jdhmnovel Chapter 192 Cave
Chapter 192 Cave
Shui'er and Xiao He exchanged a smile, then replied in unison, "Yes, Village Chief, we'd also like to try the village's fine wine."
As they talked, they each poured half a bowl of wine and picked it up.
"Come on, let's toast everyone to thank Aunt Qiao for taking us in and to thank everyone for the feast."
Shui'er's voice was clear and melodious, and Xiao He also had a smile on her face. The two raised their glasses together.
The men in the village all picked up their bowls in response, and the room was filled with laughter and joy.
After the banquet, Shui'er and Xiao He returned to the Qiao family home accompanied by Aunt Qiao.
At this time, several other people also came to the Qiao family. They were all villagers who were grateful to Shui'er and Xiao He.
Aunt Qiao looked at the two young girls with eyes full of love and reluctance.
She said softly, "You two must be tired. Go inside and get some sleep."
Shui'er shook her head and said, "Auntie, we're not tired. It's just..."
Xiao He chimed in, "By the way, Auntie. We're about to set off. We've been away for so long, our families must be worried."
Aunt Qiao's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
She urged them to stay, saying, "So soon? Why don't you stay another day? Although the snow wasn't heavy today, it's already afternoon, and the mountain roads are difficult to travel."
The village chief chimed in, "You two girls should stay another night. Tomorrow morning, Erwa will take you to the cave entrance. Just go that way; that path is relatively safer."
Shui'er and Xiao He exchanged a glance, pondering to themselves.
The village chief was right. It was already late, and the mountain road was rugged, so it was indeed too late to set off.
After thinking about it, the two felt that the village chief's words made a lot of sense, so they nodded in agreement.
“Alright then, we’ll stay another night. Thank you for your kindness, Village Chief and Auntie,” Shui’er said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Qiao breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on her face.
The two decided to stay one more night in Gujia Village and set off again the next day.
The night was deep and quiet, and the snow was still falling, but not heavily.
Shui'er and Xiao He lay on the warm bed, their minds filled with countless thoughts.
I can't help but wonder how Sister Daya and Sister Xiaoyue are doing.
Reflecting on their journey, both of them were filled with emotion.
They encountered ferocious wild beasts and treacherous mountain paths.
But each time, they managed to turn danger into safety through their wisdom and courage.
"Xiao He, after we leave tomorrow, we should be able to find Sister Da Ya and the others soon," Shui'er suddenly asked.
Xiao He was silent for a moment, then said, "I believe we can definitely do it. We've met so many kind people along the way."
I believe that after I leave this time, I will definitely be able to find them.
Shui'er nodded, her heart filled with hope.
She held Xiaohe's hand: "I'm looking forward to tomorrow, and then after walking a little further, I'll see Sister Daya and Sister Xiaoyue."
Xiaohe smiled and replied, "Okay, let's get some rest so we'll have the energy to travel tomorrow."
The two smiled at each other and then fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, a light snow was still falling from the sky, draping the earth in a pure white and mysterious veil.
Shui'er and Xiao He woke up slowly in the morning light. They exchanged a few words in hushed tones, quickly washed up, and then left the warm room.
Aunt Qiao was already busy in the main room. When she saw the two of them, a warm smile immediately appeared on her face, like a ray of sunshine in winter.
"Come and have breakfast, it's hot and warming, so you can travel more easily."
Shui'er and Xiao He exchanged a smile, their hearts filled with gratitude. They nodded and walked to the dining table to sit down.
Breakfast, though simple, was delicious: a bowl of hot porridge and a few side dishes, warming both the mouth and the heart.
Just as they were enjoying this warm moment, the cheerful laughter of Da Mu and Er Wa came from outside the door.
"Shui'er, Xiaohe, we're here. Are you ready?" Damu's voice was loud and warm.
Shui'er looked up with a smile on her lips: "We'll be done soon, just wait a moment."
The two quickened their pace of eating and soon put down their chopsticks and bowls.
They got up and went into Uncle Qiao's room. Shui'er whispered, "Uncle Qiao, we're about to leave."
Make sure to change your dressing and take your medication on time, get plenty of rest, and avoid walking for three months. Please remember this.
Uncle Qiao lay on the bed, his eyes filled with gratitude and reluctance.
"Thank you both, I've got it. Please be careful on your journey."
His gaze seemed to want to etch the images of the two people deep into his heart.
Xiao He gently patted Uncle Qiao's hand and comforted him, "Uncle Qiao, don't worry, we'll take good care of ourselves."
The two then turned and left, and Uncle Qiao's gaze followed their retreating figures until they disappeared outside the door.
Upon arriving in the courtyard, Shui'er and Xiao He walked to the corner where the carriage was parked. They skillfully untied the ropes and took several bags of grain from the carriage.
Shui'er took a bag and gently placed it in front of Aunt Qiao.
"Auntie, keep this bag of grain and eat it slowly. Your two younger brothers are growing and need to eat more."
Aunt Qiao quickly waved her hand: "No, no, this grain is too precious, I can't accept it."
Shui'er smiled slightly: "Auntie, please accept it. We still have enough food. Consider this bag a small token of your appreciation for taking us in."
Meanwhile, Xiao He, who was outside, had neatly stacked six bags of grain to the side and said to the village chief, "Village chief, here are six bags of grain. Please distribute them to the villagers. Thank you all for taking us in and caring for us these past few days."
A relieved smile appeared on the village chief's wrinkled face.
"Okay, then I won't stand on ceremony. You are such kind and good children."
Xiao He laughed heartily: "That's more like it!"
Amidst laughter and cheers, Shui'er and Xiao He, accompanied by the cheers of Gujia Village, followed Damu and Erwa into the cave on the back mountain.
Their figures, set against the backdrop of snowflakes, appeared exceptionally resolute and beautiful.
Da Mu and Er Wa led Shui Er and Xiao He to a cave in the back mountain.
This cave is hidden in a dense forest and is difficult to find without careful observation.
Shui'er and Xiao He drew their swords and began hacking at the dense weeds at the cave entrance.
As the two quickly cleared the hole, a hole about three meters wide appeared before them.
"This is the entrance to the cave," Erwa said, pointing to the cave.
“Go in from here and keep going straight, and you’ll get out of this forest. But be careful, when you get to the fork in the road, remember to go to the far left.”
Shui'er and Xiao He nodded, indicating that they understood.
"Alright, that's enough for you. We can walk the rest of the way ourselves."
When Da Mu and Er Wa heard what they said, they reluctantly said goodbye to the two of them.
They took torches from the carriage, lit them, and drove the carriage into the cave.
Shui'er called out to Da Mu and the other man, "Go back now, and remember to say hello to everyone for us. We'll see each other again someday."
Upon hearing Shui'er's words, Da Mu quickly replied, "Shui'er, Xiao He, please take good care of yourselves."
Erwa added, "You two be careful and take care!"
The cave was pitch black, with only the light from the torches providing illumination.
Shui'er and Xiao He drove the carriage carefully, afraid of encountering any danger.
Along the way, they encountered many difficulties and challenges.
Sometimes the road was bumpy and uneven, sometimes the ground was slippery. But they overcame them all with their courage and wisdom.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Xiao He's stomach began to rumble.
Xiao He couldn't help but say, "The roads here are indeed difficult to travel. It's easier for a lone traveler, but it's several times more difficult for a horse-drawn carriage."
Upon hearing this, Shui'er replied, "Let's rest for a while and eat some dry rations."
The two fed the four horses first, then ate something to fill their stomachs, and then continued on their way.
I don't know how much time passed, but the two of them took a nap and ate twice.
Finally, a three-way intersection appeared in front of the two of them.
Shui'er said, "This must be the place that Brother Erwa is talking about."
Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, let's go to the left."
We then headed to the far left, but unexpectedly, this path became even more difficult.
The two of them struggled to drive the horses, dismount from the carriage, and push the carriage, repeating this process countless times, until finally they saw the road ahead level out a bit.
Shui'er couldn't help but sigh, "We've finally made it through."
Xiao He, panting, said, "Although we no longer have to brave the wind and snow, it has become another kind of hardship."