Linxia

Chapter 25, Stolen

After the people from Xiaohe Village left, the Fang family stayed for about an incense stick of time to boil water, cook the thatch roots, and fill four or five bamboo tubes with hot water before setting off.

Humans are social animals. After being separated from the village, the whole family felt as if something was missing and they were inexplicably uneasy.

Uncle Fang was pushing a small wheelbarrow, looking around vigilantly from time to time, and Fang Lin, Fang's mother, and Tian Xuan were also infected and became nervous. However, it was soon proved that this was an overreaction. Daxia was not a peaceful country at the moment, but it was far from the end of the dynasty when bandits were rampant. None of the bad things imagined had happened.

On the way, people from a village going to the city passed the Fang family; a few lone families and some beggars also passed by, and they all lived in peace.

Gradually, the Fang family began to adapt, and felt that it was okay to walk alone, and their tense nerves relaxed. Because they were separated from the group of villagers, they didn't have to exert their physical strength to follow, and they didn't have the exhaustion that was life-threatening in the morning, so they felt relatively relaxed.

Fang's mother also slowed down her pace, reduced the intensity of her journey, and drank water boiled with thatch roots. She felt better, and although her complexion still didn't look very good, she no longer had stomach cramps and cold sweats like she did in the morning.

"Mom, this is for you." After traveling for half an hour, Fang Lin stopped to rest and handed over his bamboo tube.

"My son, you drink too." Fang's mother waved her hand, glanced at Fang's father, hesitated, and said, "When we leave later, you go push the cart and let your father take his time."

"Hey!" Fang Lin agreed.

"No need." Father Fang refused.

"Your father is as stubborn as a dead duck. He won't say a word no matter how tired he is." Fang's mother scolded him and added, "I saw him having the fever just now. He is such a grown man, but he doesn't know how to take care of himself."

Being exposed in front of his son, Fang's father snorted and turned his head away. His back, which was slightly hunched even when he sat up straight, seemed to be carrying an invisible weight - the weight of a family.

Yes, he actually knew that his son was smart and capable, but he never thought of sharing these responsibilities with his son. This is the pride of being a father.

"My strong-willed father!"

Fang Lin sighed secretly, and knew how to deal with Fang's father. He just did it without saying anything. He took the small tricycle himself while they were on their way, and Fang's father really didn't say anything.

However, after a while, Fang's father changed it back.

——Compared to Fang’s mother’s more extroverted and passionate love, Fang’s father is like this. Even when he cares for others, he is extremely restrained and his love is so subtle that it is often not noticed if one is not paying attention.

The Fang family was not traveling very fast and in the late afternoon they were overtaken by a group of villagers heading to the provincial capital.

The Fang family was not in a hurry. They followed their own pace and did not stop even after the sun set. They did not stop until the sky was completely dark and the air was filled with shadows like frosted particles. Only then did they find a water source and stop their journey for the day.

Maybe because they rushed for a little longer, they caught up with the village they had overtaken in the late afternoon.

At this moment when day and night alternate, there is still a ray of orange glow in the sky. The wind blows, bringing the voices of adults and children in the village. Such a human atmosphere makes people feel peaceful and stable in their hearts.

However, in order to avoid trouble, the Fang family did not settle too close to the group of villagers; of course, for safety reasons, they did not settle too far away.

There were a few other families like the Fang family who were left alone, and their situation was similar; further away, there were some beggars following them.

Fang Lin also avoided the villagers in that team when setting up the pot to cook and fetching water.

Just like the family with many women and children facing Xiaohe Village yesterday; the Fang family also dealt with the group of villagers in the same way today, not wanting to get involved.

……

Tonight, the Fang family still had wild vegetable and coarse rice soup, but they also prepared some dried black fungus.

No one in the family was stingy. They were reluctant to eat anything, so they took out the dried black fungus given by their aunt Fang Liu. This was considered an improvement in the food, as well as a reward for Fang's mother, who was a patient, and for her hard work throughout the day.

Tian Xuan cooked and washed vegetables while Fang Lin lit a fire and sharpened a stick he had picked up from somewhere in the flickering flames.

After Fang's father picked up the firewood, he sat down next to Fang's mother without saying anything. He rested with his eyelids drooping, allowing his tired and exhausted spirit to slowly recover.

When dinner was almost ready, a little beggar came over.

"Go away, go somewhere else!" Tian Xuan drove him away.

But today, without any villagers sticking together, the little beggar seemed to think that the Fang family was easy to bully, and he kept pestering them and refused to leave.

"Isn't this the one from yesterday?" Fang's mother looked at him and suddenly asked in surprise, with a hint of disgust on her face.

Fang Lin took a look and found that it was indeed the little beggar he saw yesterday who tried to steal the steamed buns from the family with many women and children while drinking water.

This little beggar, traveling alone, actually ran ahead of them.

Swish!
A wooden stick came and stabbed into the opponent's toes half an inch away.

The little beggar had a feeling that if he continued to pester them, he would not be stuck to the ground next time. In addition, he was recognized, so he glanced at the Fang family, retreated angrily, and went to pester other lonely families.

Because Fang's mother fell ill, Tian Xuan was in charge of cooking tonight. Fang's father cooked the most, Fang Lin and Fang's mother cooked the same amount, and she cooked the least.

After a whole afternoon of traveling, Fang Shuyou and Fang Lin both had big appetites and were slurping down their food. Even Tian Xuan no longer had any elegant eating manners.

Only Fang's mother managed to eat two bites and couldn't eat any more.

"Don't eat. You'll feel uncomfortable on an empty stomach at night," said Fang's father.

"Forget it, I'll make some honey water for Mom!" Seeing that Fang's mother really couldn't eat, Fang Lin went to get the honey that Sister Guihua had sent.

In the end, Fang's mother reluctantly drank a cup of honey water brewed in a bamboo tube, and Fang Lin gave the remaining meal to Tian Xuan.

……

After dinner, Tian Xuan cleaned up the dishes, while Fang Lin poured some water around his house, spread it thinly, and found some sharp stones to lay on top. He learned this from Sister Guihua.

After cleaning up, the family didn't say much and just rested and went to sleep.

The series of events that happened throughout the day and the exhaustion from traveling made Fang Lin sleepy and he fell asleep quickly. Fang's father, mother, and Tian Xuan also fell asleep quickly.

On a quiet night, there is only the sound of the night wind blowing through the woods and the slight chirping of insects.

The night is getting darker.

At a certain moment, a small figure approached quietly, with small and light steps. Because of the small steps and the night wind tonight, some of the water that Fang Lin had fallen was blown away, so this person actually dodged it. This made him more alert and his steps were lighter.

The man slowly came over and fumbled among the luggage. Not finding anything valuable, he quietly walked towards Fang's father and mother, looking around for a while, and finally reached his little hand under the pillow. He seemed to have touched something, and a look of joy appeared on his face, and his breathing became heavy.

At this time, Tian Xuan, who had the most sensitive ears, suddenly opened her eyes and gently pushed Fang Lin: "Brother Lin!"

Even though Fang Lin fell asleep, he still had a sense of vigilance in his heart. At this moment, he was aroused and woke up instantly. He picked up the wooden stick beside him and stood up like a spring.

……

(End of this chapter)