Chapter 920: The Shan Family (6)
This place must have seen snow before, as the sun had melted it all away by now, leaving the ground somewhat muddy. Not far off, one could see houses, and people passed by on the road from time to time.
"Excuse me, sir, ma’am, may I ask where we are?" Yang Ruxin stopped two elders to inquire.
"Are you from out of town?" The elderly lady smiled upon seeing Yang Ruxin, "Over there is Majia Hollow. Go that way for three or four miles and you’ll reach Xiaohuokou Town. We just came back from the market..."
In the mountains, one loses track of time. To think that it was already the fourteenth of the twelfth lunar month. They had been delayed in the mountains for five or six days.
"Xiaohuokou Town?" A gleam flashed in Yang Ruxin’s eyes—wasn’t that where Xun Hui’s maternal home was located? She then smiled, "Ma’am, could I possibly ask you for a favor? We are from Baihua County. We came to the mountains to gather herbs, but unexpectedly encountered wild beasts. After barely escaping, we spent four or five days in the mountains. We’re now quite cold and hungry—could we stop by your house for some hot water?"
The elderly woman exchanged a glance with her husband, then nodded, "Our home is very humble. If you don’t mind, please come with us."
Yang Ruxin and her companions were indeed filthy and tattered, with grimy faces, looking truly miserable--they did not seem to be lying.
It would take about a quarter of an hour to reach the village, and Yang Ruxin chatted with the elderly couple as they walked.
Majia Hollow was not a small village, comprising perhaps forty or fifty households, all bearing the Ma surname. It was said that many years ago, they were all from the same family, though they had since branched out.