Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 272. Bitterness

After taking a breather, Hua Yunxiang secretly asked his father, only to find out that his father used a method of "hit with a stick, then give a sweet date" to calm the grandparents’ family.

This meant that if they continued to make a fuss, they would be driven out of the valley—the family ties had already been severed, but if they lived quietly and well, the grain loan wouldn’t need to be repaid. In the end, considering that they had raised Qi Xiu, they would be given 50 pounds of sweet potatoes, 20 pounds of potatoes, and 20 pounds of coarse grain, out of which they could choose. Naturally, the outcome was as expected.

An hour later, everyone had registered.

Wei Dapeng, Doctor Sun, and the Sun family were all delighted to receive their passes to enter the inner valley, a wooden plaque from Hua Village engraved with a special pattern.

Also receiving these were Teacher Zhao, Midwife Li, the butcher family Zhu, the blacksmith family Wang, and the poultry veterinarian Li You, who were all solitary individuals and were each given a wooden plaque.

They also received the right to rent or buy or build a house, which was seen as the first step towards integrating into Hua Village.

Overall, on this day, Wei Dapeng and his group were very happy, especially with the grains they received. These grains represented hope; as long as they worked hard, they wouldn’t fear not growing enough food.

Wei Dapeng and Doctor Sun were well prepared, having brought enough Silver Coins, and immediately paid for their houses.

Grandma Sun didn’t delay for long, and though Zhu Rourong was slower because he wasn’t sure and didn’t carry much Silver with him, his many sons allowed his eldest son to quickly go up the mountain to get the Silver. Amid admiring gazes, he went with the village chief into the inner valley to choose a house.

Of course, this wasn’t the sole condition for entering the inner valley.

The village chief also gave others a chance, offering everyone a six-month probation period to behave honestly and comply strictly with Hua Village’s rules. If they wished to live within the inner valley, it wasn’t impossible; there was a large area along the lakeshore where they could build houses.

Needless to say, finding this valley truly was a stroke of luck for Hua Village. It not only had ample space but also abundant water sources, flat land, and was surrounded by mountains with a suitable climate, like a true paradise.

Wei Dapeng, Doctor Sun, Teacher Zhao, and Zhu Rourong excitedly chose several wooden houses in the same row.

Upon opening the wooden house doors and looking inside, everyone showed genuine, joyful smiles on their faces.

It had been over a year since the flood, but they finally had a home again.

Midwife Li, the blacksmith Wang Jian, the pottery maker Zheng Datian, and Li You all looked enviously at these wooden houses. Although they also wanted to live in such a house, they couldn’t afford it under the circumstances.

Midwife Li and Blacksmith Wang could have managed if they pooled their resources, but without Silver at hand, they felt insecure, thinking they couldn’t live in the mountains forever and would need to move out eventually.

Zheng Datian and Li You truly didn’t have much money, especially Li You, who barely escaped the flood while his family’s Silver and belongings remained with his parents.

Fortunately, he had plenty of grain on him and was quite alert; otherwise, he would’ve ended up as nothing but bones.

Despite his envy of the wooden houses, being alone made it easier for him. He planned to ask the village chief for a piece of land to build a small shelter against the weather, for which he only needed to pay a hundred coins.

Still, with envy, Midwife Li and others hurried to find the village chief about the land, determined to build their houses quickly within the next few days, settle down, and start cultivating grain.

This was of utmost importance, as it directly related to their future sustenance and could not be taken lightly.

Wei Dapeng and his group chose their houses, paid, thanked the village chief and others, and then hurried back to the cave they had occupied to start moving.

In fact, there wasn’t much to move; apart from some warm bedding that had some weight, they mostly had firewood, each carrying a little until it was all gone.

Hua Yunao, Hua Yunxiang, and Luo Song accompanied Teacher Zhao as they went back, determined to help once they recognized the need.

Seeing the children around him, Teacher Zhao, who had been somewhat anxious and suppressed, suddenly felt a lot calmer.

On the mountain, Mrs. Jin, with two children, watched the scene below intently, both hopeful and slightly anxious.

"Mom, don’t worry, Dad is so capable, he will definitely succeed," said a frail boy, Zhao Ji’an, the eldest son of Teacher Zhao.

This year of hardship had made the nine-year-old boy strong and sensible, losing his previous naivety and innocence. Seeing his mother’s worry, he quickly consoled her.

"Yes, your dad is very capable," Mrs. Jin hugged her children, motivating herself as she looked at her skinny children, feeling a pang in her heart.

Adults could make do with wild vegetable soup, but children, who were still growing, couldn’t handle it. Although she didn’t have high hopes of moving into the inner valley, she hoped her husband could buy some grain, even coarse grain, from the villagers of Hua Village.

"Mom, look, it’s Dad; Dad’s back," five-year-old Zhao Jixiang shouted excitedly, pointing at the figures below, breaking free from his mother’s embrace and rushing down the mountain. Seeing this, Zhao Ji’an quickly followed his sister, assuring their mother not to worry, while holding onto his sister.

Fortunately, the slope was not steep; otherwise, Mrs. Jin would have been more worried, though she still yelled, "Be careful."

"Dad," Zhao Jixiang shouted while running, his frail body causing Teacher Zhao, climbing the mountain, to worry. "Slow down, slow down, stay there and don’t move, Dad will be up soon. Ji’an, hold your sister," he called out, quickening his pace.

Hua Yunxiang was faster, with strength from eating well, unlike the constantly hungry Teacher Zhao, and soon reached the two children. Under the watchful eyes of the wary children, he approached them.

The children appeared both surprised and fearful, and alert, very thin, with eyes that stood out prominently on their faces, which made Hua Yunxiang’s heart ache.

One could imagine the hardship Teacher Zhao’s family endured during this disaster, but they made it through, which was a blessing in misfortune.

He couldn’t help but wonder if other teachers or classmates were still alive?

Hua Yunxiang couldn’t help but think.

He quickly took out the meat buns he had brought from home, offering one to each child.

It was clear that the children wanted to eat; their eyes were fixed on the buns, but their deep-seated caution made them hesitant to take them.

"Take it, it’s from your brother. They’re meat buns, very delicious. Don’t be afraid, I’m your father’s student, not a bad person," Hua Yunxiang reassured, extending the buns closer.

Zhao Ji’an hesitated, then pulled his sister back another step.

Even though he saw this person, who called himself brother, coming up the mountain with his father, the ingrained caution wasn’t easy to overcome.

"Dad," the two children’s eyes lit up as they diverted their attention, running to hug their father beside Hua Yunxiang, still cautiously observing the people who came with their father, including the brother offering them buns.

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