Chapter Nineteen: Betrayal of the Village

Yang Lizheng loudly reminded everyone, “Everyone, check around and see if any of your neighbors haven’t arrived yet. If you find out who’s missing, come tell me immediately!”

The villagers glanced left and right, trying to recall which familiar faces hadn’t shown up.

Zhao Ergou yawned and happened to catch Old Su’s eldest son, Su Da, looking evasive, as if burdened by a guilty conscience.

He counted the members of Old Su’s family carefully and realized four were missing. Notably, Su Er, who often quarreled with him, along with his wife and child, were nowhere to be found.

Excited, he shouted, “Lizheng! I know! It’s Su Er and his family who haven’t come!”

The people nearby heard this and turned their gaze toward Old Su’s family.

“Indeed! Where are Su Er and his wife and child? What a lazy bunch, making the whole village wait for them. They’ve got some nerve!”

Hearing the commotion, Yang Lizheng strode over with a thunderous expression.

“To the Su family, I’ve been calling you loudly for so long, are you all pretending to be deaf and mute? Where are Su Er and his family?”

Su Da glanced secretly at Sun and lied without hesitation.

“Uncle Lizheng, we couldn’t hear you clearly from a distance just now. My younger brother had a stomach ache yesterday and is still at home. Why don’t we head off first, and later my brother can catch up with us?”

“Nonsense!” Yang Lizheng snapped, flinging his sleeves in anger. “Go fetch Su Er and his family immediately! We’re all from the same village; how can you desert the group without permission?”

But Su Da dawdled and refused to go find them.

Other villagers urged him on, and some cursed Su Er, accusing him of wanting to drag the whole village to death.

Seeing the deception unravel, Su Da had no choice but to tell the truth.

“Uncle Lizheng, you know my younger brother is clever. He said he’s following you now but plans to take a detour to catch up with the county magistrate’s group. If he succeeds, he’ll ask the magistrate to come fetch us, giving our village a safety net. Isn’t that a win-win?”

Now, everyone understood perfectly.

“Damn Su Er! That bastard wants to betray the village, right? Since his heart’s no longer with us, Lizheng, expel Su Er and his family from the village!”

“You Su family are despicable! You deliberately hid the truth about Su Er to delay us, making us all wait. You want us to die? Then we’ll drag your whole family to the lake first!”

The villagers’ resentment surged, with no outlet.

Sun sneered, “My second son is the smartest in the village. He’s trying to find a way out for all of us. You should be grateful, not blame us. You’re the heartless ingrates!”

“When my son finds the magistrate and climbs onto his favor, those of you who insult us and stir trouble won’t be brought along. You’ll be left to fend for yourselves!”

By dawn, everyone in the village had gathered, except for Su Er and his family, whose absence wasted everyone’s time.

Yang Lizheng saw several impatient villagers, provoked by Sun, shouting at Old Su’s family, weapons in hand and hostile looks on their faces. Su Da also held a weapon, and the two sides seemed on the verge of fighting.

He quickly intervened, “Enough! Stop the quarrel! It’s not worth delaying our journey over a dispute. Since Su Er and his family have left the group, the rest of you, line up here and prepare to set off for Qishan!”

At Lizheng’s command, the villagers reluctantly formed ranks.

After all, they couldn’t let that scoundrel Su Er jeopardize the survival of the entire village.

The villagers stood scattered and disorderly, taking time to organize themselves.

Yang Lizheng led from the front, while his strong eldest son and a few robust men guarded the rear to prevent accidents.

“Everyone, stand firm in the ranks! Listen carefully, fellow villagers. As we travel, no one is to fall behind without permission. If any emergencies arise, report to me immediately. Stay alert! We aim to reach Qishan before sunset today!”

With that, Yang Lizheng, spirited and resolute, led the group onward.

Su Jinyu and her companions walked in the middle of the line, following those ahead. At first, the procession moved slowly, faces blank and downcast.

After about an hour, the pace slowed noticeably, especially as many small children struggled to keep up, and the elderly had to rest frequently.

Yang Lizheng glanced up at the rising sun, growing increasingly anxious. At this rate, reaching even halfway before sunset seemed unlikely.

He moved back through the line, urging everyone onward.

“Everyone, pick up the pace!”

“If you want to survive, stay sharp!”

Su Jinyu glanced at Yang Lizheng’s upright posture and truly admired his sense of responsibility. His decisions always considered the entire village’s welfare. After days of interaction, she realized he was a man of action, fairness, and integrity.

But many in the rear had fallen far behind. She saw villagers carrying heavy loads, and in families lacking strong laborers, even children and elders bore heavy burdens.

The journey was arduous enough; carrying such weight over a long distance was untenable.

Several elderly villagers in their seventies and eighties were assigned to be carried by Yang Lizheng’s two eldest sons and two other strong men. Children under five who couldn’t keep up were placed on Yang’s ox cart, after the adults riding it dismounted to make room.

Zhao’s family’s ox cart also took on a few toddlers.

Only then did the village’s pace quicken. By midday on the last day of the month, they looked back and could no longer see the outline of Qingyuan Village.

“Everyone, let’s rest briefly in that forest ahead. Eat if you need to, rest if you must. Teams looking for water sources should head out now.”

Li Tianhe quickly secured a spot beneath a large tree with two sizable stones nearby.

“Mother, father, Jinyu, Jinxiao, come rest here!”

Li Zhe’an took water gourds from his basket—five in total, all crafted by them from bamboo tubes.

He handed two to the elders: “Grandpa, grandma, mother, father, please drink first!”

Then he passed two more to Su Jinyu and her brother.

Jinyu waved him off, “Big brother, I have a water gourd in my bag. You drink.”

She then took out her bamboo tube, not filled with well water but with nutrient-rich water poured in from her spatial pocket.