Li Chunhua's breath came in weak gasps at the doorway. She leaned heavily against the frame, struggling to support her frail body.
After hearing what Cheng Zongyang said, a flicker of hesitation crossed the hopeful eyes set in her gaunt face. She didn't come inside, but simply said with difficulty,
"Yangzi, my family is truly desperate. I... I had to swallow my pride and come ask to borrow some grain. As soon as my husband bags some game and sells it, we'll pay you back right away."
'Borrowing grain…'
Cheng Zongyang understood. From the looks of Aunt Chunhua, it was clear she was starving. Her body was already swollen from malnutrition.
If she went on starving like this, she probably wouldn't make it.
Inside the main hall, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family emerged after putting things away.
She asked in disbelief when she saw Li Chunhua's condition,
"Chunhua, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you out and about for days. I heard you were sick, but how did you get like this?"
Cheng Zongyang didn't take it upon himself to agree to lend out the grain. It was best to let his parents handle such matters.
With his parents around, there was no need for him to be the one granting favors. That was their role. Otherwise, if outsiders found out he was making these decisions, his parents would lose face.
Besides, whether to lend grain, how to lend it, and how much to lend—it was better for his parents to decide. So, he said to his mother,
"Mom, Aunt Chunhua is here to borrow grain. Auntie, you can talk to my mother. There's no rush."
With that, Cheng Zongyang headed inside alone.
In the main hall, Cheng Guanghai hadn't gone out. His wife handled these sorts of household affairs; as the man of the house, he wouldn't get involved.
When Cheng Zongyang entered the main hall, his younger brother and sister were staring at him with wide, expectant eyes. Their bowls had already been taken away.
These days, you had to close the door just to eat a meal. If people saw them eating so much and so well every day, it wasn't just about making others envious—it was about avoiding trouble.
"You two, go eat in the back room. Don't wait," Cheng Zongyang decided.
Instantly, the two kids, who had only had a few bites, scampered into the back room.
"Second Brother, wait for me!" the little girl cried out anxiously, climbing down from her chair with unsteady steps.
"I'm not going to eat your share," Cheng Zongliang shot back, clearly not wanting to wait.
Cheng Guanghai watched them and shook his head, paying the two little rascals no mind.
"Dad, when I got home today, my brother said you and Mom were summoned by the village chief. Did something happen?"
Cheng Zongyang sat down and asked about what had happened at noon.
At this, Cheng Guanghai fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"Things have gotten dangerous lately. There's chaos over in Hengshui Village. Their village chief's family and a few other households with grain reserves were murdered, and all their food was stolen.
The Government Office sent men and arrested a few people, which caused many from Hengshui Village to flee to the County Town.
That's why our village has told everyone to step up their security. On top of that, the village is planning to organize a party to go into the mountains. If this keeps up, our own village will fall into chaos sooner or later. Rather than wait to die, it's better to take a gamble in the mountains while everyone still has some strength left."
Cheng Zongyang heard this and knew they weren't talking about going into the Outer Mountain, but the Inner Mountain.
He wasn't concerned about what happened in other villages. He just asked,
"And if they catch anything, does everyone get an equal share?"
Cheng Guanghai nodded. "That's the only way. The village chief's idea is to hunt as much as possible. Even if it's just a pound or half a pound of meat per household, it'll keep people from starving. If any families suffer casualties, they'll be compensated with extra meat."
Cheng Zongyang frowned. "A little extra meat won't be enough to solve the problem if someone gets killed or injured."
Cheng Guanghai sighed. "It's either wait to starve or take a gamble. Everyone knows which one to choose. The chief also said it's voluntary, so no one's being forced."
Cheng Zongyang pressed, "Dad, did you agree to go?"
"I wanted to, but your mother wouldn't allow it." Cheng Guanghai sighed again. "She thinks our family is doing fine for now and there's no need to take such a risk. But I can't just sit back and do nothing while you're always the one taking the risks. I'm your father."
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "Dad, don't you know me by now? As long as I'm here, you don't need to risk yourself. Just focus on protecting the family."
At this, Cheng Zongyang's expression turned serious.
"We have to be on guard against what happened in Hengshui Village, which is all the more reason our home needs someone to watch over it. Besides, I have an idea: we should dig a cellar in the back room."
"Dig a cellar?" Cheng Guanghai repeated, taken aback.
"Let's eat. She's gone."
Just then, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family came in, her voice interrupting the father and son's conversation.
Looking at the pitch-dark main hall, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family went to light the oil lamp as she spoke.
Cheng Guanghai and Cheng Zongyang paused their conversation and brought the rest of the meal out from the back room.
The two little ones had already eaten half their food in there.
The adults didn't mind. They ate what was left and continued their conversation.
"Did you lend her some?" Cheng Guanghai asked his wife.
"Yes, I lent her five pounds of Old Rice and five pounds of sorghum flour. With a family of four, that should last them a few days," said Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family.
Cheng Guanghai nodded in agreement.
"Chen Jiang's family are good people. When Yang'Er fell into the water all those years ago, it was Chen Jiang who went to great lengths to pull him out. We can't forget a debt like that, even if we rewarded him at the time."
Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family agreed.
"That's right, which is why I lent it to them. I wouldn't have for anyone else. These days, there's no chance of getting back any grain you lend out. I'm not expecting them to repay it."
Cheng Guanghai nodded. "We should help where we can. By the way, Yang'Er, what was that you were saying about digging a cellar?"
Cheng Zongyang swallowed the piece of snake meat in his mouth, then briefly recounted what he had seen in the County Town that day. After also repeating what his second uncle had said, he stated grimly,
"So, I'm going to buy more grain from now on. We'll store it in the cellar. It could even serve as a shelter to hide in if disaster strikes."
Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family asked, a note of panic in her voice, "Is the world really going to descend into chaos? Why isn't the Government Office doing anything about it?"
Cheng Guanghai frowned. "Your second uncle knows a lot of people in the County Town. If he gave a warning like that, there must be a serious problem. Yang'Er, your suggestion is a good one. We need to take precautions.
Alright, starting tomorrow, I'll begin making arrangements to dig the cellar. This has to be done in secret. I'll dig during the day and carry the dirt to the woods on the back mountain at night to dump it. That way, we can avoid attracting the villagers' attention."
"That was my thought as well," Cheng Zongyang said. "I'll go hunting in the mountains during the day and help you carry the dirt at night. We'll also need planks and logs for reinforcement. I'll take care of getting supplies like lime."
And just like that, the father and son settled on the plan.
Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family, listening from the side, had no objections and deferred to their decision. However, she volunteered to take on the task of gathering wood. She could go chop some at the foot of the mountain during the day and drag the logs back one by one.
Dragging logs home for firewood was a common sight in the village. No one would think anything of it.
"Mom, are Grandpa and Grandma doing okay on your side of the family?" Cheng Zongyang suddenly asked, turning to his mother.
Zhou Xiao'e was from the neighboring Shuikou Village and had married Cheng Guanghai years ago through a matchmaker's introduction.
The Zhou Family had quite a few members in Shuikou Village, much like the Jin Family's standing in Golden Bridge Village.
But not all of them were held in high regard.
The preference for sons over daughters was just as severe in this world as it was in the ancient societies he'd read about in the history books of his past life.
Zhou Xiao'e hadn't been highly valued by her parents, but they still looked out for her to some extent.
His eldest and second eldest maternal uncles, in particular, looked after their younger sister, Zhou Xiao'e, quite well.
Hearing her son's sudden question, Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family was momentarily taken aback before smiling.
"Your grandparents are fine over there; they're all doing well. Your uncles are hard workers, too. They won't go hungry."
Seeing that his mother didn't seem to be lying, he felt a bit more at ease.
Over the past few years, those two uncles had often visited. As far as maternal relatives went, they were quite decent.
"Then let's have someone go over tomorrow and tell them to prepare as well. We can't wait until something has already happened."
Mrs. Zhou of the Cheng Family thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll have your father make the trip tomorrow."