Chapter 18: Three Years

In Lijing Village, the commotion from yesterday persisted into the late night. As the rooster crowed, signaling the start of a new day, the villagers were already astir.

The early autumn morning air was sweet with dew, yet a somber mood pervaded the village.

The Liu and Li Families provided some dry food for the refugees huddled at the village entrance.

The middle-aged man who led them looked worriedly at the group of over twenty people and thought to himself,...