Chapter 50: The World Is in Chaos

At the scorching noon, Yan Lao’er once again rode his ox and left, carrying large and small bundles with him.

The villagers were already used to him running around outside every day.

Perhaps because they had eaten meat in the morning, no one was particularly hungry. They simply nibbled on some steamed buns without even lighting a fire.

Li Xuemei pulled Da Ya in to help with work.

They had already woven plenty of straw sandals, enough to last for a while, so they decided to weave straw mats next.

During the day, these mats were tied to carts for shade, and at night, they were spread on the ground to sleep on. Over time, they wore out and developed holes.

“Huja girl, I’m really sorry. I don’t know how, but your Second Brother Yan ended up taking the straw hat you lent to Er Ya.” Li Xuemei looked apologetic. “I’ll find it and return it to you when he gets back.”

“What are you saying, Sister-in-law? It’s just a straw hat, nothing worth mentioning. I gave it to Er Ya in the first place,” the youngest daughter of the Hu family quickly replied. “You and Second Brother Yan are treating me like an outsider. Calling it ‘borrowing’—that’s just embarrassing!”

A sister-in-law next to them teased, “Hahaha! So, Second Brother Yan took it? Huja girl, just wait—you might get an egg in return!”

Everyone laughed and chatted, but no one really believed that Yan Lao’er would actually bring anything back.

But, surprisingly—he really did.

“Did you sell all those straw sandals?”

“Sold them all!” Yan Lao’er’s face was glowing with excitement. “I happened to run into a traveling peddler. He saw that my prices were cheap and bought everything. I figured it was better to sell a little than not sell at all, so I didn’t haggle over a few coins.

He even bought those old clothes. When I asked him what he’d do with them, he wouldn’t say…

Then, I went to a neighboring village and exchanged them for some grain.

That iron pot? The villagers kept it, saying it saved them a trip to town.

Today was pure luck! Just as I was leaving, I spotted some greenery in the distance. I rode over to take a look, and—good heavens—there was an old elm tree covered in clusters of leaves! I stripped them all off, not leaving a single one.

Oh, and Cui Da-ge’s medicine pouch came in handy, too. With this heat, someone in the village must’ve eaten something bad. An elderly man had an upset stomach. When I told them what symptoms our medicine could treat and listed the herbs inside, some knowledgeable folks there decided to keep it…”

Yan Lao’er was talking a mile a minute, spittle flying everywhere.

With all his might, he had convinced an entire village.

When he pulled out a small half-sack of coarse flour to distribute, no one cared whether it was reasonable or not. Their eyes were filled with joy at having food.

The youngest Hu girl got an extra share—apparently, the peddler had also bought that well-made straw hat.

She was completely stunned. Straw hats could be sold?!

Yan Lao’er secretly wiped his sweat.

It was just too hard to find food for the villagers.

Not only did they have to sneak around, but they also had to come up with believable excuses and figure out how to make people believe them.

Thankfully, this wasn’t something they had to do every day.

Doctor Cui thought that if he cut down on rest time, he could travel farther each day, maybe find more medicinal herbs and stock up. Who knew when Yan Lao’er might sell them off? According to his wife, Yan Lao’er was truly something else!

The village women, having tasted the benefits, planned to resume their old trade after finishing the mats—making more straw sandals. And now, they’d add straw hats to the mix.

“What do you think that peddler wanted old clothes for?” someone suddenly asked.

Another person responded matter-of-factly, “Old clothes have plenty of uses. They can be used for shoe soles, patchwork clothes…”

“If we make shoes, do you think Yan Lao’er could sell them?”

“What are you thinking? We barely have enough water to make paste for shoe soles.”

“But making a few insoles shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“That’s true. We can prepare some. If they don’t sell, we’ll just use them ourselves.”

“Yan Er’s wife, what do you think?”

Li Xuemei, having been addressed directly, smiled. “I think everyone has a point. Let’s make a few different things. Who knows what people might need?”

“What are you making there?” someone noticed her working on something.

“Well, since my husband always carries big bundles when he goes out, I thought I’d make a larger saddlebag to hang over the ox’s back so he doesn’t have to carry everything himself.”

“You even designed it? Oh! What’s this? It looks like… like the cloth slings we use to carry babies!”

Li Xuemei grinned. “That’s exactly what gave me the idea! I’ll make a few wearable bags so that both hands are free for other tasks.”

“That’s great! If it turns out well, we should all make one.”

“Did Er Ya draw this? I’ve noticed she’s been learning to read with the scholar lately.”

“Her eldest uncle has nothing to do, so he’s been teaching a few characters. Er Ya just tags along. But he keeps a close watch on my nephew—won’t let him slack off even a bit.”

—

Meanwhile, Yan Yu was lying on the top bunk, recording accounts in the notebook her mother had sewn for her.

She tracked product prices, sales, and trades with the villagers and the free market. Everything had to be logged.

“Look what I brought for you!” Li Xuemei climbed up and showed her an item.

“It’s a charcoal stick. If you wrap it in cloth like this, you can write and draw on paper. The women use it to trace embroidery patterns, and I think it’s easier to use than a brush. Try it.”

Yan Yu was so excited she nearly flicked ink onto her own face.

“Mom! You’re a lifesaver! If Dad can sharpen this into a proper shape, it’ll be a charcoal pencil! Waaah, why didn’t you bring this earlier?”

My poor wrists were about to break from all the writing!

“You still need to practice brush calligraphy. Otherwise, your uncle won’t let you off the hook,” Li Xuemei reminded her.

She agreed with her brother-in-law’s strict training. Having more skills never hurt.

“This was actually your Sister-in-law Luo’s idea. She saw the backpack sketch you made and mentioned it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known such a thing existed.”

Yan Lao’er suddenly appeared and motioned for them to follow.

Yan Yu quickly packed up her ink and notebook and tucked them into her clothes.

The three of them quietly made their way to a secluded spot.

“I really found another town nearby,” Yan Lao’er whispered. “It’s pretty big—way bigger than ours.”

Yan Yu frowned. “Aren’t we supposed to avoid government officials? Town entrances usually have guards checking people and collecting fees.”

“That town is in chaos. I barely saw any officers, and they don’t seem to care. People are coming and going freely.”

Li Xuemei’s expression grew serious. “Why aren’t they enforcing order? Think carefully—what did those people look like?”

“Well…” Yan Lao’er hesitated, then suddenly realized something was off. The people entering and leaving the town weren’t just ordinary travelers. They included entire families, carrying a lot of belongings. He had been too far to see clearly, but they all seemed to be in a hurry.

When he finished speaking, Yan Yu blurted out, “Could they be refugees like us?”

Her parents turned to stare at her in silence, making her feel nervous. “I was just guessing!”

Li Xuemei spoke solemnly. “If we think about the timing, the grain tax was just collected. Most families probably don’t have much left.

If we were in their shoes, what would we do?”

Wasn’t it obvious?

Their own situation already told the answer—they would have to flee!