Chapter 88
The few of them fell silent for a moment. Ji Yangkai then said quietly: "Yuchang Prefecture... Isn't that a bit too far away?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Taoyu said directly: "Eldest Uncle, you were anxious before with no other way out, but now that there's a retreat, you're still being picky."
"This is fleeing disaster, not going out for a leisurely trip where you can choose your destination."
"Taoyu, you're still young and don't understand these matters. Our fields and land, the seeds are only half sown—can we really just abandon them and not care?"
"Do you know when our ancestors reclaimed the wasteland for farming, they didn't even have a broken hoe? They dug out the rocky, sandy ground bare-handed with their own hands. The fertile fields and land we have today, without our ancestors' bitter perseverance, where would the good life for you descendants come from?"
Hearing Ji Yangkai say this, Ji Yangming, who had not spoken before, also muttered: "The foundation laid by generations of ancestors over several lifetimes... How can we leave so easily..."
Ji Taoyu glanced at his father. Seeing he didn't speak, and though people said pregnancy made one foolish, Ji Taoyu's mind remained exceptionally clear and sharp at this critical moment.
"Then why did our ancestors come to this land in Tongzhou? Did they just land in Tongzhou for no reason? Wasn't it also because their original home was unstable that they moved to Tongzhou? If your life is gone, what use are more fields and property?"
Ji Yangkai and Ji Yangming were choked by Ji Taoyu's words and didn't know how to refute.
They fell silent for a moment.
Ji Yangcheng looked at Huo Shu, his heart full of worry. Right now, what concerned him wasn't just the decision to leave or not: "What about when Wenliang returns? It's so chaotic here, and it's hard to send word to them on the road. I'm afraid both sides will be anxious."
Huo Shu said: "They are returning from the Northern Territories and will go directly to the transit point in Yuchang Prefecture first. There's no need to notify them separately."
Ji Yangcheng breathed a long sigh of relief. After all, Huo Shu was reliable. With that, he had nothing more to say.
Seeing this, Ji Yangkai estimated that his seventh brother intended to leave.
He turned to look at Ji Yangzong, who was frowning and hadn't spoken: "Lao Liu, you are the village head of our village. Can you leave?"
Ji Yangzong hadn't spoken. Firstly, because what his brothers said made sense—the foundation laid by generations of ancestors was all here, and it was truly hard to pull up roots and leave suddenly.
Secondly, he was mindful that he was the village head of this village. As long as he held the post, he had to fulfill its duties. If he left, never mind whether the authorities would pursue him for dereliction of duty, the village would simply lose its backbone entirely.
Seeing his father's expression, Ji Taoyu knew his inner struggle and difficulty. Huang Manjing opened her mouth but couldn't speak.
It was because they knew him well that they understood Ji Yangzong's nature.
All these years he had served as village head diligently and conscientiously. The villagers were many and opinions varied, but no one had truly quarreled fiercely with him. If he hadn't done a good job as village head, people wouldn't have shown him so much respect.
"Father..."
Ji Taoyu called out softly. He didn't say much, just raised his hand to rest on his own small belly.
How could Ji Yangzong not know Ji Taoyu's meaning? He couldn't bear to part with his own little ger and that unborn grandchild either.
After a long moment, he took a deep breath.
"Nothing is more important than the family living well together. The war will eventually stop one day. It's not like we're never coming back. Let's just go out and hide for a while first."
Ji Yangkai looked shocked—perhaps he hadn't expected Ji Yangzong would actually agree to leave.
"But what if the authorities—"
"The authorities can barely look after themselves now. The village head is just a minor official on the fringe. If the court can't protect the common people's peace, it can't stop them from seeking a way out themselves. Taking a ten-thousand-step retreat, even if they investigate and assign blame, it would just mean replacing the village head."
Ji Yangkai fell silent again, but Ji Yangming added:
"I'm just afraid fleeing so far might be worse than staying here. If the authorities can suppress the rebels, then there's nothing more to say. But if the rebels win, they are just a gathering of poor tenant farmers. They probably won't give us farmers too hard a time, right?"
"The tenant farmers in Quan Village specifically target the wealthy families. If they attack here, fueled by the hatred tenant farmers have built up from years of oppression by the wealthy families, Second Uncle, do you think they will cause trouble or not?"
Huo Shu said coldly: "Even if, as Second Uncle says, they are benevolent and don't cause trouble, what is most lacking in war is manpower and grain. Whether it's the authorities or the rebels, they will inevitably conscript able-bodied men to strengthen and expand their ranks. Second Uncle, do you consider yourself an able-bodied man? Do you consider your sons able-bodied men?"
"At that time, the men will be fighting on the front lines, their fate unknown. The women and children relatives left in the village will labor desperately to supply grain to the army you serve, fearing you have nothing to eat, not knowing you had long since died on the battlefield, while the army gives your relatives no definite news and continues to suck their blood. What will you do then?"
Ji Yangkai and Ji Yangming listened, their faces turning pale. They, who had lived in peace, had never truly witnessed the cruelty of war.
Once Huo Shu spoke, they had no more rebuttals.
Huo Shu didn't wait for them to say more and directly made the decision: "Those who want to leave, go back immediately and pack. Only bring the most essential food and supplies. Those who aren't leaving, stay."
Seeing this clear ultimatum, Ji Yangcheng said nothing and turned to leave with long strides, wasting no time in following the instruction.
Ji Yangkai and Ji Yangming looked devastated. In the end, they didn't mutter any more objections. Seeing their seventh brother had already left to prepare, they also walked out of the compound with silent, somber faces, realizing any delay could be fatal. Given Huo Shu's decisive nature and the imminent danger, he wouldn't wait for them if they dragged their feet.
"Pack up."
Huo Shu turned to Ji Taoyu: "Pack everything you need into the chest."
"Mother, go and notify my godmother for me."
Huang Manjing clenched her hands tightly and nodded repeatedly.
Ji Yangzong looked somewhat dazed as he watched his busy family members, his expression still carrying traces of panic.
He tried to push aside his swirling thoughts and called out to Huo Shu: "What about the town? We still need to notify the town folks."
"I already made arrangements for the town long ago," Huo Shu replied steadily. "When the garrison troops left the town, more than half of the stockpiled grain had already been transported away. If the journey proceeds quickly, it should reach Yuchang in another three or four days. I've already notified the medical hall too. They packed their things well in advance. Once war breaks out in Tongzhou, they can leave at any moment."
Ji Yangzong listened, his mouth slightly agape: "Good, good."
He patted Huo Shu's arm: "It's a good thing we have you. Otherwise, with this sudden trouble, the whole family wouldn't know what to do."
Huo Shu looked at Ji Yangzong: "I know Father can't bear to leave Mingxun Village."
Just like Uncle Fan—even when he could barely keep himself alive, working as a horse slave at the ranch, he still looked after the people from the village who survived. If not for him, he might never have seen Huo Shou again.
After coming south, when life got better, he would still often mention and talk about his old fellow villagers.
After serving as village head for just two or three years, one might still see it merely as a duty. But after doing it for a long time, it was hard not to develop feelings for the place.
The reason Ji Yangzong agreed to leave amidst the arguments was also because he cherished Ji Taoyu too much.
Now that he had a child, he certainly couldn't stay in such a turbulent place.
Thank you for the update!!!
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