"Alright, take Xiaosi with you." Hua Laohan decisively said.
"Old man..." Upon hearing that they were taking the little grandson, Hua Laopuo disapprovingly shouted.
It wasn’t that she didn’t care for her grandson, but she knew him too well. He was too mischievous and daring, like a wild horse off the reins when down the mountain. Wouldn’t he be dragging the old man back with any trouble?
"Why not leave Xiaosi behind? The child needs to attend class."
"No worries, classes have just started, and Xiaosi can keep up." Hua Laohan said indifferently.
"But is it alright to ask for leave when classes have just begun?" Hua Laopuo still didn’t want the grandson to go.
"Plus, this kid is too rambunctious. I worry he might cause trouble for you all."
"No problem, I’ll go talk to Mr. Zhao later."
Seeing that the old man had made up his mind, Hua Laopuo didn’t say more.
As for Xiaosi, the subject of discussion, he had already run off to play crazily with his friends after dinner and hadn’t returned home yet. If he knew Grandpa would take him down the mountain, he would surely jump with joy.
Thanks to Zhao the Scholar coming to Hua Village, the village now officially has a school.
To this end, Hua Laohan specifically allocated a plot of land and quickly erected a small schoolhouse as a place for all village children to study.
Tuition doesn’t require Silver. Children coming to study only need to pay two kilograms of grain and half a kilogram of meat monthly from each family.
Of course, if there’s no meat, it can be exchanged for copper coins.
In this way, Zhao the Scholar has firmly planted his roots in the village.
Not only Zhao the Scholar but also Dr. Sun from Sun’s Clinic, Zhu Rourong the butcher, and Wei Dapeng’s households have seamlessly integrated into the village.
Of these, Zhao the Scholar, Dr. Sun, and Zhu Rourong are the most popular.
Zhao the Scholar needs no introduction as he teaches the children, and no one dares to easily offend him.
Dr. Sun’s medical skills are excellent, and nobody crosses him; after all, who can guarantee they won’t fall ill in their lifetime? Offending a doctor and then ending up needing his help is an unsettling thought.
It’s worth mentioning Zhu Rourong’s family, who are indeed capable people, quietly bringing back two big wild boars and several little ones from the mountains.
When Zhu Rourong and his sons carried the wild boars down the mountain, it shocked everyone beyond words. He is one of the only two people from Hua Village capable of hunting wild boars, the other being Hua Chengtian.
Then it was like a celebration when the wild boars were cleaned, divided, and quickly distributed amidst everyone’s enthusiasm.
The two wild boars seemed plenty, but Hua Village is big. Plus, with over a dozen families joining recently, everyone wanted some fatty meat, as days of eating boiled wild vegetables made everyone’s mouths tired of the taste.
People weren’t taking advantage then, and knowing money wasn’t involved, they exchanged grain at a slightly higher rate than usual, solving Zhu Rourong’s family’s food problems in one go.
Two hundred households exchanging one kilogram each meant two hundred kilograms, and since meat was much pricier than grain, some families took several kilograms at once.
This resolved Zhu Rourong’s family’s grain issue, and with a bit of conservation, a year’s worth of food was not a problem, especially since seeds had already been sown in the fields.
Zhu Rourong raised the remaining wild boar piglets directly, ensuring they wouldn’t have to worry about lacking meat soon.
Getting back to the main story: although Hua Laohan had agreed with the kids, he required his granddaughter to persuade her daughter-in-law; otherwise, they couldn’t go.
As long as she could let go, there was no worry brought to Hua Jin.
When she employed her Charming Skill, few in the family could withstand it.
"Thank you, Grandpa, thank you Grandma." Delighted at reaching her goal, Hua Jin quickly ran to her mother’s room in the main hall to start the next round, aiming to finish within half the time it takes for a cup of tea.
Regarding Xiaosi, who hadn’t returned yet, no one bothered to remind him; as long as it’s not about reading, there’s nothing he wouldn’t want.
The following day, Hua Jin rose early, alongside Xiaosi, whom Hua Laohan summoned awake.
Although unhappy with Grandpa calling him up so early, upon hearing they were going down to Hua Village, his mood soared immediately, bringing forth energy, and he climbed up in one go for washing, still feeling disbelief as if dreaming.
"Grandpa, are you really taking me down the mountain?"
He had asked this countless times.
Hua Laohan sighed at this troublesome grandson, already regretting his decision.
"Keep nagging, and you won’t go."
Quickly covering his mouth, he shook his head.
Knowing they would go down with Grandpa and dozens of villagers, Mrs. Qi wasn’t too worried this time.
She just repeatedly instructed the two children to listen to Grandpa, particularly admonishing Xiaosi strictly against wandering away.
If possible, Mrs. Qi wanted to go down herself to see what Hua Village had become, wondering if their home was still there.
"Mother, don’t worry, we’ll listen carefully, stick close to Grandpa, and I’ll watch over Xiaosi." Hua Jin reassuringly interrupted her mother’s endless repeated advice.
"Right, Mother, I’ll take good care of my sister like a good brother." Xiaosi chimed in quickly.
"Good children, always look after your sister!" Hua Laopuo couldn’t help but reiterate to Xiaosi; the old man said every morning how much he had spoken until Hua Laohan had grown calloused ears.
"Alright, alright, let’s set off." Any longer and they wouldn’t go, nor could they keep others waiting.
With that, people were sent out of the valley with mixed emotions and expectations down the mountain.
Mixed feelings arose from not knowing what their home now looked like; expectations wished the market town would restore normalcy, easing concerns about essential items like salt.
Apart from a few households, most had some left, but times were pressing, naturally wanting to stockpile as much as possible.
Without salt, people’s strength was nonexistent, which posed great danger during a famine year.
Even stingy families brought some Silver for those descending the mountain.
Carrying everyone’s hopes, the group embarked on a winding mountainous journey.
As anticipated, while three to four days usually sufficed to exit the mountain range, this time, following trails it took only a single day.
During the journey, they passed the former dwelling mountain range to check the cave and see its door was securely locked and unaffected by beasts, setting everyone at ease.
The group’s first task after descending wasn’t observing the surroundings but heading straight for Hua Village.
Everyone’s hearts were urgent, with long strides.
Though older, their bodies were no match against the vigorous youth, even with unrelenting exercise framed around labor.
Initially leading, Hua Laohan soon fell behind, but it was fine. Hua Village couldn’t run away, and besides, accompanying him were his grandson and granddaughter, allowing no rush.
Besides, despite urgency, they attended to him, thus while trailing slightly, it wasn’t far behind.
Soon after a stick’s worth of time, they reached the woods behind Hua Village and paused.
Seeing the familiar yet somewhat strange land ridden with gaps and holes, everyone’s hearts brimmed with indescribable emotions, varied as spices in taste.
Apart from sturdy trees rooted firmly in place, their gaze encountered plenty fallen haphazardly, some even snapped halfway.