Chapter 192

The group hurried back to the village, arriving when the sky was already pitch black.

The journey was difficult due to numerous waterlogged sections on the road and the heavy load on the carts. The wheels often got stuck in the mud, requiring several men to lift the carts and keep moving.

Upon returning to the village, there was a flurry of activity in every household. Even the oil lamps, which were usually used sparingly, were lit.

As they unpacked and took stock of their purchases, the joy and relief of having secured supplies overshadowed their fatigue.

Qin Yilin, seeing the five bulging sacks of grain, finally felt at ease. Unlike other villagers who had their own fields, they didn’t farm. Securing enough grain meant they wouldn’t have to worry.

The men who went to the city shared their experiences with their families, all expressing concern and initially planning to discuss matters with the old village head, but it was too late.

Anyway, Li Wen also went to the city and would definitely discuss things with his family.

Indeed, Li Wen was sharing his experiences with his family.

After hearing everything, the room fell silent.

“My goodness, how will those who suffered from the disaster survive?” Wang Guifen muttered, eyes wide with shock.

Zhao Lan anxiously asked, “What did the officials say?”

This was what everyone was most concerned about.

Of course, the officials wouldn’t speak to them directly, but they would post notices if there was anything important.

Fan Jin, being literate, had gone with them today and could read any posted notices.

Li Wen shook his head. “Nothing new, just the usual notices; the only change is that the city entry fee has increased by one wen.”

The two-wen entry fee was already not cheap, and some cities still had a one-wen fee. Now it had risen to three wen, making it harder for villagers to go to the city to sell anything like eggs—they would lose money before even making a sale.

“Going to the city will be even harder in the future,” Li Wu sighed.

Zhang Hui nudged him. “Which place won’t be difficult in the future? Even Niutou Town might not be safe.”

The room fell silent again until Li Wen broke it, addressing his father, “Dad, things are unstable outside. Should we organize a defense team?”

“Yes, we definitely should,” Li Qiang interjected. “We have a lot of grain and can’t let others take it!”

It was pitiful for the refugees who had nothing to eat, but if they came to rob them, it would be unacceptable. They couldn’t let their family starve.

After some thought, the old village head instructed his daughter-in-law, “Guifen, you and the others go to Hu Shuiqing’s tomorrow, ask her opinion, and see how to organize and schedule the defense team.”

He had never organized a defense team before and felt that his memory wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. It was better to seek advice from younger people and make an informed decision.

Listening, observing, and thinking more was always a good idea and wouldn’t offend anyone.

Wang Guifen and the others didn’t expect that out of all the men, their father-in-law would ask them to consult Shuiqing.

Then they realized that Shuiqing had come up with the idea, and their father-in-law’s request signified his approval of the proposal!

She happily agreed, “Alright, I’ll make sure to ask thoroughly.”

It felt like the village had changed.

Fan Jin first dropped Ding Heli off, unloading the goods from the cart, which suddenly felt much lighter. He then sat on the cart frame and headed home.

When he arrived, his father-in-law and brother-in-law were just reaching the courtyard.

With the floodwaters receding today and Fan Jin going to the city, his father-in-law and Wenhua, worried about the house, had taken the donkey cart back to Niutou Town to check.

They led a few big pigs and had five or six piglets in the cart.

Hearing the commotion, people inside the yard opened the gate to greet them.

Under the cold, clear moonlight, the scene was barely visible.

“Dear, how is the house?” Hu’s mother asked as she stepped out.

They had been staying at their daughter’s house for quite a while. Their son-in-law was very kind and treated them well, but they worried that Qing’er’s mother-in-law might have objections to them enjoying such hospitality for free. Previously, the flooding provided a valid reason to stay, but now that the waters had receded, they should tidy up their own home and help Qing’er with the Polygonum multiflorum cuttings on the mountain. After that, it would be time for them to leave.

“I was thinking we could clean up and move back, but it’s not possible now,” Butcher Hu sighed.

His look at his wife made it clear—they would need to stay at Qing’er’s place for a bit longer.

Hu’s mother looked at her son.

Hu Wenhua described the situation in their house: “The roof above the kitchen has collapsed, probably due to the heavy rain. There’s mud everywhere inside, a thick layer of it, and it smells of sewage. According to Aunt Wang next door, the flood brought in sewage from the cesspool, reaching waist height. She spent days cleaning it but said that even after cleaning, it didn’t help much. Also, things are unsafe in Niutou Town. The refugees first begged for food, but when they couldn’t get any, they turned to stealing. Our lock was broken by those refugees, and there are already signs of robbery.”

Aunt Wang didn’t know which relatives to turn to. It wasn’t just a short stay; it was uncertain how long it would last, and no relatives could take in a large family for an extended period. Aunt Wang’s family was worried and envied those who had a place to stay.

Hu’s mother felt a chill after hearing this.

“Father, Mother, do you want to go back because you’re uncomfortable here?” Fan Jin thought his father-in-law and brother-in-law only went back to get things and didn’t expect them to want to move back.

Hu’s mother quickly shook her head, smiling, “It’s not that we’re uncomfortable; we’re too comfortable! Good food, good drink, and good living every day, and we don’t pay a penny. Now that the flood has receded, we feel embarrassed to stay.”

Fan Jin was relieved to hear it wasn’t dissatisfaction. He gently persuaded, “Father, Mother, you help with chores every day. How can you say you’re living here for free? If it were outsiders, we’d have to pay them for their help.”

Upon hearing that her son-in-law would even consider paying them, Hu’s mother immediately dismissed the idea of living for free, “No, no, we can’t take that. Family doesn’t need to pay for helping each other!”

Hu Wenhua chuckled on the side. In his view, his parents were overthinking it. Staying at his sister’s place wasn’t a big deal as long as his sister and brother-in-law didn’t mind. Besides, his sister’s family needed help, and they were idle anyway. It was mutually beneficial.

Fan Jin’s gaze fell on the pigs.

Hu Wenhua explained, “Father was worried that you might run out of pork for trading mushrooms, so he went to buy piglets. It turned out that the family we bought from was also affected by the flood. Though not severely, they couldn’t keep so many pigs. They sold not only piglets but also three sows and a boar. We thought your pigsty is big enough, so we brought them all here.”

Buying the pigs and leading them back slowly explained why they arrived so late.

“You’ve thought of everything,” Fan Jin said approvingly.

Receiving praise from his son-in-law, Butcher Hu grinned broadly, “You all go in and eat. I’ll put the pigs in the pigsty and then join you!”