TIPS – Chapter 123

“It’s fine if we’re fighting elsewhere, but this time we’re at war with the North—more precisely, the Northeast. The battlefield is too close to us. If the front lines fall, we could be the first to be affected,” Song Jingwei said.

“A war with the Northeast?” Shen Dongming and Chen Xianggui were both shocked. “How could that be? We’re allies with the Northeast. We haven’t fought in decades!”

“I’m not sure of the details, but the information is accurate. When allies go to war, it usually means the alliance has broken down. Wars between former allies tend to be especially intense,” Song Jingwei said with a sigh.

“So what should we do?” Shen Dongming scratched his head. He had lived most of his life without facing such a life-or-death crisis—aside from the difficult years when his wife and children had fallen ill.

“There’s no need to panic too much. We should prepare for the worst but also trust that reality might not be so harsh,” Song Jingwei took a sip of tea and continued, “The worst-case scenario would be our county falling, the enemy killing captives, or even carrying out a massacre…”

“A massacre?” All three in the room widened their eyes and sucked in a sharp breath.

“It could happen.” Song Jingwei recalled a certain war, remembering the civilians who perished, and he felt a pang of grief. He said, “Don’t overestimate the enemy’s mercy. Their kindness is reserved for their own people. To avoid being captured, we should start preparing early.”

Chen Xianggui had been deep in thought. Hearing this, he said, “That’s not easy to prepare for. Everyone here has families. Leaving before the fighting even starts seems unrealistic. But if we wait until the war breaks out, we might not get far.” Once chaos erupts, traveling becomes several times more dangerous than usual. You might not die at the enemy’s hands, but fall victim to displaced people from our own country.

“Uncle Xianggui is right. Fleeing far away isn’t a viable option,” Song Jingwei said. “The only plan I can think of for now is to make use of our local terrain and prepare for both possibilities.” He looked toward the docks and continued, “The waterways are a perfect escape route, and Xiaoliang Mountain is an ideal place for hiding.”

With this, Shen Dongming and Chen Xianggui began forming a rough idea, and they had to admit—it was a good plan.

“Hiss… if we have a boat, couldn’t we leave at any time?”

“No, it still depends on whether the enemy is coming by land or water. Boats are just a precaution. Ideally, we won’t need to flee far. We’d just hide in Xiaoliang Mountain.”

Chen Xianggui’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands. “Exactly, I get what Jingwei means.” Seeing his brother looking puzzled, he explained with a smile, “Xiaoliang Mountain doesn’t look dangerous—on the contrary, it’s gently rolling and scenic—but outsiders don’t know that there’s a whole hidden world inside.”

Xiaoliang Mountain might look like an ordinary, unremarkable range, but once you venture deep inside, you’ll realize its mysteries. It’s like a labyrinth, with many parts that even local residents have never explored.

“When the enemy invades, we can hide deep in the mountain. It’s easy to defend and hard to attack. We might even take down one or two enemy soldiers ourselves!”

Shen Dongming nodded repeatedly. “This is good. If we can pull it off, we won’t be afraid of war!”

“Uncle Xianggui is right,” Song Jingwei agreed. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. We should start preparing in the mountain now—move in some daily necessities ahead of time—so that when the enemy comes, we can retreat there immediately.”

“Yes! That way we won’t need to flee far. Xiaoliang Mountain is so big, they’ll never find us!” Shen Dongming said, already imagining enemy soldiers wandering helplessly in the mountains. He slapped his thigh in frustration.

“There’s one more thing—I think it’s best if everyone in the village could do the same,” Song Jingwei said, looking at them. “But since this hasn’t actually happened yet, they might not believe it. They might not want to prepare so early.”

That was indeed a problem. Shen Dongming and Chen Xianggui fell into thought. They knew better than anyone what kind of people lived in their village—chances were, they wouldn’t believe it.

“…” Shen Junxi had been listening all this time and now looked worried too. He gestured and signed, “Maybe we don’t need to tell them. We just go ahead and do it. People may not believe others, but they’re always willing to believe their own judgment.”

Song Jingwei looked at him, thinking carefully about what Shen Junxi had said. He found it quite reasonable.

“But there’s a risk. If someone with bad intentions tries to stir up trouble, even hiding in the mountain may not be safe,” Song Jingwei said. He wasn’t fully confident in the solidarity of the villagers of Tea Mountain Village.

“Well, if war really breaks out and lives are at stake, who’d have the heart to cause trouble? They’ll be too busy running for their lives.” Though the villagers might not be very united normally, they believed the people still had decent hearts. At least, they wouldn’t play games with human lives.

Of course, there was always the possibility that one or two of them might truly be cold and heartless.

“It’s already September. In another two or three months, it’ll be the end of the year—we need to get this started quickly.” Song Jingwei took out the blueprint he had drawn earlier and showed it to Chen Xianggui. “That said, take a look at this first, Uncle Xianggui. I’m planning to build a cellar under the house.”

“That’s definitely necessary. You’ve got a lot of valuable stuff in the house…” As Chen Xianggui spoke, he took the plans and looked them over. “That’s a pretty big cellar. Can you finish it in time?”

“We’ll pick a few trustworthy people and start immediately.”

“Alright.”

Speaking of trustworthy people—after they dispersed from the study, Song Jingwei asked Shen Junxi, “By the way, how’s Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi? Has their baby been born yet?”

Shen Junxi shook his head. That was something to ask Yang Shi about. He gestured, “I’ll go ask Mother.”

“Okay, hand Bunbun to me,” Song Jingwei said, taking his son and watching as the young man walked out.

When Yang Shi heard her son ask about Pei Hongxuan, she smiled and said, “Doctor Hu went to their house a couple of days ago. Most likely the baby will be born today or tomorrow. Once it’s born, we’ll all go visit.” Lately, Pei Hongxuan hadn’t been in good health and hadn’t gone out, so the two families hadn’t had much contact. Occasionally, Yang Shi would go visit, but since she had to take Bunbun along, she didn’t go often.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi gestured, “My wife asked, I’ll go let him know.”

After hearing this, Song Jingwei said, “That’s good. By the end of the year, the baby will be about three months old, not too little. We’ll help prepare more things for them then.”

“Mm.” Shen Junxi nodded. Though he had some worries about the war, it didn’t weigh on him as heavily as it did on Song Jingwei. Seeing the crease between Jingwei’s brows, he reached out and patted his hand, gesturing, “Don’t worry too much. Everything will turn out fine.”

Song Jingwei looked at him and replied, “Things will only turn out fine if our preparations are solid. I don’t believe in divine blessings and such. I believe in thorough planning to avoid chaos when the time comes.” He was that kind of person—he trusted no one more than himself. As long as he did his part well, things would go well.

Shen Junxi sat beside him, quietly accompanying him in thought. From time to time, he turned his head to check if Bunbun was being mischievous.

“Ah…” Bunbun saw his dad looking at him and thought he was playing, so he dove into Song Jingwei’s arms and buried his face.

“…” Shen Junxi laughed. Since the child wanted to play, he played along.

Bunbun giggled as he dove into Song Jingwei’s arms over and over again, his little head bumping Jingwei’s chest until it felt stuffy. Jingwei rubbed his son’s head and said, “Little rascal, stop using your iron head to ram me—Daddy gets hurt.”

Hearing that, Shen Junxi guiltily tried to take Bunbun back, but the child stretched his arms out to him, only to pull them back again, playing tricks on him several times.

“Giggle Giggle Giggle…”

“You little troublemaker!” Song Jingwei pinched his son’s chubby cheeks and said to the young man, “He’s messing with you.”

“…” Shen Junxi smiled helplessly, his expression full of doting affection. He didn’t think Bunbun was being naughty—he found him absolutely adorable. There was no helping it. With his personality, he was bound to be the one most bullied at home.

The next day, perhaps thanks to Yang Shi’s repeated talk, Pei Hongxuan’s labor began early in the morning, startling Wu Xi, who didn’t know what to do. Thankfully, they had the experienced Doctor Hu in the house.

Hu Chengchun said, “Don’t panic, don’t panic! You’re both a mess! Learn from the Shen family’s daughter-in-law—he was the picture of calm!” Then he started teaching what to do, having Wu Xi help Pei Hongxuan walk around the room.

Upon hearing that Song Jingwei had gotten up before dawn and walked on his own, Pei Hongxuan broke into a cold sweat from the pain and exclaimed admiringly, “To endure such agony—he’s no ordinary man!”

“Heh heh!” Hu Chengchun added, “He gave birth to his son without a single cry! Hopefully, you’ll be just as lucky!”

Pei Hongxuan started to regret it. Hadn’t Song Jingwei reminded him to stay active? But after six months, he had grown lazy and sleepy. He could still eat well, but he just didn’t want to move. And with Wu Xi doting on him so thoroughly, he hardly had to lift a finger—so he became even more inactive.

Just as he had feared, the pain dragged on till noon, and the baby still hadn’t come out.

“Doctor Hu, Hongxuan won’t be in danger, will he? Why isn’t the baby out yet?” After enduring so long with his wife, Wu Xi’s legs and hands were going weak. He was scared something might go wrong.

“Don’t say such discouraging things! Hang in there—it’ll be soon!” Doctor Hu, seasoned in such matters, still spoke with firm confidence.

It didn’t help that Pei Hongxuan had been eating and sleeping well but hardly moved. The baby had grown big inside, making labor more difficult.

“Hongxuan, hang in there! Doctor Hu will definitely have a solution—don’t be afraid!” Wu Xi wiped the sweat from Pei Hongxuan’s forehead and spoke soothingly, assuring him everything would be alright.

“……” Pei Hongxuan gritted his teeth and thought to himself: Next time Wu Xi is pregnant, I definitely won’t let him eat five meals a day, definitely won’t let him sleep twelve hours a day, and I absolutely won’t let him just stay cooped up at home!

“Waaah…”

In the afternoon, under the bright sun, a clear baby’s cry came from inside the house. Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi’s first child had been born—a healthy, chubby boy.

The news reached the Shen family’s main house that very afternoon.

Yang Shi beamed from ear to ear and said, “Good, good, as long as father and child are safe. I’ll go visit right away, and I’ll also go again for the third-day celebration.” Since Wu Xi was looking after things on his own and seemed overwhelmed, Yang Shi dropped everything, packed up, and hurried off to help.

“Oh, bring along some of Benben’s gently used baby clothes too,” Song Jingwei added. He knew the fabrics over there might not have as many allergens, but since Benben had already used these clothes, they were reliable and wouldn’t irritate the baby’s skin.

“Ah! I already packed them,” Yang Shi said with a smile. She had gotten everything ready in advance, so she just picked up the bags and headed out. Before leaving, she instructed, “I might be back a bit late tonight. Leave the kitchen to Xi’er—have him cook dinner for you all.”

“Sure! I’ll have him pick you up later,” Song Jingwei replied.

That evening, after bathing Benben, Song Jingwei secured him on his back. Shen Junxi rolled up his sleeves and entered the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family.

Song Jingwei followed him in, helping out by washing vegetables and doing odds and ends.

“Pei Hongxuan’s son has been born.”

“Mhm.” Shen Junxi glanced at him and continued focusing on the wok. He was stir-frying river shrimp with fragrant little chili peppers.

“Ahem, don’t put in so much chili—I can’t handle spicy food,” Song Jingwei said, coughing slightly from the aroma. But the young man beside him looked completely unaffected. Come to think of it, Shen Junxi could eat spicy food like it was nothing. Maybe that’s why his skin was so nice?

“……” Hearing this, Shen Junxi quickly grabbed his chopsticks and started picking out the red chili peppers, removing more than half of them. He had tossed them in just because his mother, Yang Shi, had brought them in from the garden. His family didn’t usually eat spicy food, and on the few occasions they did, Song Jingwei hadn’t seemed to mind, so he hadn’t thought much of it.

“That’s good enough.”

“Okay.”

After dinner, Song Jingwei told Shen Junxi to go pick up Yang Shi from Wu Xi’s house. Shen Junxi agreed, cleaned the dishes carefully in the kitchen, and then headed out.

At home, only Song Jingwei, Shen Dongming, and a drowsy Benben were left. Song Jingwei said, “Since they just had a baby, let’s delay the cellar-digging for a couple of days.” He had originally planned for Wu Xi to help, but now it would have to wait.

Shen Dongming replied, “Sure. With me, Brother Xianggui, and the rest, we can get it done in ten days or so.”

“Right. If we can’t fully trust someone, I’d rather keep the group small,” Song Jingwei said with a nod.

Three days later, the baby’s third-day washing ceremony was held at Wu Xi’s house. The entire Shen family’s main household attended—five people in total—and stayed for lunch.

When they saw how quiet and empty Wu Xi’s home was, and that not even his older brother and sister-in-law, who lived nearby, had come, everyone couldn’t help but feel a bit dismayed. What kind of relatives are these? they thought. There’s no feud between the brothers, so why act like this?

Wu Xi just smiled and told them not to worry—he understood. In truth, his older brother Wu Fu wasn’t a bad person. If not for the sister-in-law’s influence, the brothers wouldn’t have ended up like this. But things were already the way they were; saying more wouldn’t help. It was better to just focus on living a good life.

“Wu Xi, congratulations! Hopefully next year you’ll have another healthy boy!” Shen Dongming joked with a hearty laugh.

“Mm!” Wu Xi nodded earnestly with a smile. “That’s the plan. Next year, I’ll give Hongxuan another baby.” Each of them giving the other a child—that meant their lives would be bound together forever, never to part.

“Hahahahaha!”

Inside the room, Song Jingwei held Benben and quietly talked to Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi about the war situation after checking in on the baby.

Their reaction was just like when Shen Dongming and Chen Xianggui had first heard it. Song Jingwei said, “You two don’t need to worry for now. Just take good care of the baby and yourselves. I’ve already made some preliminary plans—if things go as expected, we’ll all be safe.”

Hearing this, the couple felt deeply relieved and repeatedly thanked him with heartfelt gratitude. They had received so much help and had no idea how to repay it. The more they spoke, the more emotional they became. All the big and small events of the past days came flooding in, and today it all spilled out.

Yang Shi quickly pulled Wu Xi aside and scolded him in a low voice, “Your husband just gave birth! You need to be more careful—don’t let him get too startled or overly emotional! You’re a father now. How can you still be so unstable?”

Wu Xi was thoroughly embarrassed and didn’t dare say another word. He hurried to comfort Pei Hongxuan and calm him down. It was true—these days, Pei Hongxuan’s emotions had been more volatile than usual, like sudden storms, unpredictable and hard to handle.