Chapter 42: Seeking Protection from the Bodhisattvas of the Su Family!

A water bucket sat in the corner against the courtyard wall outside the Su family’s kitchen, used for their daily water needs.

"I don't know if I was just too exhausted last night, but I slept like the dead," Su Da said. He squatted by the wooden bucket to rinse his mouth, hooked his wooden cup back onto the rattan rack, and splashed a ladle of water over his face, his words slightly slurred. "I woke up a bit late today. We need to fetch water right after breakfast, or we’ll run out."

Su Er walked out of the main room, yawning, and stretched under the eaves. The warm golden light of the rising sun hit his face, revealing two prominent, dark circles under his eyes. "If it weren't for those bastards coming to cause trouble, we could have filled the storage cistern yesterday afternoon. I’ll go fetch water with you after breakfast, so we don't end up losing half the day to more intruders and falling behind on our work again."

The shrill voice of the Su matriarch rang out from the main room. "You two death-wishers! What is this? Did you enjoy the fight so much you're hoping for more? As if you two could handle it! You're only good for barking!"

Su Er’s face stiffened, and he retreated sheepishly into the kitchen.

Inside, Liu Yuelan and He Daxiang were already hard at work. Su Xiuer stood by the stove and lifted the lid, letting a cloud of hot, fragrant steam billow out—the scent of fish filled the air.

"Oh, fish for breakfast!" Su Er rubbed his hands together and craned his neck to peek into the pot.

Two palm-sized dried grass carp had softened after simmering in the broth. They lay in the bubbling liquid, their golden-brown skins glistening in a way that made one’s mouth water.

Su Xiuer deftly transferred the stewed fish into a wooden basin, pouring the juices over them. The braised rabbit in the other pot was ready as well. She looked up, her smile gentle. "Go wash your hands, and we can eat."

"You got it!" Su Er answered. He caught the others off guard, snatched a piece of rabbit, and popped it into his mouth—his movements so quick that He Daxiang’s swat missed him completely. "Hahaha, I’m going to wash my hands!"

He Daxiang gnashed her teeth. "You’re always the fastest when it comes to eating! Go tell Mom and Dad it's time to eat! And drag the three little ones out while you're at it!"

Liu Yuelan raked the remaining embers out of the stove and extinguished them in the cold ash. She smiled, breathing in the enticing aroma. "Xiuer, you have such a gift for cooking. You make even these humble ingredients taste so wonderful. If we had proper supplies, we’d probably swallow our own tongues from joy."

He Daxiang immediately latched onto the thought. "Once the plants grow back on the mountain, I’m going up there again. I’ll look for wild onions and garlic to dig up and plant in our own vegetable patch!"

If you can't buy it, you find it yourself!

Liu Yuelan and Su Xiuer exchanged a glance and laughed. "And you were criticizing the second brother? You’re just as much of a foodie yourself."

The three young women dissolved into laughter. The terror of the previous day gradually dissipated in the sound of their mirth; those unpleasant events seemed to have been cast aside, leaving little trace in the small Su courtyard.

The children were the same—young and quick to forget, a small bit of joy was enough to banish their unhappiness.

That the Su family could let go so quickly was ultimately because they had someone backing them from the shadows. That mysterious expert had saved them twice. Even if they didn't know if the person would help again, it gave the Su family a sense of security.

Behind this house, teetering in the wind and rain, there was now a backbone to help them survive.

The Su family always bolted their gate when eating; they had too many secrets to risk drawing attention.

After the meal, they wiped their mouths, and Su Da and Su Er hoisted their buckets, opening the courtyard gate to head to the Clear Water River.

Before they could even step out, they were startled by what they saw. Outside, a dense crowd of dozens of people had gathered!

They were all dressed in coarse, gray rags, their complexions sallow and gaunt. Their backs were already bowed by the weight of a life of hardship.

They were all residents of Mount Tubei. When they saw the Su family’s door open, the crowd grew agitated, their eyes bright with desperation.

"They're out! The Su family is out!"

"Quick, quick, kneel! Everyone, kneel! Bow!"

Suddenly, the sound of heads hitting the ground rose in a chorus.

Su Da and Su Er were completely bewildered. It took them a moment to find their voices. "Wait—what is this? Everyone, please! Get up, get up first! Let's talk properly! What are you doing?"

The brothers were utterly confused. They tried to pull the people up, but they were stubborn, insisting on pressing their foreheads to the ground with such force that when they looked up, their foreheads were smeared with mud.

"Su brothers, I... I saw it last night! The wicked men flying through the air fell down! They're dead! They couldn't even get near your land! We were blind before, not knowing the Su family had an expert protecting them! We... we dare to beg for the expert's protection!" Someone shouted, finally clearing up the mystery for the brothers and revealing things they hadn't known.

The brothers looked at each other. Su Da asked, "People came to our house again last night? How did we not hear anything?"

"I don't know, I was dead to the world, wasn't I?"

They looked at each other again, then turned to the crowd, speaking in unison: "You said the people who came to cause trouble last night are dead?"

The crowd outside nodded vigorously. "Dead! Really dead! They fell right in front of the Huo family’s house and even made a small crater! Look, the pit is still there! Wang Xiao saw it once last night, and I saw it twice. We don't know exactly how many groups came, but everyone we saw is dead! It is truly, truly satisfying!"

Su Da and Su Er were speechless.

The Su matriarch and the others, who had run out at the commotion, were equally stunned.

Before the Su family could react, the people lowered their heads and knelt again. "We, the condemned, dare to beg! We ask the Bodhisattvas of the Su family for protection!"

"We beg the Su family's protection!"

"Please, protect us!"

The shouts, accompanied by weeping, echoed across Mount Tubei. In those desperate cries lay a suppressed, enduring, and intense hope for life that was ready to burst forth. If there was even a sliver of hope for survival, who wouldn't want to live?

The Su family stood there, looking at the misunderstanding before them. They didn't find it funny; instead, they felt a profound sense of sorrow.

"Everyone, please get up. Stop bowing," the Su matriarch stepped forward, trying to help the kneeling people up. Her voice was dry and bitter. "Let me tell you the truth: our Su family are also just condemned exiles. Before coming here, we lived in Dahuai Village, Yuzhou. My husband's family were salt-of-the-earth farmers. Apart from barely knowing a few characters, none of us have ever learned martial arts. We are no Bodhisattvas, and there is no 'expert' in our family. It must have been some chivalrous hero who cannot bear to see the suffering of the people who happened to help us, and we are just as grateful to that hero as you are."

Old Man Su walked out as well, sighing at the hesitant crowd. "Every word is true; we would not deceive you. Now that our family has put down roots on Mount Tubei, we will be neighbors for a long time—you will eventually see the truth for yourselves. Everyone, you have bowed to the wrong people this time."