Chapter 34: What Happened Here?

They were a group of refugees who had fled here from elsewhere. Just recently, an opportunity arose when Master Yun selected them to temporarily manage the disaster relief teams. Wei Guan, a man seasoned by life’s hardships, had used those three days of porridge distribution to rally the scholars and unite the rest of the group.

In Long County, they were strangers in a strange land. Common folk have their own ways of surviving, and sticking together was undoubtedly better than being scattered stragglers.

Sure enough, under his and the scholar's leadership, the group spontaneously selected the stronger and healthier refugees to join their ranks. They then led them to clear streets and repair houses. Not only did they benefit themselves, but the county magistrate's office also found them useful, seeing that they were well-organized.

Though they lived in refugee camps, once people gathered, they formed a small society.

Wei Guan was adept at social maneuvering. For every refugee who approached them, he would generally select one person from each family to go work with them. If there were too many people, they would take turns. It is no exaggeration to say that now, the refugees in the vicinity all addressed him as "Elder Wei."

Life finally held a glimmer of hope. In recent days, Wei Guan and his companions had been fretting over whether there would be work for them during the coming winter.

To Li Fu and Master Yun, such a matter was settled with a single word. Besides, for a full day's work, they only provided a meal of rice bran, and the copper coins were barely worth anything—it was a trivial matter. But to people like Wei Guan, this was a matter of life and death for them all.

A few days ago, Wei Guan had been whispering to the scholar, trying to find a way to pay a formal visit to Li Fu to get a definitive answer. He had not expected their luck to be so good: when Brother Lu happened to see Young Master Li heading out, the young master had agreed to it offhandedly.

What a blessing. It was as if the Heavens were taking pity on them.

Wei Guan was a smooth talker. After chatting with Master Yun for a few moments, they became much more familiar.

Soon, Master Yun heard Wei Guan ask, "Young Master Li, are you heading to the township below the ridge?"

Master Yun was leaning against the window, and no one was urging him on.

While away from home, Gouzi naturally kept his mouth shut, deferring to Master Yun in all things. Strangely, even Deng Qiang simply rode his horse alongside them, showing no signs of impatience and appearing entirely content to follow Master Yun's lead.

Although Jiang Guang and his men were all skilled in archery and horsemanship and looked exceptionally formidable, Li Fu had instructed them before leaving that if Master Yun ran off, they should just spank him. However, once they were out, even though Jiang Guang listened to Master Yun call him "Uncle Jiang," he treated the boy with the same deference he showed Uncle Li. As long as Master Yun wasn't doing anything life-threatening, none of them dared to defy his wishes.

Wei Guan had a sharp eye for people. He could tell that this group was filled with fierce, rugged men, yet they were entirely submissive to the young master. The young master was just a small child, and Wei Guan did not believe the boy had the personal power to subdue them. The only possibility was that the young master was highly valued at home, and so these men naturally obeyed the young boy. Thus, after the young master agreed to the arrangements for next year, Wei Guan finally set his heart at ease.

When a valued child makes a promise, his family will not go back on his word.

Seeing the wrinkles of joy on Wei Guan's aged face, Master Yun smiled and said, "Yes, I am going there to take a look."

Wei Guan immediately replied, "We haven't been to the township below the ridge; they didn't call us for work there this winter. However, the Tang Family Village township nearby asked us to repair a shrine roof, and we were just about to set off. Would you mind if we accompanied you, Young Master Li?"

Wei Guan had just introduced himself to Master Yun. They were no longer stragglers; they were now taking jobs not only in Long County but also in the two towns and seventeen townships under its jurisdiction.

Truth be told, they had no shortage of work. It was mostly because they worked hard, and behind it all was Li Fu’s policy of benevolence toward the people. The other townships were happy to flatter them and were glad to call upon them.

Master Yun looked at his own "well-equipped and strong" group. Having them along certainly provided a sense of security, so he did not refuse. He smiled and said, "Fine. But next time, just call me Master Yun; my father and mother both call me that."

Master Yun was not afraid of people. He had a lively and affectionate personality. To everyone he met, he would tilt his round, chubby face, chat with childlike innocence, and easily win others over.

Wei Guan followed his lead, naturally.

He quickly had Brother Lu call out everyone working that day—about fifteen people, including Brother Lu himself. Each of them carried tools for repairing houses and clearing roads, and they were all beaming with joy. Wei Guan took Brother Lu aside for a brief, whispered conversation before letting him return.

And so, Master Yun’s entourage grew by fifteen people.

Even though Uncle Jiang and his men were on horseback, the carriage was bumpy and slow. These refugees, despite their thin clothing, were able to keep up at a jog; their stamina was truly extraordinary. Of course, those without stamina had likely perished on the road to Long County.

Master Yun stopped and went intermittently along the way, making the journey much slower than expected. With winter days ending quickly, it was already dark by the time they neared the township below the ridge.

Furthermore, the road for the carriage had vanished. Outside of Long County, it had been bumpy but passable; the further they went, the more desolate it became. By now, the carriage could no longer proceed normally, and even the horses were struggling.

Jiang Guang dismounted and asked Gouzi for directions. The township below the ridge was just ahead, only about ten minutes away at a brisk pace.

"Master Yun, how about I carry you on my back?" Jiang Guang suggested.

Master Yun had been jolted all day in the carriage and was feeling quite nauseous, so he immediately expressed his desire to walk a little.

Gouzi was energetic and kept saying, "Master Yun, follow this path. I’ll take you through a shortcut. You’ll see a thatched hut very soon; that’s my home."

Thus, the group left one leader and three workers behind to watch the carriage and the horses.

Brother Lu and his men, who had been following Master Yun, did not separate from them. It was only halfway there that Brother Lu admitted that Tang Family Village had actually asked them to work there next year. Wei Guan had deliberately insisted they come along because the roads were unsafe, and their presence made the group seem more formidable.

To put it bluntly, Wei Guan wanted to curry favor and bind his group of refugees to Master Yun. Even if it came to nothing, building some goodwill was worthwhile. Although the approach was crude, for poor wretches like them, this was all they could do.

Master Yun understood this bit of survival wisdom and didn't say much, simply reiterating to Brother Lu that they would indeed have work next year and he would not go back on his word. Consequently, Brother Lu and his men became even more enthusiastic, nearly offering to perform backflips or imitate donkey brays just to amuse him.

Therefore, even with four men left at the village entrance, there were still plenty of people surrounding Master Yun, so there was no need to worry about safety.

"Let’s go," Master Yun said with great interest.

The weather had been fine during the day, and now a full moon illuminated the path. However, for some reason, a layer of dark clouds drifted across the sky, slightly obscuring the moonlight. Master Yun, relying on his sharp eyes, moved smoothly despite the dim light.

They advanced steadily until they saw a thatched hut standing on a small hillside ahead.

On such a night, because of the bitter cold and extreme hunger, most people were already fast asleep. Yet, in front of that thatched hut, there seemed to be someone pounding on the door, which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Gouzi craned his neck to see, hesitating, "It looks like my father."

Brother Lu and the other workers were confused, but Jiang Guang had already lifted Master Yun and placed him in the middle of the group, his hand moving to the large blade at his waist, ready to act at any moment.

Master Yun frowned and lowered his voice, "Let's go see what's happening first. Uncle Jiang, pick one of the skilled uncles to go with Gouzi and take a look."

Jiang Guang looked at Master Yun in surprise. He had been worried that the boy might make a scene out of ignorance, but he had not expected a two-year-old child to act with such thoroughness. This was the first time he truly grasped what Uncle Li had told him about Master Yun’s intelligence; the child was indeed extraordinary.

Since that was the case, he had to protect the boy even more carefully.

Deng Qiang, standing to the side, silently stepped forward, blocking most of the space in front of Master Yun with his body.

Soon, a middle-aged man named Le Dan, whom Jiang Guang had pointed out, stepped forward. This man, who rarely spoke or smiled, simply grabbed Gouzi to lead the way. The two bent slightly and headed straight for the thatched hut.

Vaguely, Master Yun saw some movement at the hut. A moment later, the door opened, and the group walked quickly into the dark interior.

Three or four minutes later, Le Dan returned.

"Master Yun, the Chen family is indeed in trouble, but there is no immediate danger," Le Dan said simply and directly.

Everyone subconsciously looked to Master Yun to make the decision.

"Let's go see," Master Yun said, looking at Uncle Jiang, fearing he might be whisked away back home for the night.

Jiang Guang did not do as Master Yun feared. Instead, he nodded and shielded the boy as they carefully walked toward the hut.

There were so many of them that once they entered, they almost completely blocked the entire room.

There was a small pit in the middle of the room for a fire to keep warm. Once inside, Uncle Jiang immediately took out a fire-starter to light a small fire for illumination.

The hut was dilapidated; the floor was yellow mud, and the only furniture was a small, broken table and a bed. A disheveled woman was huddled on the bed, hiding four children behind her.

"Mother, Father, it's me," Gouzi climbed onto the bed and spoke softly to the terrified woman and the father who had been pounding on the door outside. Compared to when he was sold, Chen Mugen was even thinner, and his eyes still held traces of immense terror.

"First, get some hot water for them to drink," Uncle Jiang said, his experience from traveling far and wide showing.

They rummaged around the hut to find a pot, boiled some hot water, threw in some dried rations, and cooked it into a pot of... not very appetizing food.

However, Master Yun noticed that as Uncle Jiang brought out the rations, the eyes of Gouzi’s mother and the four children behind her lit up. But with a room full of men holding large blades, they dared not move.

Gouzi found the chipped ceramic bowls in the house, filled them, and handed them to his mother and his siblings.

Once the food was in their stomachs, Gouzi’s family finally regained their senses.

"Gouzi," his mother suddenly began to cry, though she dared not touch him.