In the Capital, many commoners were trying to flee by any means possible. The current Capital was filled with smog and fumes, and they were preparing to go to outlying areas to take refuge until the turmoil passed, at which point they would return with their families.
Being locals of the Capital, they naturally knew more than outsiders, and those fleeing the city went directly north without hesitation.
They avoided the pitfalls that Chang'an and her companions had fallen into by following in the footsteps of those who had fled the Capital.
As night fell, a group of fifteen or sixteen people passed through a deserted village. The thatched cottages in this deserted village were newly built, illuminated by bright lights, with smoke rising from cooking fires. Children chased chickens and dogs in the courtyards of their homes.
One grandmother scolded her daughter-in-law for not being diligent enough, while another grandmother berated her granddaughter for being clumsy.
The peach blossoms in the village were in full bloom, and two yellow dogs barked at each other under a peach tree, prompting their owner to run out from a house to stop them.
They were two boys aged seven or eight who came out first to separate their dogs, then looked towards the outskirts of the village and saw a group of fifteen or sixteen people approaching.
The boys shouted in unison, "Village Head, Village Head, we have guests!"
A weather-beaten man in his sixties emerged from one of the thatched cottages and looked in the direction the boys were pointing.
Oh? There were indeed guests coming.
The guests from the afternoon had not stayed, probably because they found the village too simple. But these guests would have to stay – it had been a long time since the village had been so lively.
The Village Head took the two children by the hand to welcome the visitors, smiling kindly and speaking in a warm, affable manner, "Our guests have come from afar. If you don't mind, please stay the night in our village."
People are often easily deceived by outward appearances and first impressions.
For example, a burly man with a ferocious demeanor may actually have good character and morals, while a handsome man with a gentle, kind smile could be a hypocrite and a despicable person. Without knowing the true reality, if you saw them both at first glance, wouldn't you choose the handsome, gentle one?
Many people would make that choice, so it's normal to be deceived by appearances. The eyes can only see the external, but how many people can see through the false facade to the truth beneath?
Ahem, I'm digressing. Back to the story.
This group of people was drawn into the village by the Village Head's outward appearance. There were sixteen of them, too many for one household, so they were split into four groups of four each.
The villagers welcomed them warmly with good food and wine. After three rounds of drinks, they were asked where they had come from.
One middle-aged man wiped away tears as he sadly said in a mournful voice, "We have fled from the Capital."
The Village Head raised his sparse eyebrows with curiosity, "Oh? Why do you say you fled?"
"Alas! We had no choice but to flee. The Emperor is extravagant and licentious, neglecting state affairs. The people suffer greatly, and he even forcibly takes women from good families and plunders the property of commoners in the Capital. The people of the Capital live in constant fear and dread."
"Would you be willing to settle in our village then? Our village may seem simple, but we have pure folk customs. If you work diligently, you won't go hungry. We have little contact with the outside world, so you need not worry about being caught up in the turmoil."
The Village Head's persuasion was gentle and kind, and a few of the group were tempted. As long as they could live in peace, it didn't matter where.
Someone asked, "If we settle here, will the villagers have any objections? After all, there is only so much land."
"No, they will be delighted."
"We'll discuss it with our families first."
"Very well, decide quickly so I can allocate you some land. Tomorrow, I'll have the villagers help build houses for you."
The four men left the Village Head's house to find the others staying elsewhere. They didn't see the Village Head's strange smile as he watched them leave.
His kind, gentle eyes were blank and empty, the whites fixed unblinkingly on the doorway as he awaited their return.
The sixteen men, women, and children gathered at the village entrance. The four middle-aged men asked the eldest elder, "Father, what do you think?"
Before the old man could answer, a five- or six-year-old boy urgently said, "No, no, I don't want to stay here!"
The elder picked up the boy, whose eyes were brimming with tears, as if he was very afraid they would stay. He hadn't eaten a bite at dinner and the elder was worried he might be ill.
He felt the boy's forehead, which seemed normal, but he was still concerned. "Li'er, are you not feeling well? Tell Great Grandpa, okay?"
Li'er hugged Great Grandpa's neck, burying his little head in the elder's shoulder as he urgently urged him, "Leave, Great Grandpa, leave. Li'er doesn't like it here."
"Okay, okay, Great Grandpa will take little Li'er away. We'll leave right away, all right?"
The elder's eyes were deep and profound as he instructed his sons and grandsons, "Pack up our belongings. We're leaving this place immediately."
"Father, have you considered what time it is now? If we leave now, we'll have to spend the night in the wild, which is extremely dangerous. You're spoiling the child too much."
The first to object was Li'er's own grandfather, the elder's eldest son.
The elder simply cast a deep look at him, then told his eldest grandson firmly, "Since they are unwilling to leave, you and your wife, being Li'er's parents, pack up and come with your old grandfather."
Li'er had always been a good, obedient child. Even if he disliked something, he had never cried and fussed like this before.
Children have a spiritual intuition, and this village may not be as simple as it appears on the surface.
The elder said quietly to his sons, "There's something wrong with the people in this village. If we don't want to lose our lives, we must leave immediately."
His sons didn't take him seriously, thinking he was just spoiling Li'er too much and making up excuses to appease his great-grandson.
"Father, they just welcomed us with good food and drink, but now you want to leave without a second thought?"
"Yes, Father, I think this village is very nice. The villagers are all very friendly. As outsiders, who knows if we'll encounter people as nice wherever else we go?"
"In any case, I'm not leaving. If you want to leave, then go ahead. We'll have to pass through here again when we return to the Capital anyway."
"Our third brother is right. Since we'll still have to return to the Capital, let's all just go where we want for now and consider it a journey."
Since his sons were all unwilling to leave, being an open-minded Elder, he calmly told his children and grandchildren, "Those who wish to stay behind, stay. Those who want to follow Great Grandpa, quickly pack your belongings and we'll depart immediately."
In the end, it was the Elder's youngest son and daughter-in-law, along with their two sons and daughters-in-law, as well as Li'er's parents, who accompanied the Elder as he left.
As they were leaving, the Village Chief earnestly urged them to remain, his face full of reluctance.
This made the Elder more wary. What normal person would feel such reluctance at the departure of a group of strangers who were merely passing through?
He called out loudly to the villagers seeing them off, "Thank you, fellow villagers, for your warm hospitality. We will meet again if fate allows."
Once they had exited the village, the Elder instructed his children and grandchildren not to look back, and they trudged onward with lowered heads.
The villagers were dumbfounded. They had expected the departing group to turn back for one last look, but instead, they hurried away at a brisk pace, and soon disappeared into the moonlight without a trace.
The mist grew thicker, enveloping the entire village in a dense fog, gradually obscuring its original appearance.
