After buying the grain, Zheng Beiqiu drove the cart and took them for a stroll through the town.

This town was called Liuma Town. It was said to have gotten its name because, long ago, a nobleman from Shu was marching through the area at full speed when his sixth horse happened to die.

The town wasn’t very big, but it had everything for sale, and occasionally they’d come across traveling merchants bringing goods from the north and south.

With spring in full bloom, it was the perfect season for selling chicks and ducklings. When Luo Xiu saw the baskets full of them, he was reminded of the chickens and ducks they used to raise back home.

All ten chickens and ducks had grown up, and they were just waiting to start laying eggs in the spring—but sadly, they were all lost on this journey.

“Let’s buy a few poultry to raise. By fall, they’ll be laying eggs.”

“All right.” Zheng Beiqiu pulled the mule cart over to the side of the road.

Luo Xiu got off the cart with Xiaoyu on his back, and Xiaohu also hopped down nimbly and followed behind him.

He went up to ask about the prices. Since they didn’t speak the same language, it took a while of gesturing before he finally figured it out: five wen for a male chick, six wen for a female chick, and ducklings were one wen more expensive than chicks. The prices were about the same as back home.

Luo Xiu bought five of each; he was worried that keeping too many would leave him without enough to feed them.

He had nowhere to put the chicks and ducklings he’d just bought—he couldn’t very well carry them in his cloth bag. Luckily, there was a vendor selling bamboo baskets nearby, so he spent ten wen on a large one, which was just the right size for the chicks and ducklings.

As he continued walking, Luo Xiu spotted a fabric shop, so he went over to inquire. With the farming on his family’s land nearly finished, if he could find a way to earn some money to supplement the household income, life would certainly be much easier.

When he went inside to ask, he found out they were indeed taking on contract work—though not with ordinary fabric, but with silk.

The shopkeeper was an elderly ger who spoke Mandarin. Seeing Luo Xiu’s delicate features, he couldn’t help but take a liking to him. “Weaving this silk fabric is quite labor-intensive. It requires two people working together, and it takes seven or eight days to weave a single bolt. The wage is four hundred wen per bolt of plain silk.”

That’s much more profitable than weaving ordinary hemp cloth! However, Luo Xiu had never woven this kind of fabric before, so she quickly shook her head and said she only knew how to weave cotton cloth.

“That won’t work, then. We have several weavers on staff for cotton cloth, so we don’t need to outsource that work. We only take on outside orders for silk cloth because it takes so long to weave.”

Luo Xiu looked curiously at the finished silk cloth beside her. It was as smooth as the surface of water, with a beautiful sheen—just looking at it was a delight to the eyes.

“How much does a bolt of silk cloth like this cost?”

The shopkeeper held up two taels.

“Two taels?!”

“Oh my, young master, don’t make me laugh. The cost alone is more than two guan—selling it for two guan would put me out of business! It’s twenty taels of silver.” 

“Twenty taels?!” Luo Xiu’s eyes widened.

“And that’s still on the cheap. A single bolt of jacquard-woven Shu brocade costs over a hundred taels of silver. Though the price is high, there are still plenty of buyers. A bolt like this could fetch several times its price in Jinling or Bianliang.”

Luo Xiu nodded. It was his first time encountering such a precious fabric, and he wanted to buy a piece to take home and see if it would weave well.

“Do you sell just one chi?”

The shopkeeper, sensing his intention, said, “Silk fabrics are sold by bolt, but I have a scrap of fabric here—about two or three feet long. If you’d like it, I’ll sell it to you at a discount.”

Luo Xiu quickly nodded. “Thank you, shopkeeper.”

Although the shopkeeper said he’d sell it at a discount, he still ended up paying two taels for those three chi of fabric—a price that really stung his wallet. He’d study it carefully when he got home; if he could successfully weave it, he’d have a steady livelihood!

After buying the fabric, they moved on to daily necessities—oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. The locals here love to eat cornelian cherry, a very spicy vegetable used to marinate all sorts of foods. Luo Xiu couldn’t stand its pungent, nose-stinging smell, so he didn’t buy any.

By the time they finished shopping, it was already noon. There happened to be a snack stall by the side of the street, so Zheng Beiqiu led the group over to have lunch.

The local food here was quite distinctive. Unlike the wide noodles of the north, the soup noodles here were thin strands—known locally as “small noodles.” A bowl cost eight wen and came with a few diced bamboo shoots and pork; they were chewy and refreshing.

Zheng Beiqiu, holding Xiaoyu, picked out a few strands for him to try. The little guy ate with great relish, but after finishing, he grabbed the handle of the shop’s earthenware bowl and smashed it.

Luo Xiu tapped his hand with her chopsticks. “Don’t be so mischievous. If you break someone’s bowl, they’ll keep you here as compensation.”

Xiaoyu seemed to grasp the meaning of his words. He puckered his lips, tears the size of beans welling up in his eyes, and turned to tattle to his father. That pitiful, aggrieved expression broke Zheng Beiqiu’s heart.

“He’s still little. He’ll understand when he’s older. Let Daddy rub your hands.”

“You’re just spoiling him. He’ll be completely out of control when he grows up.”

“Not at all. Our Xiaoyu is so well-behaved—he didn’t cry or fuss even on such a long journey. He’s the best little kid in the whole world.”

Xiaohu sat nearby, watching them enviously. Deep down, he missed his dad, mom, and little brother a little too…

After returning from town, Luo Xiu began studying this piece of silk fabric. How could the people of Shu be so clever—to weave such beautiful cloth from a tiny silkworm cocoon?

After studying it for several days, Luo Xiu gave up. The reason was simple: this silk simply wouldn’t work with a basic weaving shuttle. The thread would snap at the slightest mishandling, and most importantly, the resulting fabric was uneven, losing its smooth, lustrous beauty—it was bound to fetch no good price.

Later, he learned that the locals used a wooden spinning wheel for weaving—and a single one cost more than ten guan.

However, even though Luo Xiu couldn’t weave fabric for the time being, he set his sights on bamboo baskets. The mountain was full of bamboo, and weaving baskets didn’t seem too difficult. At ten wen each, weaving two a day and selling them would bring in a tidy sum!

Early in the morning, Zheng Beiqiu got up early. Luo Xiu was still half-asleep, holding Xiaoyu close, while Xiaohu slept alone on the small bamboo bed beside them. He carefully tucked the blankets around all three of them, then got up, put on his shoes, and went to the river to fetch water.

As soon as the few chicks and ducklings in the courtyard saw him, they followed behind him, quacking, “Go on, stay over there. I’ll feed you when I get back.”

Luo Xiu woke up upon hearing the noise in the yard. Opening his eyes, he saw that Zheng Beiqiu was already up, so he quickly got dressed and got out of bed. Xiaohu, lying next to him, also crawled out of bed and began getting dressed.

“Sleep a little longer.”

“I’m not sleepy anymore.”

“Then stay here and watch your little brother. Your uncle is going to make breakfast for you all.”

“Okay.” Xiaohu nodded obediently, got dressed, and sat on the edge of the bed watching Xiaoyu.

Luo Xiu ruffled his hair; the boy was a little shy, but with his cheeks flushed, he didn’t look away. Ever since Grandma died, no one had treated him like this. Xiaohu knew that if he behaved himself, his uncles wouldn’t look down on him.

As he stepped down the bamboo stairs, a few chickens and ducks ran toward Luo Xiu, clucking. Luo Xiu opened the courtyard gate, and the ducks dashed toward the stream, while a few chicks pecked for food at the gate.

Before long, Zheng Beiqiu returned carrying two buckets of water on a pole. “Are you awake?”

“Mm-hmm.” Luo Xiu lit the fire; blue cooking smoke curled upward, and the aroma of rice began to waft through the air.

Zheng Beiqiu poured the water into the earthenware tub and went off to fetch another load—they’d used up all the water taking a bath last night. By the time the large earthenware tub was filled with water, the congee on the stove was ready. Luo Xiu served some rice, added a bit of lard to the pan, and stir-fried a plate of shredded bamboo shoots.

They’d never eaten this back in their hometown in Jizhou, but when they went to town, they discovered the locals loved it, so they’d tried making it a few times themselves. It tasted pretty good—crisp and fresh—and went perfectly with rice.

Once the meal was ready, Luo Xiu went inside to dress Xiaoyu, and the family gathered in the courtyard to eat.

“Are we going back to the fields later?” Luo Xiu blew on the porridge in her spoon as she fed it to Xiaoyu. “Yes, there’s half a mu of land we just cleared yesterday. Once we finish planting it today, we’ll be done.”

Over the past few days, Zheng Beiqiu had cleared nearly seven mu of land, planting five mu with foxtail millet and two mu with beans. They hadn’t tried growing rice paddies yet; they’d wait until next year to learn from the locals before planting them.

Liu Yan and Xiaofeng had also cleared a little over six mu of land, while Zhang Linzi and Yang Erzhu had cleared slightly more—though their combined total was less than ten mu.

The Li family had also cleared quite a bit of land—roughly seven or eight mu. Almost all the wasteland in the vicinity had been cleared by them and planted with grain.

One benefit of clearing the land was that the number of insects and snakes in the area had noticeably decreased. When they first arrived, Luo Xiu would often open his eyes to find a long insect hanging from the roof—it scared him so much that he didn’t dare sleep at night.

Things only improved somewhat after Zheng Beiqiu scattered realgar powder all around the area.

Lately, they’ve cleared away all the shrubs and weeds around the house, and it’s been a long time since they’ve seen any snakes.

After dinner, Zheng Beiqiu shouldered his hoe and grabbed some seeds before heading out to the fields. Luo Xiu swept the courtyard clean, then sat in the middle of it and began studying how to weave a basket. Bamboo baskets look simple, but they’re actually quite tricky to weave. For starters, the bamboo itself is difficult to prepare.

You have to use a sharp knife to cut the bamboo into thin strips of roughly uniform thickness—this is the most difficult step. Yesterday, while peeling the bamboo strips, he cut his hands several times, but he had to hide it from his husband; otherwise, he would surely have forbidden him from continuing.

He learned the art of basket weaving from the Liu family’s son-in-law. Back when he lived at the old family home, he watched him weave a few times. Although he memorized the techniques, the baskets he made didn’t turn out very well.

After practicing for a while—and developing quite a few blisters on my hands—he finally managed to weave a simple bamboo basket.

He even figured out on his own how to weave small round and square baskets. Aside from keeping some for her own family, he sent a few to her younger sister and Zhang Linzi’s family.

He also sent two over to the Li family. Li Qiao’s wife felt a bit embarrassed, so she specially sent them a few fresh bamboo shoots in return. The weather was nice today. Xiaoyu was sitting in a bamboo basket playing, while Xiaohu was in the field catching earthworms to feed the chicks.

Luo Xiu watched the two children and decided to weave a few more baskets. When he had some free time, he planned to take them to town with his husband to sell—it might turn out to be a decent little business.

As he was cutting bamboo strips, a sudden commotion broke out outside. Luo Xiu listened for a moment, then stood up and said, “I’ll go take a look. Xiaohu, keep an eye on your little brother.”

“Okay.”

When Luo Xiu opened the front gate, he froze. He saw four mule carts parked near Zhang Linzi’s house, with quite a few strangers sitting on them… This was the first time they’d seen strangers since arriving here over a month ago.

Luo Xiu didn’t show any sign of joy; instead, he felt a mix of worry and fear. He’d encountered too many things along the way—he was no longer the naive young ger he used to be.

He immediately retreated back into the courtyard and locked the gate. “Xiaohu, go out the back door and call your uncle and the others back. Tell them there are strangers here!” 

“Okay.” Xiaohu dropped the stick he’d been using to dig for earthworms and sprinted out.

While waiting, Luo Xiu carried Xiaoyu into the house and, without thinking, grabbed a kitchen knife to shield his chest. If that group dared to storm in, he would fight them to the death.

Just as Luo Xiu had opened the door, the people outside had spotted him as well. The man in charge stopped the horse-drawn cart and said, “These houses look like they’ve just been built. I’ll go ask around and see if we can stay here.”

Another man standing nearby—thin, with a pointed nose and sunken cheeks—said, “Why waste words on them? There are only four or five families here anyway. Let’s just take the place over—it’ll save us the trouble of building our own houses!”

“That’s right, big brother. Let’s just take them over. Who knows, they might even have some grain on them.”

The leader furrowed his brow slightly. “Why the rush? If they really are refugees fleeing from the north, they’re probably not the friendly type. What if there are more of them than us? We’d be at a disadvantage if it comes to a fight!”

The others fell silent, sitting in the cart as he went to check things out.

Knock, knock, knock. “Is anyone home?”

Luo Xiu’s body trembled slightly at the sound of the knocking. He gripped his knife tightly but didn’t respond. As long as he remained silent, the others wouldn’t know how many people were in the courtyard and wouldn’t dare to barge in recklessly.

He waited anxiously for Zheng Beiqiu and the others to return; otherwise, he really wouldn’t be able to handle this on his own.

The man outside cleared his throat and said, “We’re civilians fleeing the turmoil in Yanzhou. Passing through here, we saw the beautiful mountains and clear waters, so we thought we’d stop to rest. Would you mind coming out for a chat?”

Luo Xiu remained silent. The man outside had already formed a theory: surely he was the only one in the house, which was why he dared not speak. A thought crossed his mind, and he was about to kick the door open.

Before he could kick the door down, six or seven men suddenly ran back from a short distance away. “Hey! What are you doing?!”

Startled, the man quickly pulled his foot back, thinking to himself: That was close. If he’d kicked the door open, a fight today would have been unavoidable. Although they outnumber us, we’ve already lost several brothers along the way—if a few more die, morale will crumble.

He quickly put on a smile, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in a bow, saying, “My name is Ding Cheng. I’m a commoner who fled the turmoil in Yanzhou. Passing through here, I was struck by the beautiful mountains and clear waters, so I’d like to settle down and make a home here. I wonder if you, sir, might be so kind as to grant me a little leeway.”

Zheng Beiqiu narrowed his eyes and sized him up from head to toe. Seeing that the man was burly and had a weapon tucked at his waist, he realized this was no ordinary civilian, as the man claimed.

Glancing further into the distance, he saw four mule carts parked nearby, each carrying more than a dozen men—not a single elderly person, woman, or child in sight—and his mind began to form a plan.

“It’s not that I’m unwilling, but as you’ve seen, the few patches of flat land here have already been claimed by our families. If you stay, there won’t be any extra fallow land for you to cultivate.”

As Zheng Beiqiu sized him up, Ding Cheng was sizing up his opponent as well. He could tell Zheng Beiqiu was not someone to be trifled with, but with their numbers half those of the other side, he couldn’t help but entertain some underhanded thoughts.

Their journey had been exhausting; they’d encountered bandits three or four times along the way, and the two places they’d managed to find to stay had both driven them out by the locals. Now, looking at this place that seemed like a hidden paradise, they really didn’t want to keep wandering any further.

Ding Cheng’s smile faded as he said, “I don’t want to put anyone in a difficult position, but the journey here has been exhausting. Why don’t we rest here for a while? Once we’ve rested enough, we’ll set off again.”

The implication of his words was crystal clear: he intended to take advantage of their numbers to seize their house and land.

Luo Xiu came out into the courtyard holding a child, and Xiaofeng emerged with Niuniu in tow. When the other party saw that there were also young women and a young boy present, their expressions changed instantly, and they could barely hide the greed in their eyes.

Zheng Beiqiu cleared his throat. “Since you’re only staying to rest, please make yourselves at home. We’re not unreasonable people. However, we don’t have much grain at home, so please forgive us for not being able to offer you a meal.”

Er Zhuzi, standing behind him, exclaimed anxiously, “Big Brother, are you really going to let them stay?!” 

Even a fool could tell these people had ulterior motives… Zhang Linzi grabbed his arm and said, “Listen to Big Brother.”

Liu Yan, however, looked toward the people in the distance with some concern. There were so many of them—if it came to a fight, he wasn’t sure if they’d stand a chance.

The Li brothers and the old man were also deeply worried. They’d been lucky on the journey so far, encountering bandits only once. They never expected that just as they’d finally settled down, so many refugees would come chasing after them.

Judging by the way they were eyeing them so intently, they feared they might not even be able to keep their house and land…

Ding Cheng assumed Zheng Beiqiu was afraid. After all, they outnumbered them, and since he was armed, these people clearly wouldn’t stand a chance if it came to a fight.

“In that case, we’ll have to thank you, my friend.” Ding Cheng waved his hand, and the people behind him got off the cart. They deliberately parked the mule cart in front of several houses and began drawing water, lighting a fire, and cooking a meal.

A few men followed Zheng Beiqiu into his courtyard. Now that everyone had pinned their hopes on him, if he said to leave, they would certainly follow without a word, pack their thing,s and leave immediately.

Once inside the house, Zheng Beiqiu first pulled a machete from under the bed. “In a moment, Xiu and Xiaofeng, take the children out the back door and run toward our fields.”

“Yes!” Luo Xiu hugged his child tightly and nodded.

Zheng Beiqiu then said to the Li family father and son, “You two should also tell your wives and sisters to take the children to the fields to take cover, so they won’t get hurt if a fight breaks out later.”

Li Qiao nodded repeatedly. “You’re absolutely right! I’ll go back right now and tell them!”

Zhang Linzi and Er Zhuzi, both clutching their farming hoes, said, “Brother Daqiu, what about us? We can fight too—we’ll go all out against them if we have to!”

“Calm down. This group clearly has hostile intentions. If we stay, we’ll never be able to live in peace. My plan is either to leave or leave not a single one of them alive!”

Everyone was startled by his icy tone. Li Song stammered, “Leaving… not a single one behind… does that mean… killing them all?”

“Right. Leaving them here will cause endless trouble. You’ve got four kids at home, and we’ve got three of our own. We have to go out to the fields to work during the day—what if they come back to kill us?”

Zhang Linzi swallowed hard. “You’re right! We can’t leave any potential threats behind!”

None of them had ever done anything like this in their lives; asking them to kill was simply too much to ask… But when they thought of their wives and children back home, if they didn’t kill them, they themselves would suffer the consequences!

If you don’t look out for yourself, heaven and earth will destroy you—let’s listen to Daqiu!

Seeing that everyone had made up their minds, Zheng Beiqiu breathed a slight sigh of relief. Two fists can’t fight four hands—no matter how skilled he was, facing these men alone would still make him a bit nervous.

“I reckon they plan to strike under cover of darkness. Let’s not rush—we’ll wait for them to come in and round them all up at once, so none of them escape.” 

“Alright!”

Once the plan was settled, Zheng Beiqiu took Luo Xiu’s hand, gave him a few final instructions, slipped some silver into his back basket, and pinched Xiaoyu’s cheek, saying, “Go now. Hide well. If no one comes to wake you tomorrow morning… flee into the mountains. The farther you go, the better.”

Luo Xiu’s eyes welled up instantly. “Husband…”

“Don’t worry. This is just a worst-case scenario. These few men can’t do anything to us. Haven’t you forgotten that none of the bandits we encountered along the way were a match for me?”

Luo Xiu wiped away a tear and nodded. “I know. I’ll take good care of Xiaoyu and Xiaohu.” He waved him over, then took Xiaohu by the hand and headed toward the back door.

Xiaofeng also packed her belongings, slung the same bamboo basket over her back, and, holding Niuniu’s hand, followed him up the mountain. Because they were shielded by the houses ahead, the group didn’t notice them.