After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

Just as dawn was breaking, the urgent sound of gongs rang out again from under the old locust tree at the village entrance. This time, the sound was no longer urging as usual, but rather heavy, as if some weight was pressing down on everyone's hearts.

Chen Dashan pushed open the courtyard gate, glanced towards the village entrance, and turned back to Su Xiaoyin, who was busy in the kitchen, saying, "Brother De is ringing the gong, I'm going to take a look. You all stay home and don't go out."

Su Xiaoyin wiped her hands, followed him to the courtyard gate, and said, "Come back soon."

Chen Dashan responded and strode towards the village entrance. He encountered several fellow villagers along the way, all of whom looked grim. No one was in the mood for conversation, and they walked silently toward the old locust tree.

By the time they reached the village entrance, a considerable number of people had already gathered. Brother De stood on the stone mill, his face etched with the exhaustion of a sleepless night; his eyes were sunken, and his lips were chapped. His clothes were the same as yesterday's, wrinkled and covered in mud and grime. Several young men from the village patrol team stood nearby, all looking weary as well.

Once everyone had arrived, Brother De cleared his throat and said in a hoarse voice, "Listen up, everyone. You all know what happened last night. Grandpa Li and his family... have been taken away by the authorities. They can't rest in peace until the case is solved. The yamen said they will solve the case as soon as possible, but for now, we have to rely on ourselves."

Some people in the crowd sobbed softly, while others clenched their fists.

Brother De continued, "Everyone needs to be careful these days. No one is allowed to go out alone. Those going up the mountain to chop firewood or working in the fields must go in groups. The able-bodied men in the family should stay in the village as much as possible. The safety of the whole family is the most important thing. If you have relatives in the county or town, try to go there if you can. At least there are city walls and soldiers there, so it's safer than our village."

Someone asked, "Brother De, is there any news from the authorities? Have they caught the man?"

Brother De shook his head, his voice growing even deeper: "The yamen has absolutely no leads right now. That person is very cunning and has been on the run. So we can't let our guard down. Elderly people and children in every household should try not to go out. Lock your doors and windows at night, and if anything seems amiss, immediately sound the alarm."

A silence fell over the crowd. Everyone knew this meant they would have to continue living in constant fear and anxiety.

"Let's call it a day." Brother De waved his hand and jumped off the stone roller.

The crowd gradually dispersed. Chen Dashan didn't leave. After everyone had gone, he walked up to Brother De and asked in a low voice, "Brother De, what are your family's arrangements? Are you going to the county town?"

Chen Dashan knew that De Ge's family had also bought a house in the county town. Although it wasn't big, it was enough for them to live in. De Ge's family had many members, young and old, and it was really worrying to leave them in the village.

De sighed and rubbed his temples. "I can't leave. I have to stay in the village and keep watch, and the patrol team can't be disbanded. Besides, what about the livestock at home? I can't just abandon them all, can I? I'm planning to send the elderly and children to the county town; at least it's safer there. That way, I won't have to worry about home when I'm on patrol at night."

He looked at Chen Dashan and asked, "Dashan, where's your home?"

Chen Dashan said, "My parents have already taken the children to the county town. This time I want to send Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to the county town as well, while Xiaohe and I will stay in the village. The main reason is that we have so many livestock at home that we can't leave. Otherwise, we would have left too."

Brother De nodded, then sighed, his voice full of helplessness: "Yes, we can't just abandon these breathing creatures at home. If they all leave, the livestock will starve to death, and a year's hard work will be wasted."

The two talked for a while longer, and Brother De gave them a few more instructions before leaving in a hurry. He still had to arrange patrols and visit several elderly people in the village; he was so busy he barely had time to breathe.

When Chen Dashan returned home, he called Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing into the main room and repeated what Brother De had said earlier.

"Xiaohe, send Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to the county town today." Chen Dashan looked at his younger brother, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Take everything the general store needs to sell, as well as grain, vegetables, and changes of clothes. Take as much as you can. We'll feel at ease with them in the county town."

Su Xiaoyin frowned, and asked with some concern, "Dashan, are you and Xiaohe okay at home? What if something happens to the two of you...?"

Chen Dashan interrupted her, his tone calm: "Don't worry, it's fine. I'll stay with Xiaohe, we'll keep each other company. Brother De also said he'll arrange for Xiaohe and me to patrol together, so we can look out for each other. You can't let your guard down in the county town, be careful. Lock your doors and windows at night, and don't open the door to strangers."

Su Xiaoyin wanted to say something, opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't. She knew Chen Dashan's temperament; once he made a decision, he wouldn't change it. She turned around to pack her things, putting the clothes, food, and embroidery she was taking into her bundle one by one.

Su Xiaoqing joined in the tidying up, her eyes welling up with tears. Chen Xiaohe walked over, patted her shoulder, and said softly, "It's alright, we'll bring you back in a few days."

Su Xiaoqing nodded, holding back her tears.

Chen Xiaohe harnessed the oxcart and loaded the items one by one. Grain, vegetables, changes of clothes, embroidery, braised food, roast duck... the cart was fully loaded. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing got on; Shi Tou, Qingqing, and the other children were already in the county town, and their arrival would allow for a family reunion.

"Let's go." Chen Xiaohe cracked his whip, and the oxcart creaked and groaned out of the courtyard gate.

Chen Dashan stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the oxcart drive away until it disappeared from sight after turning past the old locust tree at the village entrance, before turning back.

In the evening, Chen Xiaohe returned from the county town. The oxcart wasn't empty; it carried a piece of pork belly wrapped in oil paper, weighing over two pounds.

"My sister-in-law asked me to buy this, saying we should eat it while we're at home." Chen Xiaohe carried the meat into the kitchen, washed his hands, and sat down in the main room.

Chen Dashan asked, "Have things been settled in the county town?"

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Everything's settled. Mother and the children are in the house, while my sister-in-law and Xiaoqing have gone. There's enough room. The general store is all stocked up, and we can open normally tomorrow. Father told us not to worry, he'll take good care of things over there."

Chen Dashan breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "What are your thoughts on the arrangements at home?"

Chen Xiaohe thought for a moment and said, "Brother, I've already talked to Brother De about arranging for us to patrol together. We'll go out together at night and come back together, so we can look out for each other. During the day, we'll take turns watching over the house, one of us working and the other keeping watch."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay. Everything at home is packed, and the livestock need to be taken care of. I'm worried that someone might take advantage of the chaos to steal things. The village is in a state of panic right now, and someone might have ulterior motives."

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up and he said, "Brother, how about we dig two traps near the livestock pens? Put bamboo spikes in them, and if anyone sneaks in, they'll be in big trouble."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and nodded: "That's a good idea. I'll dig with you. We can work during the day and patrol at night, so it won't interfere with each other."

The two brothers got right to work. Chen Dashan rummaged through the warehouse and found a few shovels and pickaxes, while Chen Xiaohe found some thick bamboo, split it into strips, and sharpened them to make bamboo spikes. The two chose several secluded spots around the pigsty and cowshed and began digging pits.

The pit wasn't deep, but it was large enough. It was covered with thin wooden planks and straw, so it was almost invisible unless you looked closely. Bamboo spikes were stuck into the bottom of the pit, with the pointed ends facing upwards. If someone stepped on them, they would either get a foot injury or fall in and be unable to climb out.

As Chen Dashan dug, he said, "We have to be careful with this stuff, don't step on it. We'll mark it in a prominent place later, so our own people will know."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Brother, I'll tie a few red ribbons to the tree next to us, so it'll be easy to spot."