Chapter Eighteen: The Entire Village Fleeing Famine

By the time Su Jinyu and the others rode back to the village in Uncle Zhao’s ox cart, the sun was already nearing the horizon.

That night, Chen Shulan prepared several baskets of shepherd’s purse buns and two large pots of sweet potato porridge. Knowing they had to rise early the next day, the whole family went to bed early, yet none of them managed to fall asleep until well past midnight.

It wasn’t just Su Jinyu who spent a sleepless night; the entire village shared the same restless vigil.

Before dawn the next morning, Chen Shulan and Li Tianhe quietly got up, careful not to wake anyone.

“Tianhe, you start the fire. I’ll knead the dough and make some dry pancakes. If our parents and the kids get hungry on the road, they can eat something to tide them over.”

“You didn’t sleep well last night; your eyes are all dark underneath. I can make the pancakes too, though they might not taste as good as yours. You should go back to sleep a little longer.”

Li Tianhe, feeling tender toward his wife, tried to take the flour from her.

“No way. If the parents and kids wake up before the pancakes are done, they’ll have nothing to eat on the road. I won’t feel at ease; I’m making the pancakes!”

Chen Shulan’s determination was well known to Li Tianhe, so he didn’t insist and busied himself chopping firewood and tending the fire.

After finishing the pancakes, Chen Shulan steamed several more baskets of egg and shepherd’s purse buns and prepared two large pots of sweet potato porridge. Li Tianhe helped by chopping the sweet potatoes and shepherd’s purse. Working together, the couple made quick progress.

“Tianhe, wipe your sweat. Go wake up our parents and the children for breakfast. After eating, we need to hurry to the village entrance to assemble.”

Chen Shulan knew her husband was thoughtful. She had married into the Li family precisely because of their good character. Though they were poor, her father-in-law was just, and her mother-in-law kind-hearted; the family lived in harmony.

Su Jinyu had also stayed up late. A light sleeper, she could even hear her uncle snoring next door—thunderous enough to shake the earth—and her aunt kicking him to quiet down.

Chen Shulan’s buns were fragrant, each bite filled with finely chopped eggs and shepherd’s purse, complemented by the sweet porridge.

“Auntie, your buns are so delicate and delicious!” Su Jinyu complimented with a bright smile.

Living with her grandmother and uncles now, with three meals a day taken care of, Su Jinyu enjoyed the leisure, simply speaking kind words to flatter Chen Shulan and maintain a good impression.

“If you like them, eat more. Tell me what you enjoy, and I’ll make plenty for you from now on.”

Chen Shulan genuinely adored her niece. She had always wanted a daughter but had borne two sons instead. Doctors said her health had been frail in youth and even more depleted by childbirth, advising against having more children. Fortunately, her in-laws and husband understood; especially after her mother-in-law Wang Qiaohui declared there was no need for more children—the two grandsons were enough.

Thus, Chen Shulan’s dream of a daughter remained unfulfilled. Seeing the obedient and intelligent Su Jinyu, her heart melted, and she longed to dress her in endless beautiful clothes, to sell more embroidered goods, and buy her fine jewelry.

With her little sister absent, Chen Shulan treated Jinyu as her own daughter, and regarded her nephew Jinxiao as a little son.

“Jinyu, Jinxiao, have another bun or you’ll be hungry on the road!”

“Got it, Auntie!” the siblings responded in unison.

Wang Qiaohui reminded the children to wear extra clothes. It was late autumn, with large temperature swings between day and night, making the little ones prone to catching colds.

Once everything was packed, Li Tianhe carried the family’s quilts and over a hundred pounds of grain in a basket on his back. Li Zhe’an’s basket held all the pots, pans, and clay jars. Li Chuxiu bore all the family’s clothes, shoes, and the bolts of cloth they had bought the day before.

Li Yongzhi carried several water flasks and his wine gourd. Chen Shulan had a small bundle with her, containing some personal clothing.

Su Jinyu, having little to bring, carried a large bundle as a pretense to retrieve items later from her space; it contained only a few old clothes.

“Jinyu, let your big brother carry your load!” Li Zhe’an said with a cheerful smile, reaching for the bundle.

Su Jinyu swiftly dodged, grinning foolishly. “My bundle isn’t heavy; I can carry it. Big brother’s load is already heavy enough. Mine is nothing.”

Then Li Chuxiu also reached out to grab her bundle.

“Jinyu, big brother’s not as strong as second brother. If you won’t let big brother carry it, then give it to second brother!”

“No, really, no! Second brother, how do you know you’re stronger than big brother?”

Li Chuxiu’s face grew increasingly confident.

“Back in the day, when second brother and big brother wrestled a bull, big brother got tired and let go in the blink of an eye. I, second brother, could carry the bull and run around the field twice!”

Li Zhe’an objected, “Before the contest, we only agreed to see who could lift it. Who knew you’d change the rules and run around the field with it? On the last lap, both you and the bull fell into the paddy field.”

Hearing this, Su Jinyu and her little brother both burst into laughter.

At that moment, Wang Qiaohui, inspecting inside and outside the house, overheard their chatter and interjected.

“Since that contest, your big brother and second brother have become famous in the village, and everyone gave them nicknames.”

“Grandma, what are big brother and second brother’s nicknames?” Su Jinyu asked with curiosity.

Wang Qiaohui laughed as she said, “Big Ox Li and Second Ox Li.”

“Oh, grandma! You always bring up embarrassing stories from years ago. Are you trying to ruin my image as the big brother in front of my sister?” Li Chuxiu complained anxiously.

“All right, all right, stop the fuss! Hurry to the village entrance to assemble!” Wang Qiaohui commanded.

Everyone hoisted their bundles and left. At dawn, passing other households in the village, they were still packing.

“My family’s lived in Qingyuan Village for generations. If we leave, with no land to farm, what will we eat?” one villager lamented.

“We’ve lived here for decades and already consider this home. It’s hard to leave!” another added.

Hearing this, Chen Shulan took her niece’s and nephew’s hands.

“Don’t worry. You have your aunt and uncles to care for you. While I’m here, you’ll always have a home.”

Su Jinyu felt little attachment to the village, having only recently arrived through the time slip. Su Jinxiao was not nostalgic either, recalling only the hardship of hunger and cold.

“Where my sister is, that’s where I’ll be,” he said firmly.

Yang Lizheng’s family, having barely slept the night before, waited early at the village entrance, with the eldest daughter-in-law even bringing breakfast.

Su Jinyu and the others found a spot to rest, sitting on stones while they waited.

About forty-five minutes later, most villagers had arrived. Yang Lizheng and his two sons carried the registration list, going house to house to count everyone.

“Yang Lizheng, our family has agreed to follow Qingyuan Village. I can’t bear to leave Jinyu and Jinxiao behind,” Wang Qiaohui told him.

“Wang sister, that’s no problem. Those two little ones do need care. Including your Li family’s six members, our village has fifty-eight people—sixty-four in total. The more, the stronger. We don’t mind having a few extra.”

Surprised by his kindness, Wang Qiaohui felt reassured.

After another fifteen minutes, Yang Lizheng counted and found four people still missing.

Some villagers grew anxious, unsure who was dawdling and wasting everyone’s time. The enemy could arrive at any moment—this was no time to gamble with their lives.