Chapter 190 Preparation/Dissatisfaction
God have mercy on him, he was still excited and happy while running. When he stopped three steps away from Sang Luo, he saw not only Sang Luo, but also Chen Lie. He also recognized the two familiar faces of Shi Dalang and Zhou Sanlang, and tears just fell from his eyes.
Crying, laughing, and wiping tears.
This would be really stupid on ordinary days, but now in this chaos, I can see familiar people, and more than one familiar person, so it is not surprising to do this. Gan Erlang's mother also ran over at this time, and when she saw her son-in-law, her eyes were really full of tears, crying and laughing, just like Dong Ge'er.
Sang Luo finally reacted at this moment. Looking at Dong Ge'er's hair that looked like a chicken coop, with many parts of it burnt, she couldn't bear it and asked, "Did you escape from the fire?"
Dong Ge'er nodded repeatedly.
Shi Dalang was also excited when he saw his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, but at this moment he was being questioned by Gan's mother, asking about her daughter and grandson.
There were a lot of people saying "all good, all good". Feng Dalang, Feng Erlang and Gan Erlang were better. They were still able to be surprised. They looked at Chen Lie and then at the strange-looking boy who had followed them all the way: "Do you know him?"
Chen Lie and Sang Luo both nodded: "Yes, I know."
Sang Luo was curious again: "How did you get together?"
Before Feng Dalang could say anything, Dong Ge'er scratched his messy hair and said, "After my family escaped from the county, we stayed in the mountains for a while. We couldn't find food, and it was not safe to go inside. So we followed them when we ran into them."
Only now did he thank Feng Dalang and the others directly: "Thank you for your care."
Feng Dalang waved his hand: "It's not that I'm taking care of you. We are acquaintances. This is just a coincidence."
Everyone from the Feng family, Dong Ge'er's parents, brothers and sisters also came.
Dong Ge'er's parents also heard what their son was shouting. To be honest, they knew it was Mrs. Sang who taught them to dig a hole to hide last year, and they wanted to call her their benefactor. But they didn't have the unrestrained spirit of their son. Looking at the large group of people they followed, they seemed to know their benefactor. They didn't know how much they had to say, but they didn't dare to interrupt.
Relatives and old friends reunited at this critical moment, and there was naturally endless talk. Chen Lie looked at the sky and asked the elderly men of the Feng family: "Do you have a specific place to go?"
Without even discussing, several old men shook their heads. Grandpa Feng Dalang said, "It's just that the outer area is too chaotic and we can't stay safe, so we took the risk and ran inside. There's nowhere else to go."
He hesitated for a moment, thinking that they really had to stick together to survive. Besides, their clan was able to prepare in advance to hide in the mountains because they were reminded by their in-laws, the Lu family, and the young man in front of them. The young people in the clan were taught how to survive in the mountains. So there was no need to be on guard. He asked, "Young man from the Shen family, do you think there is any place suitable for us to settle down?"
This was said quite skillfully. He did not ask where Shen Lie and the Lu family were, but asked if Shen Lie had any recommended places to take them to settle down. This expressed the Feng family's intention to stick together. As for where to take them, it was all up to Shen Lie to consider. As for them, they only asked Shen Lie to recommend, and whether it was suitable or not was up to the clan members to see together.
In this situation, Chen Lie really wouldn't be embarrassed. He glanced at Zhou Laizi and the eldest son of Zheng the butcher who came with him today. They were both very excited and obviously happy to have a group of reliable neighbors to support each other.
Being familiar with Chen Lie and seeming to have a very good relationship with him, Zhou Laizi thought that there was nothing wrong with that. The Zheng family was also familiar with Chen Lie now, and their family depended entirely on the support of Chen Lie and Chen Dashan. They trusted them very much and nodded secretly.
Seeing that the two had no objection, Chen Lie said to Old Man Feng, "There is a place to go. It's getting late today. Why don't you all follow us first and take a rest. We can also find a place to stay nearby if we see a suitable place."
As soon as these words came out, the Feng family and Gan Erlang's family were extremely happy. Dong Ge'er's parents were a little anxious, but Dong Ge'er was smart and asked Chen Lie and Sang Luo: "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Sang, do you think you can take our family with you?"
Sang Luo laughed when she heard this: "Yes, bring it."
When I saw her, it was like seeing a relative. How could I not bring her? Besides, Shopkeeper Xu would be very happy if he knew about it.
This large group of people had a place to go. They had originally joined Dong Ge'er's family halfway through their journey, and they wanted to join them but didn't dare. It was obvious that they all knew each other, so how could they join them? However, it was impossible to leave, so they planned to follow them as before, not too far away, and wait until these people settled down, and then they would find a place that was not too far away and not too close to settle down.
The family was right to think so. After all, this mountain did not belong to anyone. As long as they did not have bad intentions and did not follow too closely, no one would drive them away.
…
The area near the Zhou and Zheng families was bustling in the evening. About seventy or eighty people came in a mighty procession, which frightened the people who stayed behind in the two families. Later, they saw from the observation window that the leader was Chen Lie and his group, and they felt relieved. Especially when they knew that most of them were from Lu Erlang's Yue family, their worries turned into anticipation and happiness.
The more reliable neighbors they have, the safer they will be right now.
It was not easy to choose a place to stay. It was getting late, and the group did not separate. They found a cave not far from Zhou and Zheng's houses and settled down. They had to prepare for night rain in the mountains, especially since they carried food and bedding with them, so they had to find a cave and squeeze into it. The elderly, the weak, women and children could have a rest, and the men could take turns to keep watch at night.
Both the Feng family and the Gan family still had food, except Dongger's family, which had originally stored food. However, before the bandits left, they took away whoever they could, probably because they suspected that there were still people hiding in the city. They also did not want to leave any resources of Qiyang County to the people behind them, so they set fire to various places in the county. Dongger's family was lucky to escape, as they were not able to snatch any food at all, and had to rely on wild vegetables to fill their stomachs along the way.
Chen Lie and Sang Luo had already gotten a general idea of the situation on the way. Seeing that even the clothes they were wearing were looted from the deserted village, before leaving, they took out a pheasant and a rabbit from the day's prey, gave them some mushrooms and wild fruits, and promised to inform Manager Xu about their situation before leaving.
…
It was already dark when they returned to the village outside the village. All the families who stayed in the village outside the village today heard the news. The most excited were Manager Xu and the Lu brothers. Shi Erlang was also very happy for his sister-in-law.
It had only been five days since the last trip back to the valley, but with such a big event happening today, everyone couldn't wait and were sure to pass on the news, so they simply agreed to go back to the cave to sort out the harvest of the past few days, and wait until late at night for a few people to enter the valley at night.
Sang Luo and Shen Lie returned to their own cave and put the two little rabbits in a small basket into a rabbit cage next to the cave.
Since most of the people in the village were left behind, when they came across pheasants and rabbits while hunting, they would try to catch them alive, and each family would share some of them and raise them. Rabbits not only grow fast, but also reproduce at an amazing speed. Living outside, it is convenient to cut grass, and there is no pressure to raise them. They can be used as food in the future.
We found a litter today and shared some with other families. They only brought back two of their own, but because they could get a few from time to time, Sang Luo's family now has seven rabbits.
While she was feeding and watering the seven little creatures of different sizes, Chen Lie had already lit a fire and was burning firewood. He turned around and asked Sang Luo what she wanted to eat in the evening.
Taking advantage of the free time in the village, the stone slabs and stone mills outside the valley are now complete, the earliest planted leafy vegetables are already edible, and the radishes and pumpkins in the valley are also taken out. Sang Luo thought for a while: "Steam some bean rice, cut some meat and stew radish soup, and then see what dishes you want to eat. If you want barbecue, cut some yourself, and I will season it later."
Chen Lie could tell that she wanted to drink some soup, so he agreed with a smile. The bean rice was prepared for breakfast in the morning. He then filled the pottery jar with water and set it on the shelf. He took out the wooden steamer that Sang Luo had asked him to make, covered it with a layer of gauze, poured the bean rice in it and spread it out. He then placed the wooden steamer that was the same size as the mouth of the pottery jar on top of it, covered it with a wooden lid, and went to the vegetable garden to pick vegetables.
The simple stove outside the cave now has a rainproof shed, a small barbecue stove, and a wooden table for cutting vegetables. There is also a small rectangular wooden table in the cave, which is placed next to the bed when eating and moved aside when full.
Chen Lie and his people were constantly clearing out the more threatening animals in the surrounding area. Now it was relatively safe to move around the village. The two of them simply took care of the affairs inside and outside the house, and got together to prepare dinner. After a delicious meal, they packed up the things to be hidden in the valley.
As more and more people came into the mountains, hunting lasted longer, and if you didn't go far, you wouldn't be able to harvest as much as you did at the beginning. A small portion was left outside for your own consumption, and the other portion was sent inside. It wasn't much, but there was a lot of chopped firewood, fresh grass and grass seeds for the sheep, chickens and ducks. The sheep ate fresh tree leaves, and Sangluo also mixed a lot of Guanyin wood leaves in it, which were given to Chen An and his sister to make fairy tofu.
With Chen Lie around, Sang Luo didn't have to run this trip at night. When Chen Lie left, she closed the cave door and rested.
…
In the valley, every family is now accustomed to having things delivered in from outside at night, but in the past the things would be marked and lowered from above with ropes. Today, Manager Xu, Lu Erlang, and Shi Dalang went back to the bottom of the valley.
Shopkeeper Xu was easy to talk to. He heard from Sang Luo that Dong Ge'er and his brothers, their parents and sister had nothing and had escaped from the fire in the county town. He came back to discuss with his mother and wife and asked them to take some food and seeds from home and give them to Dong Ge'er's family when he visited them tomorrow.
The old lady and Wei Lingzhen knew that this was a waiter from Dongfulou, and when they heard about the situation, they had no objection at all. The mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law helped to arrange it personally. They picked out practical and inconspicuous things at home, like beans and wild fruits, and packed them up. They also gave two pieces of bacon, and even salt. Although there was not much, if they were frugal, there would be a little salt from time to time.
There were many chickens and ducks at home. The old lady took a look and shook her head: "This is wrong. Do you and Wenqing also raise pheasants and rabbits outside?"
Shopkeeper Xu nodded, "Yes, we are going to give them two rabbits and a pheasant after they are settled. They can be fed by cutting grass and picking grass seeds. They are also food. We can't help them with more. Let Wenqing go back and teach them how to trap wild rabbits and pheasants. Once they enter the mountains, the safety of so many families together can be guaranteed, and they can stand on their own."
"Mom, please take a look at those vegetable seeds and pack some for me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Lingzhen took out a few small bags wrapped in dry leaves and said, "They are all packed. It's not easy to write on them. You can all recognize them, right?"
Shopkeeper Xu smiled and nodded: "You should know him. He is from a poor family. There are also people who farm in the suburbs of the county."
…
The Xu family was the most peaceful. On the Shi family's side, Mrs. Gan was so excited that she was laughing and wiping tears. She also heard that her brother's wife was pushed into the wolf's mouth by her fifth uncle and almost lost her life. Now her face is almost ruined. She was heartbroken and sad.
The family had prepared medicine, and she discussed with her sister-in-law to take some medicine to send to her younger brother and sister-in-law. Shi Erlang's wife nodded repeatedly: "Give it to me, sister-in-law, you don't know how much I envy you."
Gan knew what she was worried about and comforted her, "Don't worry, your family also fled to the mountains early. With the blessing of heaven, everything will be fine. Look at our family and Lady Liu's family, they are all doing well."
Shi Erlang's wife nodded, knowing that nothing serious had happened to the Feng and Gan clansmen who had been well prepared. This was her greatest comfort at the moment.
Gan was busy looking for medicine, and she brought a few children to her side to ask if she could read the words she didn't know, asking them to help her take a look. Shi Erlang's wife saw that she was busy, and knew that the Gan family had also prepared food, so she helped to pack some bacon and mountain products and put them in the backpack so that her sister-in-law could take these things out later.
That’s right, Gan will leave the valley this time.
Her family had come, and her brother and his wife had encountered such a big thing, so she should have gone over no matter what. However, because there were many people around, and it was not easy for people to move around the village frequently, if someone showed their face and was seen and remembered by someone with ulterior motives, and then disappeared for a long time, it would easily arouse suspicion.
So if you really want to go out, it’s better to stay in a village outside the village for a long time.
Gan was a person who could endure hardship. Since Sangluo was outside, she had nothing to be afraid of. She had discussed with her husband and sisters-in-law and decided that the land and poultry in the valley could be taken care of by Shi Erlang's wife and the children. So Gan would simply stay outside to farm and raise poultry, and would not go to the valley often. This was a good opportunity to generate some income for the family.
As for the residence, two empty caves had been locked up previously. Shi Erlang planned to choose the one that was closer to their home to live in temporarily, and give the cave where the Shi family lived currently to his brother and sister-in-law.
…
At the Lu family's side, Feng Liuniang was also making the same preparations. Not to mention that she missed her family emotionally, she just thought that since all the clan members had come, it would be inappropriate for her, the married daughter of the Feng family, not to show up.
Mrs. Lu also supported it. She and the old man could take care of the fields in the valley. She only asked Lu Er to protect Feng Liuniang outside.
He also asked Lu Sanlang if he could live with Shi Erlang, and only then did he feel relieved and helped to arrange things.
Although the mother and son, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law had already communicated when they were picking up things at the entrance of the valley, the things that Feng Liuniang wanted to take out had to be taken from the cave. Living in a cave, Feng Liuniang was so excited, and the old lady arranged all kinds of things for her, even picking up two sets of Feng Liuniang's clothes, as well as bedding and other things. How could Wang Chunniang not be suspicious?
There was no oil lamp lit in the small cave. Wang Chunniang watched her mother-in-law and sister-in-law who were packing up in the shadows, and then looked at Lu Erlang who was waiting there. She wondered what the whole family was hiding from her, and her lips were pursed into a straight line.
The dissatisfaction that he dared not show during the day for fear of the old lady no longer needed to be carefully concealed under the cover of darkness.
Yes, she is now living like a rat in a gutter. Even if she has dissatisfaction, she dares to show it unscrupulously only in this dark night.
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