Chapter 81 - 82: Exchanging for Fish
"So, was Seventh Aunt lying?" Little Leshun asked, only half-understanding.
Jin Qianqian, who had been hiding behind Ancient Wen Heng, quickly held up the string of fish in her hand. "Seventh Aunt wasn’t lying. We really did catch these fish with worms. You could call it a trade."
Ancient Wen Heng turned to stare at Jin Qianqian, waiting to see how she would continue her tall tale.
Jin Qianqian said, "Look, they’re using fishhooks to fish too. And what’s on those hooks? Worms, right?
Worms are a fish’s favorite food. When they eat them, it’s like we’re giving the worms to them, isn’t it?"
Ancient Wen Heng: "..." ’Right. Keep spinning that yarn.’
Little Leshun nodded, still only half-understanding, which only fueled Jin Qianqian’s desire to continue her little deception.
Warming up to her topic, she added, "The fish ate our worms, and in return, they gave themselves to us. So, didn’t Auntie trade worms for fish?"
Hong Daya: "..." ’My seventh sister-in-law can really lie with a straight face.’
Ancient Wen Heng: "..." ’She’s not just a trickster, she’s a complete goofball.’
Little Leshun: "..." ’What Auntie said seems to make sense... but what’s wrong with it?’
Humming a tune, Jin Qianqian swung her newly acquired spoils and ran off to show them to Li Cuicui.
Ancient Wen Heng quickly handed a small string of fish to Little Leshun. "Here, you hold this. These were all traded for worms."
Hong Daya didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How was she supposed to explain to the child next time that not every worm could be traded for a fish?
***
While things were peaceful and quiet here, the sorrow on the refugees’ faces gradually giving way to tranquility in this serene place...
...not far from them, outside the city gates, massive crowds of refugees were surging forward. The city guards who were once stationed there had long since vanished.
Village Chief Shi and those who hadn’t left were hiding near the city gate, trembling. They lacked the courage to rush inside with the crowd.
"Chief, what do we do now? Will these people get us into trouble?" Thinking of those who were thrown out last time, some villagers began to shudder.
Everyone gathered around, wanting the village chief to come up with a plan.
"Everyone, stay back! Don’t get dragged into this. If this chaos continues, something bad is going to happen." Village Chief Shi was filled with immense regret. If they had just endured the hardship a few days ago and left with the others, they wouldn’t be here now, terrified.
"Should we leave now, then?" He Tiping had long been regretting their decision. ’I should have just carried Big Brother on my back and left back then. We wouldn’t be stuck here eating grass roots every day.’
Village Chief Shi was so scared his legs felt weak. "Everyone, pack up quickly! Leave anything too cumbersome behind. We need to travel light. Let’s use the cover of darkness to get out of here."
"We’re traveling through the night?" Some people panicked. "What if we run into wild beasts in the mountains? That’s a death sentence!"
"Then you can just stay here and wait it out. I’m not looking after you this time," Village Chief Shi turned and shouted to his wife and children, "Hurry up and pack your things! We’re leaving in a moment."
As for whether the others would follow, at this critical juncture, he couldn’t be bothered to waste his breath trying to persuade them.
He Tiping didn’t dare ask any more questions. He turned and ran back. "Yuan Feng, pack up, quick! Or we won’t be able to keep up with Village Chief Shi’s family."
"Where are we going?" Mrs. He Zhou clenched her fists. ’It’s a chaotic mess outside the city gate. Is my second son trying to lead the family into the city to die?’
He Tiping said, "Mother, Village Chief Shi’s family is going to find the other village chief’s group. Let’s pack our things quickly. I’ll carry Big Brother later."
"It’s already dark. How can we travel?" Mrs. He Yang’s face was grim. Her little family now depended entirely on her brother-in-law. If he and his family abandoned them, their world would truly fall apart.
"If we don’t go, it’s too dangerous to stay. Village Chief Shi and his family are already packing. You all need to hurry and grab the important things. We have to abandon whatever isn’t necessary." He Tiping stuffed things into a bag as he spoke. Seeing Gu Yuanfeng just standing there, he roared, "What are you standing around for? Get to work!"
Gu Yuanfeng grunted in acknowledgement and joined the packing. "Should we bring this beef?"
They had gradually dried nearly a hundred jin of beef jerky. It would be a terrible waste to leave it behind.
"Bring it! How could we not bring it?" Mrs. He Zhou once again lamented the loss of her big yellow ox. ’It’s all the fault of our in-laws. If he had found water just a few days earlier, maybe our old ox wouldn’t have died of thirst.’
’That family is so selfish,’ she thought. ’We’re relatives, but when they left, they didn’t even offer to help. It’s their fault we’re in this pathetic state.’
At this thought, the old woman shot a vicious glare at Gu Yuanfeng. ’Marrying our daughter to a man with so many brothers brought no advantages, only constant pressure. We made a losing bargain with this marriage.’
"Mother, how am I supposed to travel in my condition?" He Tuliang lay on the ground, his face dark with gloom.
"We have to go! Do you want to follow them into the city? What chance of survival do we have in there?" He Tiping now resented his older brother. They could have had a decent life, but no, he had to go and perform some ’miracle,’ not only ruining himself but also making life difficult for the whole family.
After that incident, everyone—friends, relatives, and fellow clansmen alike—had been avoiding them.
If he hadn’t seen the crowd around Village Chief Shi and pushed his way through, no one would have bothered to tell them they were leaving.
He Tuliang said, "But my wound still hurts a lot. I can’t walk. Can you carry me the whole way? You won’t drop me, will you?"
He Tiping couldn’t believe that even now, his brother was only thinking of himself. "Big Brother, I can’t make any guarantees, but I’ll do my best to get you out of here.
If you’re worried, why don’t you ask your wife and Mother if they’re willing to carry you together?"
"Second Brother, you’ve got some nerve now! Is that any way to talk to your big brother?" Mrs. He Zhou immediately jumped in.
"Mother, then how should I talk? Why don’t you and Sister-in-law stay here with Big Brother? That way he won’t have to suffer anymore."
He Tuliang demanded, "Are you trying to abandon us?"
"Will you even let me speak? I’m just trying to make a simple plan, and you’re here making all these demands! So what do you suggest we do? Should the whole family just wait here to die?" He Tiping had long since had enough of his older brother’s unreasonable tantrums. ’We’re both sons of the He Family. What makes him think he’s so superior all the time?’
"Husband, let’s not argue," He Chuncao pleaded. "Let’s hurry and pack. I see Village Chief Shi’s group already heading for the small path." Gu Yuanfeng quickly grabbed her and tied the freshly folded blanket to her back.
"Mother, it’s too heavy! I don’t want it!" He Chuncao struggled, trying to shrug the bundle off her shoulders.