everyone and finally asked Shen Jin: "Where is Tian Ya?"
Shen Jin's eyes suddenly turned red, and he pursed his lips and shook his head.
Shen Lie had already guessed something when he saw that only three brothers came out of the cave. At this moment, his nose felt a little sour. He took a deep breath to suppress the sour feeling. Without asking any more questions, he handed the confiscated knife to Xu Wenqing beside Shen Jin: "Take it for self-defense."
He turned to Shopkeeper Xu and said, "We can't delay any longer. While the city is in chaos, we have to leave immediately. Dashan and I will explore the way and be on guard. You and Uncle Xu can help hold Xiaoyin and Xiaotie."
Shopkeeper Xu nodded repeatedly, and hurriedly handed the hoe in his hand to his eldest son to carry, and reminded him that the hoe tip was poisonous and asked him to be careful. He took Shen Yin from his wife, and explained to Shen Lie that Shen Yin and Shen Tie were very hungry, and then said: "I have some food hidden in the shelter."
He was very hungry, and as Shen Lie guessed, he nodded: "I know about the food, but we can't go now. We are too many people. The city has just been breached, and the bandits have no energy to manage the outside of the city. Now is the best time to escape. It will be difficult to escape after they have spared their energy. Besides, the tunnel here can be discovered at any time. You can't take much food with you at a time. It would be bad if you expose your location."
Shopkeeper Xu didn't ask any more questions: "I'll do as you say."
Uncle Xu also took Shen Tie from Xu Wenhong. Chen Dashan gave the knife to Xu Wenhong and explored the way forward. Shen Lie looked at the situation of Shen Yin and Shen Tie, and saw that only Shen Yin could open his eyes and look at him. He opened his mouth weakly, and judging from his lip shape, he seemed to want to call him.
His eyes were a little red. He squeezed Shen Yin's hand and said, "Don't be afraid." He then waved his hand to let Manager Xu and his group follow him, and protected them as they disappeared into the forest.
Xu Wenqing and Xu Wenhong carried the hoe on their shoulders and held the knife in their hands. Their hands were shaking with excitement. In addition to being alert to their surroundings, they occasionally glanced at Shen Lie and Chen Dashan who had already gone ahead.
It turns out that these are the Chen Lie and Chen Dashan that Dad and Wenbo mentioned.
This is what divine soldiers descending from the sky are like.
No one noticed the young man's excitement. Manager Xu and his group were still nervous, afraid of exposing their whereabouts. Apart from the initial few sentences, they didn't dare to say a single word more.
…
It was quite difficult for Chen Lie and Chen Dashan to get here in the beginning, but now that all the bandits have rushed into the city, it is easy to return. They just need to hide in the mountains and forests and watch out for the bandits and refugees who were at the sentry post and are now heading towards the county town. They don't need to take a two-day detour like they did before.
There were indeed sentries, but they should be farther away. They did encounter some that were closer. They heard the noise of the city being broken and were heading towards the county town. Chen Lie and his group were hiding in the woods and sneaking around, so they were not discovered by them.
As for the villagers who had fled into the mountains nearby, none of them could be seen outside.
Therefore, in just an hour and a half, Chen Lie and Chen Dashan led the old and young into the forest surrounding Shili Village.
Because they had been walking in the mountains, Shen Jinchu did not realize that they were taking the road back to the village. It was not until he became more and more familiar with the nearby mountains that he was stunned.
Not joy, but panic.
He was seized by a panic that spread from the bottom of his heart. His steps slowed down and his eyes began to turn red. However, he did not dare to let anyone know and lowered his head slightly.
"Brother and your parents, that's it. There are some things I can't let you know. I hope you don't blame me. I taught you the skills. You should practice well. You can hunt and survive in the mountains. As long as there is no severe drought or epidemic, you can rely on these mountains to survive. Do you understand?"
It has been less than four months since he left the family, but to Yu Shenjin it felt as long as a lifetime of torture. However, no matter how long it seemed, he still remembered clearly what his elder brother and Xiao An said to him before they left.
That day he got the slingshot he had been longing for for a long time, and also got a hole dug for him by his elder brother and Xiao An. He returned home happily, looking forward to the next morning when he would carry his little bow and train with his elder brother, Xiao An and several other children, just like usual.
But when he went back the next morning, there was no training, and the room was empty waiting for him.
All the people who had trained with him left, and only he was left behind.
He knew the reason, so he was just sad and not resentful.
No one dared to involve them in the things that their parents did, but their eldest brother, sister-in-law, Xiao An and Aning treated them very well.
At that time, Shen Jin also felt that he would be able to survive since he had learned a skill, had a cave, had the support of the mountains, and followed his parents. But after experiencing the nightmare in Qiyang County, he no longer had that confidence.
Without anyone to shelter him, he couldn't protect anyone, not even himself.
His steps became heavier and heavier, but he had no idea how to start.
Can you please take them away, brother?
How much food is needed to feed these three brothers?
There are bandits everywhere, and the land cannot be cultivated. How can we survive without food?
Will it be like their home in the end?
Shen Jin couldn't bring himself to say that. His elder brother and sister-in-law didn't owe them anything. The family had been divided long ago, and even the relationship between the two branches was severed. His elder brother went into the mountains but still came out from time to time to check on him, bring him dried meat, and ask people to take care of him. He also saved them from that cannibalistic place. It was already a huge favor.
Shen Jin just didn't dare to think about what he would do if he met someone who treated people as food again.
He didn't dare cry out loud, wiped his tears, lowered his head and followed behind everyone, watching his eldest brother and Dashan brother lead everyone to the shelter that his eldest brother had dug for him in a familiar manner, and watched his eldest brother half-kneel down and reach out to lift the cover of the shelter.
Shen Jin lowered his head even lower, trying to hold back his tears, but they didn't listen to him at all. They didn't even make half a circle in his eye sockets before falling down again.
…
As soon as the lid of the shelter was lifted, Wei Qinghe, who had been closing his eyes to conserve his energy inside, was startled. When he saw who had lifted the lid, he jumped out excitedly.
"Shen Lie!"
He walked up the small steps inside and came out of the cave. When he saw that besides his brother-in-law and Uncle Xu, his sister and two nephews were also there, he rushed out of the cave with all his hands and feet: "Sister! Wenqing, Wenhong!"
He hugged his two nephews.
Shen Jin thought that it was his eldest brother who was sending the three brothers back to the shelter and was about to leave. With tears still on his eyelashes, he stared blankly at a strange young man who came out of his shelter.
Chen Dashan glanced at Shen Jin and then looked away without making a sound.
Shen Lie's thoughts now fell on Shen Yin and Shen Tie, especially Shen Tie who was obviously much weaker.
He put down the weapons in his hands and the things on his back, took the heavy iron from Uncle Xu, and asked Shopkeeper Xu: "Shopkeeper Xu, it's not convenient to ask along the way, what's the situation with the children?"
Ever since Shopkeeper Xu saw his brother-in-law coming out of the shelter, he knew that they were temporarily safe. The heart that had been carrying him all the way finally relaxed. He took the water bag filled with salt, sugar and rice soup for the two children from his wife, and together with Shen Lie, they fed Shen Yin and Shen Tie. Then he talked about the situation in the county.
"On the day we entered the city, Uncle Xu and I deliberately watched from the city gate, and we recognized the faces of several children. We also asked Uncle Xu to go with us to see where they were settled. Before that, Xiao Jin hunted some things, and we watched Shen San exchange for food. Uncle Xu also exchanged a lot for them before, so we didn't think we would be out of food. On my side, for some reasons, my wife and children were not safe in Shezhou, so they came here for refuge. At that time, most of the food was transferred to the shelter outside the city by us. There was not much food left in the city, and we were not prepared for the city gate to be suddenly closed. In order to escape, we moved most of the food at home to a small courtyard near the city wall. Later, the city recruited soldiers, and Uncle Xu was conscripted because he filled in the name of the household when he bought the courtyard. Our family hid in the house and dug a tunnel. Yesterday, we dug under the foundation of the city wall. This morning I thought about going to see what happened to these children you asked me to take care of."
At this point, Shopkeeper Xu couldn't help but shook his head. Seeing Shen Lie looking at him, he sighed and said, "It was tragic. The youngest Tian Ya was gone when Uncle Xu and I arrived. Shen San and his wife..."
He glanced at Shen Yin, who was already drinking rice soup with his eyes slightly open, and Shen Tie, who was subconsciously swallowing salt and sugar water, and stopped talking. He winked at his wife and Uncle Xu, signaling them to come over and take over the care of the two children, and took Shen Lie to the other side. He said, "I don't know the details. Today is urgent, so I don't have the opportunity and I don't have the heart to ask in detail, but it should be that your third uncle ate... that, and secretly sent Tian Ya out. Maybe Li found out and took action in the middle of the night while he was sleeping. He used an axe, but maybe he was too hungry for too long and didn't have enough strength, so he couldn't succeed in one blow. In the end, he was stabbed with bloody holes by the scissors, and both the couple are gone."
Shopkeeper Xu couldn't bear to say those two words, but Chen Lie understood them. He was so angry that his breathing became heavy, and he clenched his teeth to prevent himself from calling him a beast.
It’s impossible to imagine how the children have been getting through these days, and what Tian Ya has been through.
Shopkeeper Xu continued, "When we arrived, the shack was in a terrible state. Only Xiao Jin was still standing. The two younger ones were so hungry that they lay on the ground. There was a group of people with bad intentions surrounding us. Uncle Xu and I took the two children and Xiao Jin to the clinic, but we were followed by people behind us."
That means they are determined to treat these children as prey.
Shen Lie clenched his fists until they made a clattering sound. He turned back to look at Shen Yin and Shen Tie and asked, "What did the doctor say?"
"They were saved and fed on earth cakes for a few days. Fortunately, Mrs. Li was still conscious and would rather starve them than let them eat more. She only gave them a small amount every day to keep them alive. We found a way to get some salt, sugar water and rice soup to feed them first. If we take good care of them for a while, they will recover."
Chen Lie clasped his fists and bowed deeply to Shopkeeper Xu: "Thank you very much for taking the risk to save Brother Xiao Jin under such circumstances."
He sincerely thanked him, but Shopkeeper Xu didn't dare to accept it. He was so scared that he hurried to help him: "How can you say that? My mother and children are under your protection. You have entrusted us with your care. We, a family of five, were able to escape safely this time thanks to you and Dashan. How dare I accept your thanks? We should thank you and Dashan instead."
"Besides, doing good deeds will bring good results. I really believe this today. To be honest, if I hadn't saved a few children and been caught by that malicious person, I'm afraid Uncle Xu would have died on the city wall today."
Uncle Xu was soft-hearted for a moment and promised Shen Jin to collect Li's body if possible. Later, he found out that someone was targeting them, so he asked Uncle Xu to find an opportunity to make arrangements. First, to collect Li's body, and second, to take two days off and not go to the city wall and hide at home.
"If it hadn't happened, when the city was breached, Uncle Xu would have been near the tower and I don't know what would have happened to him. I don't know if he could have returned to the courtyard safely, let alone escape. If our family had waited for Uncle Xu and he hadn't arrived, we would have been delayed for a while longer, and we don't know what the outcome would have been."
Chen Lie heard about this incident and asked, "Has Chen San also been buried?"
Shopkeeper Xu shook his head: "Of course not. He is not worthy of such a person." He told Shen Lie about Shen Jin's reaction at that time.
Shen Lie nodded and thanked Shopkeeper Xu again before turning back to check on Shen Yin and Shen Tie.
Shopkeeper Xu finally had the chance to ask, "How come you and Dashan are right next to our exit?"
Chen Dashan smiled and said, "It's your luck."
I received the letter on the sixth day of the Chinese New Year. As the date at the end of the letter had been a while away, I was worried so I went out to check. I found that the entire Shili Village had become an empty village, and Xiao Jin and his brothers were not in the shelter or the cave. After discussing it, I went to the county town to see if I could take over the matter of Shopkeeper Xu.
"There are bandits everywhere. It's a long way to the county town. It took two days to get there. We arrived on the eighth day of the first lunar month and waited until today. When the city was breached, we heard something strange. We discussed it and decided to go out to check. When Chen Lie walked to the part where you dug the exit, he felt a little vibration under his feet. He was careful and stood still at that time. Later, he heard a faint sound when he went closer."
"Because we helped you build the shelter, we were waiting outside because we had always guessed that you would find a way to dig a tunnel out, so we suspected that it might be you. We were afraid that we might be wrong, so we retreated and hid in the bushes nearby."
There is no need for Chen Dashan to describe what happened next. The first person to come up was Xu Wenqing, followed by Xu Wenhong. He didn't recognize any of them and thought he had made a mistake. But then he found out that the three brothers Shen Yin, Chen Tie and Shen Jin were handed up.
As soon as Manager Xu came up, he took out a medicine bottle and applied poison. They didn't know that there were pursuers behind them, so they took out their bows and got ready.
Wei Lingzhen, who was listening nearby, could not help but put her hands together and bowed to the sky. Shopkeeper Xu even exclaimed, "This is a great blessing from heaven."
For safety reasons, the shelter was built at a considerable distance from the city wall, otherwise they would not have been able to dig out such a large shelter so smoothly.
The time when Chen Lie came out coincided with the time when they dug the last hole leading upwards. They just happened to meet each other like this. Isn't this a blessing from God?
He led his two sons to bow to Chen Lie and Chen Dashan and said, "Thanks to God and your help, we will always remember your kindness."
Chen Lie and Chen Dashan hurriedly moved away. Chen Dashan smiled and said, "Okay, stop thanking me."
He looked at Chen Lie: "Let's go quickly, shall we? If we wait until tomorrow, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful."
Shen Lie also nodded, and saw that the two little ones had almost finished eating. Shen Yin even had the energy to call him brother with red eyes. Shen Tie was finally able to open his eyes and asked Shen Jin: "Little Jin, can you still hold on? If you can, I will go hunt some more to fill your stomach tonight. Let's hurry on our way now and get to the cave where the letter was hidden before nightfall."
The latter sentence is said to other people.
When Shen Jin heard this, he was stunned. He was happy, terrified, and a little bit unbelieving. His lips trembled: "Brother, do you want to take us with you?"
Chen Dashan laughed. This child doesn't look like Shen San or Li at all. If there is anyone he looks like, he looks more like Shen Lie and his two siblings.
Yes, before Chen Lie went to the battlefield, he was the one who took care of and taught the older children in the family.
Chen Lie also raised his eyebrows. He looked at the shelter beside him and said, "If you don't come with me, you are going to bring Xiaoyin and Xiaotie here? Can you handle the refugees if you encounter them?"
In the past, he dared to keep people because Shen San and Li were still there. Now Shen San and Li were gone. Without adults, what was the use of trapping pheasants and rabbits? What was the use of having a shelter? You couldn't stay in the shelter forever.
With refugees and bandits everywhere, these three children would be like sheep that could be slaughtered at will. They wouldn't need any special abilities, as any adult could easily control them.
Shen Jin finally reacted, shook his head repeatedly, and knelt down: "I can't handle it. I beg my elder brother and sister-in-law to take care of us for a few years and save Xiaoyin and Xiaotie. After they recover, you don't have to give us food. I will hunt, dig wild vegetables and pick grass seeds. I can feed them. Just give us a safe place to stay."
He pressed his hands on the ground, bent over and kowtowed repeatedly.
Shen Lie felt very uncomfortable seeing his reaction.
Shen Jin's reaction actually showed that the children had never dared to think that he would be willing to take them with him.
Yeah, I gave up on them once.
Tian Ya was dead. Shen Lie had guessed it when he saw only the Shen Jin brothers coming out of the county town. He had been silent all the way because he didn't dare to face it.
Until now he still doesn't dare to ask himself whether he regrets it or not.
However, Chen Lie knew clearly that even if time could flow back to several months ago again and again, and he could make countless choices, as long as he had no memories, could not have expected that the officers and soldiers would round up all the villagers in the county town, and could not have expected today's tragedy, the choices he would make would be the same.
In other words, regarding what Shen San and Li did, in the deepest part of his heart, he himself didn't know that he might never have really managed to completely avoid taking his anger out on the children of the third room.
The real way of not taking out one's anger on others and truly treating them as younger brothers is like the way he treats Xiao An and Aning. As long as he can do that, he would not be willing to let them take any risks.
He did not vent his anger on Shen Jin and the others, but only thought of the friendship they had in the past, thinking that they were children he had raised, and that he would teach them skills, make plans for them, and do his best to help them, but he was unable to repay evil with kindness and help Shen San and Li take on the responsibility of raising these children.
He said that Shen Jin would not be willing to leave his parents, so how could he be willing to be bound by Shen San and Li through affection and then used by them?
I guess you're not willing to accept that.
Yes, he only realized at this moment that he was unwilling to accept it.
So he only made plans for the Shen Jin brothers and sisters, asked the shopkeeper Xu to look after them, and he also thought about coming out to take a look from time to time. The reason he made so many arrangements was because deep in his heart, he knew without even realizing it, that the Shen Jin brothers and sisters were not really safe.
The truth, the real heart, Chen Lie finally saw it clearly at this moment.
He originally half-knelt down and wanted to help Shen Jin up, but at this moment he looked extremely embarrassed. His raised hand folded and retracted, covering his eyebrows and eyes, hiding his frown and wet hands caused by the sudden shock of cognition that he faced in an instant.
Shen Jin was still banging his head. Chen Lie didn't even have time to clean up his mess. He wiped his face hastily and reached out to pull him up.
He didn't dare to look Shen Jin in the eye. He just turned his back to pick up the backpack and weapons on the ground and said hurriedly, "It's getting late. Let's pack up and leave."
He went forward first, and when he passed by Chen Dashan, Chen Dashan saw something. He patted Shen Lie on the shoulder, turned around and looked at Shen Jin who was standing there in a daze, looking at Shen Lie's back, walked over and picked up his weapon, touched Shen Jin's head, and said, "Are you stupid? Let's go, your eldest brother has never thought of not taking you with him."
If he really just wanted to save Shopkeeper Xu, how could he have stayed in that shelter for so many days and was unwilling to leave?
If Shen San and Li were still alive, Shen Lie might not care too much about them. At most, he would send them back to Shili Village or to a cave in the mountains. Now that Shen San and Li are gone, with Shen Lie's personality, how could he abandon these cousins and not care about them?
Shen Jin's reaction at that moment, or rather, Tian Ya's death plus Shen Jin's reaction at that moment, was probably enough to make Shen Lie feel uncomfortable.
Chen Dashan patted Shen Jin on the shoulder and went to greet the Xu family.
Shen Jin wiped her tears and only now dared to cry out loud.
Thank you, bro.
Chen Lie walked away so quickly that Shen Jin didn't even have the chance to say thank you. He just kept repeating the words over and over in his mind while crying.
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