Chapter 214 - A Game of Wits (1/2)

The yurts were big enough to accommodate all the people. They could even separate an inner room into two s.p.a.ces. As such, Ye Xiaoxian, Xiao Baozhu and Li Hongmei could sleep together again.

Although the yurts were broken, the winter hadn’t come yet. They could repair the holes before it got colder.

The climate here was so dry that they didn’t need to bathe every day. So they merely washed their faces and hands and cleaned their bodies with wet towels.

They were busy until the evening.

Although the yurts were not as comfortable as the post house, staying here was much better than wandering in the wilderness.

The sun went down later than other places, so they couldn’t tell what time it was. As it got dark, a few stars lit up the sky immediately.

Ye Xiaoxian proposed having a meeting about what to do next.

When all the people gathered in a yurt, she let Squire Liu hold the meeting. Squire Liu went straight to the point, “When we arrived here this afternoon, you also heard what Mahal told us. He said we must listen to him if we want to settle down here. We are newcomers and don’t know much about this place. We don’t have goats or cows. Although we have money, we will run out of it sooner or later. At that time, we have to help the locals with herding. What do you think about this?”

Ye Xiaoxian was the first to state her views. “I think we can live by ourselves rather than relying on the locals. There are many other ways of living except for herding.”

Xiao Tieshu looked somewhat upset. “But we will use out of money one day. How can we earn money at that time?”

She said, “Do you remember what Mr. Qiao told us? People here not only herd goats or cows but also plant potatoes, melons and so forth. As long as we work hard, we can also plant something to eat or to sell. After all, potatoes can be grown anywhere.”

…

Xiao Tongshu was not convinced. “Even if we do so, we have to wait for the harvest for a long time. If we have no money at this time, what can we eat then?”

Ye Xiaoxian pointed at the mountain behind her and replied, “There are many treasures in the mountain. As long as we search carefully, we will definitely find something to sell in downtown.”

Li Hongmei was surprised. “Little Ye, I remember you don’t like mountainous areas. You said it was not reliable to live off the mountain.”

Ye Xiaoxian explained, “It’s indeed not reliable to live off the mountain all the time. But our environment has changed. Now that we are living at the mountain foot, we must make the best of the present materials.”

The other people were still muddle-headed.

Ye Xiaoxian recalled the scenes in the doc.u.mentary and said, “At present, we can plant potatoes and fruit trees, collect honey from the mountain and sell it in downtown. We have money and food to support us for a period. When Mahal comes here tomorrow, we can ask him how to trade our products. Squire Liu, can you coax him to tell us more information?”

The glib talker agreed readily.

She continued, “We are strangers here, so we should keep a low profile. Don’t offend the locals, especially Mahal, or we will be excluded. We’d better be patient and try to integrate into the locals’ lives.”

She looked at Xiao Tieshu and Xiao Tongshu when she said that.

Unsatisfied with the locals, these two men had planned to teach them a lesson.

Of course, the lesson was taught by fighting, what they used to do as constables.

Hearing what Ye Xiaoxian had said, Squire Liu had greater admiration for her in his heart.

He turned to his family members and said, “I agree with Little Ye. We’re strangers, so we can’t cause conflicts with the locals. Otherwise, we will definitely be bullied.”

Xiao Tieshu protested, “But you also saw how Mahal bullied us. He didn’t give us flour or new yurts.”

Ye Xiaoxian rea.s.sured him, “Uncle, don’t worry. He will give back the things that belong to us. Trust me!”

Just then, her face was lit up red by the flames beside her, lively with hope.

…

This night, Ye Xiaoxian and her companions found it hard to fall asleep. They hadn’t acclimatized themselves to the new environment.

It was too quiet in the evening. When they had lived in the village, they could hear barks from time to time. But here, there was not even a bug to sing a lullaby to them.

However, it was bright outside. Through the windows, they could see the sky studded with twinkling stars that appeared so close to them.

Ye Xiaoxian failed to find a word to express her feeling. It was as if she was walking on a gla.s.s bridge where she was surrounded by beautiful scenery. The gla.s.s gave her a firm footing, but she felt like she would fall into the abyss anytime.

It seems that I have to be very cautious and work very hard these days, she thought.

…

Mahal came in the next morning.

He had heard from the boys that some refugees asked them to help set up yurts and gave them pancakes in return.