Chapter 132: Disguise

When Shen Lie and his group returned to Yun Valley with the grain, it was already February 20th.

At that time, everyone was working on the outer fields, near the entrance of the valley. Sang Luo and a few others who were cutting grass at the front seemed to hear some noise. They all paused their actions and listened quietly. Calculating the days, they guessed it was Shen Lie and his group returning, but they all held their breath, not daring to speak.

The stones at the entrance moved. Sang Luo’s heart almost leapt out of her chest. She signaled to the people behind her and, holding her hoe, tiptoed towards the entrance of the valley as silently as possible.

As she pressed against the wall, the two large stones blocking the inner entrance were moved. The upper stone was pushed inward and rolled down, followed by the second stone being lifted by a pair of hands. The whole half-person-high stone was moved aside.

Those hands were familiar, as were the sleeves and clothes. Sang Luo relaxed completely, her limbs going weak. She called out, “Shen Lie?”

Shen Lie had just moved the stone inside when he heard her voice. Turning his head, he saw Sang Luo holding a hoe, nervously pressed against the stone wall near the entrance. Behind her were Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Lu, Aunt Shi, Aunt Zhou… all the adults who stayed behind in the valley, each holding a farming tool.

Further back was a large group of children. Seeing the fields they were working on, Shen Lie understood immediately. He had no doubt that if a stranger had come in, Sang Luo would have hit them with her hoe.

“Did I scare you?”

Sang Luo nodded with lingering fear. “We guessed it might be you coming back around this time, but hearing someone suddenly moving the stones at the entrance still made us anxious.”

Shen Lie hadn’t expected everyone to be at the valley entrance. Thinking from their perspective, it was indeed frightening. He thought for a moment. “Next time we return, let’s use a signal. I’ll knock on the stone three times quickly and twice slowly, twice.”

Sang Luo quickly nodded. “That would be good. That way, we won’t be afraid of mistakenly hurting our own people and can act without hesitation.”

Shen Lie laughed upon hearing this. As expected, she was ready to strike with her hoe just now.

Behind them, Mrs. Chen breathed a sigh of relief. After hearing the discussion about the signal, she saw the young couple chatting and Shen Lie laughing repeatedly. She looked at the big stone in his hands with a strange expression and couldn’t help but remind him, “Ah Lie, isn’t that stone heavy? Let’s put it down first.”

Only then did Shen Lie realize, feeling his face heat up. He had been talking to Sang Luo and forgot about the stone. Quickly, he turned and placed the stone beside the entrance.

Following Shen Lie inside, Chen Dashan almost couldn’t suppress his laughter.

Seeing his wife being silly, he thought, Shen Lie, this boy, only acts this foolish around Sang Luo.

Honestly, he really envied Shen Lie’s strength. How did he get so strong? There was no talk of great strength in the Shen family lineage. He had met Shen Lie’s grandparents, parents, and second uncle and aunt during their escape years ago. Shen Lie’s father was indeed brave but didn’t possess such great strength. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have perished halfway.

Looking at Shen An, he seemed quite normal, but Shen Lie grew up as if he had taken strength-enhancing pills.

Even if he liked someone and wanted to act foolishly, could he do so while holding such a big stone? It just wasn’t feasible for most people.

While others struggled to carry two stones’ worth of grain, Shen Lie could easily carry three stones’ worth without breaking a sweat. There was no comparison.

With this little incident, Shen Lie felt too embarrassed to continue talking to Sang Luo. When the others brought in the first load of grain, he quickly slipped out to move more supplies.

The children, eager to help, dropped what they were doing and ran outside to assist in carrying things. They couldn’t carry the heavy grain, but they could help with smaller items.

The women busied themselves setting up shelves in the large cave, soon leaving only Sang Luo at the entrance.

Sang Luo found it amusing. She hadn’t even noticed that Shen Lie had been talking to her while holding a big stone.

Taking advantage of the absence of others, she tried to lift the stone but couldn’t budge it. She pushed it, but it didn’t move. She stepped back to gauge its size. She couldn’t estimate the weight, so how strong was Shen Lie?

With such strength, if he encountered a wolf in the forest, could he knock it out with a single punch even without a weapon? Previously, when leading a large group, single wild animals would avoid them, and for packs, Shen Lie and the young men would use poison arrows and knives. Sang Luo had never seen Shen Lie fight barehanded.

Her thoughts drifted. Just as Shen Lie came back, Sang Luo glanced at him discreetly. He was indeed tall and strong, but he still had a youthful look, not the burly build she associated with great strength. Where was he hiding all that strength?

The Zhou brothers also came in carrying supplies, so Sang Luo stopped observing. When the next batch of people headed out, she quickly joined them to help move items.

Besides transporting grain, they brought in bedding, pillows, pots, seeds, medicines, and a large crate of chicken and duck chicks from the Xu family.

Seeing these supplies, the women and children were as happy as if it were New Year’s. They thanked Mrs. Xu profusely, appreciating the thoughtful gifts.

In the valley, they could grow their own vegetables, but for meat, they relied on hunting. With few people around, it was manageable, but if more people arrived, they couldn’t risk frequent outings. They’d rather eat less than expose the valley.

Now, with chickens and ducks, they wouldn’t eat them but would benefit from their eggs. Roosters could be sold, and ducks could hatch more eggs. These gifts were truly heartwarming.

Mrs. Xu was pleased. While Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had some hunting skills, the others, though capable of self-defense, weren’t as skilled at hunting. Her family, including herself and Qinghe, wasn’t skilled at all.

She had worried about her grandchildren getting meat in the future, but now, with eggs from chickens and ducks, they didn’t need to worry.

Seeing her son had prepared gifts for every family, Mrs. Xu beamed with pride. He had done well.

Hearing from Wei Qinghe about the grain and medicine deliveries, Mrs. Xu nodded approvingly. “That’s the right way to do it.”

Learning that other families refused to take the grain, Mrs. Xu wasn’t surprised. After twenty days together, although she wasn’t familiar with the men like Old Chen and Old Lu, she knew their wives and other women well. Seeing the families’ actions, she understood a lot about them.

“Then we’ll follow their wishes. We’ll keep the grain ourselves and only use it when needed.”

If chaos ensued and the other five families struggled, the Xu family wouldn’t fare well alone. They needed to stick together as a united front.

Moreover, in Mrs. Xu’s view, the families had capable people. Those less skilled were at least honest and cooperative. With everyone working together, they would manage just fine.

The crates of chicks couldn’t be brought into the valley, so each family took some in baskets. Once everything was moved, Shen Lie sealed both ends of the passage and entered the large cave.

Chickens and ducks needed careful handling. Unlike other items that could be placed on shelves, these chicks required proper care. Unlike the six chickens and ducks Sang Luo’s family initially brought in, Shopkeeper Xu had provided seventy-two chicks this time. They were in good condition, carefully tended to by Old Chen and everyone along the way.

However, chickens and ducks couldn’t be kept too close together. One sick bird could infect the others, so they needed to be separated.

This time, except for Shi Da, Lu Er, Lu San, and Zhou Dalang, who stayed to guard the remaining grain and items at the first stash point, everyone else had returned, including the two daughters-in-law of the Zhou family who had stayed to recover from injuries.

With the end of February approaching, everyone was eager to start farming. Most people planned to stay a few days to work before Shen Lie and the young men continued transporting grain. The Zhou family’s daughters-in-law wouldn’t leave again, and experienced farmers like Old Chen, Old Lu, and the Zhou family head had to stay.

In short, most of the forty-some people were now in Yun Valley. With the grain and supplies filling the large cave, it was too cramped. Chickens and ducks needed to be separated, and people had to return to their respective caves.

Old Chen, Old Lu, and Zhou Cunzheng took a walk around the valley. After coming out, they said, “First, everyone should organize their caves. The supplies and grain can be temporarily stored in the big cave, but we need to arrange safe places to sleep for tonight and the coming days. Once that’s sorted, we can discuss how to farm the land.”

Everyone laughed and headed off with their farming tools, hoes, and shovels, young and old, all heading to their respective caves. The children excitedly ran towards the inner part of the valley.

Shen Lie didn’t rush off. He had checked his cave earlier and, seeing the progress of the land clearing, knew that the other caves probably remained unchanged. He realized that the first thing they needed were doors for their caves.

Even a simple door made from unprocessed tree trunks, like the one at the big cave, would at least keep out snakes and rodents, ensuring a good night’s sleep.

He approached Old Chen and asked, “Old Chen, each family should first make a door, right? Otherwise, we won’t sleep well tonight. There are plenty of trees in the valley. Will cutting them affect sunlight for farming? Should we cut some from inside the valley or bring them in from outside?”

This was also a concern for Old Chen, Old Lu, and Zhou Cunzheng.

Old Chen sighed, “Cutting the trees would be better for growing crops later. Too many trees block sunlight, which is essential for good crops. The seedlings will grow slowly and might turn yellow. But we also worry that cutting them might make us too visible from the mountaintop. I was going to ask you since you’ve been to the top. Can you see clearly from up there?”

Shen Lie thought for a moment, “It’s very high up. If we build houses, the roofs would be visible and stand out. Trees and grass just appear as varying shades of green and are hard to distinguish. People moving around wouldn’t be easy to spot either. However, we need to avoid planting too neatly. If it’s as organized as in Shili Village, it might stand out. Planting densely should be fine, though.”

Zhou Cunzheng asked Old Chen and Old Lu, “Should we join the fields together, with only a marker stone to delineate each family’s land, and have a single irrigation channel from the mountain side?”

There were no objections from Old Chen and Old Lu.

Old Lu said, “Planting densely is fine. The valley is deep and narrow with lots of trees, so it gets limited sunlight. According to the elders’ experience, it’s better to plant densely. Otherwise, the sun will be wasted. Just don’t overdo it. It should be denser than our fields in Shili Village.”

The experienced farmers nodded, agreeing that the valley’s short sunlight hours would lengthen the rice growing season. They would need to transplant the rice seedlings by March and soak the seeds before Qingming Festival.

“What about the trees? Should we cut them?” Zhou Cunzheng looked at Shen Lie.

Shen Lie had some ideas since he had been to the peak and was familiar with the terrain.

Shen Lie nodded, “We can selectively cut trees, removing those with dense foliage that block too much light. We can keep trees like firs that don’t take up much space. This way, it won’t look empty or block the sunlight needed for the crops.”

Old Chen, Old Lu, and Zhou Cunzheng brightened up at this idea. It was about camouflage.

Old Chen, inspired, said, “Exactly. From above, it would look like grass under the trees, similar to other peaks. And the trees won’t block too much sunlight. However, we need to be cautious since trees will compete with crops for water. Those near the fields might rot.”

He glanced at the small waterfall in the middle of the valley. “There are water-loving trees like cypresses and water pines growing near the pool formed by the waterfall. We could dig up and transplant these trees to the middle of the fields. This way, they won’t be in the way, and we can channel the waterfall water into the fields to keep them healthy.”

Old Lu chuckled, “Good idea. We can trim any branches that block too much light.”

He asked Shen Lie, “Could we move some trees from the nearby ponds? We passed several on our way here. Can we bring a few dozen of them?”

The biggest challenge was the valley entrance, which couldn’t accommodate large trees.

Shen Lie said, “We can move trees about human height. From above, you can’t tell the height, just that they are trees. Smaller trees are easier to move. In a few days, I can take some people out to bring back several batches. Mixing various sizes will look more natural, making it harder to spot the fields.”

Sang Luo, who was still packing, overheard the entire conversation. She nearly wanted to give them a thumbs-up. These elders and uncles were impressive, showcasing the wisdom of old farmers.

Of course, Shen Lie wasn’t bad either. It was true what they said: four heads are better than one.

Zhou Cunzheng laughed, “I’ll go get Shi Erlang and Wei Qinghe. We’ll check which plots are best for fields and plan the tree cutting.”

Since the valley was limited in size, they needed to leave space for people to move around, grow vegetables, and raise chickens and ducks.

They needed to discuss where and how much space to leave.

Wei Qinghe, being the only adult male from the Xu family, was naturally called, even if he didn’t understand, to show a cooperative attitude.

Shen Lie smiled, “We should also invite the grandmothers, aunts, and sisters-in-law. We’ll be living here for a long time, so their input is important too.”

Zhou Cunzheng agreed, “Good idea.” Sang Luo volunteered, “I’ll call the families on the right side.”

She lifted the shovel and dustpan in her hands and smiled, “I need to go to the caves anyway, so I might as well do it.”

Zhou Cunzheng chuckled, “Alright, I’ll inform the ones on the left side.”

Shen Lie glanced at the items in Sang Luo’s hands, then walked over and took them from her. “Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”

Seeing Shen Lie taking care of his wife, Old Chen and Old Lu both smiled, their eyes crinkling at the corners. Even Zhou Cunzheng, who was already ahead, turned back to glance and then continued forward with a smile.

Old Chen laughed, “Let’s go inside too. That way, we won’t have to call everyone back out.”

The two old men chuckled, clasped their hands behind their backs, and strolled towards the inner part of the valley.