Xie Zhan had already planned the route on his way back from the county town. Without much thought, he picked up a tree branch and started drawing on the ground.
While drawing, he explained, "Juhuyan Embankment will breach in at most three days. In the Qing River vicinity, only Wuling County has several earthen hills. Other places reachable in three days have lower terrain..."
A villager interjected, "Should we head to Wuling County then?"
Xie Zhan shook his head, "Wuling has low terrain, and its earthen hills are too low. The rain from the past ten days in Qizhou has passed through the river channels, converging at Juhuyan. The water volume is immense; I fear Wuling's earthen hills might also be submerged."
"Then where do we go? We can't reach other places with hills in three days..."
"Yeah, are we just supposed to wait for death?"
The villagers voiced their worries.
Xie Zhan drew two high mountains on the ground, "We'll go to Immortal Dwelling Mountain."
"Immortal Dwelling Mountain? Isn't that the opposite direction of Juhuyan? Shouldn't we be fleeing rather than heading uphill?"
Xie Zhan shook his head, "That's our only way out. The highlands reachable in three days are only Immortal Dwelling Mountain and Hupan Mountain. Hupan Mountain is too steep; we can't ascend it. Only Immortal Dwelling Mountain, with its gentle slope, can be climbed by the elderly and children."
"But what about food? We haven't harvested wheat, and our homes have limited supplies."
Everyone could anticipate the challenges even if they sought refuge on Immortal Dwelling Mountain. Even if the flood recedes, the houses collapsed, fields unworkable—everything ruined. Where would they find food? Where would they settle?
Xie Zhan pointed behind the location of Immortal Dwelling Mountain on the ground, encircling it firmly, "As long as we cross through that old forest, we'll reach Shangyu County. Then, heading east along the Immortal Dwelling Mountain range, we can make our way to Jingzhou City for a living. As long as we're alive and willing to work—whether as laborers or small traders—we can survive."
"Cross through the old forest?" Villagers gasped, "Generations have avoided that forest; it's said to be filled with snakes, beasts, and spirits. The elders even claim the trees there devour people—it's a death sentence!"
"We can't go there; it's a forest that devours people!"
That vast forest, larger than two Qing River counties combined, was always shrouded in terrifying legends. Many believed that entering it meant never coming out alive, so despite its proximity to Huaishu Village, nobody dared to hunt there.
"There might be snakes, beasts, and spirits, but with our numbers and experienced escorts, we might make it out. Besides, the forest is rich in wild vegetables and fruits, saving us a good amount of provisions."
Villagers exchanged hesitant glances, lacking a clear decision.
Oldest Xie slapped his leg, "Listen to Fourth Xie, Immortal Dwelling Mountain is our only way out. Let's go with this plan!"
Some voiced objections immediately, but Xie Zhan was done explaining. He stood up, tossed the tree branch, and left.
Oldest Xie was the village chief of Huaishu Village, adept at coordinating the villagers.
...
Gu Jiu opened his eyes to find a woman sitting nearby, engaged in sewing. The room, dimly lit and sparsely furnished, had a hard, uncomfortable bed.
"Awake?" The woman asked, lifting a bowl of porridge from the table. "It's still warm, hurry and drink."
Having devoured half a bun earlier, with the other half taken by Xie Zhan, Gu Jiu was now ravenous. Oblivious to everything else, he thanked the woman and eagerly gulped down the offered porridge.
"Take it slow," the woman advised gently.
After finishing the bowl, Gu Jiu felt like he could devour ten more. Looking at the woman, he asked, "Thank you. Is there more?"
The woman chuckled. "You're too hungry. Don't eat too much at once, take your time."
"Oh."
Gu Jiu listened to the advice, putting down the bowl. Observing the woman, he noted her delicate features despite her age. In her fifties, she must have been a beauty in her youth.
Her demeanor was calm, her speech unhurried. Despite the patched clothes, her aura differed from the rural women Gu Jiu had encountered before.
With a slightly yellow complexion and signs of frailty, she seemed unwell.
"Who are you? And where's Xie Zhan?" Gu Jiu inquired.
Mrs. Gao glanced at him with surprise, finding his straightforwardness a bit lacking in social subtlety.
"I'm Xie Zhan's mother. Xie Zhan is packing up in his room," she replied.
Pausing, she added, "Xie Zhan is the fourth child in our family. You can call him Fourth Xie or Brother Fourth. We're about to evacuate, not sure where we'll end up or if we'll survive. Since you have no one at home, do you have any plans?"
Gu Jiu thought for a moment and said, "Do you need an adopted daughter-in-law?"
Mrs. Gao nearly choked on her own saliva, coughing violently. Someone passing by outside burst into laughter.
Gu Jiu hurriedly stood up, grabbing Mrs. Gao's hand and applying pressure to a specific point on her thumb.
After a few moments, Mrs. Gao's coughing subsided.
Surprised, she looked at Gu Jiu and asked, "Do you know medicine?"
Gu Jiu nodded, earnestly saying, "Yes, I'm really good at it!"
Mrs. Gao couldn't help but laugh again, appreciating the child's candid nature.
"You, poor thing. Fourth brought you back, perhaps it's fate. If you're willing, stay with us."
Gu Jiu enthusiastically nodded, "Yes, I'm willing!"
She could only cling to Xie Zhan's family; what else could she do?
Mrs. Gao laughed again, finding the child refreshingly straightforward.
"Come, let's change your clothes."
Gu Jiu was still wearing festive attire. Since the Xie family had no girls, Mrs. Gao found clothes belonging to the third daughter-in-law, adjusting the sleeves and pant cuffs.
Gu Jiu realized Mrs. Gao had been altering the clothes for her, feeling grateful and smiling warmly as she thanked her.
Mrs. Gao noticed her hair was messy, so she turned her around and began to comb it for her.
The Xie family had never had a girl for three generations, so Mrs. Gao found the experience of dressing up a girl quite refreshing. She was so delighted that she almost forgot about the impending disaster.
Mrs. Gao styled Gu Jiu's hair into double buns, and when she turned her around to take a look, her maternal heart melted instantly.
The child had beautiful phoenix-like eyes, fair and tender skin. With just a simple grooming, she looked irresistibly charming.
Mrs. Gao secretly decided that this girl was too adorable to let go; from today onwards, she would be part of their family.
Unable to resist, she gently touched Gu Jiu's little face and couldn't help but admire her more. If only there was more time, she would have loved to shower her with affection.
Suddenly, voices were heard in the courtyard.
"Second and fifth sons, you're back. How much grain did you manage to buy?"
"Just two dou, people were scrambling for it like mad. Luckily, I got there early, otherwise, the shopkeeper wouldn't have sold any more. They wanted to keep some for themselves."
"Sigh, just two dou it is then. We still have half a bag of coarse rice, half a bag of mixed grains, and some sweet potatoes left. We'll have to be thrifty, but it should last us for a while."
"What about salt and sugar? Did you manage to get them? And raincoats, we need to buy those too."
"We got two jin of salt, one jin of sugar, and a barrel of tung oil. As for raincoats, we bought seven pieces. It's outrageous, really. Each one went up by ten coins, it's like we're being robbed."
"What can we do? At times like this, useful things are more valuable than silver. Alright, stop complaining and go tidy up your clothes and bedding."
Mrs. Gao furrowed her brows as she listened from inside the house. Seeing Gu Jiu looking at her with wide, shimmering eyes, she sighed and patted her head, asking, "Are you scared?"
Gu Jiu shook her head, honestly replying, "Not scared."
What's the use of being scared? Disasters won't hold back just because you're afraid. If you can't avoid them, then face them bravely!
Mrs. Gao smiled and said, "You're as bold as a young calf. Alright, let's get to work! Help me roll up the bedding and move it to the cart outside."
In the Xie family courtyard, everyone was busy packing up their belongings. When they saw Gu Jiu coming out, they cast curious glances her way. The younger ones sneaked looks while the older ones openly stared, and Gu Jiu responded with a big smile.
The six or seven-year-old kids from the Xie family turned their heads away with a swish.
Mrs. Zhang and Mrs. Xu, the elder sisters-in-law of the Xie family, were busy making flatbread and preparing dry rations in the courtyard.
Mrs. Zhang waved at her, "Awake now? Come here, Gu Jiu, come and help me with the fire."
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