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Chapter 153 - 149: Refuge_1
Chapter 153 - 149: Refuge_1
Chapter 153: Chapter 149: Refuge_1
Translator: 549690339
Xiu Zhenniang hastily set Chen Boyuan’s bones and strapped his leg to two wooden boards, then fed him a pill that Jiang Cheng had brought over.
She told the Clan Leader, “I’m not skilled in bone setting, you will still need to find a bone doctor as soon as possible.”
The Clan Leader of the Chen family was stupefied.
Where on earth could he find a bone doctor at this time?
Dr. Li’s eldest son was quite skilled in bone setting, but where could he find him?
The Clan Leader turned his gaze to Chunniang, “Daughter-in-law of third son, does your Yingbao know how to set bones?”
Out of desperation, he temporarily forgot that Yingbao was only a four-year old child, hardly a bone setter.
Only then did Chunniang remember that her little daughter had gone down the hill with Jiang Cheng for some time now, why haven’t they come back up?
“Where’s Baobao?” Chunniang hastily asked Jiang Quan, “Why hasn’t Baobao come up yet?”
Jiang Quan had just carried a sack of rice into the cave and said, “She’s down there with the big brother, watching the mules and horses.”
Chunniang was about to go down to find her daughter, but was stopped by Jiang Quan, “Auntie, our torches are about to burn out, don’t wander around. Yingbao will be back with big brother soon.”
Sure enough, not long after, Jiang Cheng came up carrying two large iron pots, followed by Yingbao leading a deer, and Wen Fu carrying a sack.
As soon as Yinbao came up, she was asked by the clan leader to check on Chen Boyuan, but she didn’t know how to set bones, so she had no idea what to do with such an injury.
“My medical skills were taught by Master, and so far I only know a bit about internal medicine, I’m not good at the rest,” Yingbao told the truth.
The Chen clan leader looked dejected.
Han Miaoniang, crying even louder by her son’s side, suddenly got up and charged at Wen Tian. “It’s all because of you, you troublemaker! My son kindly brought you up here, and you pushed him! You wretch!”
Madam Lin had the maid protect Wen Tian and told the angered Han Miaoniang: “My daughter didn’t mean it, don’t vent your anger on her. She’s just an eight-year old child, how could she have pushed your son?”
Han Miaoniang was so angry that she went up to Madam Lin and clawed at her, “Your daughter is a disaster! If it wasn’t for her, how would my son have broken his leg!”
The Chen Clan Leader shouted, “Han family! Stop it now!”
The crowd pulled Han Miaoniang away, trying to console her.
But Han Miaoniang was not listening and cried and made a scene, until she was finally taken aside by her husband.
Wen Tian was trembling with fear, hiding behind the maid and not daring to make a sound.
Madam Lin pitied her daughter, but there was nothing she could do at this time. She was even more disgusted with the villagers.
They were a bunch of unenlightened troublemakers!
She turned her gaze to her fourth sister-in-law, and saw her with her daughter and wet nurse lying next to the Jiang family on a spread-out blanket, pretending to sleep.
Hmph! True enough, every man for himself in times of trouble, even her own niece was ignored, left to be bully!
When they return to Yuzhou, she would tell her father-in-law and let the whole family know what creatures the fourth room had married!
The torches on the mountain path went out one by one, leaving only one in the cave.
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Quan, with the help of Wen Fu, had already carried all the things from the foot of the mountain, including bedding and iron pots that Yingbao had released.
Chunniang pulled her daughter to her side and stayed with the whole family of the Jiangs.
Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu had fallen asleep on the laid out bedding, even Grandfather Jiang and Madam Jiang couldn’t resist sleep due to fatigue.
Chunniang tossed and turned but couldn’t sleep, quietly waiting for her husband’s news in the dark.
With the extinguishing of the last torch in the cave, everything gradually quieted down, broken only by the faint groaning of Chen Boyuan.
The pain of a fractured bone might persist for a while, and Yingbao was helpless as well.
She focused her consciousness into the cave, closely examining the state inside.
The cave was messily piled with many items, even taking up a part of the vegetable field. A basket of chickens, however, seemed at ease, poking their necks out of the cage and pecking at the wheat piled outside.
Yingbao scattered some vegetables around the chicken cage and left them alone, running to plant some melons.
The seeds were from the melon they ate yesterday. Yingbao selected some full kernels to plant in the black soil.
As for those cucumbers, many have already grown, some have turned yellow and matured, just a pity that they can’t be taken out for her mother and the others to eat now.
After a tour, Yingbao left the cave to close her eyes and sleep.
She didn’t know how long was passed, all of a sudden, there is a commotion at the cave entrance.
Someone whispered, “They’re back!”
The villagers who were guarding the entrance to the cave stood up excitedly and tiptoed looking towards the mountain path below.
Some sporadic torches were coming up from the mountain, it was hard to tell whether it was bandits or Jiang Sanlang and the others.
Clan Leader Chen was also awake, he quickly ordered everyone to prepare for the enemy.
“No matter who comes, you can’t be careless.” Clan Leader Chen ordered, “Pick up your bows and arrows, if they are bandits, shoot them directly.”
The villagers, finally waking as if from a dream, hurriedly groped for their weapons and stayed on alert.
More torches appeared in the woods, as if a large number of people were rushing towards them.
Leader Chen’s face turned serious as he ordered his clan to defend the entrance.
“It’s me! I’m Jiang Jiu!”
A soaking wet figure appeared at the entrance.
By that time, the rain had stopped, day was starting to break, and the people’s faces became barely distinguishable.
Elder Jiang ran over when he heard the voice, shouting, “This is my nephew, let him up quickly!”
The villagers withdrew their rods and bows and arrows, and let the newcomer into the cave.
“My nephew, how’s the village?” Elder Jiang constantly asked, “Have you seen Sanlang and the others?”
Jiang Jiu wiped his face, “Big brother, second brother, Sanlang are all behind, they will be here soon.”
Seeing his nephew soaked through, Elder Jiang took out a set of old clothes from his bundle for him to change into.
Jiang Jiu changed out of his wet clothes and into his uncle’s, continuing, “Many bandits came last night. Fortunately, Sanlang timely alerted us and we prepared, otherwise I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
“Then how is your village now? Are the bandits gone?” Elder Jiang asked again.
Jiang Jiu: “They temporarily retreated, but I feel they will come again.”
This time, the bandits didn’t gain much and suffered many casualties. They will definitely come for revenge, so the villagers decided to find a place to hide temporarily.
Everyone in Jiang’s village knew about this Tiger Mouth cave with dangerous terrain, suitable for temporary refuge, so they all rushed here with their families.
Jiang Jiu, being quick on his feet, arrived first.
Elder Jiang was silent for a moment and then asked, “Sanlang and the others, they weren’t injured, were they?”
“Just some minor injuries, nothing serious.” Jiang Jiu, took a sip of water handed to him by his aunt. Remembering the events of last night, he couldn’t help but fear.
So many bandits, at least two hundred. All the able-bodied men in the village fought, plus a few more people led by Jiang Sanlang and about twenty bows and arrows, they barely repelled them.
Had Sanlang and the others not given the warning, he, himself would have been chopped down in sleep.
While they were talking, many more people had arrived but were stopped by the guards.
Seeing this, Jiang Jiu quickly ran over, “They’re all from our Jiang’s village, let them up quickly!”
So, dozens more people entered the cave, and there was still a large gathering of people at the foot of the mountain.
Some were leading oxen and sheep, others were driving fat pigs, and some were carrying chickens and geese.
It seems that all the people from Jiang’s village had come, except for a few strong men.
Plus the scores of people from the Chen’s village, the cave was soon packed full.
However, those water buffalo and donkeys couldn’t get up, even the fat pig refused to enter the cave. So, the people of Jiang’s village drove these livestock into the woods, waiting for the end of the bandit threat before retrieving them.
Even so, quite a few sheep and chickens and geese had entered the cave, and for a while, the cave was filled with the smell of droppings and urine.