Chapter 131: Mutual Entrustment

After dinner, they heated water and took turns washing up. Both inside and outside the cave, stone piles were made for lighting. Anyone who wanted to wash would close the cave door, and everyone would step outside to give space.

They had been on the road for nine days. If it weren’t early spring and still cold, they would have started to smell.

By the time they finished washing and changed into clean clothes, it was late evening. They extinguished the fire outside the cave, sprinkled medicinal powder around the entrance, and closed the makeshift wooden door to feel secure.

Since they had discovered a snake earlier that day, everyone was a bit anxious. With the help of the firelight, Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Lu, and the village head’s wife took out oil lamps from their belongings and lit them. The group thoroughly inspected the entire cave, including the shelves with stored food, to ensure no snakes had entered unnoticed. Only then did they extinguish the lamps, leaving a bit of the remaining fire to burn, and everyone settled down to sleep on their makeshift beds.

They didn’t fall asleep immediately. It was their first day there, and they naturally thought of their loved ones—relatives, parents, siblings. These thoughts were shared quietly among family members.

Shen An and Shen Ning also had people they missed and talked quietly to Sang Luo about it. Sang Luo comforted them, “Don’t worry. Your family originally moved to Shili Village in Huainan due to hardship. Though your grandparents, parents, and second uncle are gone, your third uncle and aunt are still alive, aren’t they?”

Luck is unpredictable. Some people, by seeking advantages and avoiding dangers—or perhaps through cowardice or malice, or reasons beyond her understanding—survived. You can’t deny it takes a certain skill.

Shen An found this somewhat reasonable but said, “Back then, we had our parents, grandparents, and second uncle to stand up for us. Now, who do we have? Should Little Jin stand up for us?”

Smart kid. Sang Luo chuckled, “I’ll tell you a secret. Remember when Shopkeeper Xu traveled with us for a while? Your older brother escorted him quite far. Do you remember?”

Shen An and Shen Ning naturally remembered. Thinking back, Shen An recalled that his older brother had bowed to Shopkeeper Xu.

He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now, hearing Sang Luo’s words, he began to think more deeply. Shen An’s eyes lit up, “Are you saying?”

He was hesitant to believe it and didn’t dare say it out loud.

Sang Luo smiled, “Exactly what you’re thinking. Within his means, he will keep an eye out for you. So, don’t worry. Little Jin is different from you; he is your third uncle and aunt’s son. There’s an old saying, ‘A tiger does not eat its cubs.’ Although not absolute, most people do care for their own children. As long as bandits don’t storm the village, the adults will find a way to provide. And if bandits do come, think about the escape route your older brother prepared for Little Jin. He can hide for quite some time.”

Shen An felt much more at ease. In his eyes, Shopkeeper Xu was very capable.

Shen Ning was still a bit confused and asked Shen An, who whispered his guess. Shen Ning also felt relieved and gave Xu Wenyin, who was on the next bed, a big hug.

Xu Wenyin was puzzled. Shen Ning smiled, “I’ll be very good to you in the future! Extra good!”

Mrs. Xu, who knew some of the details, had accompanied her son when he left. She knew exactly what he entrusted to Shen Lie, fearing they might lose contact if things got chaotic. They had agreed on a secret message drop at the grain storage point, leading Shen Lie to ask Xu Wenyin for help in looking after his cousins in Kilogramsli Village when safe.

She smiled and patted her granddaughter’s head, “Alright, we’ve had a long day and need to get up early tomorrow. Time to sleep.”

She turned to Shen Ning, “You too, Ning, sleep next to Wenyin.”

Shen Ning happily complied. The bedding of both families was placed together to prevent gaps where insects could crawl in.

Xu Wenyin, not sleeping in a cave for the first time, feared insects but had no other choice. Exhausted, the two girls lay down, each under their own blankets, whispered a few words, and fell asleep.

Wang Yunzheng and Xu Wenbo were on the other side. Wang Yunzheng wanted to read by the firelight but was stopped by Mrs. Xu, “Reading in this light strains your eyes. You can wake up early to study.”

Wang Yunzheng respected his great-aunt, quickly agreed, and re-tied his bundle, then sat quietly, lips moving as he silently recited.

Shen An, who wanted to see what book Wang Yunzheng had, seeing this, knew he wouldn’t get a look tonight and quietly recited the “Thousand Word Classic.”

The night was peaceful, with only the sounds of insects and occasional crackling of burning wood, mixed with various snores.

The fire finally died down, and the cave was completely dark. Time passed in the rhythm of breathing, bringing the arrival of dawn.

…

Clearing land in the valley was in full swing. On the fifteenth of February, deep in the mountains several miles from Shili Village, Shen Lie’s group met with Shopkeeper Xu’s group at the agreed cave.

The Xu family had more grain than any of the other five families, a total of forty kilograms!

Some of this was bought while helping Sang Luo’s group, and some was accumulated later. Shopkeeper Xu kept some for himself, but most was transported here in batches by his servants and trusted workers from his restaurant.

As for Shezhou, they had followed their master’s lead, storing enough grain for several years before prices soared.

“Please carry thirty kilograms back to my mother. The remaining ten kilograms, two for each of your families. My family may need your care in the mountains.”

When two kilograms of grain fell from the sky, the five families were stunned. Then, instinctively, they took a step back, repeatedly declining the offer. No one was willing to accept it.

Everyone loves grain, especially in chaotic times like these, but in such times, grain is extremely expensive.

Receiving benefits without contributing is not acceptable. Shopkeeper Xu had already helped them a lot, and taking care of his family, offering them some support, was their duty. They didn’t dare accept such a generous gift.

Moreover, each family had enough grain to last for a considerable time if used sparingly. They had also seen the valley, which could be cultivated. Although life would be tough, they could manage without taking this costly grain.

Shen Lie also shook his head, “Shopkeeper Xu, you’ve helped us enough. There’s no need for this. We’ll deliver the grain to the old lady.”

Seeing that Shopkeeper Xu wanted to say something, the village head quickly interrupted, “Shopkeeper Xu, we really can’t accept this. Each family, though not having much grain, can manage for two or three years if they ration carefully. The place we found can be farmed too. Truly, there’s no need for this. Honestly, if we reach a point where we can’t feed ourselves, we won’t refuse your help. If, at that time, the old lady still has extra grain, we will shamelessly borrow some.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Shopkeeper Xu thought, if it really comes to that, how many years of chaos will we have endured? Based on current information, such a possibility is low. He looked at them and shook his head with a wry smile, “I must show my goodwill.”

Old Man Chen waved his hand, “That’s unnecessary politeness. If you act like this, we won’t feel comfortable.”

Rural folks are simple and straightforward. Since they decided to bring the Xu family along, they treated them as their own. Providing support now by helping to carry grain and teaching farming later was no big deal. They didn’t want to take advantage of him.

With Old Man Chen’s words, Old Man Lu added, “Exactly, if you insist, we won’t dare to help carry the grain.”

Shopkeeper Xu, caught between laughter and tears, bowed respectfully to the older men, “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to your advice. We’ll carry it over, and if we do need grain in the future, we won’t hesitate to discuss it with my mother.”

His family of five, considering his mother and children’s consumption—even if the kids ate as much as adults in a couple of years—would have enough grain for five years. Lending out some would not be a problem.

With the grain matter settled, Shopkeeper Xu led them further into the cave, saying, “You may refuse the grain, but you must accept these two things.”

Before they saw what it was, they heard the chirping sounds.

As seasoned farmers, they didn’t need to see to know what it was, and their eyes lit up.

Seeing this, Shopkeeper Xu smiled, “Last time I saw you carrying live chickens and ducks, but no roosters. I thought you could raise some chickens and ducks in your place, so I brought some chicks and ducklings. We took good care of them, so they should survive. Each family can take some, and the children can have eggs in the future. Most of the chicks are hens, and if there are a couple of roosters, you can cook them before they crow.”

He had thought it through carefully.

Indeed, they were willing to accept the chicks and ducklings. Firstly, they weren’t expensive, and secondly, they improved their quality of life. They hadn’t had time to prepare live chickens and ducks due to their hasty departure, so they thanked him profusely.

Thinking that the two things Shopkeeper Xu mentioned were just the chickens and ducks, they were surprised when he opened another basket full of wrapped herbs, “One basket is for my mother, the other for you all. I hope you won’t need them, but there are no doctors in the mountains. It’s better to be prepared.”

This gift truly touched their hearts.

Although each family had prepared some medicine, they were limited by their financial constraints.

Old Man Lu smiled and bowed, “We really need this, so we’ll accept it with gratitude. Thank you, Shopkeeper Xu.”

Shopkeeper Xu returned the bow with a smile, “I’m glad you accepted. It wasn’t in vain.”

He also brought out pots, bowls, blankets, and other items for his family. Unlike the earthen pots the others used, the Xu family had more sophisticated iron pots, affordable only by those with connections.

Remembering something, he took out a set of stone chiseling tools from one of the baskets and handed them to Shen Lie, “I heard you’re staying in a cave. These tools will help if you need to make repairs. I figured Qinghe wouldn’t use them, so I’m giving them to you.”

Shen Lie laughed, “I was going to ask you for a set. This is timely. Thanks for considering so much. I’ll make sure to fix up the place where the old lady is staying.”

Wei Qinghe touched his nose, acknowledging that he wasn’t skilled in such tasks.

Shopkeeper Xu laughed, “Thank you in advance.”

Seeing the stone chiseling tools, the others also laughed. All except Old Man Lu had seen the valley and the caves. They knew expanding wasn’t advisable, but making the living space more comfortable was necessary. They praised shopkeeper Xu for his thoroughness.

They started packing their things. The grain was packed in bags, and the baskets could hold other small items. Everyone was busy when shopkeeper Xu pulled Shen Lie aside to talk.

“About what you asked me last time, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hearing this, Shen Lie’s heart tightened, and he quickly looked at Shopkeeper Xu.

Shopkeeper Xu waved his hand with a smile, “It’s not about the children. It’s about the conscription and grain collection.”

He explained what his servant, disguised as a peddler, had discovered: “Your third uncle’s family probably paid off their conscription with silver and have little grain left. Li’s injury hasn’t been treated by a doctor. My servant saw the children applying some herbs. That’s the situation.”

Chen Dashan was nearby, and upon hearing a few sentences, his expression turned cold. “Your third uncle and aunt are really something. They had enough money to pay for a substitute in the draft, yet they were heartless enough to push you out back then.”

The cost of hiring a substitute wasn’t something that could be saved from farming alone in just a year or two. For a farming family relying solely on their land, after paying for food, rent, and taxes, what could they save? Saving even one or two taels was an achievement. So this money must have been available two or three years ago, or at least most of it. At most, they might have been short one or two taels. If Shen San had the will back then, the families could have pooled resources, borrowed a bit, and Shen Lie could have repaid the small debt by hunting and trading game in the county within a month or two.

It ultimately came down to being unwilling to spend that kind of money on a nephew.

Shopkeeper Xu sighed inwardly. It was only recently, with his family’s servants keeping an eye on the Shili Village, that he had fully understood the Shen family’s situation. Despite such circumstances, Shen Lie’s immediate family still cared for his cousins, earning Shopkeeper Xu’s admiration. Truthfully, it made him even more willing to befriend Shen Lie and Sang Luo. Having such a person as a friend once in a lifetime was a blessing.

Naturally, this made him more attentive to the task Shen Lie entrusted him with.

Shen Lie, upon hearing about Shen San using silver to avoid the draft, also felt a chill in his eyes. In these times, having that kind of money and not buying grain, but instead paying for a substitute, was outrageous.

He had always thought that Shen San was only heartless towards them, the non-biological siblings. Seeing Mrs. Li pushed into service deepened this perception. However, he hadn’t expected that Shen San would sacrifice even his own children’s chance of survival for his comfort.

Seeing that Shopkeeper Xu was waiting for his response, Shen Lie said, “Don’t bother with Shen San or Mrs. Li. No matter what happens to them, don’t intervene. I have no ties with them. But please, keep an eye on those children… When Shen San’s household runs out of grain, I fear the children might be sold for food before the war even reaches us.”

Shopkeeper Xu, having witnessed many cases of selling children for survival, nodded. In the north, eating each other’s children wasn’t unheard of these days. “Alright, I’ve noticed those kids are quite resourceful. They’ve been gathering and drying a lot of wild vegetables in their yard, so they should be fine for now. When the situation worsens, I’ll keep a closer watch and act accordingly. I’ll send you word if anything comes up.”

Shen Lie bowed, and Shopkeeper Xu quickly raised his hand to stop him, “There’s no need for such formalities between our families.”

They had entrusted each other with tasks and understood each other’s sentiments. One was hiding in the mountains, and the other couldn’t leave Qiyang County due to his responsibilities. They were mutually supporting each other.

Shen Lie said no more, letting Shopkeeper Xu and Wei Qinghe chat, asking about the old lady and the kids to ease their minds. They also discussed what supplies they had brought, such as oil, salt, and seeds.

Salt was easier to store and they brought a lot. Oil, however, they could only make from the animals Shen Lie hunted. Wei Qinghe was told to exchange grain for some of Shen Lie’s oil once they ran out and to learn to grow vegetables from the other families.

When it was time to leave, Shen Lie took out a small medicine bottle from his pocket and handed it to Shopkeeper Xu, gesturing towards Old Man Chen and Chen Dashan. “This is a lethal poison. It’s from the Chen family. We rely on it for safety when traveling through the mountains. Keep it for self-defense. We need two trips to carry all this grain, so please guard it for a couple more days.”

Knowing it was a lethal poison, Shopkeeper Xu realized its value for survival in chaotic times. He thanked Shen Lie and the Chen family, carefully stored the bottle, and then saw the group off.