Ancient natural disasters: The whole family traveled through time and was almost wiped out

Chapter 179

"Got it, got it!" Jiang Changhe waved to Jiang Quezi from the driver's seat, "We are leaving now. You can go back now. It's very cold. Don't stand here. We will be back in the evening."

What good thing can you give me?

Jiang Quezi really wanted to say: It doesn’t matter whether you come back or not, your mother has to come back!

Because of the Chen family's attitude, he was very worried every time his daughter-in-law went back to her parents' home, fearing that she would never come back.

"I want to go to grandma's house, too."

After Chen left, Dandan took her sister Taotao's hand and shook it, saying, "I miss my grandma."

"I miss grandma, too." Taotao wrinkled her nose. "Every time we go, grandma roasts meat for us. I want to eat meat."

"Didn't we just eat yesterday?" The second brother Jiang Changxi bent his fingers, patted the two little heads in front of him, and said, "There are too many of us to fit in the carriage, so let's wait for next time."

In Jiangjia Village, many mothers-in-law packed their bags and sent their sons and daughters-in-law to their parents' homes. It was snowing heavily and the roads were difficult to travel on. Some families who were farther away but also nearby hired ox carts from the Jiang family. For example, the Chen family, several families took turns driving the cart. They agreed with the family farthest away on the time of return in the evening, and asked him to pick them up door to door, or go to a designated location.

The second day of the Chinese New Year is the day to go back to one’s parents’ home, but not everyone can go back, because the elder and younger sisters-in-law from the husband’s side also have to go back to their parents’ home, so someone has to entertain them.

Liu and Qin were in poor health and one was pregnant, so it was not convenient for them to go back. Seeing that their eldest sister-in-law had gone back to her parents' home, they also wanted to see her family, but it was not appropriate to send someone to pick up their mother on the second day of the New Year. They could only be patient and wait for two days, and then entertain their third sister who had returned to her parents' home with their mother-in-law.

In previous years, Jiang Liang would usually get home around 9:00 p.m., but today she was still nowhere to be seen after noon. Other families in the village had also not seen their daughter. Although they knew the roads would be difficult to travel on a snowy day, they still couldn't help but start to worry.

In the face of the unknown, people always have wild thoughts, especially when I saw with my own eyes the familiar Jiajia Village next door, where only half of the people in the village were left after being killed. I was afraid that my daughter would also...

Many old ladies stood at the entrance of the village, stretching their heads to look into the distance, as if this would help them see farther and see the people they wanted to see.

"Here it comes!" an old lady shouted.

"Where is that?" Old Mrs. Yang squinted her eyes and looked around. Finally, she saw a small black dot slowly approaching from a distance. It turned out to be a mule cart.

The mule cart was particularly conspicuous in the white snow. The mule's hooves were lifted and released, and it stepped on the snow, moving forward with great effort, puffing and emitting white air - the mule was so tired that it was about to die.

"Mule cart..." Many old ladies' faces became visibly disappointed because their daughters could not afford a mule cart.

wrong--

What if it’s like in their village, where they are hired?

"Is it Chunxi and Aliang?"

When the carriage was about to arrive, Old Lady Wang couldn't help but step forward and ask loudly.

"Yes, I'm Aliang!"

Jiang Liang heard someone shouting and quickly lifted the curtain to answer. It was a pretty woman in her thirties. She looked out and was startled: "Mom? What are you doing here? Get in quickly or you'll be frozen!"

"Mother-in-law." Zhao Sheng was helped off the carriage by the coachman, and he wanted to help Old Lady Yang. When the latter saw the two of them, she finally let go of her worries and did not get on the carriage. She waved her hand and said, "It's okay, I've covered myself with plenty of clothes, I won't freeze!"

She asked Jiang Liang again: "Xiao Liang, did you see anyone else on your way back?"

"No." Jiang Liang also got out of the car. She shook her head. She had been paying special attention along the way. It was so cold, and if she met villagers returning home, she would give them a ride. However, she didn't meet any. "Maybe the road is hard to walk on the snowy day, so she might be late."

"Aunt." Jiang Liang looked at Old Lady Wang and said, "Sister Chunxi's mother-in-law passed away. She said she won't be back until the fifth day of the New Year."

Chunxi also married into the town. Her husband's family was not far from Jiang Liang's, and they often visited each other during the New Year and other festivals. If Jiang Liang's mule cart was convenient and could accommodate more people, she would take them along.

That's why when Old Lady Wang saw the mule cart she asked if her daughter Chunxi had returned, but she didn't expect to hear such news.

There is a custom in Jiangjia Village that if the married daughter's in-laws are in heavy mourning, for example, the husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law or grandparents have passed away, then the married daughter cannot return to her parents' home on the second day of the New Year, but can only do so on the fifth day.

Upon hearing this news, Grandma Wang was shocked: "My in-law passed away? When did it happen? Why didn't anyone come to announce the death?"

Jiang Liang sighed. Chunxi's mother-in-law was a very kind old lady and a very nice person.

"It was said that it was raining heavily, and when he went up the mountain to avoid the rain, he was hit by a rock that rolled down from the mountain. He died on the spot. At that time, when he was hiding from the rain on the mountain, the road below the mountain had turned into a river. It was really impossible to report the death. By the time the water receded, it had been more than two months."

What's the point of reporting the death at this time?

In addition, a heavy snowstorm started, and not only Chunxi's family, but also many other families had to hold simple funerals.

Since they didn't have the skills to make a coffin, they just cut down a tree and made a wooden box, dug a hole, put the remains of their relatives in it, and buried them.

After coming down the mountain, there has been no time to move the remains back to the ancestral grave. How can we inform relatives and friends about the death?

"Ah, this..." Old Mrs. Wang sighed, but she was relieved to know that her daughter was fine.

But Jiang the butcher's mother was very worried: "Ah Liang, did your sister Xia Hua ask you to tell her something? Have you seen her? Is there anything wrong with her in-laws? When will she come home?"

Jiang the Butcher's only sister, Jiang Xiahua, married in a village not far from the town. If she couldn't come back during the New Year or other holidays, she would wait for Jiang Liang on the roadside and ask her to bring a message home.

In ancient times, communications were not well developed, and this was generally how messages were delivered.

"Sister Xia Hua..." Jiang Liang was originally smiling, but when he heard the name, his smile disappeared. Suddenly, he didn't know how to start.

The village where Jiang Xiahua's husband's family lived happened to be on the way she had to pass on her way back to the village. Her home was close to the road, so she thought that if she hadn't returned home yet, she could pick her up so that she wouldn't have to travel in the wind and snow. Who knew...

"How is she? Tell me. You are making me so worried!" Jiang the Butcher's mother was extremely anxious. She had a bad feeling in her heart, but she was unwilling to believe it.

"Sister Xia Hua...she's gone..."

"Gone?" Jiang the Butcher's mother staggered, and Old Lady Yang and two other old ladies beside her quickly supported her. Jiang the Butcher's mother's hands and lips were shaking: "Gone...where did you go? It's New Year's Day, you have to go home! My son! You you you...ah——"

The old lady's throat was choked and she couldn't cry out. Tears kept falling like a fish out of water, opening her mouth in vain. It was heartbreaking to watch.

In ancient times, people always believed that "the dead are the greatest". Ancient people paid great attention to their affairs after death. When they reached a certain age, they would make themselves the best coffin they could afford and prepare the best shroud, and place them on the beams of the house, for fear that they would die suddenly, or that their descendants would be unfilial and die in an undignified manner without any preparation.

However, too many people died in this rain disaster. It cannot be said that the numb people did not take it seriously. It can only be said that the dead were not taken seriously enough and they were still ranked behind the living.

Furthermore, even if someone died in the first month of the lunar year, the funeral would be kept secret, but when a daughter-in-law dies, informing her parents' home is the most basic thing to do. If a good daughter marries into your family and dies at a young age, you must give an explanation to her in-laws. But for some reason, there has been no news from Hua's in-laws' home in Jiangxia in the past few days - there were people on duty when the village was sealed off, so it is impossible that someone came but didn't pass on the news.

"Mom, let's go back first and wait for my eldest brother to come back. We will go to my youngest sister's house tomorrow."

Jiang the peddler's wife, Huang, did not return to her parents' home today. Jiang the peddler and her were preparing meals for guests at home at noon when they suddenly heard someone coming to deliver the news. He was completely stunned and could not believe it. There was a buzzing sound in his ears. It was not until Huang called him that he hurried to the village entrance and supported his heartbroken mother.

“Oh my second brother! Wuuuuuu…”

The butcher's mother grabbed the peddler's clothes and finally burst into tears. The peddler's eyes suddenly became hot and tears came down.

Seeing this scene, everyone was in a bad mood, especially the families who had not seen their daughter coming to the village. They were so anxious that their hands and feet were numb. They hoped that she would come earlier, but they also hoped that she would come later. It didn’t matter whether she came early or late, as long as she came back.

After waiting and waiting, another ox cart finally came into the village. Just like their village, several families rented a cart together. Some people came in the wind and snow, carrying a load on their shoulders, with a layer of snow on the lid of the load.

"Finally you're here! Are you cold?" When Grandpa Jiang heard that Jiang Xiahua was gone, he hurried to the village entrance to wait for his great-granddaughter: "Why are you standing there? Take over the burden!"

He patted his eldest son with his cane, then patted the snow off his great-granddaughter's head.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Chunling smiled at her grandfather and said to Old Master Jiang, "It's OK. It's not cold."

"Your hands are all blue from the cold, aren't you cold? Why don't you wear gloves?"

"I left in a hurry and didn't bring any cloth with me. When the water receded and I got home, half of the cloth had been washed away."

"Just wash it away, it's okay, as long as you're okay. How are you? Are you hurt? Why have you become so thin?"

"I'm fine, it's just that his father broke his leg, so he didn't come home this time."

"Is it serious? Has the bone been set? If not, you need to bring it here quickly and ask your aunt to take a look. This is no small matter and you can't be careless. If you delay, a minor illness will turn into a major one!"

Jiang Chunling glanced at her great grandfather and couldn't believe her ears. In the past, he always thought that minor illnesses didn't need to be treated, and major illnesses couldn't be cured. If the illness wasn't serious, there was no need to see a doctor because it would cost a lot of money. She only saw a doctor when she had to because of her old cold legs. Now...

What changed the mind of this stubborn person who has lived for thousands of years?

One third of the girls who married out of Jiangjia Village finally arrived before the afternoon, but as for the remaining two thirds, except for a few who sent messages, there was no news at all. With the example of Jiang Xiahua, the families who didn't see their daughters couldn't eat or sleep well, and they wished they could grow two wings and fly to their children to see them.

How should I put it? The people of Jiangjia Village were quite lucky. They predicted the disaster and survived it safely. They had a leader who arranged their food and daily life, so they had no worries about food and drink. The only difference was that their living conditions were a little worse.

But many people outside the village are not so lucky. Some of them were injured, some lost their lives, some were separated from their wives and children, and some were left alone in their old age.

Everyone has his own helplessness and misery, but even though they are already suffering so much, there are still people who want to force them into desperate situations.

The city gate of Luoshui County has never been opened, either actively or passively.

Originally, according to Governor Wen's perfect plan, he would open the city gates, search for food, teach Chen Nuo a lesson, leave people to control Luoshui County, plunder all the food from the people in the county, bring it back to Chunzhou County, and have a prosperous year.

He thought this matter was not difficult to accomplish and Chen Nuo had no ability to stop him.

However, the people of Governor Wen, who had been clamoring for a whole day and night, did not even enter the city gate.

When braving the biting cold wind and his snot was about to freeze, Governor Wen finally believed what Magistrate Ming said that Chen Nuo did it on purpose. He deliberately did not open the city gate to welcome them into the city. He wanted to rebel!

What a big dog!

Governor Wen was furious. He wanted to attack the city by any means necessary. Such a big piece of fat meat was right at his fingertips, but he couldn't eat it.

Is there anything more infuriating than this?

The people living near Luoshui County suffered greatly and were troubled.

They were relatively close to Luoshui County, so naturally they could not completely hide the fact that Luoshui County was engaged in the massive harvest. Many smart people had already joined in the harvest. Without any outside help, they had harvested most of the grain with their own hands. If they had planned to eat well, they would have been able to sustain themselves for a long time, but then Governor Wen arrived.

Not only do they want good food and drink, they also want to eat and take away. They take away anything edible that they can see and find, even a jar of pickles.

The people were angry but dared not say anything. They could only watch them take the food away. Finally, they were ordered to go up the mountain to cut trees, the thickest trees, tie ropes to them, and follow their people to hit the city gates.

The city gate was shaking violently, dust was falling down, and from far behind, the life-threatening voice of Governor Wen could be heard: "Didn't you eat? Scratch your itch! Come again, hit me!"

In the end, Jiang Yipei did not accompany Jiang Suying back to her parents' home, just because he met County Magistrate Chen on the way to the town.

Jiang Yipei got off the mule cart and got on the horse carriage: "Master Chen, it's New Year's Day, and I have to accompany my wife back to the Yue family to pay New Year's greetings."

County Magistrate Chen hurriedly bowed and said, "I'm really sorry, Brother Jiang. The situation is serious, so I have no choice but to come to you. As for my sister-in-law, I will definitely come to apologize to her another day!"