The children silently followed behind Li Lanzhen back to the cave in front of her house.
No one spoke, except for the three loud and boisterous young wives, Xue Xueni, Tonghua, and Li Sanya. They all went into the kitchen in silence to prepare the meal.
When Su Chen saw Li Lanzhen return, he quickly picked up a tree stump and placed it behind her.
"Grandma, sit down and rest for a while."
Li Lanzhen patted Su Chen's head without saying anything.
After sitting down, she wondered how she should talk to her in-laws and parents later.
Stone and Apricot, along with the children, sat on two logs drying under a big tree.
The children sat together, one next to the other, silently watching Li Lanzhen.
Among these children, Douhuaren is the most talkative and a little bully.
She ran over and grabbed Linglong's hand.
She brought her little face close to the delicate little face.
With a grin, I asked her, "Are you the older sister or the younger sister? My name is Douhua."
Linglong's eyes darted around; she couldn't be the younger sister.
I've finally found a little one, I absolutely have to be the older sister.
She said with a grin, "Douhua, of course I'm the older sister. My name is Linglong."
The silly child Douhua happily hugged her and called her "sister, sister."
Sanwang wiped the sweat from his brow, walked over, pulled Douhua back, and sat her on the wooden board.
"Douhua, be good, sit here with your brother, don't make a fuss, listen to Grandma."
After Sanwang finished speaking, he raised his eyes and glared at Linglong.
Unexpectedly, his eyes met Su Chen's angry gaze directly.
Su Chen held his younger sister Linglong tightly in his arms.
"Little sister, come with your brother, let's go find Brother Yinan."
At this moment, Li Lanzhen had no time to pay attention to the children's expressions.
She considered telling her parents and in-laws about her discovery of the Grand Canyon and getting their opinions, but after thinking about it, she decided not to tell them yet.
When we eat later, let's first say that she wants to take them away from Forget-Worry Valley and see what everyone thinks.
Li Lanzhen believed that if she left Forget-Worry Valley, these people would definitely follow her.
I wonder if Han Shunde will also go with them, as will the butcher Han Dachong and his family.
He stood up and angrily told the village chief that he would give up his own land to share with the 20 children.
If he doesn't come with them and stays in Forget-Worry Valley, will the village chief and villagers target them?
Sanwang, sitting next to Shanxing, hugged Douhua tightly.
Poke Shanxing's arm with your elbow.
She whispered, "Sister Shanxing, I think the village chief doesn't want us to stay here. This will put Aunt Lanzhen in a difficult position, won't it?"
Let's just go back to our village, or maybe back to the mountains.
Shanxing patted the back of his hand to comfort him.
"No rush, let's wait for Aunt Lanzhen to say it."
If she says leave, we leave; if she says stay, we stay in the Valley of Forgetfulness.
"Don't be afraid, my sister's here, and Aunt Lanzhen's here too!"
Shanxing felt a mix of emotions.
She sighed inwardly, realizing that all kinds of people exist everywhere.
Logically speaking, the wonderful life in Forget-Worry Valley is almost entirely thanks to Aunt Lanzhen.
Whether it's the village chief or the villagers, everyone should treat Aunt Lanzhen well and remember her kindness.
But now...
Aunt Lanzhen hadn't mentioned the Grand Canyon, and I shouldn't say anything either. I should just wait quietly for Aunt Lanzhen's arrangements.
After a few days of contact, Shanxing had become very dependent on and trusting of Li Lanzhen.
"Dinner's ready!"
Xue Nizi came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming pot of food and called out.
Immediately afterwards, Han Yinan and Gou Dan told the children to wash their hands and dry them. The older children then followed the two of them into the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks and help serve the food.
The dining table in the dining room was already quite large, but with the addition of 20 children, it still wasn't enough to seat everyone.
So Xue Bao and Han Mingjiang went to the carpentry workshop early, brought over three tables, put them together, and brought a bench to place next to the tables.
Looking at these 20 children, Mrs. Ye felt heartache. Without parents, living alone in this world, sometimes hungry and sometimes full, how difficult it must be for them to make a living!
She didn't let the children sit at the assembled table, making them feel like outsiders, like extra people.
He then said, “Come, children, sit here. The adults will sit opposite you.”
Han Yinan, Gou Dan, Su Chen, Da Niu, Er Niu, and the other children immediately arranged for Shi Tou and Shan Xing to sit in the front, while the rest of them sat next to the table that had just been put together.
Li Lanzhen smiled with satisfaction as she looked at her eldest grandson, who was so sensible.
Today's meal was very plentiful!
While Xue Nizi and the others were cooking, they didn't ask Li Lanzhen anything.
However, they all knew that since Li Lanzhen had brought these 20 children back to Forget-Worry Valley and into her home, it meant that these children were all good children and deserved to be treated well.
Therefore, they didn't skimp on the food.
Three bowls of pheasant stew with potatoes, three bowls of braised rabbit stew with dried vegetables, three bowls of cold green bean and eggplant salad, two bowls of tomatoes with white sugar, two bowls of stir-fried cabbage, and a pot of egg, tomato, and dried shrimp soup.
Each person gets a large bowl of mixed grain rice.
When the 20 children saw the table laden with dishes and a large bowl of mixed grain rice in front of them, they were overjoyed.
Although it's called mixed grain rice, it contains rice, beans, sweet potato chunks, and potato chunks.
I was genuinely happy. Looking at the adults sitting in the dining room, I saw that none of them looked down on me; they all looked at me with warm eyes.
This must be what home feels like!
Li Sanya and her two companions first ladled out some food for the children with large wooden spoons: stewed chicken with potatoes, braised rabbit meat, and a small half-spoon of broth for each of them.
The women hadn't eaten yet. Looking at the 20 thin, dark-skinned children, their eyes were slightly red, and they kept trying to persuade them.
"Children, eat quickly, there's still plenty of food left. Fill your bellies up."
"Yes, yes, children, don't be afraid after you've eaten your fill."
"That's right, once you've eaten your fill, you can treat this place as your own home."
Upon hearing the word "home," the children's eyes welled up with tears.
A few children sobbed softly, while most others simply shed tears silently.
Li Lianzhen realized this wouldn't do.
He then spoke to them.
"Alright, we've gotten through the tough times, now that we're here, we should live a good life. What are you crying for? Wipe away your tears, stand tall, and live a good life!"
Now, everyone, eat!
At her command, adults and children alike fell silent, picked up their bowls, and buried themselves in their food.
After the meal, Li Lanzhen told the adults to stay put.
The children stopped the adults from doing chores; they quickly picked up the bowls, chopsticks, and basins and took them to the kitchen to wash.
Some people used rags to wipe the dining table dry.
Tonghua then brought over some tea.
These waters are all made with honeysuckle. Although it's late autumn, it's still quite hot in Forget-Worry Valley, so we're making honeysuckle tea to cool down.
Apart from the children, several families were sitting here.
Li Lanzhen spoke directly.
"Today, in front of the cave at the village committee, I said I wanted to leave this place. I wasn't joking; I meant it."
Everyone has seen their attitude, so it's impossible for me to stay here any longer.
Now that I've brought these 20 children into the Valley of Forgetfulness, I will not abandon them again, nor will I let them wander again!
I want to raise them well and let them live the same good life as us!
So everyone, please speak up! Anyone who wants to stay here is welcome!
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Deshui spoke up.
"How can we let our in-laws leave alone? Now that you've brought these children back, they're all our children. Come on, if you don't want to stay here, we'll go with you. At worst, we'll go fleeing famine again. What's the big deal?"
Xue Laohu nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I meant too. There's nothing to be afraid of. I've been running around in these mountains for a while and I've found a few places where we can start a fire. Of course, the environment isn't as good as Forget-Worry Valley, but it's enough for us to live well until next spring."
Li Erhan also slammed his fist on the table angrily.
"Come on! Daughter, where are you going? Dad will follow you. We won't starve to death with our own hands!"
Li Lanzhen was not surprised by their attitude at all. During their journey to escape the famine, she had seen clearly that they were people of very good character and were firmly of one mind with her.
"I've already said I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Now let's discuss what we should take with us."
Li Erhan said, "I must take the tools from the carpenter's workshop with me."
Han Minghai said, “Mom, what should we do with the wood we cut down from the mountain to build a house next spring, and the wood we used to make furniture? It’s already half-dried, it’s such a waste to leave it here.”
Han Mingjiang clenched his fist and said, "Take them away! We have so many livestock, hitch them up and take them away, don't leave any for them!"
Li Lanzhen glanced at him without saying a word, thinking to herself that this second son was always impulsive and never thought before he spoke. He would say whatever he was thinking.
Her inner thoughts: Of course they have to be taken away; how could they possibly stay here?
But it's impossible to travel by oxcart or horse-drawn carriage. How could horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts cross such towering mountains and deep valleys?
Xue Laohu said, "My dear in-laws, what will happen to these livestock now that we're all gone? And what about Lu Changjiang and his daughter who helped us raise the pigs and cattle?"
Zhang Deshui quickly added, "The sweet potatoes and potatoes planted in the field were just the size of a child's fist. It's a pity to have dug them up, but it would be a shame to leave them here!"
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