Chapter 2877 - 2878: Strange Happenings Everywhere

Chapter 2877: Chapter 2878: Strange Happenings Everywhere

"Dad, how can you believe the words of a few outsiders? We still don’t know what their intentions are. Our Xianxian isn’t that kind of person; they might have captured her." The woman lowered her voice, but Bai Ruozhu still recognized it as Kuai Xian’s mother.

"You know how wild Xianxian’s heart is. The Li family’s girl said Xianxian escaped on her own, maybe they really saved her," the voice of a middle-aged man sounded. It was likely Kuai Xian’s father.

"Then where is Xianxian? I haven’t seen her, so why should I believe them?" Xianxian’s mother said.

Kuai Zheng coughed, "Alright, stop talking. We can’t leave, no one can go find Xianxian, we can only rely on them now."

With these words, Xianxian’s mother quieted down and said no more.

Before long, Kuai Zheng went up to the Tree House, and Xianxian’s parents made do with sleeping under the tree.

Bai Ruozhu and his group quietly avoided them and searched around, but it was too dark at night and the fog was especially thick. Ultimately, they found nothing, and everyone returned empty-handed. They slept for less than an hour before dawn broke.

Shortly after, the sound of movement came from outside as the village people began their work.

Bai Ruozhu observed the outside situation from the window of the Tree House. She noticed many people in the village were very industrious, doing some kind of planting to the south, but it was too far for her to see what the crops were.

After a while, Xianxian’s mother arrived under the Tree House, and softly said, "Are the guests awake? I’ve brought breakfast."

"Thank you for the trouble," Bai Ruozhu replied, climbing down from the rope ladder of the Tree House.

Xianxian’s mother carried a shabby basket, inside which were a few baked sweet potatoes.

Bai Ruozhu glanced quickly, the quantity was small, basically calculated per person, and the size was very small, indicating the village was indeed nervous.

She took the basket and handed a Silk Handkerchief to Xianxian’s mother, "I didn’t bring much with me, this is a meeting gift for you."

Xianxian’s mother’s eyes lit up as she took the handkerchief, fondly touching it repeatedly. Her face also lit up with a smile.

"How can I accept this? Thank you, madam."

Bai Ruozhu smiled, "We’re staying at your home, it’s the least we can do. I noticed your village seems to have difficult conditions; why not leave the mountain and find other opportunities?"

"We can’t go down, we are just ordinary people, without martial skills. Those who went down never returned, likely falling to their deaths," Xianxian’s mother said, shaking her head.

"Then how did you come up in the first place? It’s fine for the men, but weren’t the women scared to climb?" Bai Ruozhu asked, her suspicion from last night lingering.

Sure enough, Xianxian’s mother’s eyes showed a hint of evasion, "At the time, we were fleeing the chaos of war, our lives were at stake, and turning back wasn’t an option. Everyone desperately climbed up, forgetting their fear."

"At that time, you weren’t much older than Xianxian, were you?" Bai Ruozhu asked.

"Pretty much. Nowadays, with inadequate food, the children seem smaller." Xianxian’s mother sighed.

"To be honest, my husband is an official of the Imperial Court. I’ve already sent word back before coming here, and when he arrives with reinforcements, he’ll find a way to help you all down the mountain." Bai Ruozhu smiled at her, "The Emperor of Danliang Country now governs diligently and lovingly for the people, and nearby Xunyang City is very safe, so there’s no need to hide from the turmoil."

Xianxian’s mother beamed with joy, "That, that’s wonderful."

But soon her expression shifted, and she gave a forced laugh, "I can’t make that decision, you’ll have to ask the village chief."

She seemed to realize she had said too much, and quickly made an excuse to leave.

Bai Ruozhu watched her back, growing increasingly convinced of the peculiarity of the place; if life was so difficult, who wouldn’t want to leave? Yet Xianxian’s mother seemed eager to leave, though the village chief disapproved.

She checked the sweet potatoes to ensure there were no issues before distributing them to everyone. But after one bite, none of them wanted to eat any more; it was completely different from the sweet potatoes they were used to, dry and hard, lacking sweetness, more like chewing on wood.

"Right, there must be a water source to live, I wonder where it is. Go look around quietly, and report back as soon as you find anything. Try not to alert the villagers," Bai Ruozhu instructed.

Leaving one person to watch over Wei Ba, the others went down from the Tree House.

Jianqi went to chat with the working folks, trying to glean information, while Ao Song and the Astrologer feigned sightseeing, actually checking for any signs of a natural array.

Bai Ruozhu went to find Kuai Zheng.

"Village chief, isn’t life here inconvenient? Haven’t you thought of going down the mountain?" she asked.

Kuai Zheng smiled lightly, "Who knows when wars may erupt again? It may be tough here, but life is secure. We’ve gotten used to it."

Refused so quickly, with no temptation at all?

"What about the youth? I imagine they would want to see the world, like your granddaughter," Bai Ruozhu suggested.

"The outside world is too dangerous for them, we want to protect them." Kuai Zheng sighed, appearing especially helpless.

Bai Ruozhu saw his firm stance and decided to drop the subject, taking her leave to explore elsewhere.

She hadn’t gone far when a young girl quietly caught up with her.

"Do you need something from me?" she turned to ask.

"Did you really save Kuai Xian?" the girl asked softly.

Bai Ruozhu nodded, "Are you the Li family’s girl?"

"How did you know?" the girl was astonished, "Did Kuai Xian tell you?"

Bai Ruozhu gave a knowing smile, having heard it in Kuai Zheng’s conversation the previous night.

"I’m Li Shufen, the same age as Kuai Xian, almost sixteen," the girl introduced herself, then whispered, "Can I come with you when you leave? I want to see the outside world."

"I suggested to your village chief that you all could leave, but he disagrees. Perhaps you should ask the other villagers; if the majority agree, the chief might not oppose." Bai Ruozhu advised.

Unexpectedly, Li Shufen shook her head with a frown, "That’s impossible, the adults would never agree."

"Why not?" Bai Ruozhu hurriedly inquired.

"They can’t bear to leave here, it’s not that..." Her expression changed suddenly, realizing she almost let slip something significant, she quickly closed her mouth.

"Can’t bear to leave what? With scarce resources, poor food, and clothing, what’s there to hold on to?" Bai Ruozhu grew more puzzled.

Li Shufang shook her head, "Can’t bear to leave the tranquility and safety here, yes, that’s it."

Even a fool could tell she was lying; being from such an isolated place, she was quite naive.

"Well, there’s nothing I can do then, I can’t take you with me unauthorized, it would be a crime." Bai Ruozhu smiled at her, turning to walk away.

Sure enough, Li Shufang hurriedly caught up, "Sister, don’t go, please help me!"

"No way, if your parents don’t agree, taking you would be trafficking. My family’s in the Imperial Court, we can’t afford such a reputation." Bai Ruozhu smiled, irrevocably walking away.