Daoist Xue received a warm welcome from the farming family.
The whole crowd began discussing matters over dinner, and Daoist Xue took the opportunity to learn more about the situation.
Most of what the Zhang Family knew was hearsay, but after dinner, the old man of the Zhang Household went into the village again, then returned with an equally elderly village chief and three younger, able-bodied men.
An oil lamp burned in the Zhang Household's main room after dinner. When footsteps sounded outside, the Zhang daughter-in-law went to open the door. Her father-in-law had returned with the others.
"Father, Great-Uncle!" "Mm!"
The people outside answered, then entered together and shut the door again.
The newcomers immediately noticed the Daoist seated beside the Zhang man, who rose to greet them. After exchanging greetings and a few pleasantries, they wasted no time getting down to business.
After a little over a quarter of an hour of discussion, the general situation was clear. All that remained was to witness it for themselves that night.
Quite a few people would be spending the night at the Zhang Household.
The beds in two rooms had been joined into communal sleeping platforms, with more than a dozen children lying across them. The elderly Zhang woman and her daughter-in-law stayed inside to watch over them.
The others, including the Zhang men and Daoist Xue, would sleep outside.
Using wooden planks, door panels, benches, and other items borrowed from the village, they put together beds outside. Once covered with straw mats, they were ready to sleep on.
Several of these simple beds stood in the Zhang courtyard, with a few more behind the house where there was no fence.
Counting Daoist Xue, nine adults would be keeping watch inside and outside tonight. So many children sleepwalking at once