It's unclear how much time has passed, but the people who went down the mountain finally returned. However, their faces were pale and their expressions were dejected, which made everyone's hearts race. They had no idea what had happened down there to so severely dampen the spirits of these energetic young people.
As people questioned them, one of the younger ones reacted first, his voice trembling, "The situation outside is too tragic. The floodwaters have receded, but everything is covered in mud. We see bodies from time to time, along with drowned pigs, dogs, chickens, ducks, and geese..."
He didn't finish, but everyone could imagine the scene. It wasn't just these young men; even the older ones couldn't remain unfazed.
After spending another night in the cave, people began to pack their belongings and head back. He Sheng, along with his mother, wife, and daughter, also packed their things into small bundles, ready to return. However, Wu Caiwei stopped him.
"The flood was so immense, our houses are long gone. If we go back now, we won't even have a place to live. After floods, there are often plagues. Let's stay on the mountain honestly. We'll wait for a month, and if everything is peaceful down below, then we can return. It won't be too late," Wu Caiwei said to him with a solemn expression. This made He Sheng unconsciously become cautious.
He always felt that since his father abandoned them, his mother had changed. She was very thorough in her considerations. But because of yesterday's incident, he couldn't help but admire his mother's foresight. Although he felt that their family hiding here wasn't safe, for the sake of prudence, he still wanted to listen to his mother.
When only their family was left in the cave, Wu Caiwei called her son and daughter-in-law to quickly dig for wild vegetables and store food. She herself busied herself searching for medicinal herbs, preparing for the impending plague. Moreover, they still had to flee, and along the way, people were bound to get sick. If they lacked medicinal herbs and delayed treatment, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.
They had also overheard their mother's conversation yesterday. But looking at how her mother doted on those medicinal herbs, the words they wanted to say got stuck in their throats. Forget it. They still had some food, and with the wild vegetables they dug today, they had provisions. Their mother was digging for real medicinal herbs, and her intentions were good. They appreciated her kindness.
Whenever she had free time, Wu Caiwei would meditate. Although the others were very curious about her actions, she had already told them thirty times not to disturb her. He Sheng always felt that his mother was acting a bit strangely. He thought she might have been traumatized and didn't want to hurt her feelings, so he could only indulge her.
At night, the mountain wind howled, and wolf howls could be heard nearby. The children shivered at the sound, and He Sheng even doubted whether listening to his mother's advice was correct.
The weather was warm now. If they returned to the village, they could ask the villagers for help in rebuilding their houses. If they waited longer, it would be autumn, which would not only be inconvenient for labor but they would also have nowhere to stay at night.
Every time he proposed going down the mountain, Wu Caiwei strongly objected, "As the saying goes, an elder at home is a treasure. When have I ever lied to you? As long as you listen to me, you will turn misfortune into good fortune."
He Sheng was at a loss and looked to his wife for help. But Xia He didn't even look at him. She strongly agreed with her mother's viewpoint. Having experienced the hardships of fleeing during the severe drought, she knew that many things were unpredictable. It was never too careful to survive.
He Sheng walked out of the cave feeling helpless. He saw the sun hanging high in the sky and secretly slipped down the mountain to return to the village to check the situation. He originally thought that they had been away for a few days and the village should be bustling with activity, with everyone busy rebuilding their houses and preparing to start anew. But he was surprised by the eerie silence, which made his heart pound. He slowed his steps, cautiously approaching the center of the village, wanting to understand the truth.
After waiting for a long time, he finally saw a familiar figure. Just as he was about to step forward and call out the person's name, his mouth was suddenly covered. He turned his head and saw his mother's calm face. He immediately lowered his head like a child who had made a mistake.
"No need to look. I've already investigated. everyone in the village has contracted the plague. The imperial court hasn't sent anyone to help, so naturally, no one has issued a prescription. Even if someone did, there are no medicines; they've all been monopolized by wealthy families, with none left for commoners. Those who are infected can only wait for death. You should leave quickly. Think about your two children. Would you be willing to let them leave the world if they got infected?" Wu Caiwei knew that if it concerned her two granddaughters, he would definitely consider it carefully. Indeed, he walked ahead, and the other person followed closely.
Since the two of them had been to the plague-stricken village, to prevent any further spread, Wu Caiwei quickly boiled medicinal herbs and had him drink the water. Although He Sheng found it unreliable and feared he was drinking tree branch water, seeing his mother's unyielding gaze, he gritted his teeth and drank it.
"Don't go down the mountain for some time. I'm not trying to scare you, but you must know that throughout history, emperors have never been lenient with plague-ridden villages; they've exterminated them to prevent further contagion. It doesn't matter if you die, but you must consider how your wife and two children will survive in this chaotic world," Wu Caiwei instructed him, afraid that he would secretly go down the mountain again like last time.
Upon hearing this, He Sheng flinched. He then looked at his mother. If it weren't for the fact that the moles and spots on her face were the same as his mother's, he would have truly thought a bad person had appeared. However, he then shook his head. What did they have now? Besides that little bit of food, they didn't even have a house. Who would impersonate his mother's identity to suffer? He thought he must be hallucinating due to the recent events.
A couple of days later, Wu Caiwei was meditating in the cave when two uninvited guests arrived. Seeing their dust-covered appearances, Wu Caiwei couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a look of fear on their faces, indicating something had happened.
"Why have you come up from the mountain?" Wu Caiwei walked forward enthusiastically to greet them and inquire.
"It's the same as you, because of the plague. Our family hasn't been infected, and we're afraid of getting infected, so we had to flee to the mountain secretly." One of the men initially didn't want to bother her. Seeing that there were only a few families in this cave and they would see each other frequently, he felt there was no need to worsen their relationship and quickly explained.
Upon hearing their words, Wu Caiwei not only didn't calm down but narrowed her eyes, her expression darkening. Although their answer was impeccable, her intuition told her they weren't telling the truth.
Soon, the remaining people returned. Looking at their family, which consisted of three adults and two children, the two households exchanged glances. Wu Caiwei unconsciously looked towards the pot.
In the middle of the night, Wu Caiwei, who had been meditating, suddenly opened her eyes. Although their footsteps were very light and undetectable to ordinary people, due to her recent frequent practice, Wu Caiwei detected their presence from the sounds of their movement.