The Butcher's Little Husband - Chapter 115

Accompanied by Li Wenxuan, Tan Shan and his men walked around the village, their faces grim and fierce.

Especially toward those outside refugees—one glare was almost enough to scare people into collapsing. 

The refugees felt guilty. Just yesterday they had been urging people to fight, and today soldiers from the garrison showed up. They were also a little relieved. Luckily, they had not had time to make a move, or they would have been caught red-handed.

After spending the whole morning trembling in fear, Tan Shan and his men finally left. 

The refugees breathed a collective sigh of relief, abandoning their plans. They had brought food with them when they first arrived and, though it was running low, they were not completely destitute yet.

The villagers of Willow Tree Slope were largely indifferent. Li Wenxuan, having extensive knowledge and many connections, understood the significance of the soldiers’ visit. It was ultimately a good thing for them.

In anticipation of a drought, Li Wenxuan had used his savings to buy a large amount of grain. At the time, prices were still relatively affordable. He had stored the grain in his shop and, every time he went out, would bring back a load to add to the cellar at home. This cellar, too, had been dug just for such occasions.

The Tian family, heeding Li Wenxuan’s advice, had refrained from selling their grain last year. When the situation grew more dire, they took their stock to the county town to find Tian Fu. 

The county town, under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate, was far less chaotic. There, they lamented the steep grain prices this year.

Tian Fu’s restaurant had closed by June, as it was no longer profitable. Grain and vegetable prices had risen multiple times. If he set his prices too high, the villagers would not accept it; if too low, he would suffer losses.

After closing the restaurant, Tian Fu and his father had to find part-time work in the county to supplement their family income. The Tian family was small, so returning to the village wasn’t a viable option. On the other hand, Yang Xiaoguo’s family was doing well, with relatives helping each other, so their situation was stable.

In fact, life in Xingtian Village was slightly better than in Willow Tree Slope. They had fertile land and ample water, with their well not yet running dry. However, they were more isolationist, so few people visited their village.

For a while, the refugees and the villagers of Willow Tree Slope lived in relative peace. But soon, a new issue arose: the food they had brought with them was running out.

When they fled their homes, everyone had packed some food, supplemented with wild vegetables and roots, enough to stave off hunger for a time. As the days dragged on and the rain failed to fall, not only were the villagers’ crops eaten by locusts, but the surrounding forests had also been ravaged.

Some people ventured to higher mountains, unaware that the animals there, too, were starving. Over a dozen went in, but only five or six returned. They quickly abandoned the idea.

Seeing their dwindling food supplies and realizing that the people of Willow Tree Slope seemed unaffected, a group of refugees sneaked into a family’s home at the entrance of the village one night, stealing all of their food.

When the village chief organized a confrontation, the refugees denied the accusations. They even turned the tables, claiming that the villagers of Willow Tree Slope were trying to drive them away and had framed them.

The family that had been robbed had no evidence to support their claims, as the thieves had worn masks, and it was too dark for anyone to recognize them.

The matter was dropped, and the villagers shared a bit of their food with the robbed family. Following this incident, they became more vigilant, and several families near the entrance of the village moved further inside, unwilling to stay there any longer.

Li Wenxuan’s family, however, was faring better. They had a hunter among them, and while others dared not venture into the mountains, Father Li, an experienced old hunter, walked the mountain like he owned it.

The deeper into the forest they went, the wetter it became. Father Li could easily catch small animals and find wild vegetables and mushrooms under the thick foliage.

Most of what they found went to Le Ge’er and Little Tuanzi. Despite the adults growing a little thin, the two children remained chubby and healthy. 

Liu Xilin, who had moved in from the village entrance, did not share in the bounty, however, as the food was meant for Li Wenxuan’s immediate family.

Li Wenxuan often felt distressed seeing Tian Xiaoman’s face become more gaunt as his round cheeks slowly faded. He had considered going to the capital to join his brother, but he knew the journey would be dangerous, and he couldn’t be sure of returning safely.

Tian Xiaoman, on the other hand, remained optimistic. He continued to keep in touch with his natal family, and he knew they were doing well, which reassured him. For now, that was enough.

Yet, sometimes, Tian Xiaoman would glance at Little Tuanzi with a pang of regret. He wished he could give his son the best, especially after seeing the boy stagger a few steps and try to open the yard door to go for a walk.

But Tian Xiaoman wouldn’t let him. Little Tuanzi was so pale and round that he would be easily noticed if he went outside. The world was chaotic, and Tian Xiaoman knew that without his watchful eye, his son could easily fall into danger.

Fortunately, there were two other children in the yard to help care for Little Tuanzi, or Tian Xiaoman truly wouldn’t have been able to manage.

Li Amu, too, sometimes wondered if it would have been better if Le Ge’er had gone to the capital with his father this year. Surely life there would have been easier.

Le Ge’er, however, had no such thoughts. Everyone spoiled him, and this year, he had become more sensible. He never asked for anything and helped the adults take care of his younger cousin. It wasn’t easy for the adults, but what else could they do? Their family had been fortunate enough to survive the hardships of this year.

One day, Li Wenxuan went up the mountain with his bow and arrow. After walking for a while, he spotted a pheasant sitting on its nest. He carefully shot an arrow, bringing the bird down, then picked it up and carefully gathered the nest of eggs.

The family had very little food for the chickens, and they hadn’t laid eggs recently. Li Amu, in particular, had waited until there were two or three eggs before cooking them and sharing them with the children.

The pheasant wasn’t too heavy, and Li Wenxuan decided to look for more. 

As he carefully moved along, he soon spotted fresh footprints. His heart lifted—there seemed to be more than one.

He followed the tracks deeper into the forest and soon stumbled upon a small mountain spring. The clear water flowed down from the cracks in the mountain, and a few small shrimp swam in it.

Li Wenxuan also spotted several pheasants drinking from the spring. His arrows flew quickly, and all the birds were brought down. After gathering them, he took a moment to drink from the spring and wash his face.

By the spring, he saw a patch of lush firewood. Curiously, he investigated and discovered a surprising find—a white melon. With ample water and sunlight, it had grown well, its fruits larger than his fist.

Carefully, Li Wenxuan picked a few ripe melons and placed them in his basket. He made sure to cover the patch with firewood to protect it from animals.

Though there were no more white melons, there were still wild vegetables to gather. Li Wenxuan collected them and returned home, satisfied with the day’s haul.