Xiao Man's family shack was about a hundred meters away from her own home, requiring a few minutes to climb up and down the cliff.
When Jiang Zhi arrived and took a look, it was indeed better than her own.
The lean-to against the rock consisted of three rooms, with a single-sloped roof fixed high on the stone wall and the low eaves resting on the stone slab wall, so tightly sealed that not even a draft could get in.
At that moment, Xiaoman's Grandmother was sweeping the loose dust inside the shack with a broom made of tree branches, accompanied by her great-granddaughter Nini.
Xiaoman's grandfather was nearby, chopping a wooden stick with a knife.
"Uncle Changgeng!" Jiang Zhi called out, stepping directly into the shack along the newly laid stone path.
Xiaoman's grandfather put down the hatchet, somewhat awkwardly saying, "Er Rui's mother, have a seat!"
Jiang Zhi didn't stand on ceremony either. She sat on a nearby half-cut log stump and got straight to the point: "Uncle Changgeng, you have decent food and shelter here. Why didn't you come up the mountain a few days ago?"
This was something she had never been able to understand.
At the mention of going up the mountain, the wrinkles on Xiaoman's grandfather's face tightened, and he let out a long sigh. "Back then, all I could think was that without food, going up the mountain would only mean living ten days or half a month longer—still a dead end.
If we didn't leave, maybe the refugees would see that we were old, young, and disabled, with no grain, and wouldn't bother us."
Beside him, Xiaoman's Grandmother exposed his lie: "Er Rui's mother, don't believe that. It's because when the village was leaving, those people saw our family as a burden and avoided us.
Usually, nephews and grandnephews are all affectionate, but when it came down to it, not a single person even asked about us.
This old man of mine has been proud all his life. Now that he's been looked down upon, he'd rather die than swallow his pride."
Having his true feelings exposed, Xiaoman's grandfather scowled and scolded, "If you don't know how to talk, then don't. Who said anything about swallowing pride? Even in old age, I want to stand tall and not trouble others.
I just think what his aunt said was right: no matter how those above fight, they'll always need people to farm the land.
So we'll tough it out on the mountain for a while. If we run out of grain, we'll eat grass roots and tree bark. If by chance the fighting stops and things get better, Xiao Man and Nini won't have to flee anymore."
Jiang Zhi smiled. This was another stubborn one—an old mule who stubbornly risked his family's lives.
She somewhat understood the old man's meaning.
Xiaoman's grandfather had been proud all his life.
Having lost his son and daughter-in-law early on, he raised his two grandsons by his own efforts.
Just as he was about to enjoy the good life of having great-grandchildren filling the house, he encountered the misfortune of his eldest grandson becoming paralyzed from a fall and his grandson's wife remarrying.
Any one of these misfortunes would be enough to break a person, but Xiaoman's grandfather persevered.
But when faced with fleeing famine, taking his paralyzed eldest grandson along was something he couldn't manage alone.
The blow of being looked down upon and abandoned by others was too great. The old man had lost all hope of survival and was ready to give up entirely.
It was her simple inquiry when she followed Xiao Man to their home that made Xiaoman's grandfather feel warmth and gave him a way out.
Only then did this stubborn old man, who had never admitted defeat in his life, find the motivation to come up the mountain and fight one more time.
Little Nini, at her great-grandmother's prompting, brought Jiang Zhi a bowl of water and called out, "Grandma Jiang!"
Jiang Zhi's lips twitched as she forced a smile, took the bowl, and cheerfully praised, "Nini is such a good girl!"
Xiaoman's grandfather tapped the hatchet on the ground and said, "His aunt, how's your shack coming along? If you're short on hands, let Xiao Man help for a couple of days!"
Jiang Zhi was quite surprised. "That wouldn't be right, would it? Your family needs people to work too!"
Now every household has no idle hands. Although Xiaoman's family has a sturdy shed, there are still many tasks to be done, and Xiaoman is the only one in the family with good mobility. It would be inappropriate to take him away.
Xiaoman's grandmother kept her hands busy, twisting hemp thread even as she spoke: "Aunt Xiaoman, we haven't interacted much before. I only knew you were sharp-tongued and quick to lose your temper, but I didn't realize you were also kind-hearted.
On the second morning after coming up the mountain, you were the only one who sent Er Rui to check if we had eaten. Ah, when people grow old, they become a burden…
Now that we have no land or fields, our family isn’t in a hurry to work. Let Xiaoman help you for a few days."
As she spoke, Xiaoman's grandmother wiped the corner of her eye.
True feelings are revealed in times of crisis.
People often said Jiang Zhi mistreated her child, yet that child still grew up healthy.
Many farming families lose children prematurely. If the aunt were truly malicious, the child wouldn’t have survived.
Jiang Zhi felt a bit embarrassed. It was only because the village below was on fire that Xu Errui came to inquire about the situation, not specifically to check if they had eaten.
But Xiaoman's grandmother certainly knew how to phrase things. The original owner’s troublesome nature was glossed over with a simple "quick to lose your temper."
Jiang Zhi didn’t try to act tough and instead shared her own difficulties: "To be honest, Uncle Changgeng, our shed isn’t enough. We’re planning to build another one. It’s almost March now, and if it rains, I’m afraid the thatched roof won’t hold up."
The male-oriented novels never wrote about these trivial details of daily life, leaving her unfamiliar with the situation here. She still needed to ask the original inhabitants—these paper-thin characters—for more information.
Hearing Jiang Zhi’s concerns, Xiaoman's grandfather frowned as he stroked the firewood knife in his hand: "In previous years, it should have rained by this season. If you want to build a house, you must hurry. After several months of drought this winter, once the rain starts, it’s likely to continue for half a month.
If you don’t have enough bark, let Xiaoman and Er Rui take some from our house to use. Make the roof thicker. Your family has a pregnant woman who must avoid dampness."
Jiang Zhi quickly expressed her gratitude. Having extra bark for the roof would be ideal.
She still had one more question to ask: "Uncle Changgeng, what if those refugees come up the mountain?"
Since the first night the village caught fire, there had been flickering flames in the distance over the past few nights.
She didn’t send Er Rui back to the village to check the situation. What was burned was burned; looking wouldn’t solve the problem. She was only worried about refugees coming up the mountain.
Her family of three could manage—they could throw stones if needed, and if they couldn’t fight, they could simply hide in the woods.
But Xiaoman’s family wouldn’t have it so easy. Her question was also meant as a reminder.
Xiaoman's grandfather’s face wrinkled like a bitter melon, but his eyes gleamed sharply: "I asked Xiaoman to call you here precisely to discuss this.
There’s only one shortcut from the village to this mountain. I plan to block it off. From now on, only our two families will know how to get through. Refugees who don’t know the way won’t find it, and those from the village won’t be able to come up easily either.
If your family still needs to fetch anything from the village, go quickly. It won’t be easy to travel later."
Both Xiaoman’s and Jiang Zhi’s sheds were along the same path. Xiaoman's grandfather had spent his whole life burning charcoal on this mountain and knew every blade of grass and tree like the back of his hand. He was well aware of which areas were the most difficult to traverse.
This meant tampering with the path to claim this mountain area for the two families, but it also trapped both families inside, making it inconvenient for anyone to come or go.
In the face of danger, everyone has their own way of coping.
Xiaoman's grandfather knew his family had no ability to resist the refugees, so he sealed themselves off, enduring hunger and lack of clothing.
Jiang Zhi widened her eyes in surprise. There was a saying that sounded pleasant: "Having an elder at home is like having a treasure."
Put bluntly, it meant: old monster, aged into a cunning spirit!
Hiding away in the deep woods—this method was truly as steady as an old dog!
Xiaoman's grandfather lived with four generations under one roof. Years of labor made him appear aged, resembling someone in their seventies or eighties in modern times, though he was actually just over sixty.
His physical strength had declined, but he possessed no shortage of wisdom in life.
With such a stubborn old man around, Jiang Zhi suddenly felt much more at ease.
However, as she sat in the shed talking, she could occasionally hear suppressed coughs from the dark corners, likely coming from that paralyzed young man.