Chapter 386 - Popular
In the early morning, the silvery singing of birds woke up the sleeping earth. The little rooster that was in the back courtyard raised its head and puffed its chest before it valiantly stretched out its neck to crow, 'cock-a-doodle-doo'. At the front and back of the house, all of the deep green leaves on the vegetables in the garden had shimmering drops of dew shining on them.
In between the rows of vegetables, there were a few matrons dressed in plain, patched clothing. They were picking the vegetables industriously and using clean water to wash the dirt off before placing them in bamboo baskets. These baskets would later be loaded onto carts that came from town.
At a corner in the front courtyard next to the residence, there was a grapevine twined onto a wooden frame with bunches of grapes heavily hanging. There were a few bunches that had ripened early and the deep purple fruits seemed to glitter like crystals and emitted a sweet aroma. The sight of these grapes made the matrons tsk in wonder and one of them commented, "Madam Liu, your family's soil is really very good. Anything you guys plant turns out well and even ripens early. Like these grapes for example. Anyone else planting them can only harvest them at the start of autumn to eat. Your rack of grapes will probably be ripe in a couple days ah?"
"That's right ah! Are these grapes a new variety that ripen early that the royal prince brought back from the western hemisphere?" Another young matron asked in a voice full of envy. Who didn't know that the royal prince regarded the Yu Family highly? No one knew just how the Yu Family caught his eye, but he came over every day!
Madam Liu bent over and pulled all of the weeds out of one area. She smiled at the women working, "I also don't know where this grape vine came from. When that girl, Xiaocao, planted it, I said that she was doing work for nothing as it wouldn't live! It was only planted last year but this year it's already grown a lot of grapes. When the grapes are ripe, each of you can bring two bunches back home so your children can taste them."
"No need! If your family's grapes entered the market now, I'm sure that people would buy them even at one tael a bunch! Tanggu Town has plenty of people with money to spare!"
"That's right, that's right! They even scramble to buy watermelons for five taels a piece. This year, your family planted over a dozen mu of watermelons and it still wasn't enough to keep up with the demand. Especially the prefectural city's demand. Cart after cart of watermelon was sent there and each cart earned around one to two hundred taels. That's not watermelon anymore; they're all pure money!"
This was also something to be envied but not obtained! The Yu Family had the talent at cultivating watermelons. It was said that in the neighboring village, there was a wealthy landlord, Li Sancai, who had heard that the Yu Family from Dongshan Village had made a fortune from planting watermelons. No one knew where he had gotten the seeds from, but he planted a few dozen mu of them. However, the Yu Family's watermelons had all sold out now yet his watermelons were only about the size of a fist. Furthermore, these watermelons were few in between and couldn't compare to the yield of the Yu Family's.
Madam Liu only smiled but didn't say anything in response to these matrons. Her family had made quite a bit of money by selling the early ripening vegetables, watermelons, and braised food. Naturally, there were a lot of people who were envious. With the royal prince as their backing, no one dared to do any nasty tricks. However, there were plenty of people who tried to reproduce their success, like the neighboring village's Li Sancai. Perhaps that man had gotten a batch of seeds that weren't good which caused his melons to grow poorly. She didn't know whether they would be better once they were ripe...
The matrons' discussions became louder and louder, so Yu Xiaocao opened the door to her room while rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. She used her other hand to ruffle through her hair, and it was obvious that she was still quite groggy.
There were a couple matrons in the field who had male children at home around Xiaocao's age, so their eyes lit up when they saw her. Immediately, their voices became much more welcoming. Haixing's wife grinned until her eyes became a line and said, "Oh! Xiaocao's becoming more and more beautiful with time. Look at her little face, so white and tender. She resembles a well-bred young woman more than those daughters of the wealthy families in town!"
"What is that phrase...a natural born beauty! Dahai's wife also has good looks. In fact, all of her children are perfect specimens. Dahai's wife, is your Xiaosha fourteen this year? It's almost time to find a wife for him..." In these past two years, the Yu Family had become one of the wealthiest families in the village. As their children got older, they became the target of everyone who had marriageable children and were now being eyed like a prime piece of meat by this pack of 'hungry wolves'!
Madam Liu looked at the matron who had asked the question with a somewhat embarrassed manner and sighed before she said, "You all don't know my children's personalities. Every single one has their own opinions. As their mother, I can't lightly make this decision without asking for their own opinions!"
Haixing's wife's eyes opened wide as she stated, "Since ancient times, don't all parents with the help of the matchmaker decree the marriages of their children? As their mother, if you don't take charge of this issue, who else would be able to?"
"That's right, that's right! Dahai's wife, it's not that I'm trying to use my seniority to lecture you, but you and Brother Dahai spoil your children too much! In all of our families, if our children don't listen to us, then we would beat them! Didn't both of my older girls have their marriages decided by their father and me? And look at them now, aren't their lives pretty good?"
The matron who had asked about Yu Hang's marriage prospects earlier was the wife of the village chief's nephew. Everyone called her Older Brother Zhimin's wife.
"That's because you know how to raise children and love your girls, so you made sure to find them families that would take care of them." Another matron next to her, who had a good relationship with her, interjected in a flattering manner.
Zhimin's wife revealed a proud and smug smile and didn't seem modest at all as she stated, "Since we're on the topic of raising children, then I won't be shy in saying that all of my daughters are good hands at both farming work and household work. Especially my youngest daughter. She has a fine hand in embroidery. She recently made a pillow cover that was embroidered with ducks playing in the water and it sold to the embroidery shop in town for one tael. The shop even said that they would definitely take her work in the future!" After speaking, she used a self-satisfied expression to glance at Madam Liu.
Madam Liu was concentrating on her task at hand and didn't notice. Xiaocao, on the other hand, was currently washing her face and hands underneath the grape trellis and saw everything. She silently laughed inside. Recently, her brothers and sister were as popular as peach blossoms. Her older brother, who was growing handsome and had a steady and hardworking temperament, was the current target of a lot of people. However, she had a hunch that her older brother had a glimmer of a liking towards Older Sister Huifang. In the future, she needed to find some time to question him a bit.
When Zhimin's wife saw that Madam Liu wasn't responding, she felt a bit upset inside. As the mother of the girl, she wasn't supposed to be the one to send out feelers. However, the Yu Family was truly too popular right now. Xiaosha, as the oldest son of the Yu Family, also looked very reliable.
Xiaoyun was her youngest child and had older brothers and sisters above her, so she pretty much had never done hard labor in her life. Other than embroidery, she only knew how to cook a few basic dishes. If she got married to a regular family in the village, she would need to work on the farmland and do housework. She truly couldn't bear for her youngest daughter to do that!
Thus, she eyed the Yu Family's oldest son as her future husband. With the Yu Family's current financial circumstances, they could easily afford to buy two servants to do all of the hard labor. Therefore, when her youngest daughter married over, she could have an easy and comfortable life!
As these thoughts went through her head, Zhimin's wife continued, "Dahai's wife, you need to be careful when deciding Xiaosha's future bride. He's the eldest of the family and everyone says that the eldest sister-in-law is like a second mother. You need to find a gentle and virtuous girl, someone who's generous, kind-hearted and filial. Otherwise, all of his younger siblings, as well as you two when you get old, will suffer in the future..."
There were people in the village with rude and unreasonable wives who ended up kicking their husband's parents out from the home. Thus, Zhimin's wife's warning wasn't entirely unwarranted.
"Older Brother Zhimin's wife, just directly say that you think that your family's Xiaoyun and Xiaosha are a good match. What's the point in skirting around the subject and doing verbal gymnastics ah?" The matron who piped up also had a daughter at the suitable age. When she heard Zhimin's wife pointed hints, she became unhappy. Wasn't it obvious that she was insinuating that her daughter was virtuous and generous while other people's daughters were rude and unreasonable shrews?
The right situation hadn't unfolded yet, so how could Zhimin's wife allow her spoiled youngest daughter's reputation to get ruined? She glared at the other matron and replied, "I was only mentioning this to remind Madam Liu out of the goodness of my own heart since my husband and Brother Dahai have a good relationship. Why did you bring my daughter Xiaoyun's name into the mix? My Xiaoyun has a sweet appearance, is good at the womanly arts, and also has a gentle personality. She's never gotten into any conflicts with anyone. Such a sweet and obedient daughter, I want her to spend an extra couple of years by my side ah!"
The other matron sneered as she thought, 'Yes, your daughter has never gotten into any conflicts with anyone, but why don't you also mention that your youngest daughter is so shy that when she encounters an outsider, she blushes and can't even say a word? A girl from a farming family has been so spoiled that she's like a young miss from a wealthy family. She can't do hard labor or coarse housework. We're all farming families, so who would marry their son to a girl like her?'
This matron personally thought that her own daughter was good. Her daughter had a lot of strength and could even do the work of the man! However, she conveniently forgot that her daughter also had the figure of a man, with broad shoulders and big muscles. From the back, one might even mistake her for a man...
All of the matrons gleefully gave their own opinions to Madam Liu on the topic of 'how to choose the perfect wife for the eldest son of the family'.
"Huifang, why are you here so early?" The sound of Yu Hang's voice could be heard from the main gate. When the matrons heard him talking, they all craned their necks to see.
They saw Liu Shuanzhu's eldest daughter, Liu Huifang, with a small bamboo basket on her arm. She was smiling sweetly at the Yu Family's eldest son as they talked.
"Older Brother Xiaosha, you didn't go to help with the seafood buying business today ah?" Liu Huifang's eyes were sparkling and there was a light flush on her cheeks. She had the figure and liveliness of a young maiden, and, under the glow of the morning sun, looked so lovely that she could make someone's heart skip a beat.
Yu Hang didn't notice that he had unconsciously revealed a gentle smile and his voice had also become gentle and warm, "The seafood buying business has already been transferred over to Eldest Granduncle's family for now. Recently, I've been helping my father in the melon fields."
"Speaking of the watermelon fields, I haven't yet thanked Older Brother Xiaosha for giving my family a watermelon that other time. I had never eaten such sweet and delicious fruit before in my life!" The snacks of the children of farming families were usually only limited to the surplus they had from their own trees or fields. Most of them couldn't bear to spend money on them, especially fruit that was so expensive they could scare a person!
The smile in Yu Hang's voice became even more apparent as he softly replied, "As long as you like it! My younger sister planted a peach tree in the back courtyard and they've ripened in the past couple of days. In a moment, you should bring a basket home...for your parents and siblings to taste."
"Didn't Xiaocao say that she wanted to use the peaches from that tree to make canned peaches and peach jam ah? Did you ask for her permission before you give away her peaches to other people?" Liu Huifang's voice was very crisp and clear and seemed quite cheerful.
The sound of Yu Hang chuckling could be heard, "My youngest sister isn't a petty person. She naturally wouldn't be too stingy to let go of a few peaches. That being said, you're her good friend. Even without me mentioning it, she would definitely give you a few ripe peaches to take home to try."
The matrons in the courtyard all exchanged looks after seeing this interaction. Haixing's wife only had two boys in their teens in her house, so she wasn't very interested in Yu Hang's marriage. She flashed a teasing look at Madam Liu and said, "Looks like we don't need to be worried about Xiaosha's future marriage. It looks like he already has his eye on a girl."
Chapter 387 - Unexpected Fleet of Ships
Huifang had a steady and hardworking temperament and also had a good relationship with her daughter. If she caught the eye of her son, Madam Liu would definitely be very happy.
Before she could speak, Zhimin's wife unhappily spoke, "Haixing's wife, you can't just say things willy nilly! Shuanzhu and Dahai are good friends so it's natural that their children are well acquainted with each other. What's wrong with them talking to each other? As their elders, we shouldn't gossip needlessly as we don't want to inadvertently tarnish the reputation of the girl!"
Haixing's wife sneered in her heart as she thought, 'You've been advertising your daughter with every sentence you say, so aren't you afraid of damaging her reputation?' She then deliberately commented, "I think the lass Huifang is pretty good. Last year, during the hard period, she even had the guts to catch one hundred to two hundred chicks to bring back home to raise. This year she has even more chickens at home. She even used the money she made last year to build a stand-alone chicken coop and yard to raise them! I heard that these few hundred chickens are all taken care of by her and her younger sister alone. Shuanzhu's wife doesn't even have to do anything!"
Zhimin's wife's eyes started to sprout fire and glared fiercely at her as she said, "If you think she's good, then how come you don't go ask her to become a wife of one of your sons? Isn't your oldest son about the same age as Huifang?"
"What are you saying? My son is younger than her by a year! That being said, her family may not think my Xiaochun is a good match..." Haixing's wife glanced at Xiaocao, who was quietly eating breakfast underneath the grape trellis, and then returned a fierce glare at Zhimin's wife.
Zhimin's wife was about to say something when the two topics of their conversation walked in. Liu Huifang politely greeted them by saying 'Auntie' to all of the matrons present. The other matrons, who were enjoying the show, all warmly responded back. Only Zhimin's wife neutrally replied with a 'mhm' and instead treated Yu Hang with a much more warm and welcoming greeting.
"Older Sister Huifang, you're giving us some more chicken eggs again? Didn't we say that you don't need to send any more to us ah? My family has a few hens at home and they also lay around five to six eggs a day, so we have more than enough to eat!!" Yu Xiaocao put down the bowl of congee in her hands and came over. Her voice had hints of rebuke but her attitude towards Huifang was very warm and close.
Liu Huifang grinned as she placed the basket on the stone table under the grape trellis and picked one grape that was half purple and half red in a matter-of-fact manner. She didn't even bother to wipe the grape before putting it in her mouth. After swallowing the sweet and juicy fruit, the smile on her face became more broad as she said, "Didn't you say yesterday that you were going to make peanut and sesame flaky pastries ah? My younger sister and I are salivating over the prospect of you making them, so if we don't give something back, how could we just take the food that your family makes?"
"Older Sister Huifang, you're being too polite! Alright, since you said it that way, then I'll have my older brother take you to the back and pick some peaches. When the pastries are done, you can bring some back!" Yu Xiaocao transferred the eggs into another basket and then stuffed the now empty basket into her older brother's hands.
Liu Huifang snatched that empty basket back and smiled, "I still have a couple hundred chickens clucking and waiting for me to get back to feed them. How do I have the time to wait for you to finish making the flaky pastries ah?"
As she talked, she placed the basket at the crook of her hand and walked towards the gate. Yu Xiaocao shouted towards her, "Then...in a moment, when the pastries are done, I'll have my older brother send you guys a batch. There's also the peaches. They are quite sweet this year, so I'll have my older brother pick a basket for you..."
Liu Huifang heard that Xiaocao kept mentioning Yu Hang, so she turned around and gave her a somewhat embarrassed glare. Then her face flushed when she saw the mischievous glee on the younger girl's face. She then fled the courtyard in quick steps, as if there was a rabid dog chasing after her. Yu Xiaocao laughed in the courtyard and Yu Hang poked at her small face and said, "What's so funny? You made her angry from your teasing!"
"Tee hee, Older Brother, do you feel bad for her?" Yu Xiaocao grinned until her eyes became lines and gave her older brother a knowing look.
Yu Hang was a bit flustered from the look in her eyes. The handsome youth felt both embarrassed and angry so he snapped at her, "Stop speaking nonsense!"
"Mother——Older Brother's yelling at me!" Yu Xiaocao immediately became a tattle-tale and puffed her cheeks like a little blowfish. After thinking a bit, she then roguishly said, "Hmph! In a moment, when the flaky pastries are done, I'll personally go over and give them to Older Sister Huifang. You won't have the chance to get into her good graces then!"
"Do whatever you want to do ah! Stop pulling me into this!" Yu Hang felt a bit bashful when he noticed that his sister had seen through his intentions. Since Huifang's family was raising chickens, he often went over to their residence to buy chickens with his father. Thus, he spent more and more time interacting with Huifang. Yu Hang was also getting older and was reaching the stage where he became interested in girls, so he started to have an impression of Huifang. If he had the opportunity to have a conversation with her, he would feel incredibly happy within his heart. However, after being teased by his younger sister, he felt a bit resentful but he didn't reject these feelings.
After they finished eating breakfast, Yu Hang stepped into the kitchen and watched as Yu Xiaocao made flaky pastries. Before long, he was given the task of beating the eggs. After thinking a bit, he realized that they were missing a person in the residence today and asked, "Eh? How come I didn't see Royal Prince Yang today? Doesn't he always come over very early usually?"
Yu Xiaocao was currently crushing roasted peanuts into small pieces and she pursed her lips, "Him ah! He went back to the capital a few days ago. You've been busy in the melon fields these past few days, so I guess you didn't notice earlier?"
Yu Hang resisted for a bit and then he finally couldn't stop himself from roasting the other youth, "I'll say ah, how much free time does Royal Prince Yang have? He spends at least half a month each month on his lands. Does he not have any tasks to do in the capital now?"
Yu Xiaocao had never bothered to find out just what type of work Zhu Junyang had to do. She thought for a bit and then guessed, "Perhaps...he's just an idle royal prince? With a title and lands, isn't it normal for him to spend more time on his own lands?"
After hesitating for a bit, Yu Hang finally asked the question that had been tormenting him, "Younger Sister, in the future...will you marry Royal Prince Yang ah?"
"If he still wants to marry only me by the time I turn eighteen, then I'll marry him! What else can I do?" If there was a man who was willing to wait for her for that many years, that meant that it was worth it right? That being said, now that he's managed to control his inner demon, the young royal prince didn't really have any large flaws besides being a little arrogant from time to time. She was willing to be merciful and grant him his wish of marrying her!
Yu Hang lightly sighed and then softly asked, "Younger Sister, do you like him? I really don't want you, for the sake of preserving our family, to sacrifice yourself..."
Yu Xiaocao stopped what she was doing and then looked at him in surprise, "Is that what you've been worrying about ah? Don't worry, even if I refused the young royal prince's request, he wouldn't threaten our family for this. He's not that type of person! I'm still young, so I'm not sure whether or not I like him that way. In any case, I don't hate the fellow right now! So, Older Brother, you don't need to feel guilty towards me! That being said, am I the type of person to silently suffer?"
Yu Hang thought for a bit and then lightly shook his head. With Royal Prince Yang's status and power, he was always afraid that he would force his younger sister to do something. As her older brother, he was powerless to do anything about it, so he felt quite helpless and resentful about this.
Yu Xiaocao continued to comfort her older brother until he finally looked a bit more cheerful. After she finished baking two patches of flaky pastries, Yu Xiaocao sent him off to give a batch to the Liu Family along with some peaches. She then called Steward Yingtao over from the other room and sent her to the West Mountain's residence with a box of flaky pastries.
After Xiaolian finished inspecting the piggery, she came in from the gate. Currently, they were raising around three hundred pigs in the piggery and they were all about half grown. Everyday they ate so much food that it surprised everyone. All of the more hardworking children in the village would always cut a few baskets of fishwort to sell to the Yu Family so they could earn a few copper coins as spending money. Ever since Royal Prince Yang sent them some capable stewards and senior servants over, Xiaocao also sent one of them to the piggery. That person managed the piggery very well and it was even better than when Xiaolian was there last year.
"Younger Sister, right now is low tide, do you want to go diving right now?" Recently, Xiaolian had spent a lot of time in the water with Xiaocao and Zhuang Xiaomo, so her swimming abilities had also gone up a notch. Her diving skills had also improved perceptibly.
Xiaocao wanted to go out to the deep sea to dive to find some superior grade abalone and sea cucumbers. If she went out with Xiaolian and Zhuang Xiaomo, it'd be hard to shake them off. She shook her head, "I won't go today. Go see if our neighbor Shanhu wants to go and bring her along instead!"
The current mentality of people was that men and women should not touch when giving or receiving things, and it was quite embedded within society. If Xiaocao didn't go along, Xiaolian definitely wouldn't go to the beach with Zhuang Xiaomo as they'd be a single man and woman together alone. Although Xiaolian was still a young girl of twelve, there were still differences between men and women. She was afraid that other people might start gossiping about this.
Xiaolian remembered that Zhuang Xiaomo had told her yesterday that he wanted to take her to an area that had a lot of seafood underwater. If she suddenly changed her plans today, she was afraid that he would wait for no reason. After thinking a bit, she changed into her swimsuit underneath her outer clothes and then took her bamboo basket with her as she went to go find Shanhu next door.
Not long after Xiaolian left, Yu Xiaocao also secretly changed into her swimsuit and left in a different direction to go to the beach. She found a secluded area and then stashed her outer clothes into a small rocky cave. Then, she dove and swam in the water like the descendant of a fish. Before long, a gray-blue dolphin about two meters long appeared and gleefully swam circles around her as if it was a little dog who hadn't seen its master for a long time.
A small golden light next to Xiaocao gradually became bigger and then formed into the shape of a little cat. The little dolphin curiously used its long mouth to poke at the golden kitten but was pushed back by the little divine stone's claw. The cat could swim and actually swam very well. If other people saw this, they would definitely think they were only dreaming or in a fantasy world.
With the little divine stone by her side, Yu Xiaocao didn't need to worry about having to surface up to breathe. In fact, even the increasing water pressure that occurred as she dove deeper wasn't a problem. She climbed onto the little dolphin's back while the kitten stayed on her shoulder and the three of them swam deeper into the ocean.
Before long, Yu Xiaocao had filled up her little bamboo basket with seafood. This time, her harvest was truly too good and full of variety. In the deep ocean waters, the little golden kitten gave off a golden glow and she could see everything in the ocean very clearly. Giant abalone and fat sea cucumbers came to her hands easily. Yu Xiaocao also caught a one meter long lobster that weighed about a catty. It was going to be the perfect supplement to the Yu Family's table.
[Master, not far from here, there's a giant fleet of ships in the ocean! They have a somewhat bad smell coming off of them!] The little divine stone seemed to sense something and gave her a warning.
Fleet of ships? If she was remembering correctly, they should still be in the waters that were owned by the Great Ming Dynasty, right? If these were ships from the Great Ming Dynasty, the little divine stone definitely wouldn't be giving her a warning. She needed to surface up and take a look. Yu Xiaocao was a very brave little girl and patted the little dolphin's head and directed it to the surface. The little dolphin very obediently swam in the direction she wanted.
Chapter 388 - Incoming Bad News
She was able to see the ships now, so Xiaocao slid off of the little dolphin's back and quietly got closer to one of the ships that was currently moving. She pulled onto a rope that was dangling down and attempted to climb up. After a few tries with no luck, she asked the little divine stone silently, [Little Glutinous Dumpling, can you help me hear what they're saying?]
The golden little kitten dimmed down the light coming off of its body and now resembled a kitten that was not even a month old now. It lightly jumped onto the deck of the ship and boldly walked towards one of the men that was dressed strangely. After it carefully listened for a bit, the little divine stone sardonically stated, [What kind of weird language are they speaking? Can't understand a single word.]
It transmitted the language that it could not understand to Yu Xiaocao as it also made fun of the man's appearance and dress, [At the top of their head, they shaved a section, which makes them look like balding old men. The rest of the hair on their head is gathered into a small queue and pinned into a topknot, and they have a tiny beard left at the lips. They even wear wooden clogs...]
Yu Xiaocao felt her heart fall for a second, 'This is the dress and attire of the historical Japanese ah! These Japanese ships in the waters of the Great Ming Empire are definitely not here for a good reason! Oh right! In the historical Ming Dynasty, weren't there raids by Wokou pirates [1] ah? Are these the ships of the Wokou then?'
[Little Glutinous Dumpling, do you have any way to understand what they're saying? This is a very important manner that can change the lives of many people!] Yu Xiaocao was very anxious and hastily asked the little divine stone.
The little divine stone hesitated for a moment and replied somewhat reluctantly, [With my current cultivation level and amount of spiritual power, if I wanted to enter a human's consciousness, it'd be very difficult. Originally, I'd be able to speak very soon. If I immerse myself in the other person's thoughts in the way you want me to, I'm afraid I won't even be able to maintain my kitten form anymore...]
Yu Xiaocao dithered for a second and then said, [Didn't you say that by helping me, your master, your cultivation and spiritual powers would grow a lot? Furthermore, it would also loosen the fetters on you by a lot. If you really do what I ask you to and are able to help me greatly, you will not only help my family but you will also be saving the lives of countless people. This is a very big virtue ah!]
[If only it would happen like you said! This divine stone doesn't expect much, as long as it comes out even, then I will be satisfied!] The little divine stone wasn't convinced that it would be very helpful to its master to find out what the pirate was thinking.
However, its consciousness was linked to its master's, so it could clearly feel the waves of worry coming off of Yu Xiaocao. Although it was quite reluctant to do so, it followed its master's wishes. A small condensed stream of spiritual energy went into the ear of the pirate that looked like the leader of them all and read the man's thoughts.
[These people are all from a country across the sea from us. They had a very bad earthquake in their country and a lot of people died. This warrior kidnapped some of the fishermen from our country and found out that our country is having a larger bumper harvest, so they decided to attack us during harvest time. Master, things are looking bad! Their target is...the Tanggu Harbor and all of the nearby villages...]
The little divine stone's usage of energy was astounding. Before long, Yu Xiaocao could only intermittently hear its thoughts. After it was done talking, the little divine stone transformed back into a ray of golden light and returned back to the multicolored stone on Xiaocao's wrist, falling into a deep sleep.
However, the information the stone found out was more than enough! She observed the direction the fleet of ships was heading towards and saw that they truly were going towards the harbor. There were around ten ships speeding in the direction of Dongshan Village. Yu Xiaocao felt scared and troubled. There were over a few dozen families in Dongshan Village, which meant that there were at least a hundred to two hundred villagers living there!
This critical information could not be delayed. Yu Xiaocao had the little dolphin swim back at top speed to bring her back to the shore. Although the little divine stone was now in a deep rest, the protections it formed for her were still active, so Xiaocao wasn't harmed by the water pressure or force. Thus, she was able to go back faster than the ships were moving.
Yu Xiaocao first went back to the area where Xiaolian usually dove into the water. Using her intuition, she was able to find Zhuang Xiaomo, Zhou Shanhu and Xiaolian together. She dove under water and signaled Xiaolian to surface. Once they surfaced, she hurriedly spoke, "Quickly, quickly go inform the village chief that Wokou pirates are coming!!"
"Wokou pirates??" The person who spoke was Zhuang Xiaomo who was treading water next to them. He revealed an expression of disbelief and hesitantly said, "Are you sure that these are Wokou pirates?"
"Wokou pirates are very cruel and vicious. I heard the older generation mention that these pirates have no sense of humanity and will kill anyone they see and steal anything from anybody. They also rape women and burn down entire villages!" Zhou Shanhu also came over and exclaimed as she shook her head with her hands over her mouth.
Yu Xiaocao took a deep breath and forcefully calmed herself before she said, "I guarantee these are Wokou pirates. The clothes they're wearing aren't the type that citizens of the Great Ming Empire would wear and I couldn't understand a single word they were saying. They looked very cruel and had large knives at their waists ah! Older Brother Xiaomo, quickly go to your village and tell this information to your village chief and then leave. You should pack up your things, whether they believe you or not, and come to our house!"
Zhuang Xiaomo forcefully nodded his head and assented, "Okay! I will warn the village chief and then come back to join you guys! If I'm late, there's no need to wait for me and stay in danger."
Yu Xiaocao watched as he scrambled onto land and started sprinting towards the neighboring village. She also hurriedly swam to shore and didn't even bother to change into her clothes as she ran towards the village holding her clothes.
She suddenly thought of her godfather who was currently at the docks supervising the construction, so she said to Xiaolian, "I'll go to the village chief's home myself. You should go home first and tell Older Brother to ride Little Gray to the docks to inform my godfather so he can collaborate with the magistrate's soldiers. Tell Mother and Father to pack everything that's valuable and necessary so we can leave..."
Xiaolian nodded her head and sped off home in larger strides. Zhou Shanhu's face was ghostly white and she was scampering along behind her. Her father and older brother were out peddling goods and it was only her mother and her at home...it was urgent, she needed to inform her mother to pack everything first. Going with the Yu Family was definitely the safest route!"
By the time Yu Xiaocao reached the village chief's residence, she was already completely out of breath. She placed the multi-colored stone at her chest and a cool feeling trickled into her lungs. Her chest, which felt like it was about to explode earlier, finally calmed down a bit. She found the village chief and told him how she had dove deeply and swam out to sea and coincidentally discovered the pirates' ships. She told the older man every detail she could think of.
The village chief frowned deeply and asked half in disbelief, "Are you sure they were Wokou pirates and not some fishermen from our country out there?"
"I am absolutely sure!! The ships that I saw looked exactly alike to each other and there were at least thirty to forty of them total. Furthermore, they looked very big. I surreptitiously swam closer to one by diving into the water and I could faintly hear the people on the ships talking. I couldn't understand a single word that they were saying! Then, I climbed up from the tail of the ship and saw that the people there were wearing completely different styles of clothing than us. They also had large knives and swords belted at their waist...I heard my grandfather saying that in the previous dynasty we had attacks from Wokou pirates, so I thought I needed to tell this to you first. Village Chief, time is running out, please come up with an idea ah!" Yu Xiaocao did her best to weave a story but she was afraid the village chief wouldn't believe her. She was so worried that her entire head was covered in sweat.
The village chief knew that although Xiaocao was young, she was quite steady and would absolutely not do something like this as a prank or joke. He thought for a bit and decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Wokou pirates were always incredibly cruel and this wasn't a small issue!
This was the first time this year that he had sounded the large bell at the entrance of the village. All of the villagers very quickly assembled over at the entrance of the village chief's residence and were all avidly discussing just what the village chief called them all over for. Last year, when the bell was sounded, it was right before the locust plague hit.
The village chief very simply outlined what Xiaocao had told him and instructed the villagers to quickly go back and pack their things in preparation to flee to the mountains!
When the villages heard the news, lively discussion immediately arose. A lot of people didn't believe Xiaocao's words and thought that she must have seen things incorrectly. Some of them thought that she was making a big deal over nothing. Consequently, there were only a few people who went back home to start packing.
Yu Xiaocao felt her anxiety rising. The pirates were about to come and the villagers were still debating amongst themselves. She thought for a bit and saw the person who was the best at climbing trees, Goudan. She pointed at the tallest tree in the village and said, "Goudan, go climb to the top of the tree and look. You should be able to vaguely see the fleet of ships from up there. In any case, I already warned everyone. It's up to you guys if you want to believe me or not!"
At the end, she also added one more thing, "Think about what happened last year with the locust plague ah! What happened to those people who didn't end up believing the news? Now, it's not just a matter of losing money or grain, your choices can determine the fate of all of the people in your family!"
At this moment, Goudan, who had climbed to the very top of the tree, sputtered from above, "They're there! I can see more than a dozen ships on the horizon and they're heading in the direction of our village! I still can't see very clearly if they are Wokou pirates or not..."
When people heard Goudan's shouts added onto what Xiaocao just said, most of the villagers felt more confident in her news. It was just as the village chief stated: "Better to be safe than sorry". If the ships coming were truly pirates, getting ready and hiding in the mountains was the sensible thing to do. If they weren't, it wasn't as if they would lose much, other than getting scared out of their wits.
When the village chief saw everyone running back home, he couldn't help but remind them of a fact, "Make sure to only pack what is necessary and the valuables that are light. You're not going to be able to bring everything along. Losing some possessions is not the end of the world. What's important is to preserve your own lives! In an hour, everyone needs to assemble. Whoever's late, don't blame the rest of us for not waiting!!"
Once Yu Xiaocao saw everyone moving, she waved to the village chief and then sped off to her own family. On the way, she passed by the Zhou Family and saw Auntie Zhou sighing over the few hundred chickens she was raising.
"Auntie, take the chickens into the mountain thickets. Whatever can be saved is better than nothing! Take along the valuables that you can bring along but don't be greedy. Keeping your life is the most important thing!" Yu Xiaocao couldn't help but give the older woman a reminder.
When Yu Xiaocao got home, she saw all of the Yu Family members, other than Yu Hang who went to the docks and Little Siitou who was studying in town, congregated in the courtyard. All of their hired workers for the pharmaceutical workshop and piggery had gone back to their respective homes to pack. Yingtao and the stewards that Royal Prince Yang had given her each had a bundle of stuff in their hands as they fearfully waited there.
"Did someone tell Oldest Aunt's family?" Yu Xiaocao noticed that her oldest paternal aunt's family wasn't there and had to ask.
Yu Hai gave her a reassuring look and said, "Erya went there to tell them, they should be back very soon!" Just as he spoke, his older sister's entire family all came in with packs on their back as they rushed into the courtyard.
[1] Wokou pirates - Historically, these pirates often weren't only from Japan and included people of Chinese ethnicity who were impoverished by Ming Dynasty trade bans.
Chapter 389 - The Wokou Pirates Land
"What about Imperial Prince Jing's residence on the mountain? Did anyone inform them?" Although there were a decent amount of guards there, the pirates also had a lot of people and they were cruel. Without the self-proclaimed martial arts expert Royal Prince Yang there, it wouldn't be safe for Princess Consort Jing to stay in the villa.
Senior Servant Yang, who was in charge of the piggery, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "When we got the news, my husband went to the mountain residence immediately. At this time, the princess consort should be almost done preparing!"
Yu Xiaocao looked around the courtyard and saw that everyone was carrying a packed up bag that wasn't too big so they could easily flee. It was likely they only packed the most valuable items in their residences for this trip. Yu Hai and Liu Hu had a bit more in their packs. Other than daily necessities, everyone also carried around twenty catties of grain, a steel pot, and some utensils. They didn't know how long the pirates would stay and when they could finally come back. It was likely they needed to spend several days in the mountains, so the Yu Family and Liu Family needed to bring enough grain to last!
Yu Xiaocao entered her own room and packed two simple sets of clean clothing. She also took out the banknotes, silver bits, and some jewelry along. After thinking a bit, she also took her medicine box. Inside she had medicines to treat colds and other mild illnesses. In addition, she had medications to stop bleeding.
Before long, Princess Consort Jing and her twenty-some imperial bodyguards came down the mountain. Along with the twenty-some senior servants, stewards, and maids, her entourage made a grand sight and was much larger than the combined Yu and Liu Families.
Princess Consort Jing appeared exceptionally calm and she looked over everyone in the courtyard before she spoke to the now serene Yu Xiaocao, "When we came down the mountain, we saw that those people with questionable backgrounds were already very close to land. Have you decided everything yet? Are we really going to flee into the mountains? Don't people say that there are a lot of ferocious beasts in there?"
Yu Xiaocao came up and held onto Princess Consort Jing's arm reassuringly as she gently said, "Please don't worry, Your Highness! We're not going deep into the mountains, so we should not encounter any vicious beasts."
"If we're on the outside part of the mountain and the pirates come and find out there's nothing to take, won't they chase us up the mountain to find us?" One of the bodyguards, who looked on the younger side, frowned and remarked somewhat pessimistically.
Yu Xiaocao considered his question and then replied, "I know a ravine in the mountain that is pretty well hidden and the entrance is easily guarded and hard to attack. We should go there to hide. Even if the Wokou pirates find the entrance, with you guys protecting it, it'd be hard for them to get through."
Princess Consort Jing gave her a knowing look and then asked, "Is that the ravine that has a lot of wild camellias and orchids? If that's the place you're talking about, it should be very well hidden."
After she finished, she then gave a penetrating look at her two personal maids, Meixiang and Lanxiang. These two maids had once gone with Xiaocao to that ravine and they brought back a few rare specimens. However, the next time when they tried to go there themselves, the two maids couldn't find the entrance of the ravine again. Meixiang had said that they clearly remembered every twist and turn to get there but they just couldn't find the entrance again. It was as if that ravine had suddenly disappeared into thin air.
Yu Xiaocao nodded and agreed, "Yes, other than that place, I can't think of another place that is suitable to hide a few hundred people!"
"A few hundred people? We need to take along all of the men, women, children, and elders from the village along? The more people there are, the more chances there are for mishaps. Miss Yu, you need to make sure you know what you're doing!" The commander of the bodyguards didn't seem to approve of this idea of bringing so many civilians along. The frown on his face became even more apparent.
"We're all from the same village and some of us are even related to each other. We can't just leave them alone to fend for themselves. Since we have the ability, what's wrong with helping them?" It had been almost four years since she transmigrated over to this world. Other than a few special people in Dongshan Village, the vast majority of villagers were all pure-hearted and adorable. Their simple ways of life and warm interactions with each other caused Yu Xiaocao to consider this place more and more like her home. When danger was approaching, she couldn't abandon any of them, even if they had treated her poorly in the past.
The Yu Family was already done preparing, but the people in the village were a whole other matter. The villagers were all running around in a panic. Many people couldn't bear to let go of anything that was of any value, especially those of the older generation. Every needle and thread in the house required money to buy them, so they even brought along old bamboo baskets with holes in them.
It was getting closer to the time to leave and there were a whole bunch of people standing in front of the village chief's home. The village chief saw a fellow with a giant pack on his left shoulder and a large wicker basket crammed full of items on his right. The man could barely walk as he staggered down the road and stumbled in the group. The village chief was incensed and scolded them, "Right now we're running for our lives, not moving! Do you think you'll be able to climb mountains and hide with all of that stuff you're bringing ah? You're just a sitting duck waiting for the Wokou pirates to catch you and then rip you apart! Everyone, open your bags for me now! Other than money, you should only be carrying along two changes of clothing and three days worth of food. Everything else, you need to throw away!!"
When he saw the villagers looking at each other stupidly but not doing anything, the village chief's temper exploded again, "If you guys don't want to listen to me, that's fine! You are all in charge of yourselves! I'm not going to bother anymore, alright? Figure things out yourselves! Second Son's wife and Third Son's wife, you're both in charge of taking care of the kids. Give all of your packs to your husbands and follow me!!"
When the villagers saw that the village chief wasn't going to be in charge of them anymore, they immediately panicked. A lot of the villagers started opening their packs and taking out the stuff that wasn't that important. After cleaning out their bags, they found a place to hide the other items. Although the packs were still pretty heavy, they no longer hindered their movements anymore. Once they finished reorganizing their belongings, these villagers pulled their families along to follow the village chief as they headed towards the West Mountains.
Those who still couldn't bear to throw anything else away staggered behind the group of people. Before long, they were at the back of the pack. Among them was Madam Zhang and her family.
Madam Zhang carried a giant bamboo basket on her back. Other than grain, she also packed a bunch of daily necessities. She even couldn't bear to leave behind some ceramic tiles at home and also packed that. Naturally, she carried all of the cash at home on her body. Even Madam Li didn't know where her mother-in-law had hidden the money.
Behind Madam Zhang was Yu Dashan, who was carrying a giant wrapped pack. It was very obvious that they had packed even the large blankets at home. Yu Dashan currently resembled a small mountain and he could only walk a couple steps before huffing and puffing like an overburdened ox.
Madam Li carried a lot less than the other two people, but her body was fat and soft. She was usually very lazy and did the very minimal to get by, so she wasn't used to walking so far and started to breathe heavily from exertion. It was obvious that she couldn't handle traveling so far along with thirty catties of luggage.
Gradually, these three people started to lag behind and were at the very back of the fleeing villagers. They walked one step forward and staggered for the next three. It was quite difficult for them to press on. Madam Li also kept turning back every three steps to mumble about her son, who was working at the docks. She was praying that there wouldn't be anything bad happening there.
At this time, the village chief's family had already reached the foot of the West Mountains. In front of the Yu Family was Princess Consort Jing and her entourage of servants and bodyguards. After seeing the twenty or so strong and vigorous bodyguards, the village chief's heart settled down a bit.
The village chief came forward and bowed respectfully to the princess consort before he spoke to Yu Hai, "Dahai, although you haven't gone up the mountain much these past two years, you still spent a few years with Young General Zhao hunting there. I'm sure you have a much better idea of the terrain and area in the mountains than me. Where do you think would be a good place for a couple hundred villagers like us to hide in there?"
Yu Hai didn't even have the chance to reply when a person jumped down from the nearby tree. It was the commander of the bodyguards, Commander Zheng. He had been observing the movements of the fleet of ships this entire time and, surprisingly, he had a pair of binoculars in his hand.
The look in the commander's eyes was grim and he had a slightly worried look on his face as he yelled, "The fleet is about to land and they are truly Wokou pirates! All of them have knives or swords at their belts and they're not here for a good reason! Your Highness, we can't delay any longer, it's time to go!"
The Yu Family lived at the foot of the West Mountains and their residence was on a higher piece of land. When the village chief heard the report from the commander, he looked in the direction of the ocean. Sure enough, there were around a dozen ships on the coastline and he could see around a dozen of people running on the beach. They were headed towards the direction of the village in a very aggressive manner.
The village chief then turned to look at the villagers and noticed that there were a dozen families who still persisted in carrying heavy luggage as they staggered in the very back. He screamed at those people, wishing his voice could become as loud as a megaphone, "Are possessions more important or your lives more important?? The Wokou pirates have already landed. Before long, they're going to catch up with us! Throw away those giant bags on your backs, running away is more essential!!"
Yu Xiaoao saw Madam Zhang, who was at the very back and looked very old and haggard. She indifferently looked away. She walked to Princess Consort Jing and supported her into a chair sedan that was being carried by two strong and vigorous servants. She then motioned at the Yu and Liu Family to follow and started to head towards the mountain thickets that she was very familiar with.
When she was close to the piggery, she blew a clear and resounding whistle. A black figure suddenly appeared and whizzed towards her. On a closer look, it was Little Black, who had already reached the height of a grown man. He wagged his giant bushy tail and gleefully circled around Yu Xiaocao a few times. Once he got her approval, he followed her from behind with satisfaction and couldn't bear to leave her.
Out of the two young wolves, Little White had a more untamed personality and often disappeared into the forests in the mountains to run around like a little tyrant. From time to time, he would come back to Xiaocao with some prey in his mouth. Most of his time was spent exploring the West Mountains. One time, he had apparently encountered a leopard and killed it, bringing it back. However, he also had some leftover injuries from that fight. Xiaocao used some mystic-stone water and herbal medicines to treat his wounds. Before long, his injuries had healed. This fellow very easily forgot his past wounds and pain. When the wounds just scabbed over, he ran back to the mountainous forests to play around again.
Little Black, on the other hand, was closer to humans. Every day, he was in charge of guarding and watching the piggery, so he ended up getting fed by the steward, senior servant, and Xiaolian who were there. His figure was becoming more and more like a pig's. This fellow really knew how to sell himself and act cute. Although he was already taller than Xiaocao, every time he saw her, he needed her to hold him a bit. Despite the fact that Xiaocao could no longer hold him up, she still needed to hug him and stroke his head and body before he was finally satisfied. If she wasn't already certain, it would be hard to guess that this fellow was a true and full-blooded wolf!
Yu Xiaocao walked at the front with Little Black. On each side of her, there were two bodyguards with their swords unsheathed to open up the way. Right behind her was Princess Consort Jing's sedan with the commander of the bodyguards and a few of the more expert imperial bodyguards around her. They had her encircled tightly within their protection. Following them was the Yu Family and Liu Family. Eldest Granduncle Yu Lichun's entire family had also been pulled up by Old Yu and was traveling along with the rest of their group.
Currently, in the eyes of the villagers of Dongshan Village, the Yu Family and the Liu Family were in the safest position because the remaining dozen or so bodyguards from Imperial Prince Jing's residence were protecting the area around them. All of the bodyguards who were at the mountain residence were handpicked and experts at fighting!
Chapter 390 - Moments of Danger Reveal a Person's True Hear
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The group had over a hundred people and most of them were the elderly, women and children. Flurries of activity bustled within the group. The sounds of children crying, women scolding, and the men urging them on merged into a cacophony...the sounds startled all of the birds in the area, causing them to flee into the air.
The village chief, who was following the Yu Family closely, looked back and saw the mess. He couldn't stand it anymore and raised his voice to scold all of the villagers, "Every man in the household, become the man! Control your wife and children! You guys are so noisy, is it because you're afraid that the Wokou pirates don't know where we are ah? If you guys lure these pirates to you, no one's going to care whether you live or die!"
The words of the village chief were very quickly disseminated throughout the people. Within moments, the noise settled down. Occasionally the sound of a child crying could be heard before the parents shushed their child. A voice sounded from the group, "Aren't there about a dozen bodyguards who are skilled from Imperial Prince Jing's mountain villa ah? Would they really just watch as we die in front of them?"
The village chief glanced at the bodyguards, whose expressions hadn't changed, and coldly laughed. He replied back in the direction of the sound, "Just what type of status do you have that you want the Imperial Prince's bodyguards to save you? They are here to protect the princess consort. How thick faced are you to bring yourself up to the level of the princess consort? Cut the crap and use your energy to flee, alright? If the Wokou pirates catch you, then you can find out if the bodyguards will help you or not, okay?"
The nearby villagers looked at the cold and indifferent expressions on the bodyguards and anxiety swirled within them. Who was so stupid to provoke these bodyguards at this time? If these soldiers decided to leave them to fend for themselves, the West Mountains were very large and it was likely they would get lost within moments. If they ended up rushing into the territory of ferocious beasts, they didn't even need to wait for the pirates to catch up before they would be torn into the pieces tonight by animals!
Yu Xiaocao, who was at the very front, thought that the person asking sounded like Madam Zhang. She sneered inside, 'Do you think you're the sun ah? And that the earth has to rotate around you? You want the Imperial Prince's bodyguards to protect you? Gosh, what type of crazy ideas do you have in your mind? Stop dreaming ah!'
She was currently traversing through a bunch of vegetation that was about as tall as a person. The bodyguards next to her were using their swords constantly to cut any plants that were in the way so that the princess consort's sedan could pass through without any issues. As this continued, the speed of the fleeing group had slowed down.
There were still a few people lagging behind in the back because they were not willing to lighten their packs and leave any items behind. Thus, they struggled through the thick vegetation. Suddenly, in the very back, Yu Dashan could faintly hear the voices of people that were speaking in a foreign language. The sounds did not seem very far from him.
Yu Dashan was so scared that his legs trembled. He threw down the giant pack on his back and raced for his life as he ran forward. He ran and screamed at the same time, "The Wokou pirates have caught up. Quickly run ah! The pirates are here..."
The two women with him, who had been unceremoniously left behind, were stunned for a moment. Neither Madam Zhang or Madam Li had ever thought that Yu Dashan, who usually acted very filial and loving to his mother and wife, would actually leave the two of them, one an elder and one a weak woman, behind and only be concerned for his own safety.
Madam Li very quickly regained her wits and she turned her head around to look at the thick forest behind her. Although she couldn't see any pirates in the back, she could hear the sounds of them approaching. Because Yu Dashan had run away screaming his head off, the pirates were able to pinpoint the direction that the villagers were fleeing in. Thus, a hundred or so pirates were now running in their direction.
Madam Li imitated Yu Dashan's actions and also threw away all of the possessions she was holding. With her load lightened, she glanced briefly at Madam Zhang, who still had a giant wicker basket on her back, and huffed and puffed as she took off for her life. Her only thought was this: 'As long as I can pass more people, I'll be safe.'
Madam Zhang was so distraught by the events that tears almost dripped down her face. She was now very regretful and angry. She hated her eldest son, who she had taken care of for more than a dozen years. Despite her affections for him, he was willing to throw her away, his old mother, at the face of danger to save his own skin. She was regretful about her previous actions. By being so cruel, she had severed all relations she had with Yu Hai and his family. If she had treated them better in the past, with Yu Hai's kind hearted temperament, he absolutely wouldn't act like Yu Dashan and leave her behind cold-heartedly. Instead, the one who would be protected by the bodyguards in front would be her.
The people around Madam Zhang were all throwing away their belongings without a single thought and scattering around in a panic as they absconded for their lives. She couldn't care about her possessions anymore either. At any rate, all of the family's money was on her body, so the rest of the items didn't amount to much! She threw off the giant bamboo basket onto the ground and quickened her steps forward as she crookedly stumbled up the mountain trail. She did her best to catch up with the other villagers. She didn't want to be left behind and become the first sacrifice to the Wokou pirates.
"What should we do? The pirates are about to catch up! We can't just watch as they harm and kill all of the other people in Dongshan Village ah!" Yu Hai heard the panicked noises behind them and couldn't help from clenching his hands into fists.
Yu Xiaocao frowned seriously and chewed on her lips before she spoke to the commander of the bodyguards, "Commander Zheng, with our current speed, I'm pretty sure that the pirates will very quickly catch up to us."
The commander of the bodyguards unsheathed his long sword and nodded, "Miss Yu, you don't need to worry about that. Continue to lead the way ahead and I will take a few brothers along to the back to intercept the Wokou pirates. This will give everyone some more time to run away..."
Yu Hai suddenly volunteered, "I'm very familiar with these mountain forests and I also know how to hunt and stalk prey in this area. I'll go with you guys!"
When Madam Liu heard him say this, she stumbled a step and a feeling of panic bubbled in her heart. She couldn't stop herself from crying, "My husband..."
Yu Hai smiled reassuringly at her and said, "Wife, don't worry! In these woods, I can't brag about anything else but I know how to hide and conceal myself very well. If things are looking bad, I will make sure to retreat very quickly. Don't worry, I won't do things out of pride and greed and try to be a hero when I'm not!"
The commander of the bodyguards also comforted her, "Madam, don't worry! As long as I am here, I will make sure to keep Brother Yu safe and sound! Although there are a lot of pirates chasing after us, they are mostly familiar with battles on the open sea and don't know how to fight in thick forests. We won't directly confront these pirates!"
Madam Liu's face had turned as white as a sheet out of fear. She knew her husband had already made his decision and that he wouldn't listen to her. She could only nod her head weakly and implore him to be very careful. He needed to remember that his family still had many weak and elderly members waiting for him to come back!
Madam Liu was currently beside herself with worry. Her eldest son had gone to the docks to report on the situation during such a dangerous time. Her younger daughter had said that there were quite a few pirate ships headed towards the direction of the docks as well. It was pretty obvious that that area would also be full of danger. Now, her husband had volunteered himself to head straight into danger himself. How could she not be concerned about them?
When Yu Hai left with Commander Zheng and the other bodyguards to the back, Yingtao and the wife of the steward who was in charge of the piggery, Steward Zhao's wife, came up to support Madam Liu on each side. They followed closely behind Princess Consort Jing's sedan. Princess Consort Jing also turned her head back to say a few comforting words. Inwardly, the princess consort was not as serene as she seemed. However, whenever she saw Yu Xiaocao, a tiny little girl, confronting the crisis in front of them with a cool head and leading the way, she also felt her heart settle down too.
Yu Xiaocao was also worried about her father going back to confront the Wokou pirates. However, the pirates were catching up to them and there was already not enough time for everyone to flee to the hiding place in that hidden ravine. They needed someone to create an opportunity for them to get more time. Although those bodyguards were highly skilled, they still weren't as familiar with the terrain of the forests of the West Mountain as a native. With her father leading the way, they would be able to complete their mission much more easily.
In order to ensure her father's safety, she sent Little Black and Little White to go protect her father. Both of the two wolves now had the bulk and strength of an alpha wolf. Although Little Black usually liked to act cute and play with humans, he could actually fight a bear on his own without any difficulties!
As the group steadily trudged forward deeper into the forest, the people in the back couldn't help but squeeze closer to the front. The originally loose group of villagers was now all bunched up tightly. Yu Dashan had been fleeing like a madman earlier and finally caught up with Imperial Prince Jing's group of bodyguards in the front. He forcefully squeezed through people to get closer to the Yu Family's group.
"Don't hold me back and let me through. I'm also surnamed Yu and I am the older brother of Yu Hai!" Yu Dashan was ordinarily a dull and wooden man but now he had completely changed. His eyes were completely red as he fought against the bodyguards preventing him from breaking through the circle. He desperately wanted to go into the inner protected area.
Old Yu was also currently worried about his son and eldest grandson. When he heard the commotion, he slowed down and headed back to where Yu Dashan was currently struggling against the bodyguards. Old Yu looked behind Yu Dashan and disappointment crawled onto his face. He sighed and shook his head, "Dashan...you actually left your mother and wife behind while you ran ahead. You...are you still human ah?"
"How am I not human? Those two are both deadweights and would only pull me back. One's old while the other's fat. If the pirates caught up, all three of us would die! Why can't I run for my life? Preserving one life is still a life!" Both of Yu Dashan's eyes were bright red and it looked like he had lost all reason within his head.
Yu Caifeng shot a look of disgust at him and said, "Are you worthy of the name Yu? You're such an unfilial and selfish man, stay farther away from us. Don't dirty our eyes here!"
"I was your father's son for more than thirty years and took the surname Yu for over thirty years. As a daughter who married out, what qualifications do you have to determine whether I'm worthy of the name Yu??" At this point, Yu Dashan was snapping at anyone who was available as if he no longer cared about offending others.
Old Yu let out another sigh and said, "In times of crisis, one can truly see a person's true nature. If you had brought your wife and your mother along with you, I would shamefully speak up for you and ask the princess consort to show mercy and let you guys stay with us. However...you're someone who's even willing to throw away your own mother. What qualifications do you have to have me to plead for you? I'm not that thick-skinned!"
Old Yu then looked at Yu Dashan deeply in the eye while a complicated feeling arose in his heart. He had originally thought that Yu Dashan wasn't the same as his mother and that he was a straight bamboo sprout that had grown out of a crooked one. However, now he knew that they were truly mother and son. They were cold and selfish to their very bones! He shook his head and turned around to leave. No matter how much Yu Dashan begged or what he said, Old Yu didn't turn back.
As this was happening, Yu Hai led the head of the bodyguards and another ten men who were very skilled through the forest. They very quickly reached the back of the fleeing group. Madam Zhang saw him and opened her mouth but in the end didn't say anything. She instead stamped her feet along and did her best to follow the rest of the people.
Yu Hai only indifferently glanced at her, as if she was a stranger that he didn't even know. He looked at the terrain around them and then addressed the commander of the bodyguards, "The situation is urgent. Judging from the sounds of the Wokou pirates, they should be able to get here in about fifteen minutes. We should set a few traps nearby that are large enough to catch large animals and wait for these pirates to fall into them!"