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On the first day, after Old Chen brought her grandson to thank them, she came again the next day, bringing two bundles of dried vegetables.
In her words, she urged them once more to consider returning or taking another route, suggesting that any effort was better than losing everything.
She was truly kind. Lu Songli merely smiled and changed the topic, neither agreeing nor refusing.
Later, upon learning that Old Madam Qin was ill, Old Lady Chen inquired about the symptoms and offered to send a bowl of medicinal wine she had treasured at home, claiming it would definitely cure Old Madam Qin.
Lu Songli hurriedly declined her kindness, saying that her mother-in-law had already taken medicine and would recover soon.
Old Madam Qin had indeed taken medicine. When she first fell ill, Lu Songli had felt her pulse and determined that it was an old illness reoccurring. She had taken off a chicken-wing wood bracelet and smashed it open, extracting nearly thirty highly concentrated pills that she had prepared earlier for Old Madam Qin.
Fortunately, Old Madam Qin had taken medicine previously; otherwise, she might have fallen ill much earlier. But Lu Songli said nothing about this.
Qin Heng and Qin Zhao gave her a thumbs-up, saying, “Sixth Sister-in-law, you’re really considerate.”
They knew that Old Madam Qin’s health was poor. Despite the over a thousand miles of imprisonment and exile, her ability to endure was beyond their expectations.
They were extremely grateful to Lu Songli for everything. Her arrangements had benefitted them the most.
Had it not been for her initial arrangements, the journey of exile would have been unimaginable. Lacking clothing and food, their mother might have fallen ill, and the children might have become sick too. Without money or medicine, what could they have done?
In such harsh conditions, illness would likely lead to death. Unlike now, where everyone was unharmed, they were very clear about who had contributed the most.
Earlier Qin Sheng, looking at the bead bracelet on his left hand, curiously asked Lu Songli, “What’s inside this?”
Qin Sheng noticed that his bracelet was heavier than hers, suggesting it wasn’t filled with pills.
“Your bracelet is filled with gold beads,” she replied. When she prepared them, she wasn’t sure which of her backup plans would work, so she included some gold beads and pills.
Qin Sheng felt the weight and realized it was gold beads.
As Lu Songli thanked Old lady Chen for her kindness, she noticed her great-grandson, Chen Chang’an, was staring at her.
Lu Songli noticed his gaze and smiled at the child.
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and Lu Songli looked up to see Qin Sheng returning, dressed in a white fur vest with long pants and boots, looking very tall and straight.
With broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, he would have looked even more impressive if he were holding a rifle instead of a leg of fungus.
Her smile lingered, and there was clear admiration in her eyes. Qin Sheng’s gaze was always met with hers.
He nodded to Old lady Chen and set the leg of fungus aside. “How’s Mother doing?”
“Better,” she replied.
“Let’s make a soup with this leg of fungus. I heard it’s very nourishing.”
“Sure.”
Mo Bing and the others had brought a lot of supplies, but no fresh meat—only cured, salted, or frozen meat. Since Qin Sheng had led Hu Guangcong’s team to scout Qinglong Village, they had been bringing back fresh game. Today, it seemed they had caught a lucky break and brought back a leg of fungus.
Chen Chang’an suddenly spoke up, “I know who is informing Qinglong Village about us. I can tell you.”
Lu Songli and Qin Sheng both looked at him.
Old Lady Chen quickly covered his mouth, “What are you saying, child?”
But Chen Chang’an didn’t try to push her hand away. Instead, he looked straight at Lu Songli and the others with determination in his eyes.
The boy was quite clever. Lu Songli bent down to his level and asked, “Why do you want to tell us?”
“I know you want to deal with Qinglong Village. I can help you.”
The boy, who appeared to be around seven or eight years old, replied, “How old are you, and have you studied? What do you want?”
Chen Chang’an then pried Old lady Chen’s hand away and looked directly into Lu Songli’s eyes. He said firmly, “I’m ten years old! I’ve read a little, and I want to go with you!”
Old Chen smacked him on the arm a couple of times but the boy stubbornly didn’t move or cry out.
Lu Songli and Qin Sheng were silent.
Old lady Chen, somewhat helpless, said to them, “This child has never been sensible. We don’t know when he got this idea.”
She then continued scolding the boy, “You’re already ten, and your parents are gone. You need to be more sensible. Even if people don’t accept you, at least your family should.”
Despite Old lady Chen’s scolding, Chen Chang’an continued to watch them.
Lu Songli saw the determination in the boy’s eyes and the fire in his gaze.
Although Old lady Chen and the village head were his relatives, they never understood what the child truly wanted. They only wanted him to survive, regardless of how he lived or if he was wronged. They might even make him endure grievances in disputes.
Lu Songli foresaw that once the light in the boy’s eyes faded, he would become just another indifferent person, numb and unremarkable.
Lu Songli decided to give both him and herself a chance. She spoke earnestly, “Child, you’re ten now. If you stay in Qingxi Village, you’ll grow up in a few years. Qingxi Village has your relatives, and your father left you two acres of land and a house. When you grow up, you can make your own decisions, and life will get better. This is a plain but stable path.”
Old lady Chen nodded in agreement, “Yes, that’s how everyone grows up.”
“But if you come with us, you’ll face an unstable path. It will be very hard, and there’s even a chance you might die. Do you still want to come with us?”
“I’m not afraid!” Chen Chang’an looked at her with unwavering resolve.
A ten-year-old child who knows what he wants and is willing to work and fight for it, who understands that effort brings rewards rather than making demands outright, is impressive.
Lu Songli turned to Qin Sheng, “What do you think of this child’s physical condition?”
Qin Sheng inspected him briefly and nodded, “Not bad.”
Lu Songli knew Qin Sheng’s standards were always high, and his “not bad” meant the boy was indeed quite capable.
“Alright, Granny Chen, is Village Chief Chen at home? Can I talk to him?”
She admired Chen Chang’an. He possessed a strong vitality; despite enduring so many hardships in life, he had not lost his sharp edges.
Just as she had read before, the reason we struggle so hard in this world is not to let others smooth out our edges and make us adapt to them, but to continuously improve and arm ourselves, making ourselves stronger, so that we can push others aside and create enough space for our own edges to survive.