Chapter 196: Sleepless
Old Man Lu was in a small area inside the valley. When he saw Mrs. Lu coming out with her two sons, he asked Shitou and Axu to go back first, and then asked Mrs. Lu, "Are we going to the Shen family now?"
Mrs. Lu shook her head and said, "Let's go to Chen's house and ask Sanlang to call Chenlie."
She knew very well what was going to be said later, and Mrs. Lu didn't want to involve the Shen family in such a mess.
…
Old Man Chen and Mrs. Chen were not at all surprised that the Lu family would come.
As early as when Mrs. Lu asked Wei Qinghe to let Zhou Cunzheng notify the Lu brothers and mentioned Chen Dashan's name, Mrs. Chen and Old Man Chen had vaguely guessed something.
The Lu family is now being put on the spot by Wang Chunniang. In fact, it is not just the Lu family. Which family in their valley is not being put on the spot? The outside of the valley is not peaceful. Seeing Wang Chunniang's crazy behavior today, she really wants to bite anyone she catches. No one can live in peace, but they still trust the old couple of the Lu family and are waiting for the Lu family's reaction.
Old Man Chen looked at the sacks in the hands of the Lu family and asked, "What are they for?"
Mrs. Lu said, "I am shameless and come to ask for a way out for Shuanzhu's children."
After she said this, Old Man Chen and Mrs. Chen were not sure what she meant.
Mrs. Lu looked at the Shen family next to her and said, "Can I borrow your place to talk?"
How could Old Man Chen say no? He nodded, called Ershan and Xiaoya out of the cave, and asked them to go outside and play for a while. Then Mrs. Lu asked Lu Sanlang to invite Chen Lie.
Chen Dashan, who had already found out what happened during the day, looked on coldly. After hearing the order to find Chen Lie, he said nothing and just waited for Chen Lie to come over.
In fact, Shen Lie and Sang Luo had just left the Chen family not long ago. Shen An and Shen Ning didn't know much about what happened during the day. Shen Jin and Shen Yin were also very upset. Shen Lie didn't want him to repeat Wang Chunniang's nonsense, so he asked Mrs. Chen. Naturally, Mrs. Chen only heard half of it, but it was enough for everyone to guess a little.
When Lu Sanlang came to invite them, the four members of the Shen family all looked unhappy. When they heard that Mrs. Lu was waiting next door, Shen Lie and Sang Luo said, "You take a rest first. I'll go over there."
Sang Luo didn't want to get involved in the Lu family's affairs, so she nodded, and after Chen Lie left, she asked Chen An to close the door.
…
When Chen Lie arrived, the Lu family had already been invited to the cave by Old Man Chen. Old Man Lu and Mrs. Lu had no room to sit down, but when they saw Chen Lie coming, they subconsciously took a step forward to greet him, but stopped because of embarrassment.
Originally, they should apologize, but this is not the first time. Both Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu are too embarrassed. Mrs. Lu said with shame: "What happened today is really sorry for your family. I also know that our Lu family's apology is worthless, and you may not want to hear it. You just tied up my useless thing and came here. I was afraid that it would annoy you again, so we came here by ourselves."
"Just say what you want to say." Even though he was trying to hold back, Chen Lie's expression was actually a bit cold. He really had lost his patience with the eldest branch of the Lu family, and he didn't want to listen to these empty words that could be said at will. He just wanted to hear how the Lu family would deal with this time and what the so-called explanation was.
Mrs. Lu had lost all her dignity and didn't know how to start the conversation. But she had to open her mouth no matter how difficult it was. "We have decided to send the eldest branch of the family away."
"Send it away?" This time, before Chen Lie could speak, Chen Dashan asked, "Where to send it to? How can we ensure that our valley is not exposed?"
In Chen Dashan's opinion, there was only one way to send the person off without being a burden to the people in the valley. However, there were seven people in that family. Chen Dashan looked at the three sacks that Mrs. Lu brought and it didn't look like they were going to abandon the person. If they were willing to give him up so easily, this would never have happened today.
Mrs. Lu obviously knew it, and even if she had made the decision long ago, she felt a lump in her throat when she said it out loud now: "I heard from Erlang last year that it took you more than two months to walk through this mountain, and it was only because you and Shen Lie were capable that you didn't get lost in it. So... I would like to ask you to accompany my Erlang and Sanlang on a trip to the deeper parts of the mountain. The deeper the better, a place where no one will enter for at least a few years or even longer."
"I know those two good-for-nothings in my family. Find them a cave and help protect it. They won't dare to take a single step out even if you kill them. They don't have the ability to come out."
This was tantamount to exile. The Chen family had asked Chen Dashan about his return, but they only knew about the dangers and did not have a deep feeling. However, Chen Lie and Chen Dashan, who had actually crossed the deep mountains, and Lu Erlang, who looked up at Mrs. Lu after hearing this, knew it very well.
Chen Lie lowered his eyes. The hint of sneer in Chen Dashan's eyes when he first heard the words "give the kids a chance to live" finally dissipated a little.
"Do you really know what the deep mountains you're talking about are like? You can ask Uncle Lu, he's been there before. It's a place where wild beasts roam. I'm lucky enough to be able to protect myself, so I don't dare to promise to escort anyone."
"No need to ask." Mrs. Lu shook her head: "I know."
"Shuanzhu is fifteen, Tiezhu is thirteen. They have been taught skills and found a suitable cave. If they can survive, they will be safe and sound. If they can't survive... that's their fate."
"Alie, I don't have the face to ask again. We need to keep people outside the valley. You shouldn't have been involved in this matter. I just know that my Erlang and Sanlang are not capable enough, so I ask you to go with me to suppress them. I don't ask you to protect anyone. I will be very grateful if you can accompany them on this trip and take care of their uncles and nephews if you have the spare capacity. In the end, it's all my selfishness."
When she said this, she looked at Chen Dashan with a bit of pleading: "Can you help me make this trip?"
Chen Dashan lowered his eyes and remained silent for several breaths. After Mrs. Chen next to him glanced at him several times, he looked at Chen Lie: "Uncle Lu and I will be away for a month or two. Can you and Uncle Shi handle this side of the valley?"
The annoyance to the head of the Lu family was one reason. Another point was that no matter which one of him and Shen Lie left, it would not only affect them, but the seven families in the entire valley.
Chen Lie pondered for a moment, "People in the valley can walk around nearby. If you want to go far, two or three people can go to Zhou, Feng, Zheng, and Gan's families to travel together. But Uncle Shi and I can't go far."
It was the time to collect mountain products, which meant that the circle in which people in the entire valley could move was forced to shrink.
Old Man Lu sighed, feeling suffocated, and Mrs. Lu also lowered her head.
Chen Lie didn't bring this up again, but just reminded Chen Dashan: "There's not enough manpower in the valley. Can you three lead seven people? If you run into someone who makes a fuss and yells a few words, it will be troublesome."
He had no doubt that Wang Chunniang would do this.
After hearing this, Mrs. Lu spoke again and said, "The eldest is a coward. He is afraid of death in the forest and won't make any noise. The children have all been talked to. Tie the iron pillars to help a little. If you are worried, just shut them up a few days ago. As for Wang Chunniang, she won't make any noise."
Now, not to mention the Chen family, Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang both looked at Mrs. Lu.
Mrs. Lu lowered her eyes and said, "I used a folk remedy that I saw someone use in the past. She should be unable to speak by now."
Hearing that the person was mute, Chen Dashan said nothing more, "Okay, I'll go with you."
What else could he do if he didn't leave? Should he kill all seven of them or leave them in the valley to avoid causing trouble someday? He could only make amends for having taken them in in the first place.
He asked Mrs. Lu to prepare a blindfold, as it would be troublesome to leave the valley with the eyes blindfolded, and it would also be bad to attract attention. So they agreed to set out at the beginning of the morning hour.
Chen Dashan did not refuse the grain and meat left by the Lu family. He worked for Lu Da for free, but Lu Da was not so shameless. Compared with the time and energy he had to spend on it, he felt no guilt at all in accepting the grain.
After the Lu family left, Qin Fangniang, who had been silent all the time, sighed. She didn't know what to say about such a thing.
Granny Chen said, "It's not easy. There are six grandchildren, and now five of them are thrown away. It's hard to say what will happen in the future."
As a grandmother, Mrs. Chen could understand a little better, but at most she only sympathized with the old couple and the children of the Lu family. As for the two older ones... Mrs. Chen told Chen Dashan: "Take good care of yourself. If you have the energy, you can take care of the uncle and nephew of the Lu family."
The grandson still has to go into the deep mountains. No matter how capable he is, how can the elders not worry about the younger generation at home? It’s just that Mrs. Lu came to them for help, and it really concerns the valley, so they can’t refuse.
When Chen Dashan sent Chen Lie out, Chen Lie privately reminded him: "You should be more careful with the couple this time, keep some distance, and let the Lu family handle everything themselves."
Stupid people are not scary, but those who are stupid, vicious, selfish and afraid of death are scary. Such people should never be trusted.
Chen Dashan nodded: "I know this."
If he really didn't behave himself, there would be plenty of opportunities to kill the couple along the way, but it was not his turn to do it. Lu Er was not stupid. If he had to bear the consequences of this, he and Shen Lie would not have been walking together outside for the past few years. If Lu Er hadn't gone, he would never have taken on such a lousy job.
The two looked at each other and had a tacit understanding. Chen Lie patted Chen Dashan on the shoulder and asked, "It's not convenient for me to leave recently. I'm going to take Xiao An and Xiao Jin up there to continue the training. Anyway, there are a lot of people in the inner circle now, and there are places to live up there. It won't be a nuisance. Does your Ershan want to come with us?"
When the manpower was about to be divided into several groups, Chen Lie found that the military force in their valley was still not enough, and who knew when they would encounter a place they could not take care of, so the most important thing was to grow up on their own.
Chen Dashan smiled when he heard this, "Yes, of course. He's thirteen now, help me train this kid well. If he doesn't practice, he will just learn farming and carpentry skills from my grandfather and father."
Shen Lie laughed when he heard that, "Okay, then you should rest early, and I'll go back first."
He had to tell Sang Luo about the Lu family's affairs. He hadn't been to Shen Jin yet, but now that there was a result, it was time for him to go over.
…
After listening to Chen Lie's explanation of the Lu family's handling of the situation and confirming that the inner area was indeed inaccessible, Sang Luo said nothing. She had no heart to sympathize with anyone. How could she sympathize with someone who had brought trouble upon his own children?
This is already Mrs. Lu trying her best to find a way to survive for that family. I'm afraid the couple may not appreciate it. I just hope that the five children will not waste the old lady's kindness.
She looked at Chen Lie and said, "You go up and check on Xiao Jin and the others. If necessary, chat with him more. I don't know how much pressure this kid has been under during that period in the county, otherwise he wouldn't have reacted so strongly."
Shen Lie nodded and went out with Shen An.
…
Lu family.
Before Old Man Lu and Mrs. Lu entered the cave, they saw Shuanzhu standing at the entrance of the cave looking out. When he saw Mrs. Lu, he hurried over and wanted to ask something, but when he thought of his grandmother's disappointed look, he dared not ask.
Mrs. Lu glanced at him and said, "I want to ask why your mother is mute?"
Lu Shuanzhu lowered his head.
Mrs. Lu said, "There is a cure. When the days are peaceful and you can come back alive, I will tell you what medicine to use."
When Lu Shuanzhu heard that there was a cure, he felt relieved.
After seeing his reaction, Mrs. Lu finally stopped being sad and sent the entire main house away.
What can she do if she doesn't send them away? Children are close to their parents, and that's nature. She can only be thankful that her grandchildren are at least of upright character.
"Pack up and go to bed early. We will leave at 3 pm."
After hearing this, the children were sad and scared, but they all knew that the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Only Lu Dalang looked at Old Man Lu and Mrs. Lu as if he had lost his soul, as if he couldn't believe that he and his five children were really abandoned. He moved his lips as if he wanted to beg for mercy, but because he knew his parents too well, he was unable to utter a word.
…
This night was destined to be a sleepless night. Shen Jin and Shen Yin, one was reminded of memories, and the other had just learned some truths. Neither of the brothers dared to sleep. Even Chen Lie's advice was of little use. Shen An was smaller in stature, so in the end he just stayed upstairs with them.
It was the same with Lu Dalang. He couldn't sleep well. He tossed and turned, wanting to beg for mercy. In the second half of the night, his eyelids felt heavy and he fell asleep in a daze. His dreams were full of scenes of being surrounded by wolves several times when he was carrying grain into the valley.
The difference is that in the past there were Chen Lie, Chen Dashan, Lu Er and Shi Dalang, and there were always many people rushing ahead of him. But this time he was the only one left. The wolves pounced on him, and he was so scared that he woke up from his sleep with a roar.
There was an oil lamp in the innermost stone wall of the cave. The light passed through the winding cave walls, bedside cabinets and shelves, leaving only a tiny bit of light that could reach his position.
Seeing this light, Lu Dalang finally realized that it was a dream, but the palpitations were too real.
Lu Dalang could no longer sleep. He was gripped by fear and lay on the bed with heavy breathing for more than a quarter of an hour. During this time, he looked several times at the small cave where Wang Chunniang was imprisoned. The thought he had during the day came to his mind again.
The scenes in the dream replayed over and over again. He got up as if possessed by a ghost, touched the side of Mrs. Lu's bed, carefully stepped over Old Man Lu who was sleeping outside, and put his hand under the pillow of Mrs. Lu who was sleeping inside.
Lu Dalang didn't know how he walked to the wooden fence door and reached out for the cold padlock.
"Dad? What are you doing?"
A voice behind him frightened him so much that his soul almost flew away. Lu Dalang groaned in fear and turned around to see Lu Shuanzhu half-sitting on the second bed, staring at Lu Dalang for an unknown period of time.
The author has something to say:
I thought about it for a long time yesterday. I wondered if the plot of Xiao Jin could be changed. Could the plot of the previous chapter be simplified? Especially the previous chapter. I was actually very depressed when I wrote it. When I was writing it, I felt very depressed when I put myself into the character. But I found it difficult to change it. It was even more difficult to change two places. The character of Xiao Jin is quite special. He is only nine years old, but he has experienced many things that adults may not have experienced. The plot of Jin and Lu's family is difficult for me to control now. I tried for a day yesterday and two hours today. I found that it is difficult to optimize it better after my current skills have been written and the plot has taken shape in my mind. I just lied down and wrote today's chapter. I hope you all have a happy reading.
In addition, regarding the mute medicine, I have been reluctant to write about cutting the tongue. It is not because I sympathize with Wang Chunniang, but because I sympathize with Lu Pozi and those children. The day before yesterday and the night before yesterday, I searched Baidu for medicine that can make people mute. The first two prescriptions I found were: one is a plant, which is not available in this valley, and the other is 2 taels of charcoal ground into powder, then mixed with white wine. It is said that you will be unable to speak after 20 minutes. The solution is also very simple, a packet of sulfur detoxification pills will do. This is relatively easy to achieve, but it is vague. Then I checked the authenticity of this again. In fact, there is no evidence. It seems that there is only one answer. I don’t know if it is nonsense (it looks very similar). According to the answers of some doctors, there is no real medicine that can make people mute, including the medicine used by Empress Dowager Lu on Concubine Qi, which was recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian: The Annals of Empress Dowager Lu" - removing hands and feet, removing eyes, brightening ears, drinking mute medicine, and living in the toilet, and calling her "human pig". It is also recorded in "Ye Huo Bian·Xing Bu·Wang Dachen": "He secretly lured the prisoner to a secluded place, hooked his tongue and cut it off..." Therefore, the medicine that makes people mute after taking it in various film and television dramas may not exist in reality. Of course, it may also be that ancient Chinese medicine was very good and it was lost in modern times. We won't delve into it and just treat this prescription as real. Although it doesn't look very reliable, we will just treat it as a private creation.
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