Chen Erlang shot a cold glance at Ms. Liu. Before, he thought his mother genuinely loved him. But unexpectedly, after he failed the imperial exam and fell gravely ill, not only did she refuse to pay for his treatnt, she even insisted on them separating from the main family. Didn’t they know what kind of person Gu Qingi was? In their eyes, she was like a servant girl—timid, incapable of earning money, and unwelco by her own maiden family. Yet, it was this seemingly worthless woman who had swallowed her pride to seek out her exiled cousin, Gu Qingli, and borrow money for his treatnt. He, Chen Erlang, wasn’t a heartless and ungrateful person. If he didn’t cherish a woman like this, he’d truly be worse than a pig or a dog. All those years studying the sages’ books would have been for nothing. He swore to himself that he would treat Gu Qingi well for the rest of his life; it was she who had given him a new lease on life. If she hadn’t borrowed money for his treatnt, he would have died. In the future, he would work hard to earn money, support the family, and study so that i’er could live a good life, and their children too.
As for his ’good’ parents and ’good’ elder brother, he was only their good son and good brother when he had value to them. He had failed the exam—and it was his first ti failing, not as if he failed every year—and they imdiately showed their ugly true colors. To them, Chen Erlang was rely a stepping stone to their own happy and prosperous life. Once that stepping stone crumbled, he was nothing.
He clenched Gu Qingi’s calloused, emaciated hands, his heart aching.
"i’er, don’t be afraid. From now on, you have your husband," he said. With that, he glanced at Ms. Liu jumping onto the oxcart, then pulled Gu Qingi into his arms. He helped her adjust her clothes, then lowered his gaze, ignoring Ms. Liu.
Gu Qingi leaned against Chen Erlang’s chest, overwheld by this unexpected tenderness, tears streaming down her face. She had finally seen the clear sky after the storm. She gave a slight nod.
Ms. Liu’s mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg; she was both delighted and horrified. She was delighted that she might finally be able to hold a grandson, but horrified by her younger son’s attitude, which frightened her.
Father Chen, his face dark, pulled Ms. Liu onto the oxcart. He knew it was futile to say more; his younger son’s heart had turned against them. It was also this foolish woman’s fault for not listening to him and insisting on separating the young couple. Even if they were to ask them to co back now, words spoken are like spilled water that cannot be retrieved. A cracked pot can never be nded as new. Who would have thought Gu Qingi would actually find Gu Qingli, and that Gu Qingli, disregarding past grievances, would really lend her money? Sigh! Chen Lichun sighed heavily in his heart.
Thinking about everything the Chen family had gone through since Erlang and Gu Qingli’s engagent was broken, Chen Lichun felt a mix of emotions. His aversion to Ms. Liu’s usual misdeeds grew. If, after this disaster, Ms. Liu continued her outrageous behavior as always, the Chen family would no longer tolerate her. If she hadn’t constantly berated young Ms. Qin, calling her a hen that couldn’t lay eggs, and had treated her better, young Ms. Qin wouldn’t have had an affair. In any case, he also blad himself for spoiling Ms. Liu.
Chen Dalang, unaware of the silent dispute between them, saw the four of them get on the oxcart and drove it to the village entrance to gather with everyone.
The villagers moved quickly. Aside from so livestock and grain they couldn’t bring, they swiftly packed their belongings. Two hours later, eighty percent of the villagers had arrived. The remaining twenty percent simply didn’t believe the "absurd talk." They had never heard in their eight generations that birds flying away and beasts fleeing ant an impending disaster. Besides, if they left, what would happen to the grain stores at ho? Winter was approaching. Going out without food, clothing, or shelter would be suicide. Even if they were to die, they would rather die guarding their life savings. They also clung to a slim hope: what if nothing happened? Wouldn’t all this effort be for naught? HEH HEH...
Gu Chang’an and the two clan elders were helpless. They sighed deeply towards the village and urged the remaining villagers to hurry. Under the direction of the clan elders and Gu Chang’an, the villagers proceeded in an orderly fashion towards the town. Upon reaching it, they found that almost everyone there had already left.
The villagers sighed again, Rich people are the most afraid of death.
The main group continued towards the County Town. Gu Chang’an felt that while everyone still had the energy, the farther they walked, the safer they would be. This was the first ti the villagers had fled their hos like this. They were a mixture of anxious and curious, and their pace was not slow.
「Towards the end of the dark hour, just as everyone was about to reach the County Town.」
Suddenly, the earth began to shake violently.
"Not good! It’s the Earthworm turning over! Everyone, don’t panic! Hold on to sothing sturdy!" Gu Chang’an yelled, standing on the oxcart.
The people in the procession were already terrified by the sudden "Earthworm turning over," crying and shouting. Gu Chang’an tried to get off the oxcart, but the ground was shaking so violently that he stumbled and fell onto the cart. His second son caught him just in ti.
At this mont, everyone could hear cries and shouts from all around, the sound of houses collapsing, large trees falling, and landslides...
Everyone was stunned.
If... if they hadn’t left the village, they... they... They didn’t dare to imagine.
Now, apart from the sound of children still crying, the adults had actually cald down, quietly waiting for the disaster to pass.
「The next day.」
When Gu Qingli and Da Bai erged from the Space, they were dumbfounded.
Trees in the forest lay fallen in disarray; so large ones were even uprooted. So mountainsides had collapsed entirely, while others had sunk, forming massive sinkholes. The entire Azure Dragon Mountain Range was devastated.
Earthquake. The word flashed through Gu Qingli’s mind.
"Da Bai, let’s go!" Gu Qingli snapped back to her senses, imdiately climbed onto Da Bai’s back, and shouted.
Da Bai seed to understand that sothing terrible had happened. Hearing her, he imdiately bolted towards the edge of the forest. Fallen trees blocked their path, but Da Bai leaped over them again and again.
Da Bai was fast, but Gu Qingli saw many animal carcasses under the trees, their deaths grueso. Gu Qingli didn’t regret having Da Bai summon them back. There were no mountains on the other side of the river, only villages. If those wild beasts had run out and couldn’t find food, it was obvious what they would have eaten.
What was usually an hour’s journey took Da Bai a full two hours to exit the forest. Once out, Da Bai collapsed, panting heavily on the ground.
Gu Qingli glanced at the hillside and the area below. The way back was gone; the rocky face of the mountain was exposed. Her family’s more than one hundred acres of land were all buried. The greenhouse had collapsed, covered by fallen sand, soil, rocks, and trees. Half of her house was also buried. The unburied part had completely collapsed.
Looking out at the entire village, not a single house remained intact; it was all a stretch of ruins. Standing on the mountain, Gu Qingli could faintly hear heart-wrenching, heaven-shaking wails from the village.
Her heart was heavy. She hadn’t expected it to co so quickly, turning everything into a living hell overnight.
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