Chapter 207: The Third Year of Summer

In their remote mountain refuge, the wedding was extremely simple—there was no bridal chamber, no wedding attire, and even candles and incense were lacking. However, the blessings received were the most sincere.

With no parents or elders present, everyone from the village outside came to witness the ceremony. A group of young men called them “Master” and “Mistress,” and their well-wishes were all unique, probably learned from Wei Qinghe, Wang Yunzheng, Xu Wenqing, and others.

Naturally, the most important thing was that the person beside her was the one she truly wanted to marry.

Chen Dashan and Xu Wenqing had brought deer meat from their hunt, which Shen Lie had asked Mrs. Gan and Zhou Ge to help cook with Shen Ning. Shen Lie also brought out a few of the family’s rabbits and wild chickens, along with vegetables grown in the mountains, and prepared two pots of bean rice. By dusk, he invited everyone to bring their own bowls and chopsticks for a modest banquet to add some festive cheer.

After Shen An and Shen Ning had congratulated them, darkness fell, and everyone returned to the small wooden house. Shen Lie closed the cave’s door, leaving just the newlyweds alone.

It was a formal pledge to Heaven and Earth, a proper marriage, sealing their bond with a ceremony filled with affection.

The warmth of the wine and the sweetness of love intertwined, with a bed full of red dates swept into one corner by Shen Lie. The plan had been to simply please her as before, but when it came to the moment of passion, Sang Luo drew him close and whispered in his ear.

Shen Lie’s breathing became heavy, his throat moving quickly, his gaze burning as he looked at her. “Really?”

Sang Luo opened her mouth, but her words were swallowed by his kiss. Her voice went from a moan to fragments, then struggled between rising and falling, eventually losing control. She didn’t know that the pleasures of intimacy could be like this. Aside from the initial difficulties and almost losing control, Shen Lie took charge throughout.

The intensity of the youth, having been restrained for so long, was truly fierce. His build and boundless energy were overwhelming. He had learned well and applied it in this way too. Even with his eyes red with desire, he meticulously observed her every reaction. Sang Luo, with only theoretical knowledge, couldn’t withstand this. Her senses were overwhelmed, and tears glistened in the corners of her eyes.

Under normal circumstances, Shen Lie would have been unable to bear seeing Sang Luo cry. Even the slightest hint of tears in her eyes would make him anxious. But this time was different. The dim candlelight allowed him to see her expression clearly, and every time she sobbed and called his name, it made it exceptionally hard for him to control himself. As the candle flickered in the middle of the night, the red dates piled up on the side of the bed had already scattered into a disarray. This time, he felt completely satisfied both physically and mentally, and slept soundly through the night.

……

The two recent joyous events had added a bit of brightness to the hearts of the people living in these deep mountains, and had driven away some of the gloom that had been hanging over them. Even in this great mountain, they could unite and live on in a good and normal way.

By New Year’s Eve, preparations had been made for several days outside the valley. On the night of New Year’s Eve, Shen Lie and Chen Dashan quietly brought out the elderly and children who had stayed in the valley. About a dozen people gathered in a hastily built grass hut, with more than ten tables, big and small, where they sat or stood, celebrating a joyful and reunited New Year.

When Sang Luo saw Old Man Lu and Mrs. Lu again, their spirits had greatly improved and they appeared more cheerful, somewhat like when they first met in the village of Shili.

It turned out that after Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang returned, they found relatively safe places for the children and helped with the protection. They left two heads of wolf meat, two heads of bear meat, and also gave the hides to Shuangzhu. The new place was similar to Zhou Laizi’s house and also suitable for farming.

With Wang Chunnian gone and Lu Dalang mute, the most important thing was that the children, having witnessed their parents’ situation, were no longer confused. When they left, Lu Dalang was still restless, so Shuangzhu had insisted on leaving. After entering the deep mountains, the siblings bowed to Lu Erlang and Lu Sanlang, saying that if the outside world became peaceful, they would invite their uncles to come and get them; if not, they would stay put.

With Shuangzhu taking over the main house, the biggest hidden danger for the Lu family was eliminated. In fact, because they were far enough in, there was no need to worry about people but only about wild animals. As long as they could live peacefully, even if it was just farming and raising chickens, how could they not survive?

With the heartache gone, the old couple’s spirits gradually recovered.

……

As the grass grew and the orioles flew, another spring had arrived. It was Sang Luo’s third year since crossing over. Besides the hidden Yun Valley in the high mountains, the people in the surrounding mountain area had also found signs of settling down.

From the outer villages to the areas Shen Lie and the others had explored while hunting, six or seven small villages had formed. Near the villages of the outer village and Zhou’s family, and the three villages in between, more than ten new houses had been added. They were growing grains and vegetables, raising rabbits and chickens, and those who had moved into the mountains last year were managing their lives.

Sang Luo’s sheep, which she and the Chen family raised in the valley, had also given birth to kids. The pair of sheep given to Chen Dashan as a congratulatory gift had also become pregnant.

Shen Lie’s pregnant ewe, kept outside the village, gave birth to three lambs at the end of February. After they were raised for two months, one was taken by Zhou’s family and one by Xu’s family with grains or meat. Sang Luo kept only one.

Shen Lie could catch live sheep, but Sang Luo didn’t mind. She was more pleased with being able to drink sheep milk every day. In Qingming, she picked some spring tea, roasted it herself, and the sheep milk’s gamey taste was all gone. It was nourishing and perfect.

During this period, several batches of people came into the inner circle one after another. The restless ones saw that all the villages, large and small, were still martial, with everyone carrying knives. They quickly changed direction and avoided the area. The more peaceful ones, seeing it as a haven, settled in the nearby three villages and developed some of the more distant ones.

As more people from the periphery came into the mountains, naturally, some external news came with them.

The Daqian Dynasty was gone. It was heard that a new country had been established in their area. The extent of its territory and the identity of its emperor were unknown, but they were still trying to make the people return to settle down and farm.

Settling down and farming sounded beautiful. Everyone wanted a peaceful place, but the times had frightened them. They feared that in the end, their crops would turn into military supplies, and they would be caught and conscripted.

While some people sought a future in these tumultuous times, most only wanted to settle down, preserve their lives, and protect their families. Those originally hiding in the outer mountains were also afraid of being caught by the officials, so those with some courage had all moved deeper into the inner circle to hide better.

At the beginning of May, Shopkeeper Xu found Shen Lie and said he wanted to leave the mountains.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan had personally trained for more than half a year. The Xu family’s father and son were no longer as helpless as before. Not to mention others, Xu Wenqing could now protect himself while moving in and out of the mountains, and even the weak scholar Wei Qinghe had gained some strength from the training and was now a good asset.

This time, Shopkeeper Xu planned to take Xu Wenqing and Wei Qinghe with him. One reason was to explore the situation outside; Wei Lingzhen and Wei Qinghe’s parents were still in Shezhou. The other reason was to check if the food in the cave was still there.

Shen Lie was clear about the skills of his disciples, whom he had personally trained. As long as they didn’t confront large groups directly and avoided smaller groups, they didn’t need to worry about going in and out. He and Chen Dashan had also emphasized how to avoid wild animals and people in the mountains and forests.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan also needed to understand the situation outside. However, with the people from the outer village and the valley, it wasn’t convenient for them to travel far.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Lie didn’t agree immediately. Instead, he asked Shopkeeper Xu to wait a couple more days and sent Xu Wenqing to inquire if the Feng family had any interest in exploring the outside.

If it came to young and strong individuals, the Feng family was the largest.

The Feng family agreed. Since their entire clan was in the mountains, they naturally couldn’t go without checking on the outside world for a year or two. Feng Dalang and a cousin from his clan would accompany the Xu family to explore the outside.

Shopkeeper Xu and his party left the village at the beginning of May and didn’t return to the outer village until one night in late May. Recently, there had been people waiting around the village every day, mostly Xu Wenhong and his siblings waiting outside after dark.

When Xu Wenhong and his siblings saw their father, uncle, and other relatives returning safely after being away for more than twenty days, they breathed a heavy sigh of relief. They were also happy to see that they had brought back supplies of grain.

Although it was dark, no one had gone to bed yet. The people from the outer village came out when they heard the commotion. The Feng brothers, eager to return to their village, said their goodbyes after meeting with Shen Lie and left. Only Shopkeeper Xu stayed to share news about the situation outside with the families who had gathered around.

After traveling for over twenty days, a bit more time didn’t matter. Chen Youtian and the others helped bring the grain inside, and everyone sat down in the grass hut. Sang Luo served a few cups of tea to the three men, whose voices were hoarse, to help soothe their throats before Shopkeeper Xu began to talk about the findings from their trip.

“Qiyang County is gone.”

The statement left everyone stunned.

Shen Lie quickly realized, “No one repaired it after the fire last year?”

It would be better to seize a new city than to repair a city turned into ruins.

Shopkeeper Xu nodded. “Yes. The reason we took so long to return is because of this. Qiyang County is now just a wasteland. Along the roads outside the mountains, there are officials banging gongs to attract mountain people, either from nearby counties or from Shezhou. My connections only extend to Qiyang County and Shezhou, so we took the mountain paths to Shezhou, which is why we were delayed.”

Chen Youtian asked the most pressing question: “What’s the situation outside now? Are there still battles?”

Shopkeeper Xu sighed. “Of course, there are still battles. But it’s different from the chaotic fighting in the beginning. It has been nearly three years since the first army rose in the north, and now there is some clarity. The various kings who were previously chaotic have either been incorporated into larger powers or eliminated. There are now only six major factions remaining. The territories they have conquered are guarded, and some order has been restored. At least the states and counties with garrisons are like that.”

The group exchanged glances. Shen Lie asked, “Which six factions are they?”

Shopkeeper Xu explained, “Shezhou is now guarded. I was afraid it would be hard to get in and out, so I didn’t dare to enter. I spent some gold and silver to get news from an old acquaintance of the Wang family who had left the city. After the death of the Daqian Emperor last year, two dukes with heavy troops from Daqian appeared: one in the capital declaring himself king, and the other in the north supporting a royal relative as king. However, this young emperor has since abdicated and reportedly died of illness.”

Whether he truly abdicated or died of illness, or if it was a pretense, no one cared much here.

Shopkeeper Xu continued, “Now, the capital has declared itself a separate nation, named Chen. The northern state is named Qi. The other four are the rebel kings who rose from the lower ranks: one is called the King of Qin, another the King of Wu, another the King of Yan. Our Huainan Road is now under a rebel king named Li, with the state called Chu.”

Lu Erlang frowned upon hearing that there were now six nations. “So there’s still more fighting to come?”

Shopkeeper Xu shook his head. “Not necessarily. I’ve heard that the King of Qi is young and valiant. Since declaring himself king, he has never suffered defeat and is making great progress. He is now approaching the Qin Kingdom, and the King of Qin seems to be ready to surrender.”

When he finished, those who had been on the battlefield, like Shen Lie, Chen Dashan, Shi Dalang, and Lu Erlang, understood the implications. Even those who read a lot, like Wang Yunzheng and Sang Luo, quickly grasped the meaning and showed some smiles.

In a struggle for dominance, it is most feared that the various forces will be stalemated. If one side is particularly strong, the chaotic times will likely be resolved faster.

Chen Dashan smiled. “This is good news.”

Life in the mountains could be managed, but who didn’t long for a peaceful and prosperous world?

Sang Luo asked Shopkeeper Xu, “How about the situation in the outer mountains?”

Shopkeeper Xu replied, “There are people, but not many. It’s possible that we just didn’t encounter them.”

Shen Lie said, “Those who could hide have probably hidden already. In the inner circle, we know of seven settled villages. There are surely more in the farther areas. There might be some left, but not many. Those who didn’t enter the mountains early were either driven into the county or were killed or captured. How many, like Butcher Zheng and Dong Ge’er’s family, managed to escape? Those captured, if they survived, are likely now in other counties under the control of the rebels.”

He looked at everyone as he spoke, saying, “The situation outside seems relatively stable now. It shouldn’t be as chaotic as last year. The mountains are still relatively peaceful. Even though we don’t know when the overall situation will be fully stable, we can live a peaceful life here in the mountains. There are no fierce beasts nearby, and our own strength is enough for self-defense. If the opportunity arises while Shopkeeper Xu and the others are away, we can move the elderly and weak from the valley out here. If we really face any problems in the future, we can always retreat into the mountains.”

Though the valley was good, it was too small, and the time exposed to sunlight was short. Long-term stay was not ideal for health. For farming, it would be better to go in at night and stay there during busy seasons.

Everyone was a bit tempted by this suggestion.

Lu Erlang was the first to smile. “That sounds good. Every time I return home, my family’s Ah Xu is always thinking about studying with Shen An and the others.”

Shi Erlang also smiled. “My Qiao’er feels the same. We can move them out tonight, squeeze them in for now, and later build a few more wooden houses. The nearby people will think we’re just following Shopkeeper Xu’s group and won’t think much of it. We can bring out any needed items gradually once we have a few more wooden houses.”

As the discussion reached this point, Xu Wenyin seized the opportunity to ask, “Father, did you find the steward of the Wang family? If the Wang family is fine, did you ask about my maternal grandparents?”

Her eyes were full of expectation, but Shopkeeper Xu lowered his gaze.

Wang Yunzheng, who had not inquired about the Wang family, frowned, feeling a trace of unease. “Uncle?”

Sang Luo then noticed that Shopkeeper Xu and his son, as well as Wei Qinghe, had not shown any joy since their return. She had assumed it was due to exhaustion from their travels. Now, seeing the expressions of the Xu family and Wei Qinghe, she realized something was wrong.

Others also sensed that something was off and their expressions turned somber. Xu Wenyin, growing anxious, urged, “Father, please speak!”

Shopkeeper Xu’s eyes reddened slightly, and his voice was a bit choked. “Your maternal grandparents, when the Wang family was first thrown into chaos… they passed away.”

Tears instantly welled up in Xu Wenyin’s eyes. Xu Wenhong and Xu Wenbo also had red eyes, and Wang Yunzheng, usually reserved, was now visibly shaken. The previously taciturn youth, who had become a bit more open over the past year, trembled slightly as he looked at Shopkeeper Xu and asked, “Uncle, did you find out if my grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, and siblings are safe?”

The question was about their safety, but his expression was sharp and guarded, like a wounded lone wolf waiting for the blade to fall.

Shopkeeper Xu remained silent.

Wang Yunzheng looked at his uncle again and saw that Wei Qinghe also had his head lowered. The youth suddenly started to laugh, tears welling up in his eyes as he laughed.

They were all alive. His stepmother was in charge of the household, and his maternal grandparents had died amid the chaos. As he laughed, he tilted his head slightly, but even with his head raised, the tears continued to fall.

The people who had devoted their lives to protecting him in that cold inner residence, serving the old master and mistress for a lifetime, had sacrificed their lives for a cold, imposing mansion because of his mother and his existence that irked others.

He had been a burden to others, but did his mother have any choice back then? Did he have any choice?

No one had given them the right to choose.