Chapter 4: Leaving Dahe Village

Xu Nian felt as though she had just fallen asleep when she was woken up.

Looking outside at the still-gray sky, she shook off her drowsiness and stepped out of the house.

The family hurriedly ate some dry rations with hot water. The food was not only hard but also rough on the throat, yet Xu Nian didn’t complain and finished a cake in just a few bites.

After breakfast, the men in the family loaded the packed bundles onto the handcarts. The dry rations and other valuables were placed in the donkey cart—the very donkey that had been purchased years ago to make it easier for Xu Yaozu to travel for his studies.

When they bought it, it had been a five-year-old young donkey. Now, after seven or eight years, it was in its prime and ready for work.

Once everything was properly prepared, the family stepped out of the courtyard.

Wang Zhen was the last to leave, carefully locking the front gate behind her, as if they were merely going on a long trip and would return one day.

With reluctant glances back at their home, the Xu family made their way to the village’s meeting point.

Although the sky was still dimly lit, many families had already gathered. Xu Nian glanced around and saw that everyone had brought their entire households with them.

In the past, whenever villagers saw Xu Nian, they would always gossip about her. But today, fear and anxiety gripped everyone—no one had the time or mood for idle chatter.

When the appointed time arrived, the village chief began counting the number of people. In the end, it was determined that nineteen households, a total of 218 people, had decided to head north together.

Xu Nian wasn’t sure how many people lived in Dahe Village, but she knew for certain it was more than just these nineteen families.

Before she could think further, the village chief started speaking.

“This journey north is an escape from disaster. Everyone must follow my commands. If anyone refuses to comply, you may leave the group now.”

Seeing that no one objected, the village chief continued, “Check your bags again. If you’re carrying anything unnecessary, throw it away now. If you fall behind on the road, don’t blame me for not showing sympathy just because we’re from the same village.”

Xu Nian stood on her tiptoes, trying to see past the crowd at the village chief. He was about the same age as Xu Ren, but his aura was strong and commanding—he didn’t look like an ordinary farmer at all.

Xu Wei’an, noticing his niece stretching her neck like a curious goose, chuckled. “What are you looking at?”

“The village chief is amazing,” Xu Nian murmured to herself.

“Of course,” Xu Wei’an replied with pride. “Uncle Wang fought on the battlefield when he was younger.”

No wonder—his presence when giving orders was strikingly authoritative.

It wasn’t until the village chief finally gave the order to depart that everyone seemed to find an outlet for their emotions. The women wept, the children cried, and even the men’s eyes turned red.

Xu Ren knelt toward the direction of the back mountain, followed by the rest of the Xu family.

Xu Nian didn’t understand why, but she didn’t hesitate to follow their lead.

Only after bowing three times and setting off with the group did she finally learn from her younger uncle that the back mountain was the resting place of their Xu ancestors.

The entire morning was spent in silent travel, with not a single sound heard from the group.

At the front of the procession were the village chief’s family and a few hunters, including Wang the Hunter.

They avoided the main roads, instead taking sparsely traveled paths. Thanks to Wang the Hunter’s extensive experience, they had not taken any unnecessary detours so far.

The Xu family, with its fifteen members, was positioned in the middle of the group. Although they had a donkey cart, it was packed to the brim with supplies, leaving little room for passengers. Apart from Xu Ren, who was driving the cart, only five-year-old Xu Cai was squeezed into a small corner of it.

Xu Nian wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling as if her legs were made of lead. She couldn’t help but complain internally, When will this suffering end?

However, she truly admired the children of the Xu family. From little Xu Ling to the frail Xu Kang and Xu Jian, none of them had uttered a single complaint all morning.

It was hard to believe how mature and understanding the children here were at such a young age.

It wasn’t until the village chief announced a short break that the group finally halted.

Xu Nian plopped down on the ground right where she stood, not caring whether it was clean or dirty—she just needed to catch her breath.

Xu Yaozu didn’t rest, instead encouraging the family to get up and move around to stretch their muscles. Otherwise, he warned, they would struggle to keep walking later.

Xu Nian couldn’t help but marvel at how her father seemed more like a modern person than she did—he even understood the concept of “oxygen debt.”

Xu Yaozu approached her, kneeling down to massage her legs while asking with concern, “Tired? Let me rub your legs for you. Is your head injury still hurting?”

His voice carried a hint of distress. He had been preoccupied with preparations since returning home and had only learned last night about the suffering his daughter had endured.

Xu Nian stiffly shook her head. She wanted to pull her legs away but hesitated and ultimately left them where they were.

She couldn’t help but secretly observe the man squatting before her. Though he had a rugged appearance, his actions were full of tenderness.

Xu Nian had never experienced parental love before. Yet, in just a few days in this foreign world, she had already felt the genuine care and affection of Tian Shi and Xu Yaozu.

She felt both envious and guilty. If they ever found out that she wasn’t truly their daughter, would they feel more heartbroken or more afraid?

Xu Yaozu didn’t overthink his daughter’s silence. In his memory, his eldest child had always been quiet and reserved.

Perhaps it was because he had been away studying for so long that he had missed out on bonding with her, causing her to feel distant toward him.

But after returning home this time, he felt that his daughter had changed somehow. Maybe, in a way, this unexpected incident had been a blessing in disguise.

Father and daughter were lost in their own thoughts—one massaging, the other deep in contemplation—until the village chief’s voice rang out: “Time to move out!”

The entire day was spent on the road, with even meals and water breaks taken while walking.

It wasn’t until dusk that the village chief finally ordered a stop.

Along the way, they had encountered very few refugees, indicating that the war had not yet reached Yangcheng.

Still, no one dared to relax. They were on foot, traveling with their entire families, while the enemy soldiers were on horseback, giving them a clear advantage. The people of Dahe Village did not allow themselves a moment’s rest.

The group found a relatively flat area to camp for the night. The families stayed close together, and everyone lay down on the ground, trying to recover their strength.

Though the August night brought a slight breeze, it wasn’t cold. Xu Nian, utterly exhausted, fell asleep in her clothes.

Even during her university military training, she had never felt this drained.

She had barely drifted off when she was startled awake by a commotion.

Forcing her eyes open, she sat up and realized that something had happened within her own family.

Her second aunt, Zheng Shi, was clutching Xu Kang, whose face was deathly pale, and crying uncontrollably.

Xu Kang and Xu Jian were twins, born prematurely and frail since childhood. They had been sickly their whole lives, and it was clear that Zheng Shi had poured immense effort into raising them to this age.

Just then, Xu Fugui arrived with Liu, the village doctor. After a brief examination, Liu diagnosed it as heatstroke.

It seemed that Xu Kang had been holding on all day, not wanting to slow down the family.

Now, looking at the pale and feverish child, the Xu family was filled with both distress and frustration.

Hearing the diagnosis, Xu Nian quietly went to mix a bowl of lightly salted water.

Handing it to Xu Kang, she urged him to take small sips while gently chiding, “In the future, if you’re feeling unwell, don’t force yourself. Doing this doesn’t help the family—it only makes your loved ones worry. Understand?”