Chapter 103: Once the bow is drawn, there's no going ba
d on having a Li family member accompany him. He felt safe enough to bring Mr. Wen Hai along and have him stay in the cave as well.After a busy morning, it was already noon. Tao Hongying was busy cook...In the late autumn mountains, there was still fog when dawn broke.
The half-dead leaves and vines, like icy vipers, occasionally brushed against you, making your heart pound in fear.
The villagers of Qingshui, in silence, pulled plows, carried burdens, and pushed rickshaws as they laboriously made their way through the mountains.
At the beginning, we were full of confidence. After three days of arduous trekking, our spirits are nearly depleted.
This trip into the mountains was completely different from the one in Jin'an County town.
The two mountains next to the city of Jinan County weren't very high. People often went there to chop wood, collect herbs, mushrooms, and wild vegetables, creating simple trails in the process.
But this time, the mountains and forests traversed were those of a deep, old forest with few signs of human habitation.
Almost everyone travels as far as they have to pave the way.
Underfoot was a muddy mire of years' worth of decaying leaves, surrounded by gnarled old trees and rampant vines reaching out in all directions.
They are much braver than those outside. Occasionally, they will fly far out with the group just to get a better view of the excitement.
Last night, Li Laosi brought the young and strong men from the village together after discussing it.
Every hour, two people were assigned to clear a path with axes and sickles, hacking away at annoying vines and weeds. They startled snakes, insects, and small animals from the undergrowth.
It's better to walk a few miles less each day and ensure the safety of the young and old.
After three days of traveling in the mountains, the group had only reached two peaks.
Suddenly, I remembered that I had planned to cross forty mountains in a month. Wasn't that a bit too idealistic
But no one was willing to think deeply about it, after all, they had already come in.
Once you've drawn the bow, there is no turning back!
To pass the time and relieve their boredom on the long journey, villagers began to chatter and play with their children.
In the end, the whole village taught children to speak.
And the primary target is... Jia Yin!
The reason is that yesterday Jia Yin was afraid her mother would be too tired carrying her, so she climbed into Zhao Shu's arms and rode the sled.
Uncle Zhao loved children the most. He held Jia Yin in his arms and taught her to recognize roadside wildflowers and grasses.
Jiayin was a little wilted, the journey was truly too monotonous and arduous.
Zhao Shu was worried and shouted loudly at Li Laotai and Tao Hongying who were walking behind him.
"Fu Niu is over a year old, but still won't speak. I remember that the dog Gou Sheng in the front yard could speak fluently when he was a year old."
Li Laotai and Tao Hongying, upon hearing this, also became a little anxious.
Almost as soon as Jiayin turned one, the family started packing to escape.
Jia Yin occasionally calls for her "mother" and "father," saying things like, "I'm hungry."
They didn't take it seriously. Could the child be sick and delaying things
Thus, during the midday rest, Dr. Zhang was invited to examine Jia Yin.
After much deliberation, the old man came to a conclusion.
"This child is fine, he's just... too lazy. You guys should teach him more and play with him more."
Jia Yin's little thoughts were exposed like this, she was indeed a bit lazy.
A child's tongue and throat aren't fully developed yet, she's too lazy to parrot words every day, too lazy to repeatedly correct him.
It's fine to wait until it's fully developed before starting to speak.
But the family members don't think so. They are afraid that she will become mute in the future.
Thus, the whole family, and indeed the whole village, whenever they had a free moment, would put all their thoughts into teaching her to speak.
Sister, call big brother!
"Funiu ah, call Uncle!"
"Fu Niu, call Auntie!"
That day, after finally getting a break for lunch, Jia Yin, feeling full and sleepy, nestled in Zhao Shu's arms and took a nap.
Suddenly, a man came over to collect his bowl. He shook her hand while speaking in a deep, booming voice.
"Little Fortune, call me Uncle!
"
Jia Yin got angry and replied loudly, “Hey!”
That man didn't react, still saying, "No, no, it's Uncle, Uncle!"
"Eh!" Jia Yin responded clearly once again.
The man blinked a couple of times, finally feeling something was amiss.
But the onlookers were already laughing so hard they could barely contain themselves!
Uncle Zhao was so moved that he embraced Jia Yin and laughed until his breath caught in his throat.
"This girl, haha, hahaha, definitely nothing wrong. This girl is so smart!"
That man scratched his head, and then it dawned on him that he had been taken advantage of by the little girl.
He wasn't upset, smiling sheepishly and helplessly.
Old Li stepped forward, hugged her granddaughter, and wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes as she chuckled. She scolded her granddaughter, "What did you do to tease your Uncle Da Zhuang Call him uncle."
Jia Yin reluctantly called out, "Uncle!"
"Oh my goodness, Fu Niu understands words!" Da Zhuang exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course!" Old Li said proudly, boasting to the crowd about Jia Yin's clever feats on a daily basis. She built upon her granddaughter's good fortune and added an even smarter persona for her.
Jia Yin is helpless. To maintain her persona, she has to start learning to speak diligently and fight against her rebellious tongue and throat...
Thus, on the road of hard work, besides the people near Li Jia's climbing frame occasionally teaching a few words, Lao Er Li also started to take his niece and children from various families, reciting while walking.
"Human nature is inherently good..."
The sound of reading aloud made everyone forget the tiredness and hardship under their feet. It also brought a touch of vitality to the desolate and even eerie forest.
Today, everyone was in luck. In the evening, we happened to walk into a clearing in the mountains. There was a spring flowing through the grass, forming a small stream about two steps wide.
The crowd was about to erupt in cheers and quickly set up camp.
After so many days on the run, everyone has gotten used to it and works together seamlessly.
The elders gathered the children, placing sleds and baggage, forming a circle ten meters in diameter.
The young and strong quickly cut back the withered grass, chopped down branches as thick as their arms, and gathered large piles of firewood.
Dried grass was laid in the circle, branches were erected and covered with oilcloth to construct a simple shelter.
The hutch is furnished with bedding, which becomes the little ones' territory.
In the village, including Jia Yin, there are only eight children under five years old. They are now the treasures of the whole village.
Every time he rested, Uncle Wei and Uncle Wang would stay by his side, watching him without blinking.
After all, the babies were too young; perhaps a bug brought back from a tree branch could make them cry.
While Zhao Shu was being carried by Jia Yi, he followed Li Lao Si and Liu Biaotou, along with Liu Yang and half-grown boys from the village to check the terrain nearby, identifying tracks of wild beasts.
It would be even better if you could also take down some wild chickens and rabbits.
The little boys studied diligently, and without bows and arrows, they used slingshots.
Occasionally, if you're lucky, you might get a wild chicken, it's like celebrating the New Year! You can hold your head high and be proud among your friends for three or five days.
Zhang Shenyi's medicine powder is very effective. Liu Biaotou and Liu Yang both had external injuries, and they have almost recovered in the past few days.
The village women originally thought Mrs. Liu would be difficult to get along with, after all, the Liu family lived a much more prosperous life than everyone else.
Unexpectedly, Mrs. Liu spoke softly and gently, even more so than Zhao Yuru.
Everyone was happy and pulled her into cooking together, digging for wild vegetables, and picking mushrooms. They quickly became familiar with each other.
The little ones in the kennel were arguing because of two wooden toys.
Jia Yin wasn't paying attention and almost got scratched in the face, so she quickly fled the scene.
She cried out loudly, “Mama, mama, hug, hug!”
As expected, Old Lady Li hurried over.
Grandma Li was heartbroken to hear that her granddaughter had almost been scratched. She carried her granddaughter on her back and, holding a basket, took her mushroom picking.
This really hits the spot!as Uncle Dayong started his investigation" Jiayin asked."Of course," Lao Er sighed, "This happened last night. Your Uncle Da Yong sealed the pier overnight.""I've already had Zheng He look into it. Da...