Chapter 7, Miao Village

Zitong quickly interjected when she saw her father truly angry, saying: "Xiaobao, we appreciate your intentions, but this is ultimately our own matter. We cannot accept your money; this is the pride of our clan"

Zitong mysteriously said, "I have my own way," and then ran over to help Lin Tang and Jiang pull the small boat to the shore, securing it with a rope before stepping into the stream to continue washing clothes. Lin Tang sat on the shore holding Ke'er, chatting casually with everyone. Finally, after several people finished washing the clothes, Lin Tang hurriedly stepped forward to help them carry the bamboo tubes used for storing the clothes as they all walked towards the mountains.

Zitong leaned closer to her sister with a smile and whispered a few words in her ear, to which Jinqiao chuckled and said, "You always have so many clever ideas, but even so, anyone can tell from his appearance that he is a foreigner. How do you plan to explain that?"

Lin Tong looked at Zitong, whose face was covered in tears, and said: "I understand your pride, but I want to tell you not to outright deny the help of others. This may be an opportunity, one that could change your life and possibly alter the fate of the entire Miao people."

Lin Tong looked at him and sighed, saying: "How about this, Uncle? After you finish your meal, gather the clan members to discuss it. If you are willing to accept my help, I would like to share my ideas with you in detail. If not, I will not insist; this afternoon, I will take Ke'er and leave. I hope you think it through, as opportunities are fleeting, and regretting later is meaningless." After saying this, he stood up and walked out of the room

After changing her clothes, Lin Tong picked up Ke'er and followed Zitong towards the mountain village. Along the way, they encountered many people, and Zitong greeted everyone warmly. When asked about Lin Tong and Ke'er, Zitong introduced them as her cousin and cousin sister, saying they were here to stay for a few days. The three of them walked for a while and arrived in front of a small courtyard.

Lin Tong glanced at the coarse earthenware bowl on the table, which contained five corn cakes. Although they were called cakes, most of them were actually wild vegetables barely held together by a small amount of cornmeal. Lin Tong smiled slightly at her and said, "This is great, why aren't you all eating together?"

Zitong smiled upon seeing his fondness, and while sitting down with him, she said: "Here, we are poor and there is usually not much to eat, so everyone slices the few fruits we have during the harvest season and dries them to eat slowly later. I remember when I was young, my favorite time was summer and autumn, because during this period, all the trees bore fruit. I would go to the mountains with my older brothers and sisters to pick fruits, and occasionally we could eat a few fresh ones. However, it has become increasingly difficult now" As she spoke, Zitong's expression grew darker.

After listening to his words, Kui Yi let out a long sigh, stepped forward, and sat down at the table. The bowl he held indeed contained only some boiled wild vegetables, just as Lin Tong had guessed, with not a grain of food in sight. Lin Tong gestured for her mother and Zi Tong to sit down as well, then reached out to take a cake from the table and placed it in Zi Tong's bowl, nodding to indicate that she should eat. Only then did she look at Kui Yi and say, "Uncle, eating only this will truly starve you."

Lin Tong furrowed her brows and remained silent, simply holding Ke'er as she quietly sat on the chair, watching Zitong and her mother bustling about outside. Before long, the meal was ready, and Zitong entered the room carrying a coarse pottery bowl, placing it on the table and apologetically looking at Lin Tong, saying: "Little Baoge, I truly apologize; this is all we have at home, so please make do with it." After speaking, she stood to the side, watching Lin Tong and Ke'er.

Lin Tong followed Zi Tong into the house and sat down on a bamboo chair. The child, Ke Er, was curious about everything and ran around playing. Lin Tong was not someone who was overly strict, so she did not impose many restrictions on her. Zi Tong was busy serving tea and water, along with some homemade snacks, placing them on the small table and apologetically saying: "There isn't much to eat at home, just some dried fruits for you to make do with"

Lin Tong looked at the anger displayed on his face and raised his voice, saying: "Trustworthiness is not something that can be spoken of lightly. If you do not believe me, I will not force you. However, I would like to ask how you intend to pay your taxes. We are currently in a transitional period, with crops not yet ripe and fruits still unripe. The little food that remains is barely enough for ourselves. Do you truly wish for all your clansmen to subsist on wild vegetables every day? Even so, how long can wild vegetables last? Eventually, we would have to resort to eating tree bark. Uncle Kuiya, I know you have suffered greatly under the oppression of the Han people. You do not wish to accept their help, but think of Zitong and the poor children in the village who have nothing to eat; they are left with no way out."

Hearing Lin Tang's words, Ku Yi's sturdy figure instantly crumbled, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. Two streams of murky tears slowly flowed down his face; a man who had always stood tall was finally defeated by the harshness of reality

Lin Tong turned to look at the Ku Yi family across from him, who were staring at him in a daze, and with a wry smile said, "Uncle, Aunt, Zi Tong, and younger sister, please come over, let's have a talk." Seeing them awkwardly standing there, he sighed and said, "To be honest, Uncle and Aunt, I am actually Han Chinese."

"Do not say anymore," Kui said, although his tone was cold, the anger on his face had already eased. He looked at Lin Tang and said, "I believe that what you are saying is true, but I cannot accept your money"

Before Lin Tong could speak, Ku Yi said loudly: "Don't ask him, how would a Han person care about our lives and deaths."

However, every day I can only earn a little silver, and after buying medicine, there is no money left for rice. What should I do? I can only eat less and give the little food I have to my seriously ill mother, just like you all did earlier. But I am also hungry and cannot sleep at night. To fill my stomach, I can only use the leftover dregs of the medicine to stave off hunger. Later, I met a master who brought my mother and me to the southern border, where not only did we start living a good life, but my mother's illness was also cured

Upon entering the house and sitting down, under repeated questioning from Zitong, Mother finally revealed the truth. It turned out that this morning, just after Zitong and the others had left, the old clan leader sent someone to Laohongmiao Village with a message stating that the Governor had issued an order indicating that the court urgently needed silver for military operations in the northwest. Therefore, the court decreed an increase in taxes by 30%, with a deadline of five days for completion. Based on the population of the village, this 30% amounts to over 1,000 taels of silver. It is only June now, and the new crops have not yet matured; the remaining provisions are already insufficient for everyone to fill their stomachs. How can they gather over 1,000 taels of silver? As the village chief, Kui had just returned from a meeting with the villagers and was equally at a loss.

After speaking, he looked at the furious Kui, who was glaring at his daughter Zitong, who lowered her head. Lin Tang sighed and said: "Uncle, please do not blame Zitong. In fact, I heard that the scenery in the Miao villages around here is the best, which is why I wanted to come and take a look. Zitong only brought me in out of kindness, not wanting to see me disappointed. In fact, Uncle, you should not only refrain from blaming Zitong but also thank her. Although she is young, she is very wise. She has a saying that is very true: not all Han people are bad."

Upon reaching the village, Zitong found a densely wooded area and asked Lintong to wait there while she returned to the village with a few sisters. After about a meal's time, Zitong hurriedly approached, holding a small cloth bag, and upon seeing Lintong, both of them repeatedly apologized, explaining that it was not easy to find clothes and that it had taken some time.

Ke'er obediently nodded and then took a cake from the table before running outside to play

"That is not the case," Zitong said. "In our village, we usually wash in the stream there. We only come here to wash bedding and sheets. The stream in the village is the source of drinking water for the entire village, so it must not be contaminated."

Zitong smiled gently and said: "It is much better now. Although the remaining food is not abundant, fortunately, the weather is warm, and we can gather some wild vegetables from the mountains to mix with the cornmeal, which is enough to fill our stomachs. During the winter, we had to endure hunger, but there wasn't much work to do at that time, so we managed to get through it all."

Zitong, upon hearing this, was taken aback and shouted angrily: "Are we not allowed to live? We have already been driven to the point where we can barely fill our stomachs, and now they want to raise taxes. At this rate, before the autumn harvest comes in, someone will starve to death. I think these ruthless Han people want us dead." After saying this, she realized that Lin Tang beside her had turned back and apologetically tugged at the corner of his mouth. Was this supposed to be a smile? It looked worse than crying.

A child's words caused everyone's gaze to settle on Lin Tang. Lin Tang pulled back his racing thoughts and smiled gently at Ke'er, saying, "Uncle is not crying; he is just reminded of his childhood, which was often like this too." After saying this, he gently patted the child's little head and continued, "There are many things that children like you cannot understand. Listen to Uncle and take a cake outside to play, alright? Uncle wants to talk to Sister Zitong and the two grandparents."

Zitong said, "You all eat first; we are still preparing. We will eat once it's ready." As she spoke, she lowered her head, occasionally glancing up at Lin Tang, her gaze wandering and avoiding direct eye contact with Lin Tang.

Lin Tong nodded and said, "I mainly worry about causing you trouble; I am not afraid of anything myself." He thought to himself that with his current skills, even if someone were truly hostile towards him, escaping would not be a problem.

"Uncle, why are you crying?" Ke'er stared wide-eyed at Lin Tang and said in a tender voice

After listening to the discussion, Zitong smiled and said, "It is indeed not easy to go out from the mountains. In fact, there is a path ahead that, after crossing the wide Xinjiang River, leads to the places where the Han people reside, which is quite easy."

Lin Tongchong smiled slightly, took a piece, and chewed it for a moment, finding the taste quite good. He nodded and said: "This should be longan, right? I remember having fresh ones before, but this is the first time I've tasted it prepared this way, and it is really delicious."

Zitong stole a glance at her father, who was fuming with anger. Although his face was filled with rage, he unconsciously leaned forward a bit, seemingly wanting to listen carefully to what Lin Tang had to say. She smiled slightly, looking at Lin Tang, and said: "Please share your thoughts. If you can truly help us through this difficult time, our entire clan will be grateful to you"

Zitong glanced at him, her face showing some difficulty, but she still said nothing and turned to leave. Outside, she murmured with her mother for a while, then called out to her father from the house. Only then did she enter and say to Lin Tang: "Xiao Bao Ge, we are coming in for dinner now." After saying this, she turned and went out. A little while later, the three of them entered, each carrying a large bowl, standing at a distance and eating with their heads bowed.

Lin Tong frowned after listening and thought to himself that the stream water, which might have been used for washing clothes and perhaps even for bathing, could be a bit too dirty for drinking. However, the Miao people had lived this way for hundreds of years, so they must have adapted to it. Moreover, since it was stream water, it should be flowing, making it quite normal to drink from upstream and wash clothes downstream. Out of respect for the Miao people, he did not say much and simply followed everyone forward

Lin Tong smiled slightly and said, "I see, we are not hungry yet, so let's wait until it's ready for everyone to eat together"

Lin Tongchong smiled slightly and said, "In fact, to put it simply, this matter ultimately depends on yourselves; others cannot help you..." Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed Zitong's face filled with dejection, Ku Yi's anger growing even more intense, while A Mu merely lowered her head and drank the wild vegetable soup. Lin Tongchong smiled and said, "Ku Yi, Uncle, I have an idea, but please don't get angry when I say it"

The road back to the mountain stronghold is winding and difficult to traverse. As Lin Tang walked, she inquired, "Given how challenging this mountain path is, it must be quite difficult for you to leave the stronghold on a regular basis"

Zitong looked at her unusually behaving father with a puzzled expression, wondering how it could be so easy to deceive him. Moreover, why was her usually warm father so indifferent upon seeing Xiaobao? Did he know their true identities? She turned to glance at her mother, only to find her mother also wearing a worried expression. "Mother, what exactly is going on?"

Lin Tong smiled as he looked at Kui, who appeared as anxious as a rabbit with its tail on fire. He gazed for a long time until Kui felt somewhat uneasy under his scrutiny, and then he softly spoke: "If Uncle believes that throwing a tantrum and cursing can satisfy the hunger of your kin, I would be more than happy to be a loyal listener"

Zitong pointed to the village halfway up the mountain and said, "Xiaobao, our village is just ahead. In a moment, we will go back first, and you and Ke'er wait for me outside for a while. I will help you find the clothes of our clansmen and then take you in." Along the way, Lin Tang told everyone that his name was Xiaobao, and Zitong thought that the way to help him enter the Miao village was naturally to have them disguise as Miao people. Fortunately, apart from clothing, there were basically no significant differences between Han people and Miao people, so they would likely not be easily recognized.

Zitong smiled at him and said: "Most of the time, we speak Han language, so don't worry. Actually, I let you wear our clothes to save some trouble. I think, even if others know you are Han people, what difference does it make? Have you bullied us?"

Lin Tong laughed and said, "In order to prove that your statement is incorrect, I truly want to take care of your well-being." As she spoke, she looked at Zi Tong with a smile and added, "I cannot claim to have a good solution, but I do have some ideas that might be of help to you."

Lin Tong stood up and called for Ke'er and Zitong to go outside to welcome Kuya's father. Kuya's father had a tall, sturdy, and dark face marked by the traces of wind and frost, with some gray at the temples. If Zitong had not previously told him that Lin Tong would not believe that this elder was only forty-one years old, he would have been astonished. The woman accompanying Kuya's father was presumably Zitong's mother, who was very beautiful, though her face bore the hardships of life, yet her beauty could not be concealed. With such a beautiful mother, it was no wonder that Zitong was so charming.

Lin Tong had just heard Zitong mention their difficult days, where they could barely fill their stomachs with wild vegetables. It now seemed that before long, even wild vegetables would be out of reach. He nodded to Zitong, signaling her not to worry about him

Lin Tang, who was drinking tea, looked up at Zi Tong and asked, "Why has it become increasingly difficult?" After asking, he already knew the reason and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

The two were chatting when they heard someone push the door open from outside. Zitong smiled and said, "Father and Mother are back; you mustn't talk too much later."

Mother glanced at Lin Tong and smiled sadly, saying: "There are guests, please enter the house first. We will talk about matters later."

Without waiting for him to finish, Kui shouted loudly: "We Miao people have hands and feet, we do not need your charity"

As Lin Tong gazed at the situation of this family, his thoughts drifted to the small thatched cottage west of Suzhou City, where he and his mother once told kind lies for the sake of a meager bowl of rice. As he pondered, his eyes reddened and became moist, filled with an indescribable sorrow.

Mother also noticed and said to Lin Tong with a face full of apology: "I am truly sorry, you sit here and I will go cook, Zitong will wash some wild vegetables." After a pause, as if she exerted a lot of effort, she said: "Let's add some cornmeal and make some flatbreads."

Kuyi and Amu both looked at their daughter with admiration and nodded after listening.

When Kui Yi saw that there were people at home, he was momentarily taken aback. However, upon hearing his daughter say that they were villagers from another village who had lost their way while gathering herbs, he did not think much of it. He simply greeted Lin Tang and then went inside the house

Lin Tong quietly said after listening, "I can help you resolve this one thousand taels of silver..."

Kuyi slammed the bowl in his hand onto the table, splattering the wild vegetable soup everywhere. Zitong and his mother looked at him in terror. Kuyi, with a face full of anger, shouted at Lin Tang and the librarian: "Do you think we don't know that eating wild vegetables can starve us? Do you think we don't know that white rice and cornmeal are delicious? Isn't it all because of you Han people forcing us?"

When Lin Tong was rowing the small boat and arrived before the Miao girls with Zi Tong and Ke Er, everyone knew that their beautiful yet stubborn little sister had made up her mind to bring these two Han people back to the mountain village. Jin Qiao gently held Zi Tong's hand and said, "Sister, are you really going to take them in? Ku Yi's father will definitely scold you to death."

Lin Tong heard from the crowd on the road that Zitong's father, Kui, is the village chief here and a well-known figure in the surrounding Miao villages. Lin Tong set down Ke'er and walked slowly inward. The houses of the Miao people differ greatly from those of the Han; instead of the straight streets and dense residential clusters typical of Han architecture, they randomly select suitable spots on the hillside to build bamboo houses and wooden cabins. Although they appear quite simple, they are also very beautiful. The houses of the Miao people differ greatly from those of the Han; instead of the straight streets and dense residential clusters typical of Han architecture, they randomly select suitable spots on the hillside to build bamboo houses and wooden cabins. Although they appear quite simple, they are also very beautiful

Lin Tong and Ke Er were changing clothes while saying: "Zi Tong, I just thought of a question. You wouldn't use your own tribal language when talking in the stronghold, would you? If that were the case, we would quickly reveal our identities."

Kuyi stared at him in astonishment, his face filled with anger, yet he did not know what to say. Meanwhile, Zitong, after hearing his words, felt a stir in his heart. Observing his relaxed smile, he sensed that there was more to his words, so he cautiously asked, "Xiaobao, do you have a solution?"

Kuyi shot her a glance and said, "Go ahead and speak"

Lin Tong looked at the sixteen-year-old girl with admiration and said: "Zitong, I know you are a strong girl and a child worthy of respect. I can understand your pride; my circumstances were even worse than yours. I remember when I was twelve, during the great drought in the northwest, when unscrupulous merchants profited from the national disaster by raising rice prices several times. At that time, my mother was seriously ill in bed, and I worked desperately every day to earn money to buy her medicine, just so she could live a few more days.

Zitong gave a wry smile and said: "The land and fruit trees in the village are limited. Every year, the harvested grains and fruits must be collected and sent outside the mountain to be sold for silver to pay taxes. Not to mention the fruits, even the grains are not enough to eat, so how could there be any fruits to eat? These dried fruits are what remained from the year before last, and I have never been able to bring myself to eat them."

Lin Tong's expression grew increasingly somber after listening. Although he lived in seclusion in the valley, he often heard his senior brothers speak of the chaotic world outside. The current court was incompetent and corrupt, with officials rampant in embezzlement. Coupled with the frequent disturbances from foreign tribes in the north, the current Jin court was beset by internal strife and external threats, teetering on the brink. With this in mind, Lin Tong looked at Zitong and asked, "So do you have enough food to eat now?"

Zitong opened the door and said to Lin Tang: "Little Baoge, this is my home. My father and mother are not here; you can come in first. They are likely to return shortly."

Lin Tong only then remembered that he had come from Qingxin Valley, and it seemed that this should be the back mountain of the Miao village. Naturally, people usually went out from the front mountain. After thinking for a moment, he asked again: "Do you usually have to walk such a long way to the river to wash your clothes?"