Hung with Salted Geese, Salt Pork, and Cured Hams

Liu Silang couldn't help cursing:

"Those beasts! They've already been driven out, and they still dare act so arrogantly. I'd like to see what good end awaits them!

The Zhou Clan really is rotten."

Zhou Wanwan said with a smile:

"Being rotten has its advantages. If they weren't, we wouldn't have this chance!

Come on, let's see what they've hidden and find a way to move it somewhere else. But no one can tell a soul about this."

How could the four Liu brothers have ever done anything like this? Their eyes all lit up with excitement.

Zhou Wanwan followed the path all the way to the end, but after searching for a long time, she found no cave.

Zhou Qingyan couldn't help saying, "That's impossible! It should be right here! Where did those people from Zhou Family Village hide everything?"

Zhou Wanwan sat quietly on a rock, listening to the sounds around her.

A clump of ground cherries beside a crack in the rocks muttered:

"Those idiots will never find it! Never! Didn't they see that crevice over there?

It's hidden beneath the roots of the old pine tree, tucked away among the ferns. How well concealed it is!

Climb down that old vine hanging through the crack, and put your feet in the hollows in the rock. It won't take long to reach the cave."

A clump of Solomon's seal nearby swayed its stems and said:

"Exactly! Who would have thought the people of Zhou Family Village were so capable? They even managed to find this place hidden deep in the mountain hollow.

It's so well concealed. The bushes outside block it completely; without a close look, you'd never see the entrance behind the crack."

Zhou Wanwan followed the direction they described and actually found the cave. She crawled straight inside.

The entrance to the cave was small, with room for only one person, but once inside, she discovered it was quite large, over twenty square meters in all.

Zhou Wanwan looked around. The cave was packed full, with over forty sacks of grain stacked along the two sides and more than fifty wooden water barrels in the middle.

The corners of the cave and the crossbeams were hung with salted geese, salt pork, and cured hams.

Several sacks of salt were piled in a corner, beside three earthenware jars. One was full of soy sauce, another held rice vinegar, and the last contained sesame oil.

On a stone platform stood earthenware pots of various sizes and paper packets containing dried chilies, star anise, cinnamon bark, and a small jar of white sugar.

Third Uncle Liu swallowed and said, "Have the people of Zhou Family Village gone mad? They prepared so much and hid it all in the mountains. What on earth are they trying to do?"

Zhou Wanwan gave a cold snort and said:

"They're clever, all right! These things will be of great use later.

When a year of disaster really comes, all these supplies will be worth several times as much, and some might even be worth dozens of times as much."

Zhou Qingyan said, "Wanwan, there are more than a dozen thick cotton-padded coats here too. When winter comes, these can all be used to get through it."

Zhou Wanwan said, "Let's hurry and carry these things home."

Soon, Liu Su'e, Zhou Fusheng, and everyone in the Liu family joined in carrying everything.

As he worked, Old Liu said, "That girl Wanwan really is clever. I don't know what method she uses, but how does she manage to get so many supplies every time?"

Old Madam Liu cautioned him softly, "Old man, don't say such things outside. If Wanwan comes to harm because of it, it'll be terrible."

Sixth Uncle couldn't help asking, "But why can't we just take the things straight down the mountain from over there? Why do we have to take the long way around?"

Old Liu glared at him and said:

"You've got the least brains in the family. If we go straight down the mountain from this side, they'll know which side we're from.

Going down the other side is different. They'd never expect it.

And Sixth, look at this water. You can just pour it out. Are you planning to carry it down the mountain too?

Can't you just fill the barrels with water again when we get back?"

By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted.

Looking at the house on the mountain, now packed full of supplies, Old Liu sighed. "Where are we going to put so many supplies?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at him and said:

"Grandfather, I want to dig a cellar at home, the bigger the better. And we need to set traps all around the house.

I think Liu Family Village is far too weak when it comes to weapons. We need to strengthen ourselves in that regard, and in physical fitness too. We must learn some martial arts.

Grandfather, I've learned some kicking techniques. If the people of Liu Family Village are interested, I can teach them."

Old Liu's face filled with surprise as he said:

"You're such a clever little girl! All right! If you're willing to teach them, I'll have them wait for you at the ancestral hall every day.

There's a training ground inside our ancestral hall. I'll have them wait for you there."

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "All right..."

Zhou Wanwan had so much to do. No one rested that night, and everyone except Zhou Wanwan worked desperately to dig the cellar.

Zhou Wanwan found a particularly good spot. The old cellar was only about ten square meters, and it was already packed full.

Now they had dug out another ten square meters or so. Old Liu panted, "Oh, I can't go on. My old back is about to break. Let's stop digging here!"

Liu Su'e sighed. "Father, it definitely won't be enough. It's far too small. There are so many things we can't fit in."

Old Liu said:

"Our village actually has a place specifically for storing grain. I'll take Wanwan to see it in a little while. There's a place only I know about.

If Wanwan feels comfortable with it, we can store the grain there for now and save ourselves the trouble of digging this cellar."

Liu Su'e quickly nodded and said, "Father! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Old Liu sighed and said:

"I don't usually tell anyone about that place. Back then, the Liu Clan was hunted down by its enemies. Because we feared the clan would be wiped out, we made a place like that.

It's where the younger generations can hide when there's danger. We don't tell outsiders about it lightly.

But now that we're all facing such hardship, what's left to keep secret?"

Old Liu led them deep into the woods. After walking for about the time it took an incense stick to burn, they came upon a graveyard.

Zhou Wanwan coughed and said, "Grandfather, don't tell me that place is right here."

Old Liu stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

"The most dangerous place is the safest place!

Who would have thought the Liu Clan's place of refuge was hidden among these graves?"

He walked straight up to the most ordinary-looking stone grave marker. It was shorter than the others, and the writing on its face was almost entirely covered in moss.

Old Liu crouched down, moved a few loose stones away from the base, then gently pressed the side of the marker.

With a soft click, the stone marker slowly shifted to one side.

Zhou Wanwan saw a flight of stone steps leading down. Old Liu said, "I'll go down first. Follow me and take a look. It's quite big in there."

Zhou Wanwan followed Old Liu down and found that it really was quite large, over a hundred square meters.