Chapter 45

Chapter 45

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.Findd new stories at novelhall.com

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.

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.