Chapter 69 - 70: Discussion
Besides, when it came to the children, Jin Qianqian wasn’t blind. She figured that among everyone here, the fourth sister-in-law’s family was hiding the most. Looking at their two kids, their lips were a bit dry, but they weren’t cracked yet. Gu Lehua’s, in particular, were still moist.
"Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t forget that we brought this water back. We’ll give it to whomever we please.
Besides, while we may be their aunt and uncle, people naturally have those they’re close to and those they’re not. When my husband and I were in our most difficult times, I don’t recall you ever lending us a hand!"
After saying her piece, Jin Qianqian ignored them, stood up, and walked to Ancient Wen Heng’s side. "Husband, your fourth sister-in-law says I’m playing favorites."
Liu Liu was speechless.
The other gawking onlookers were also speechless.
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "Then play favorites. As long as you favor me, you don’t have to worry about anyone else."
The Gu Family Brothers were speechless. ’Has it only been a few days? How have Seventh and his wife changed so much again?’
"Seventh, you’re finally back!" Li Cuicui pushed through the crowd just then, carrying a bag of grass roots as she rushed in.
"Mother, where were you?" Ancient Wen Heng helped support her. He was relieved to see she hadn’t changed much.
"I went to find some grass roots. You two must be thirsty. Here, chew on a few of these." As she spoke, Li Cuicui pulled out the cleaner ones from the top of the bag and pressed a handful into both Ancient Wen Heng’s and Jin Qianqian’s hands.
Ancient Wen Heng smiled, picked one up, and tossed it into his mouth. He chewed it a bit, and surprisingly, some juice trickled out.
Jin Qianqian took a few bites. "Mother, these roots you found are quite juicy. And they have a faint sweetness. They’re really good."
"See? This is why I say we old folks have more experience. I just discovered this new variety today. It just takes a bit more effort to dig them up," Li Cuicui said, looking quite pleased with herself.
Ancient Wen Heng and Jin Qianqian, however, both froze mid-chew. They didn’t know whether to keep chewing or spit it out. ’Is it really okay to eat some random plant like this?’
"Mother-in-law, Seventh and his wife don’t care about these grass roots anymore. Look at the bamboo canteens at their waists. They’re not lacking for water." Seeing that Liu Liu was staying quiet, Li Xiaohua decided to step up herself.
Jin Qianqian seized the opportunity to spit the chewed root into her palm. "Mother-in-law, my third sister-in-law only knows half the story. While we did find water, we were desperately low on food for the whole journey. We’re hoping to trade this water with everyone for some life-saving rations so we can hold out a bit longer.
Of course, I’ve already set some aside for you. We can’t let you go without."
Li Cuicui shot Li Xiaohua a sideways glance. ’Did this daughter-in-law of mine really think I couldn’t tell she was just trying to cause trouble? Acting all high and mighty before Seventh and his wife even had a chance to speak.’
"You found water? Where?" Gu Sanbu had also made his way to the front by now, unable to stop himself from asking.
Ancient Wen Heng had no desire to repeat the story over and over. "Third Grand-uncle, I actually have something important to discuss with you all. Can we find a quiet place to talk properly?"
Gu Sanbu scanned the area and noticed many unfamiliar faces staring at them. He grabbed Ancient Wen Heng’s wrist. "Let’s go. I’ll take you to see the other village chiefs. It’s a perfect time to tell them what you’ve experienced these last few days."
The old man was all skin and bones, so Ancient Wen Heng didn’t dare struggle. He just remembered to turn back and instruct Jin Qianqian, "Qianqian, stay here with Mother. I’ll be back soon."
Jin Qianqian was aware of the customs of this era. Women were generally not permitted to be present when important matters were being discussed.
Not wanting to push her way in and invite gossip, Jin Qianqian simply and gracefully took Li Cuicui’s arm. "Mother, how is Father doing? Is his wound any better?"
Li Cuicui replied, "He’s about the same. But at least his life is no longer in danger."
After all, many people who had been injured but received no treatment had either died in the past few days or were now enduring excruciating pain.
Gu Dashishi himself had grown much quieter, meticulously watching his wound every day, terrified that it would get infected.
Whether it was good luck or his own strong constitution, his wound was actually healing remarkably well.
He was completely unaware that his remarkable recovery was thanks to the anti-inflammatory medicine Jin Qianqian had contributed.
"Alright, that’s enough, scatter! What is everyone crowding around for?" Li Cuicui said, dispersing the crowd.
"Da Shi’s wife, have your daughter-in-law tell us what they’ve experienced these past few days. If she knows where there’s water, she shouldn’t forget her own friends and neighbors." Mrs. Gu He, Gu Dafu’s wife, had always been at odds with Li Cuicui and naturally seized this chance to put her in a tough spot.
Li Cuicui retorted, "My daughter-in-law was with her husband this whole time. What would she have to tell you?
If there’s business to discuss, my Seventh will speak with the village chief and the Clan Leader. Who do you think you are to ask?"
Without bothering to watch the other woman’s flustered, angry reaction, she grabbed Jin Qianqian’s arm, turned, and walked away.
"Look at how pragmatic our mother-in-law is. Now, she only has eyes for Seventh’s wife," Li Xiaohua said sourly. She, of all people, was from the same village as her mother-in-law—they even shared a distant ancestor—yet she’d never seen the woman be so pleasant to her.
"So what?" Liu Liu snorted. "She’s only like this because that young couple has water now. Just wait until the youngest son comes back. Her favoritism will shift again, and they won’t get anything out of it."
"The youngest son?" Li Xiaohua glanced at the mother and daughter-in-law from the Lan Family, who were also standing in the crowd, and gestured toward them with her chin. "As long as he’s still tangled up with that family, our mother-in-law won’t be as easygoing as she used to be."
...
Ancient Wen Heng carefully picked and chose his words, giving a simple account of their experiences in the mountains. He naturally omitted any mention of the bountiful harvest Jin Qianqian had reaped along the way.
"Is that place really as good as you say?" He Cao Gen couldn’t help but lick his lips. ’A whole lake full of water... If that’s true, we really won’t have to worry about water anymore.’
"But that’s no place for a long-term stay," Village Chief Shi said. "Never mind how remote it is—it would take two or three days just to get there. And didn’t Gu Yuan Yu just say that the land isn’t suitable for farming? It’s mostly mountains. Even if we brought enough food with us, we couldn’t last for long.
Besides, everyone is almost out of food as it is. We need to discuss the pros and cons of this decision carefully." In his heart, Village Chief Shi was against the idea. ’It’s so remote. What if the Holy Emperor sends people down with disaster relief? Wouldn’t we miss our chance?’
Gu Sanbu had clearly thought of this as well, and his face was a mask of indecision.
"If worst comes to worst, we can just send a party to fetch water," another person suggested. "Even if the round trip takes a long time, at least we’ll get something out of it.
Plus, there are bound to be plenty of edible wild plants near a water source. That could help supplement our food stores, more or less."
Village Chief Li interjected, "But don’t you all forget the wolf pack we ran into before, or those hyenas. Do you really think there won’t be other predators deep in the mountains? With the people we have, can we really fend them off?"