Chapter 62: Found the Cave
After a few days of rest, the snow around the camp thickened even further. Having finally gathered enough clothing to withstand the cold, the village chiefs gathered by the fire to discuss the matter for a while before finally deciding to continue their journey deeper into the snowy mountains.
At the command, the team regrouped and set off. Initially, a few villagers who had followed Chen Chunhe to get some of the Wu family's supplies were considering finding some excuse to get some benefits. But as soon as they stepped into the knee-deep snow, the bone-chilling cold seeped through their straw sandals and into the cracks of their bones. The snow crunched underfoot, and every step felt like sinking into a quagmire. Forget running, even moving steadily forward required immense effort. Any previous ill intentions were extinguished by the cold. No one cared about others, only hunched their necks and focused on making progress.
In the group, Wu Yuetang continued to follow the village chief, her steps steady, maintaining her lead. She wrapped herself tightly in a fur coat and wore thick fur boots, navigating the snow with ease. Her gaze swept across the approaching mountainside, her eyes sharp as an eagle's, surveying the surrounding rock face inch by inch.
"There!" Wu Yuetang suddenly exclaimed. A dark crack loomed in the rock face not far away. It was the large cave she had noticed earlier. Judging by the situation, a snowy blockade of the mountain was imminent. There was no time for hesitation. She ignored the surprised looks of those around her and abruptly jumped from the carriage, trudging through the snow toward the cave.
"Wu Yuetang!" Seeing this, Ye Jingchen followed closely almost instinctively.
"Jingchen! Tang girl! Come back!" Wu Shoutian was so anxious that he stomped his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, but the two of them seemed not to hear him and did not stop at all.
Seeing this, the village chief of Dayao Village turned to look at Wu Shoutian, his brows knitted into a knot: "Shoutian, what's going on? Why did Yuetang run away suddenly?"
Wu Shoutian also looked confused. He scratched his head and smiled bitterly: "I don't know either. He was fine just now..." The family members around him also looked at each other. No one could figure out what these two people were thinking.
Wu Yuetang and Ye Jingchen ran to the cave entrance, several miles away, and their eyes lit up. It was a massive cavern, the entrance wide enough for two horses to run side by side. Inside, it was pitch black and bottomless, easily enough to accommodate five or six hundred people. Even more surprising, the further they went into the cave, the more a faint warmth washed over them; it was clearly much warmer than outside.
"It's just that the cave entrance is too big." Wu Yuetang looked around and frowned slightly. "If there is a heavy snowstorm, it will take a lot of effort to block the cave entrance."
Ye Jingchen stood at the entrance of the cave and did not go in. Instead, his eyes were cast towards the mountain road above. He suddenly said, "There seems to be another cave ahead."
Wu Yuetang smiled upon hearing this—she naturally knew. After all, she had come here specifically to see the small cave hidden above.
As soon as Ye Jingchen finished speaking, Wu Yuetang's eyes lit up. She naturally understood what he meant - although the large cave could accommodate them, it was ultimately too open and difficult to defend. The small cave hidden high up in the mountain was the key to safely storing their belongings and avoiding the wind and snow.
She turned around and walked quickly around the big cave, tapping her fingertips on the rock walls a few times to confirm that there were no loose stones. Then she nodded to Ye Jingchen at the cave entrance.
The two walked up the mountain, one in front and one behind. The mountain wind blew snow foam into their faces, hurting them like a knife. Wu Yuetang wrapped herself tightly in her fur coat. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ye Jingchen's steady steps. His dark robe almost blended with the mountain shadows in the wind and snow, but he would always slow down half a step without a sound when she slipped.
The road got steeper the higher we went. The snow was ankle-deep, and every step we took sunk deep. Gravel beneath our feet would occasionally roll down the cliff, making a hollow sound.
"We're almost there." She panted and pointed ahead. A dark mountain wall could be vaguely seen in the snow and fog.
As I approached, I realized the entrance was even smaller than I'd imagined. It was barely wide enough for one person to bend over and crawl through. The entrance was covered in withered brown vines, the frozen vines tangled with ice chips, creaking in the wind. Without a closer look, it looked like a stubborn rock embedded in the mountain wall.
Ye Jingchen reached out and parted the densest vines. Ice chips fell down, splashing tiny white particles on the snow. "It's well hidden." He touched the vines with his fingertips. A hint of dark green could be seen under the ice, as if it would sprout in spring.
Wu Yuetang blew a puff of white air into her palms and rubbed her frozen hands: "There are so many vines growing out of this cave entrance. Maybe it's because no one has been here for so long, and the wild things are growing wildly." As she spoke, she bent down to pull the vines wrapped in ice, but as soon as she touched them, she was pricked by the ice chips and retracted her hands.
Ye Jingchen held her wrist and unsheathed a short knife from his waist. The blade gleamed brightly. "I'll do it." He swung the knife, severing the thickest vines. Ice chips mixed with broken leaves fell, quickly forming a small pile at his feet. Within a few strokes, the hidden entrance was completely exposed. The dark hole, like a squinting eye, shone with the dampness of years without light.
The two men bent down and crawled into the cave entrance. As soon as they stood up, the view suddenly opened up. Although this cave was not as large as the cave below, it was still the size of half a room, enough for several members of the Wu family to stay.
Wu Yuetang wiped the snow foam from her face and glanced around. The cave walls were solid rock, feeling dry to the touch. The soil on the ground was dark brown, and when she rubbed it with a handful, it crumbled into crumbs—the very kind of "fire soil" from a fire, perfect for burying fire. A few icicles dangled from the cave ceiling, glistening and translucent. During the day, the slanting sunlight would surely reflect tiny glints of light, like a string of natural lanterns.
She walked slowly around the cave, calculating silently: Mom and Dad would stay in the innermost part for shelter, her three brothers would sleep near the entrance for easy night watch, she and her two sisters-in-law would squeeze in the middle, and Ye Jingchen's tent could be set up off to the side... The remaining space would be perfect for storing food and herbs. If she used some hay as a cushion on the slightly flatter patch in the corner, perhaps she could actually plant some shade-tolerant crops in the spring.
"This place is indeed safe." Ye Jingchen's voice seemed a little hollow in the cave. He reached out and knocked on the cave wall. "The rock is thick and it won't collapse under the heavy snow."
Wu Yuetang nodded, turned around and waved at him: "Let's go, it's time to go back and tell the village chief."
As the two of them emerged from the cave, the mountain wind shifted, carrying snow and foam into the cave. Wu Yuetang instinctively shrank her neck, only to see Ye Jingchen raise his hand to block her head. His dark sleeves barely blocked the wind, and all the ice fell onto his arm.
"Thank you," she whispered, quickly descending. In her heart, she was thinking: This little cave is a lifeline, I can't let anyone else take it. I'll have to tell the village chief that it's too small, just enough to store some cold-sensitive herbs—home medicines and seeds for the winter—none of which can be delayed. As for how to get the village chief to agree... perhaps, I could ask Ye Jingchen to speak for me?
She secretly glanced at the person behind her. Ye Jingchen was lowering his head to avoid a dead branch, his profile sharp and angular in the wind and snow. Wu Yuetang quickly averted her gaze, the snow under her feet crunching, as if hiding her unspoken thoughts.
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