CHAPTER 305: CHAPTER 302 TRUST

The villagers of Wang Family Village watched as Miss Xie from Zhenzhou came to diagnose illnesses and brewed a pot of herbal medicine for the village.

The people from Zhenzhou also helped them lay straw on the roof.

They didn’t know how many times these people had come to help, but at least up to now, they found that these people had no malicious intentions.

Especially Chen Yongsheng, who, despite having only one arm, struggled to help with the work.

Many of the men from Wang Family Village were conscripted by the court, and to prevent soldiers from escaping back home privately, they were taken to military camps far from home.

The conscripted from Dai State went to places like Taiyuan Prefecture and Longzhou, yet had not yet encountered General Song’s army.

However, seeing Song Xian’s battle with Han Wei and the numerous soldier casualties, the people of Dai State could imagine the fate of their own, whether forced into military service or not. When two armies engage, it involves lives, leading to a deep sense of detachment.

If it weren’t for Old General Zhang and Yu Niang, the villagers would never have interacted with Xie Liangchen and the others.

Watching Chen Yongsheng sweating profusely as he climbed down from the roof, finally a villager from Wang Family Village approached him to speak.

"Your arm..."

"Lost it in battle," said Chen Yongsheng, "During the war between Daqi and the Liao people, it was left on the battlefield. Only my brother and I returned from our village."

"The one who survived is my clan brother, not a real brother. My real brother is gone too. He was left with his life only because he was too injured to return to the battlefield."

The villagers from Wang Family Village asked questions, and Chen Yongsheng answered.

"I’m stronger than the others in the village. Our Miss Chen’s real uncle also died on the battlefield."

"We’ve been through these things too, all the same. When I returned to the village, the war was not yet over, and the Liao people nearly reached our doorstep. The elderly, women, and children all hid in the village cellar."

"What is there to eat? There’s nothing... Many in the village couldn’t resist eating porcelain clay, their bellies swollen for several days before passing, which is why Miss Chen said don’t eat too much porcelain clay, especially for the elderly and children. Best not to touch it at all, the stuff makes you feel full but is actually useless."

"What do you eat if not porcelain clay?" Chen Yongsheng repeated the question, his gaze deepening as he recalled those times, "We picked out the straw used to cover the house to eat. The previous winter, the Liao people came outside the village, no one dared go out, and the elderly who passed away could only remain in the cellar."

"Living people and corpses together, four days passed... the corpse had no odor, just skin and bones, their bellies filled with straw, dead and naturally they wouldn’t rot."

Chen Yongsheng rubbed the corner of his eyes: "My sister-in-law starved to death, leaving behind a daughter, now with us, just like my own child."

The conversation led the villagers of Wang Family Village to realize that the people from Zhenzhou shared many similarities with them, all having endured hardships.

War is the court’s affair, but the people suffer.

Tired from work, Chen Yongsheng was offered water by the villagers, he drank half a bowl and passed the remaining half to Chen Zhongdong, then patted his shoulder.

"This kid, he’s pretty big already, but only up to my waist, always hunched over, not eating enough, how could he grow?" Chen Yongsheng said, "Now it’s different, he’s almost caught up to me."

"Second Uncle," Chen Zhongdong said, "I’ll be taller than you by winter."

The uncle and nephew exchanged smiles.

Hu Zi ran over to listen to Chen Yongsheng, feeling the stories he told were incredibly familiar, because it was the same for them. Yet this made Hu Zi even more envious of Chen Zhongdong.

The villagers of Wang Family Village glanced at Chen Yongsheng and Chen Zhongdong: "Wasn’t last winter still difficult?"

Chen Yongsheng nodded: "Still difficult, let alone last winter, last year we also couldn’t eat enough."

A villager said: "I heard from Yu Niang, you managed to gather quite some grain to send over, this grain..."

Chen Yongsheng replied: "This grain was planted in spring this year, within a year, we ate our fill, stored food, and the children in the village grew taller and got clothes to wear."

Chen Yongsheng let out a long sigh: "It all boils down to the war, without the war things wouldn’t be this way, once the war stops everything will be well."

These words made the villagers of Wang Family Village bow their heads, wondering when the war would end? The Eight States hadn’t been peaceful for over a decade, with the court always recruiting soldiers, constant border conflicts, and sooner or later they would have to battle the Qi people, living in fear every day.

Chen Yongsheng continued: "The battlefield is truly terrifying, regardless of where you’re from or your family’s situation, on the battlefield it’s kill or be killed."

"With a good court, it’s manageable, they won’t easily go to war, as General Song said about benevolent governance nurturing citizens, like what Prince Guangyang also said before, not to mobilize troops freely, for it harms the people. With a bad court... life becomes unbearable."

The villagers subconsciously nodded, some already shedding tears.

The taxes on the Eight States are heavy, internal woes and external threats, the people have long been weary, yet the court is still intent on reclaiming land occupied by the Qi people.

Actually, they all know it’s impossible, the impact of dynastic changes over the years, beyond the Eight States are the Qi people, how could they win?

To speak further back, when the Eight States were Prince Guangyang’s territory, the former dynasty massacred to seize the Eight States.

For years, people have been killed everywhere under the guise of "Prince Guangyang’s remnants," regardless of whether such remnants exist, it’s just a pretext for killing.

A villager from Wang Family Village said: "But didn’t you still come through the fighting, surely there isn’t another way?"

Chen Yongsheng was momentarily unsure how to respond.

Xie Liangchen’s voice called out, "In two years, the court here allowed the Liao people passage five times, most severely once reaching Zhenzhou City."

After Xie Liangchen spoke, a hush fell around them, and she continued, "I don’t understand military affairs, but after so many years if there were another way, it wouldn’t have come to this."

Some conflicts are unavoidable.

Chen Yongsheng started to speak but hesitated, finally saying, "Actually, General Song is not bad, though he brought troops to the Eight States for war, other than engaging the enemy, he hasn’t recklessly mobilized forces or harmed civilians, otherwise Old General Zhang wouldn’t assist General Song."

Xie Liangchen said: "We came here for no other reason, if there’s any help needed just say, we have some herbs and grain left."

The elder of Wang Family Village nodded.

Xie Liangchen reached out and patted Hu Zi.

"This little girl, and these few," the village chief finally spoke, "Thank you for these days."

Hu Zi’s mother nodded repeatedly, grateful for Xie Liangchen treating her two children’s illnesses.

After Xie Liangchen and the people from Zhenzhou left, Hu Zi suddenly said: "Mother, if the war ends like this, will we have good days ahead?"

Hu Zi’s mother sighed, a catch in her voice, "If only it were as simple as you wished."