Xu Dawang described the events in great detail. He claimed that during the time they were carrying people from their homes to the mountain, they met no one else but Xu Ran, which he attributed to their bad luck.
The individuals who were laying on the ground could not be saved, and they could not be permitted to return to the village. It was thought that the deceased people were more contagious, therefore it was prudent to be cautious. It was also simple to deal with the dead–burn the bodies and bury them in a pit.
It was difficult to cope with Xu Dawang's family. After all, they'd spent a few days with the infected people before carrying the dead bodies for so long today. It was quite likely that I would become infected.
When Xu Ran looked at the village head, he noticed that he was frowning. He was most likely considering how to deal with Xu Dawang's family.
There were eight active young men here, not to mention their brothers, children, and elderly relatives. This family had a large number of members. Xu Dawang had his gaze fixed on the village leader as well. He was aware that the village chief was considering how to handle this household.
After a while, the village chief said, "Xu An, send some people to fetch some firewood and burn the bodies of these outlanders. Then bury the ashes.In the case of Xu Dawong, your family will no longer be permitted to reside in the village. It doesn't matter if you've been infected with the plague or not; the people aren't safe. Why don't you travel beyond the community and rent a shed for the time being? If you're clean, you may return to the village, and I'll have Doctor Liu check you."
For Xu Dawang's family, this arrangement was already ideal. After all, they were not chased out by the village chief. If they were not afflicted with the plague, they may still return. The arrangement pleased Xu Dawang much.
The one thing he didn't consider was what would happen if their entire family were afflicted with the plague. Xu Dawang's family undoubtedly realized they were wrong, so he didn't respond to anything the village chief said.
The village chief called a member of the patrol and requested that he return Xu Dawang's family and transfer their belongings out of the village. The rest, on the other hand, remained to burn the bodies. Xu Ran stayed behind to assist with the inspection. Furthermore, he need an opportunity to interrogate Xu An.
Because they didn't speak the truth when the village chief questioned them previously. Xu Ran had the impression that they were hiding something.
It turned out that Xu Ran was right about it.
Xu An said, "When we came, other than the child, everyone else was still alive.Xu Dawang and the others strangled the two brothers to death. It was too late when we arrived. The other two males were similarly squeezed around the necks and were only freed by the Xu Dawang family when we arrived. Although they survived, they weren't too far away from death."
Xu Ran sneered, "The family looked quite well-behaved, but actually were so ruthless. All for the sake of 50 taels of silver. I assumed these people were all dead when I initially saw them carrying people. I'm afraid they've been knocked unconscious now."
Xu An said, "Who said not? It has been long said that the outlanders can't be taken in. For fifty taels of silver, they went to such lengths. They would have brought catastrophe to the entire village if it hadn't been for you, Xu Ran. Do you believe their family has been afflicted with the plague?"
Xu Ran said while adding the firewood, "It's about 90% possibility! It would be fine if they stayed in their house for a few days, but they transport people up the mountain in this manner. Even if they didn't have it before, they may become infected during this time, but don't worry, as long as we don't come into direct touch with them, everything will be OK."
Xu An said, "No, we don't. They also placed a number of people on the ground from the outset. They most likely intended to murder them and then destroy the evidence, but we arrived too soon. They haven't got the time."
Xu Ran said, "Fortunately, they haven't had time yet. I'm not sure how many people will be injured if the bodies are indeed thrown down the mountain. No one will probably dare to approach the mountain in the future."
Xu An sighed and said, "Exactly. Fortunately, you saw it."
Xu Ran didn't reply but changed the topic to the firewood. "Brother Xu An, the firewood is wet. Can you light it?"
Xu An said, "It doesn't matter. You can get some hay here and build the structure out of dried woods. The firewood will be used to create a pyre. The firewood will be dry once the hay has been consumed."
Xu Ran knew that when dead people were burnt on TV, there was always a pyre, so he didn't inquire more. He just continued pitching in to help with the firewood collection.
On the mountain, the incineration would take place. The people also transported dry wood and hay to the mountain after gathering enough firewood.
However, there was a lot of bitterness, and they looked to have a grudge against Xu Dawong and the dead family. Furthermore, due of the risk of infection, there were few spectators. They would have fled if the village chief had not allowed them to observe.
Xu Ran didn't care, since it was not the way of infection.
The fire raged for a long time, and the village head and patrol were stationed nearby to keep an eye on things. The pit had been dug for the ashes to be buried in for a long time.
After observing for a time, Xu Ran returned home without lingering long. He went out to meet everyone after returning home, rinsing himself, changing his clothing, and burning the ones he had worn. He informed everyone the ins and outs of the situation.
After he was done, he found out that Gao Quan was not around. Xu Ran asked Liu Tong, "Gao Quan has gone out with me, but we separated in the middle. I didn't see him when we were on the mountain. Did he come back?"
Liu Tong said, "I didn't see him. I'm curious whether he went outside to cut the grass. He mentioned that the grass was gone the day before yesterday. Given that it didn't rain today, he presumably went to gather some!"
Xu Ran didn't give Liu Tong's words much thought. Gao Quan, after all, had always acted strangely. Gao Quan returned about suppertime. He returned empty-handed, his clothes soaked. Xu Ran occurred to open the door for him. Xu Ran couldn't help but wonder where he'd been when he saw him like this.
Gao Quan looked at Xu Ran, hesitated a bit and said. "Lu Qi said he was come to take Second Young Master away, so I went to meet him. Now that the plague has gotten out of hand, it may strike the village at any time. It's far too risky. Furthermore, the prince was well aware of the plague. Lu Qi stated that if he does not take Second Young Master, The Prince will personally pick him up."
Xu Ran, frowning, opened the door and said to Gao Quan, "Come in first. We'll talk about this later. I shall think it over."
Gao Quan nodded, walked into the house, and went upstairs to change his clothes as usual.
He walked away, but Xu Ran couldn't stop himself. Lu Qi's father had outstanding medical skills, he knew from Gao Quan. Lu Qi had most likely learned all of his skills from his father, based on his looks. It would be awful if even he couldn't stop the plague.
If a doctor said such words, the plague should be very serious.
Another concern was how he should approach Liu Tong. Lu Qi and the others hadn't shown up in front of them in six years, and Xu Ran had almost given up hope.
They seemed to be paying attention to them all of the time now. Xu Ran also wanted to go on a tour, give the kids more experiences, and see King Yan in Yanzhou, but he didn't know how to tell Liu Tong that he had a twin brother.
However, given Liu Tong's ability to give birth to twins, it seemed quite likely that King Yan's claim was genuine. After all, twins are a genetic trait. Xu Ran patted his head. He had forgotten to ask Gao Quan if Lu Qi would come here tonight.
Lu Qi was a kung fu expert in Xu Ran's eyes. His kung fu was superior to Gao Quan's. He'd always been a phantom, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. If such a person could teach Tangtang and Guoguo martial arts, it would be fantastic. In addition, he may gain medical skills from him, which seemed promising.
Xu Ran's fantasies took him farther and further. He couldn't help but smile as he regained consciousness. He had a bad tendency of overthinking everything.
He had to explain himself to Liu Tong, Zhuo Yun, and Qin Shuwu as well! After all, it would be hard for them to remain silent if they suddenly left. They were also still living in his house.
Xu Ran rubbed his head vigorously, irritated. Baozi and Qingshu, on the other hand, had just seen him upstairs. From above, Baozi said, "Don't scratch your head, Dad. You're starting to become bald."
Xu Ran's face quickly darkened. He didn't think he was in his seventies or eighties, so how could scratching turn him bald?
Xu Ran made a gesture of beating to Baozi, but Qing Shu next to him immediately pushed Baozi behind. "Uncle Xu, don't beat Baozi. If you want to beat somebody, beat me. I'm more resistant than Baozi."
Qingshu's voice was loud. It drew the attention of people from the house. They had heard Xu Ran was about to beat up on someone. They hugged Xu Ran first, before asking what was going on.
"Calm down, why did you beat the child?"
Looking at the person who hugged him, the third brother of the Qin family, the one who pampered children the most, Xu Ran couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
Xu Ran said, "Third Brother, let me go first. These two bear kids are upstairs. How can I hit them! Can you listen to me first?
Third Brother Qin saw that Baozi and Qingshu were really upstairs, so he bought Xu Ran's words and let go of him.
Xu Ran looked at Baozi and Qingshu for a while and said, "Baozi, shouldn't you explain for Dad?"
Baozi, who was called, looked confused and said that he had no idea about what to explain.
Similarly, Qingshu wore the same expression as him...
Xu Ran cursed again in his heart and had to explain himself, "I was just thinking about things! Then I scratched my head as I walked. This is my habit. As a result, Baozi, who could see it from above, said that I'd become bald. I didn't even give him a scolding. Qingshu called out after I made a move." After saying this, Xu Ran smiled helplessly, indicating that he was wronged.
Third Brother Qin realized he had mistreated Xu Ran after hearing his explanation and witnessing the two kids joyfully playing upstairs. He apologized to Xu Ran repeatedly to express his apology.
Xu Ran waved his hand. "Third Brother Qin, don't apologize. It's just a misunderstanding. Besides, you are out of care for the children."
Third Brother Qin was speechless after hearing Xu Ran say this. He returned to the house with the group of people.
_____
Xu Ran climbed the stairs. When Baozi and Qingshu spotted him, they dashed into the room and shut the door. Xu Ran wished he could laugh even harder. He expected to find an opportunity to beat up on Baozi. He had spoilt Qing Shu, who had been such a nice and obedient child before.
To check, Xu Ran went to Tangtang and Guoguo's room. The two children sat on opposite sides of the bed, each reading their own book. Xu Ran approached them and looked through their books. Tangtang was reading a history book while Guoguo was reading a military book. Both children were really attentive.
When Xu Ran came in, Tangtang and Guoguo also saw him. They put down the book and Tangtang asked Xu Ran, "Dad, what are you doing here?"
Xu Ran thought for a while. He had nothing to do, but as Tangtang and Guoguo asked, he wanted to tell them about Liu Tong's identity.
Xu Ran went to close the door, sat down and said to them, "You sit down too. I'll tell you something important. Don't be too surprised later."
Tangtang and Guoguo nodded. "Got it, Dad."
Xu Ran said, "Here is what I want to tell you. This matter concerns your Daddy. Daddy is not surnamed Liu, nor is he from Liu Village. Yanzhou King Yan's younger brother is who he is. They are twins, just like you two. When they were younger, though, they were separated for various reasons. I was aware of this seven years ago. Someone attempted all they could to take Daddy away at the time, but I refused. You were quite young at the time, and Baozi had just been born. I was worried. Someone came again today, and I decided that regardless of whether it was real or not, I should take you guys to look..."
Xu Ran shared everything he knew with Tangtang and Guoguo, including his fears and concerns. The two children were 13 years old at the time, and Xu Ran believed it was time for them to learn about these issues and make their own decisions.
After that, Xu Ran asked Tangtang, "Tangtang, in your opinion, should I go or not?"
Tangtang thought for a moment and said, "Dad, no matter what, we should make the trip. Uncle Gao Quan, you said, works for the old prince. He's been a long-term member of our family. If he truly had a malicious intent, he should have exposed it long ago. However, we were unable to uncover anything. Uncle Gao Quan would thus not hurt us. You said King Yan and Daddy are twins, therefore they must be identical. We will know whether it is real as long as we meet King Yan."
Xu Ran nodded. "Tangtang, what you said makes sense. It's about what I thought."
Then Xu Ran asked Guoguo, "Guoguo, what do you think?"
Guoguo said, "Dad, I also think we should go. Even if it's not to help Daddy find his brother, we can also go and have a visit. After all, it's not good to stay here much longer. You and Daddy have never traveled far from home, and the three of us have never even left town. It is beneficial to widen our horizons."
Guoguo hesitated for a moment, then continued, "You know, Dad, that I've wanted to be a general since I was a kid. Yanzhou is located in the north and has a cold climate. It shares a border with the Mo Luo Kingdom. There are wars all year, which gives me plenty of opportunities to practice."
After Guoguo said this, Tangtang nodded. "Dad, we really should go out and see the world. We're always remembering what you've taught us. However, there are certain things that we can never really understand unless we experience them in person. Furthermore, since our family no longer lacks financial resources, it makes little difference if we leave for a few years."
Xu Ran smiled after hearing it. "Instead of caring if you have a lord uncle, it appears like you are more interested in getting out and taking a look."
Xu Ran stood up. "Actually, I'd want to go out and have a look as well. If that's the case, I'll speak with your daddy tonight. Our family will be on a journey whether he accepts this brother or not! In any case, the plague is becoming increasingly uncontrollable. It is preferable to avoid it."
Tangtang and Guoguo nodded and asked carefully, "Dad, what if Daddy can't accept this?"
Xu Ran smiled and shook his head. "Since both of you can accept it. Why can't you Daddy? Don't underestimate your Daddy, who has survived the difficult seven years in the Xu Family." After Xu Ran said it, he opened the door to leave.
"Dad, you've been so spoiling Daddy for the past few years. How can you still compare to the past?"
Guoguo's voice was very small when he said this, but Xu Ran still heard it. He walked back and knocked on Guoguo's head. "You have to believe that people will change in many ways, but their nature will not change. No matter what your Daddy is pampered by me, he will still be Liu Tong, the same person who have supported the whole family at the very beginning."
Guoguo was shocked when he heard Xu Ran's serious words and said, "Dad, I was wrong."
Xu Ran said, "It's good that you realize you are wrong. Don't say something like this in the future."
Guoguo nodded. "I know Dad, I won't say it again."
Xu Ran didn't say anything else and went downstairs.
_____
After supper, while everyone was conversing and paying no attention to them. Xu Ran and his family, as well as Gao Quan, returned to their chamber, where they were ready to hold a discussion.
Except for Liu Tong, who was a bit uncomfortable and inquired as soon as he entered the room, everyone knew what they were going to say "What are you doing, Ran? Do you want to say something?"
Xu Ran sat down with Liu Tong and said with a serious tone, "Tongtong, I am going to say something that has to do with you. Don't be too surprised when you hear it."
Liu Tong nodded. Even Baozi is seven years old after so many years. What else could possibly surprise him?
Xu Ran took a deep breath and said, "Tongtong, have you ever doubted about your own background? About whether you might not be the biological son of your Dad."
Liu Tong was stunned and said, "Ran, why would you ask such a question? Of course, I won't doubt it."
Xu Ran said, "What I'd want to say has something to do with your background. Your father is not your biological father. You have a twin brother who shares your appearance. He is King Yan. Can you understand what I said, Tongtong?"
Liu Tong was confused when he heard this. "Ran, why is there such a thing? That is King Yan. How could he be my brother? Then why is my Dad not my biological Dad? What is going on?"
One by one, Liu Tong posed the questions. At this point, Xu Ran calmly took his hand in his and soothed him by saying softly, "I've known about it for years, but I didn't tell you since the kids were too little at the time, and I didn't want our quiet life to be disrupted. Let me tell you the whole story. Although you and King Yan are twin brothers, you have been apart from each other since infancy. While you were stuck in Liu Village under some protection, King Yan traveled to Yanzhou with the old lord. Have you mentioned, Tongtong, that your Daddy's kung fu is comparable to Gao Quan's? It was because they both work for the old lord."
"What's more, don't you think something was strange about your Dad? How could a peasant be capable of hunting, reading, and practicing kung fu? Tongtong, you should reflect on what occurred to you when you were younger. Is that right? I didn't lie to you, and I won't lie to you in the future. King Yan's men discovered us seven years ago and attempted to abduct you, but I refused. They have never come to disturb us since our lives have been pleasant and calm all these years, but this time is different."
Liu Tong still didn't believe it. He didn't say anything and only listened to Xu Ran.
Xu Ran continued, "This plague is very serious. If we don't travel to Yanzhou, King Yan will personally come over, according to his subordinates. Tongtong, how can King Yan depart his domain if there is no decree? It will be a felony if it is uncovered. Tangtang and Guoguo and I have talked about it. Regardless of whether this is true or not, we shall visit Yanzhou as a travel experience."
Liu Tong still didn't say anything and Xu Ran couldn't continue, so the room was quiet for a while.
"Second Master, what Xu Ran said is true. Because you resemble the deceased old lord, you are certainly King Yan's younger brother. For almost 10 years, I've been with the old lord. I'm not going to make the same mistake." Gao Quan suddenly said.
Liu Tong looked at Gao Quan, "Are you telling the truth? You already knew about it? Why are you hiding it from me?"
Liu Tong seemed to be angry. After all, it was such a big deal. All of a sudden, his dad was no longer his actual dad! It had been thirty years since they had seen one other. Anyone in his position would be angry.
Xu Ran said softly, "Tongtong, only Gao Quan and I knew it a few years ago, Tangtang and Guoguo only found it out today. How can we tell you under the situation at that time? We won't tell you about the remainder of our lives, which were relatively peaceful. We won't say anything because the people from King Yan didn't show up. Even if we didn't want to, we can't tell you now that we've arrived at this moment. Tongtong, I'm well aware of the type of person you are. For the time being, you just cannot absorb it."
Xu Ran was right. He really couldn't absorb it immediately, but he knew that Xu Ran had made the case.
Liu Tong thought for a moment and said, "Ran, let me think about it first. I'll just wait until I figure it out. If I really want to go to Yanzhou, I'll go too. Just as you have said, to travel around."
Xu Ran couldn't say anything else now that Liu Tong had said it. Liu Tong would have to absorb the information on his own, but Xu Ran was certain that it wouldn't take long. As he told Guoguo, Liu Tong was still the same Liu Tong.
Before Tangtang and Guoguo could say a word, he followed Xu Ran out. Xu Ran said, "You go downstairs first. It won't be good if our entire family fails to show up. Gao Quan, I have something to say to you.
Tangtang and Guoguo nodded and quickly went downstairs.
07.01.21
Oh wow! ITS ANOTHER MONTH! Time flies so fast bruh...
( My neck hurts!!! ╰（‵□′）╯)