A New Dawn for the Whitlocks Chapter 2

Wen's mother fell ill on the kang in despair, mumbling in a daze: "The mountain collapsed, the mountain collapsed at home... There's no way to survive in Shandong... Let's escape!" Aiden Whitlock held a bowl of water with tears in his eyes: "Mom, wake up and drink some water." Wen's mother struggled to get up, but couldn't, and said: "Help me up." Aiden Whitlock carefully helped his mother up. She gasped: "Aiden Whitlock, the land in Shandong can't support people anymore. There are famines and bandits, and it's endless. It really can't support people. You are the older brother, take your two younger brothers to escape to Guandong!"

Aiden Whitlock said, "Mom, I can't do that. What will you do if I leave?" Wen's mother said, "Mom, it's easy. I will stay here alone and will never move." Aiden Whitlock cried, "Mom, I can't. If we die, we will die together. I can't leave you! Besides, where will I get the money?" Wen's mother got angry, "You are a bloodless thing. Are you a descendant of Connor Whitlock? Ah? At most, we can sell the old house and our few acres of land!"

Aiden Whitlock said: "Mom, it's not that I'm heartless, I just can't let you go. Dad is gone, and I want to take care of you in your old age and see you to the end of your life! Besides, there is chaos and war these days, who would want to buy land or a house? Even if you sell the house and the land, how would you eat and live?" Wen's mother sighed: "Oh, you... Mom, don't worry about me, I won't drag you down, you should discuss it with your two brothers, and if you want to leave, make plans quickly, you can't be imprisoned at home." She waved her hand and fell into a deep sleep again.

When Aiden Whitlock saw his mother had fallen asleep, he went back to the east room with his head hung and told his two younger brothers about it. The three brothers lay on the kang and sighed. Aiden Whitlock said, "I think mother is confused. Is it so easy to make a living in Guandong?" Ethan Whitlock said, "I think mother has a point. Being a death row prisoner at home is not a big deal. We can't just sit and wait for death. It would be great to go out and make a living!" Aiden Whitlock hesitated and asked Caleb Whitlock, "San'er, what do you think?" Caleb Whitlock rolled his eyes, "Second brother has a point. A tree that is moved away can live. Going out and making a living is a good idea. But then again, eldest brother's worry is also reasonable. Isn't it said that parents are still alive, so don't travel far away. Now that our father is gone, we can't leave mother behind. And the money. We can't rely on selling those few acres of thin land and broken houses. Without money, we can't move an inch!" Aiden Whitlock rolled his eyes at him, "It's useless to say anything. You don't have a definite idea. In my opinion, we can't listen to mother on this matter. Let's stay with her and live or die together. Blow out the lights and go to bed."

After a while, Aiden Whitlock and Ethan Whitlock's voices were heard. Caleb Whitlock couldn't sleep, so he pricked up his ears to listen to the noise coming from the outer room.

Wen's mother listened to the children's snoring, struggled to get off the kang, lit the oil lamp, held it with her hands, and trembled into the kitchen. She added water to the pot and slowly pulled the bellows. The flames grew strong, but it couldn't warm people's hearts on a winter night. For four years, although there was no news from Connor Whitlock, she was still a support. She had to endure the hard days until the day he came back, but she didn't expect that he was gone and there was no end to the hard work. She felt empty in her heart.

The water in the pot boiled. Wen's mother made a pot of cornmeal porridge, filled a bowl with it, and put a bag of ground hyacinth into the bowl. She picked up the bowl, closed her eyes and was about to drink it when she heard a splash behind her. She turned around and saw Caleb Whitlock kneeling behind the door. He cried, "Mom, I've been watching you. You can't abandon us!" Wen's mother went over and hugged the child tightly, crying loudly, "San'er, I don't want to drag you down anymore. I'm going to find your father. You should leave quickly and save your life!"

Aiden Whitlock and Ethan Whitlock ran out of the east room upon hearing the noise. Aiden Whitlock asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you? Caleb Whitlock, why are you crying?" Caleb Whitlock cried, "Brother, our mom is going to commit suicide." Aiden Whitlock and Ethan Whitlock knelt down in front of their mother and cried, "Mom, you are confused! We are not desperate yet. Even if we have to beg for food, my three brothers can still support you!"

Ethan Whitlock's mother was about to speak when there was a sudden knock on the door. Aiden Whitlock was startled: "Ethan Whitlock, who's knocking? Go and see, if the grain robbers dare to come again, fight them." Ethan Whitlock picked up a shoulder pole and went to open the door.

Aiden Whitlock and Caleb Whitlock helped their mother into the main room. As soon as they sat down, they heard Ethan Whitlock shouting, "Mother, guess who's here, my uncle Chunshan is back!" Then he led a big man carrying a big bag into the room. The man was their uncle Zhu Chunshan.

Wen's mother couldn't believe her eyes: "Chunshan, is that you? Didn't you go to Guandong? Why are you back?" Zhu Chunshan said: "Keep your voice down! Let's talk in the inner room." He turned back and told Ethan Whitlock, "Don't shout, and close the gate."

Wen's mother asked Zhu Chunshan to sit on the kang: "Chunshan, sit down. Caleb Whitlock, quickly pull the bellows and heat up the porridge in the pot for your uncle Chunshan to drink." Zhu Chunshan said: "Sister-in-law, I dare not make arrangements. I came here secretly." Wen's mother was surprised: "What? Did you cause trouble outside the pass?" Zhu Chunshan said: "No. Sister-in-law, I came to bring a message to Brother Kaishan." Wen's mother was stunned: "What did you say? Speak louder!" Zhu Chunshan raised his voice: "Brother Kaishan asked me to bring a message!"

Wen's mother opened her mouth wide, trying to say something but couldn't speak because of sobs. Her whole body was shaking, but she couldn't cry out. The three children looked at each other in bewilderment. This confused Zhu Chunshan: "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?" Aiden Whitlock said: "People say my father died a long time ago." Zhu Chunshan was stunned: "Who told you that?" Caleb Whitlock interrupted: "Tan Sanye, the uncle of Samuel Harper from Tanjiazhuang, said that my father participated in the Boxer Rebellion and was arrested and beheaded by the soldiers. His head is hung on the Qianmen Tower in Beijing."

Zhu Chunshan cursed and said, "Where did this nonsense come from? In the Gengzi Year, Brother Kaishan raised the banner of supporting the Qing Dynasty and destroying foreigners, and led the Boxers in our area to attack Beijing and kill foreigners. I followed him all the time. Who knew that the court would turn against us and suppress the Boxers? Many brothers died in Beijing. Kaishan and I were lucky enough to escape from Beijing and go to the border."

Wen's mother suddenly turned around, her face already covered with tears: "Okay, let's not talk about this! What message did Kaishan ask you to take?" Zhu Chunshan pointed to his pocket and said: "It's all here."

Wen's mother quickly cut the mouth of the cloth bag, picked up the bag and poured it onto the kang. With a crash, walnuts, pine nuts, and hazelnuts were spread all over the kang, along with a heavy bag of silver dollars. The three brothers were stunned, and then they started to scramble for the silver dollars, pulling them into their arms.

Suddenly, Caleb Whitlock saw a letter, grabbed it hastily, and whispered: "Mom, my father has sent a letter!" Wen's mother also became excited: "San'er, read it to me!" Caleb Whitlock tore open the envelope, looked at it for a few seconds, and burst out laughing. Wen's mother urged: "San'er, don't just laugh, read it quickly!" Caleb Whitlock deliberately took a handful and said: "Mom, my throat is dry."

Wen's mother called Ethan Whitlock: "Ethan Whitlock, quickly serve San'er a bowl of porridge."

Ethan Whitlock frowned and said, "San'er, I'm not talking about you. You're just a little kid with a lot of problems, but you act so arrogantly when it comes to writing." Wen's mother glared at him and said, "Ethan Whitlock, stop talking nonsense! How about you read it yourself?" Ethan Whitlock reluctantly went out of the house and brought back the bowl.

Zhu Chunshan said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, your three sons have different personalities. I wonder how the brothers who founded the mountain would laugh when they saw them!"

Caleb Whitlock finished drinking the porridge and coughed. Wen's mother said, "Little ancestor, have you finished with the genealogy? Read the letter!"

Caleb Whitlock said hurriedly, "Okay, I'll read it. Wen's mother, I'm glad to see you. Since I started the rebellion and failed, I have been hunted by soldiers all these years. I had no choice but to go to Guandong, and I dared not communicate with my family by letter. Now everything is fine, don't worry. I heard that my hometown has suffered disasters for many years and many people have starved to death. I miss you very much. Now I have established myself outside the pass, you should quickly sell the old house and a few acres of thin land at home and come to find me outside the pass. It is inconvenient to tell you how to get there, and someone will explain it to you. I don't know the name."

Wen's mother laughed loudly after hearing this: "You are so good, Connor Whitlock. The true god finally showed up. I knew you couldn't die, and you couldn't afford to die! You have three sons, and you can't close your eyes even if you die!" She started crying again, "You are such a conscienceless person. I waited for you for four years, and you just spit out these few words to send me away! When we meet, I must ask you, am I so frivolous in your eyes?"

Zhu Chunshan advised: "Sister-in-law, don't cry, I will tell you how to find him, if you want to go, you must act decisively, the more you hesitate, the more trouble you will have." Wen's mother said: "How to go, you tell me a story about the wilderness first." Zhu Chunshan said: "Kaishan settled in Yuanbao Town, Sanjiangkou, in the north, how to go, I will ask Caleb Whitlock to take notes later. Let's put it this way, if you want to go from here, if it's short, you can go to the mouth of the Yellow River, take a sailboat across the sea to Dalian, and then take a train. But now it's a chaotic time, and there may not be ships in small ports. It's safer to go through Longkou, which is a detour." Wen's mother said: "It's better to be safe, just take the detour."

From great sorrow to great joy, Aiden Whitlock and his brothers lost all sleep. The three brothers were eating pine nuts and hazelnuts while talking excitedly. Caleb Whitlock said, "Brother, what does our father look like? I have forgotten, can you tell me?" Aiden Whitlock said, reciting the words from the opera, "Our father? He is big and strong, with a beard, a leopard head and round eyes. He speaks in a deep voice and walks with a thumping sound, like a millstone hitting the ground." Caleb Whitlock was so excited that he said, "Brother, now that you put it that way, our father is almost like Zhang Yide, and his roar can break the Dangyang Bridge." Ethan Whitlock asked, "San'er, who is Zhang Yide?" Caleb Whitlock pouted and said, "Tsk, you don't even know Zhang Yide? He is Zhang Fei!"

"Zhang Fei is Zhang Fei, or Zhang Yide? Did he change his name?"

Caleb Whitlock said: "Yide is Zhang Fei's name, you don't understand."

Ethan Whitlock said, "Okay, you've read a lot of books, so you're knowledgeable. Hey, what do you think Guandong is like?" Caleb Whitlock said excitedly, "Didn't you hear what the people who went to Guandong say? It's a treasure land, where you can catch roe deer with a stick and fish with a ladle. It's the birthplace of our Qing Dynasty, and King Lao Han started his family there." Aiden Whitlock nodded and said, "I heard that there are treasures everywhere, such as ginseng, sable fur, and Ula grass, and old forests everywhere. The land is so fertile that it oozes oil if you grab a handful." Ethan Whitlock asked curiously, "That's strange, what's the land like? Why didn't people from the interior of the country make fortunes in the early years? Why did they think of going to Guandong?" Aiden Whitlock said, "What do you know? It's too cold there. You have to carry a stick when you poop in winter." Ethan Whitlock asked, "Why do you carry a stick? Are you afraid that dogs will eat your poop?" Aiden Whitlock laughed, "No, the poop freezes hard as soon as it comes out, so you have to beat it." Ethan Whitlock was so scared that he stuck out his tongue, "Oh my god, it's terrible, wouldn't it freeze to death? I dare not go." Caleb Whitlock said, "It's not as weird as you say, it's just an expression."

Ethan Whitlock stopped talking and closed his eyes to daydream. He thought about the black land and his father. He had not yet learned all the martial arts from his father. Caleb Whitlock stuffed pine nuts into his mouth and looked at his big brother who was laughing foolishly. He said, "I know what you are thinking, big brother."

Ever since Ethan Whitlock Niang was driven away, Lily Summers had not had a good face, and she stopped singing songs. She sighed all day long, and no matter how her parents persuaded her, she just kept silent. She became thinner. But that day was unusual, and her rosy little face smiled. Her parents saw it and couldn't help wondering. They saw her quietly go into her room and pack up her things.

Samuel Harper became suspicious and followed her into the house and asked, "Lily Summers, what are you doing?" Lily Summers stammered, "Nothing, I just want to clean up." "Cleaning up?" Samuel Harper untied Lily Summers's bag and said, "Cleaning up? I see you want to go on a long journey! Tell me, what do you want to do?" Lily Summers forced a smile and said, "I want to stay at my grandmother's house for a few days."

Samuel Harper slammed the table and said, "Living at your grandmother's house? You are talking nonsense! Your grandmother is at your aunt's house! Lily Summers, I saw you and Aiden Whitlock go to the ancestral hall. Tell me the truth, what do you want to do?" Lily Summers heard it and stopped trying to cover it up. She said, "Dad, I'll tell you the truth. Aiden Whitlock's family wants to go to Guandong, and I want to go with him."

Samuel Harper was shocked: "Follow his family to Guandong? You are crazy! Who will they go to Guandong to seek refuge? I can't afford to support my daughter?" Lily Summers said: "Dad, Aiden Whitlock's father is not dead, he has established a foothold outside the pass." "That won't work! Is it so easy to go to Guandong? Ask around, how many people who went to Guandong had a good result?" "No matter the result, I am Aiden Whitlock's man, I will follow him wherever he goes, there is no place where the yellow earth is not buried."

Samuel Harper roared angrily: "Give up on this idea. As long as your father is angry, I will never let you go with them!" Lily Summers was determined and said: "I will go! I will go with him no matter what!" Samuel Harper grabbed his daughter's hand and lifted her up: "I will let you go! Let's see how you go!" Then he opened the box and carried Lily Summers in. Lily Summers struggled hard, but to no avail. Samuel Harper locked the box and said angrily: "I told you to run!"

After being locked up for most of the day, Lily Summers's mother felt sorry for her daughter and said to her husband, "Dad, you have locked up our daughter for so long, she is crying so hard, let her out, let her breathe, eat, drink. It is already daybreak, she can't run away!" Samuel Harper said, "No, this girl is wild, she can't be restrained once the bridle is removed, we have to lock her up for three days to kill her virility."

Lily Summers's mother said: "Hey, it's okay to starve her for three days, but why don't you give her some water?" Samuel Harper said: "Well, go and ask Gui'er to give her some water. You can't go, you are soft-hearted, and you have no idea what to do after she cries a few times, so you have to let Gui'er go." Lily Summers's mother said: "Then give Gui'er the key to the box, open the box and let her drink some water." Tan Wenqing shook his head: "You can't open the box." Lily Summers's mother was stunned: "Then how can she drink water?" Samuel Harper said: "Find a straw and let her suck it."

Guier listened to his father, holding a bowl in one hand and holding straw in the other, and walked into the house, shouting to the bed box: "Lily Summers, our mother asked you to drink some water." When Lily Summers heard his brother's voice, he begged: "Brother, please let me out quickly." Guier said: "Our father won't let me." Lily Summers asked: "Then how can I drink water?"

Gui'er put the straw into the bed box: "Lily Summers, you suck it." Lily Summers didn't say anything and sucked up the whole bowl of water. But after a while, water flowed out of the bed box. Gui'er asked: "Lily Summers, what's wrong? Where did the water come from?" Lily Summers whispered: "Brother, it's bad, I wet my pants, let me out to change pants." Gui'er said: "Huh? How come I wet my pants just after drinking? I don't have the key. Wait a minute, I'll go call dad." Lily Summers said: "Brother, I feel so depressed and uncomfortable that I can't control it. Don't let my parents know that I wet my pants. It will be so embarrassing if it gets out." Gui'er asked: "What should I do?" Lily Summers said: "Brother, I still have a key in the drawer."

Guier opened the drawer, found the key, and opened the box. Lily Summers climbed out of the box with a red face, and her pants were wet. Guier scratched his face: "Shame on me, a grown-up girl wet her pants!" Lily Summers pouted at him: "Brother, go out for a while, I'll change my pants." Guier nodded: "Okay, but you're not allowed to run away." Lily Summers said: "I won't run away." Guier turned and left the house. Lily Summers took the opportunity to pick up the bag, pushed open the window, and jumped out of the window to escape. Guier shouted outside the house: "Lily Summers, are you okay? I'm going in!" But no one answered. Guier felt something was wrong, and hurried into the house. When he saw the open window, he immediately shouted: "Dad, Mom, it's bad, Lily Summers ran away!"

At the head of the village, Wen's mother and her three sons looked into the distance, but they could not see Lily Summers. Wen's mother asked, "Aiden Whitlock, Lily Summers has made an agreement with you? Can't change his mind?" Aiden Whitlock said, "No. Wait a moment." Caleb Whitlock interrupted and said, "Mom, I want to ask you something. Is there something you didn't forget to bring?" Wen's mother asked, "What is it? Tell me." Caleb Whitlock said, "The old genealogy of our family."

When Wen's mother heard this, she stamped her feet anxiously: "It's bad! She forgot because she was busy. Ethan Whitlock, you're quick, go back and get it." Caleb Whitlock took out the folded genealogy from the package, and said with a chuckle: "No need, I've got it." Wen's mother was happy: "My San'er is always thoughtful." After talking for a long time, no one came. Wen's mother said: "Aiden Whitlock, don't wait any longer, it's getting late, maybe her parents won't let us, let's hurry to Longkou to get on the boat." Aiden Whitlock said with infinite melancholy: "Alas, it seems that Lily Summers has changed her mind. Let's go."

Wen's mother looked at the smoke rising from the village, shed tears and said: "My children, we have also left our hometown, kneel down and kowtow to our hometown, this is the place where we were born and raised, we will never forget it in this life." The three children knelt down one by one with their mother and kowtowed three times to their hometown. The cold wind blew on their faces, giving people a different kind of warmth. This wind that raised yellow dust came from Kanto where they were going, but it lingered on the land of their hometown, twisting and turning. I don't know when I can return to my hometown like this wind!

The whole family set off. Aiden Whitlock looked back every few steps, his eyes filled with tears. After walking about seven or eight miles, unexpectedly, Samuel Harper led a group of people to catch up with them, panting, and stopped the four members of the Zhu family. Samuel Harper asked them directly: "Mother Wen, where is my Lily Summers?"

Wen's mother was stunned by the question: "Your daughter can't ask me." Samuel Harper asked again: "Didn't she come with you?" Aiden Whitlock said anxiously: "No! How could I hide her?" Samuel Harper burst into tears: "Oh no, my daughter ran away!" Aiden Whitlock became even more anxious and asked: "Run away? Lily Summers ran away? My wife ran away? What do you think!" Samuel Harper sat down on the ground and cried: "Lily Summers, you are possessed by evil spirits, where did you run to! Don't you want your parents? I raised you for nothing! You are such a heartless girl!"

Nalongkou Port is located on the northern bank of Laizhou Bay in Shandong Peninsula, connecting Liaojin and Zhilu. The harbor is protected by the sand bar of Qimu Island in the north and surrounded by golden sand beach in the south. It is a natural harbor with deep water, wide belly, no silt and no ice.

It was early winter, and there were about 30 fishing boats of different sizes moored at the dock in the harbor. On the shore of the harbor, people who had crossed the Guandong Pass were crowded with children. A group of beggars were begging people by knocking on cow leg bones. Dozens of Qing soldiers were guarding the dock in a strict formation.

Longfuxiang's shopkeeper Zhou Fengnian, a kind-hearted man, led his followers to walk slowly in the crowd with their hands behind their backs, their faces full of worry. Not far away, there was a row of porridge stalls about a mile long set up on the street, providing porridge to the villagers who had come to Guandong. The refugees lined up in front of the porridge stalls, and the porridge in the big pot was about to run out. Zhou Fengnian told his followers: "Xiaoshanzi, I think there is not enough porridge. Tell the second shopkeeper to go to Yihesheng Grain Store to carry a few bags of porridge to cook a few pots."

The attendant Xiao Shanzi said, "Boss, Yihesheng said that if you don't give cash, you won't give credit. Besides, you have been giving out porridge for more than a month. Our family is empty. The jewelry that my grandmother brought as a dowry has been sold. You should stop while you are ahead." Zhou Fengnian shouted angrily, "A**h0le! What do you mean by stop while you are ahead? Am I giving out porridge to gain fame? These are the people of the Qing Dynasty, our fellow villagers in the land of Qi and Lu. They are in trouble and have left their homes to make a living. It is not easy. I, Zhou Fengnian, cannot save the people from the water and fire, but shouldn't I give out porridge to the villagers? Even if I lose everything, it's okay." Xiao Shanzi nodded and agreed, "Yes, boss." He turned around and left slowly. Zhou Fengnian urged him from behind, "Take two steps quickly, or you'll step on ant eggs!"

Seeing Xiao Shanzi running faster, Zhou Fengnian also took two quick steps, climbed onto a high platform, and shouted to the refugees huddled together: "Fellow villagers, don't crowd, there is still porridge, I, Zhou, can still afford it."

An old man in his sixties in the crowd exclaimed: "Oh, what a kind man, he has been giving out porridge for more than a month. Even if he has a fortune, he will eat it all!" A middle-aged man next to him echoed: "Who says it's not? God bless him with longevity and happiness." Zhou Fengnian came down from the high platform and asked the old man: "Fellow villager, are you going to Guandong too?" The old man said: "Oh, you will have to wait for death at home, let's go out and try." Zhou Fengnian asked again: "Where are you from?" The old man said: "Weifang." The kind man Zhou asked the man next to him: "What about this fellow villager?" The man said: "I am from Zibo, and I am going to Guandong too." The kind man Zhou looked up to the sky and sighed: "Oh my God, there is no room for people to survive in such a big Shandong!"

A ten-year-old child was curled up at the foot of the wall, like a silent puppy, with tear marks on his face covered with mud stains and a plaster behind his ear. He bent his muddy legs, holding a bowl in one hand, opened his mouth wide to drink rice soup, and with the other hand firmly grasped half a steamed bun, stuffing it into his mouth from time to time. Zhou Fengnian saw it and came over, squatted down, and whispered: "Kid, eat slowly, don't choke." The child raised his head, looked at him blankly, and hid the steamed bun behind his back. Zhou Fengnian smiled bitterly and said: "Kid, don't be afraid, no one will snatch it away from you." He patted his head and asked, "Where are your father and mother?" The child rolled his eyes, looked around, and burst into tears: "Where is my mother? My mother is gone! I want my mother!"

The three sons of the Zhu family held hands tightly and protected their mother as they walked in the crowd. The four of them were exhausted after traveling eastward. They finally arrived at Longkou Port and thought they could board the ship and sail north immediately. However, the weather was bad, with no wind or waves, and they could not raise the anchor. They finally found a quiet place to sit down. Caleb Whitlock asked, "Mom, when are we going to eat? I'm starving!" Wen's mother said, "Let's eat right away." She looked at Aiden Whitlock and said, "Aiden Whitlock, where is the bag of dry food?"

Aiden Whitlock agreed, but then he immediately shouted in shock: "Mom, no, it's lost!" Wen's mother changed her face: "Aiden Whitlock, you are going to marry a wife, why are you so rootless?"

Ethan Whitlock said, "My brother, you have been talking about Sister Lily Summers all the time, like you have lost your soul, what a loser!" Caleb Whitlock also complained, "Don't say anything, my brother is obsessed with his wife, luckily he hasn't got one yet, if he had one, who would he care about?"

Wen's mother scolded him, "Aiden Whitlock, when your father was your age, he traveled with the escort company. Look at you, you can't even take care of a bag. If the dry food is lost, what will we eat? Even if we have money now, we have nowhere to buy it! I can't count on you for anything in the future!" She became more and more angry as she spoke, and slapped Aiden Whitlock in the face.

Aiden Whitlock smiled, took off his clothes and said, "Mom, don't be angry, look, what is this?" It turned out that the pancake was tied to his body! Wen's mother felt embarrassed and said, "Aiden Whitlock, mother blamed you wrongly, you are still thoughtful." Aiden Whitlock smiled innocently: "Mom spanked me because she loves me, some people want to be spanked by my mother but can't." Aiden Whitlock shared the pancakes with his mother and two brothers, and tied his share around his waist. Wen's mother asked: "Aiden Whitlock, why don't you eat?" Aiden Whitlock smiled: "Mom, I'm not hungry." Wen's mother sighed: "Alas, the eldest is the eldest after all. I won't eat either." Aiden Whitlock said: "Mom, you eat yours, I'm really not hungry."

Caleb Whitlock interrupted while eating a pancake: "Mom, I think we should give each of you a portion of pancakes. Otherwise, I'll starve to death if we get separated." Aiden Whitlock said: "That won't work. If the pancakes are in your hands, you'll eat them all before dark. I'm worried."

Ethan Whitlock said, "You don't trust me? I don't trust you either! What if you ate it secretly?" Caleb Whitlock chimed in, "Yeah, if you ate it secretly, how could I open your stomach and take it out? You should take them separately." Aiden Whitlock said, "It's no use saying anything. This is the power my mother gave me. It's useless if you don't trust me. My mother trusts me." Ethan Whitlock swallowed the last bite of pancake and wiped his mouth, "Don't use my mother to pressure others. Give me the pancakes! San'er, if he doesn't agree, let's fight!" The two brothers were ready to fight.

Aiden Whitlock chuckled and said, "No means no. You two are thinking of the opposite as soon as we go out, right? Why don't you try it yourself!" Ethan Whitlock said angrily, "I've had enough of you. You act big at home all day long. San'er, let's do it!" As he said that, he and Caleb Whitlock hugged each other's waists and legs and started dancing with Aiden Whitlock.

Wen's mother looked at the three brothers and said with a smile, "I don't care about your brothers' affairs. As long as you three keep making fun of me, I will never get old!" After thinking for a while, she said, "Stop making fun of you. Your father is not around. The eldest son is like a father. Listen to your eldest brother!"

Aiden Whitlock squatted on the ground and looked at the crowd surging in front of the porridge stall in the distance. He couldn't help but think of Lily Summers, and his eyes were red again. Wen's mother looked at him and sighed deeply. Ethan Whitlock said: "Brother, there is a porridge stall over there, I'm going to ask for porridge." Aiden Whitlock shook his head: "No, it's so crowded and chaotic, what if I get lost?" Ethan Whitlock said: "You are afraid of being hit on the head by falling leaves, how can I, a living person, get lost? You wait here, I'll be back soon." After saying that, he ran into the crowd of people asking for porridge with a small iron bucket, dodging left and right, and squeezing under the crotch of the porridge beggars. After a while, he ran back with a bucket of porridge.

In a small teahouse at the port dock, Xia Yuanzhang, wearing a long gown, and the businessman Lao Tang were looking at the sea and talking. Xia Yuanzhang was from Guandong, his family was in Lushun, and he traveled to the interior of the country all year round. He was going to go home as planned, but because there was no wind and no boat, he had to wait on the shore. Lao Tang asked him: "Manager Xia, how was your business this time? Was it a little rough?" Xia Yuanzhang sighed and said: "Oh, don't mention it. I have been running for half a year and didn't do any business. What business can be done in Shandong these days? There have been years of famine, soldiers and bandits are rampant, and everyone is busy escaping."

Lao Tang said: "Alas, Hainan is suffering from famine, and Haibei is suffering from war. This is called chaos and despair. Why would Russia and Japan go to fight in our great Qing Dynasty?"

Xia Yuanzhang sighed again: "Alas, ever since the Eight-Power Allied Forces captured Beijing, the Empress Dowager has frightened the foreigners. Today they sign treaties, tomorrow they cede territory and pay compensation, which attracts batches of mad dogs, and they fight over uneven distribution of spoils. Take Lushun for example. After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the old Russians occupied our port and squeezed out the little Japanese on the pretext of protecting the Qing Dynasty from foreign invasion. How could the little Japanese be willing to accept this? Look, they are back again. This is a pair of mad dogs, biting each other on Chinese territory, biting with red eyes!"

Lao Tang asked: "Alas, I wonder what's going on in Haibei?"

Xia Yuanzhang pointed to the sea and said, "Look, these dozens of sailboats are waiting for the wind to blow, but there has been no wind for three days. How can they cross the sea? Look at this harbor, how many refugees are trapped now? If it weren't for the philanthropist Zhou from Longfuxiang who opened a porridge stall, who knows how many people would starve to death!"

"What is the origin of this great man Zhou? How can he be so powerful?"

Xia Yuanzhang said: "I often go to Longkou, so I know a thing or two about him. His name is Zhou Fengnian, with the courtesy name Huipu. He passed the imperial examination when he was young, and then started doing business. He is also good at management, and his business is getting bigger and bigger. Now he is a wealthy and famous businessman in Jiaodong." Lao Tang exclaimed: "Oh? Passed the imperial examination and is doing business, so he is a Confucian businessman?"

Xia Yuanzhang said, "It's a long story to talk about this great man Zhou. He has three hobbies in his life. The first hobby is dressing well. He always wears a long gown when he goes out. Not only is the material good, but the workmanship is extremely exquisite. He wears a black suit of tweed and only wears Beijing Buliansheng cloth shoes. They are always spotless. Every time he goes out, he asks his servants to iron his long gown flat and without any wrinkles. People gave him the nickname Zhou Damei. The second hobby is good food. He has a chef at home. He never cares about any meal. He never tires of fine food and fine minced meat. He not only likes good food, but also likes culture. He is not only familiar with the cooking methods of some famous foods, but also can tell the relevant stories, such as Dongpo pork, beggar's chicken, Buddha jumps over the wall, and cross-bridge rice noodles. While eating, he can tell vivid stories one by one."

Lao Tang couldn't help but nod and said, "Interesting."

Xia Yuanzhang continued to talk: "The third hobby is watching opera. Not only is he obsessed with opera, but he also plays for fun. He plays for fun and not just for fun. He has put in a lot of effort, learned from famous teachers, and specialized in the role of red jing, but he never went into the entertainment industry. That year, his old lady celebrated her 70th birthday and held a party. The Beijing famous actor Yuan Shaolou was invited to sing the finale of the opera "Huarong Road". Yuan Shaolou's role of red jing is unique in the capital, and no one can match it. Yuan Shaolou complained that the hospitality was not good enough. The warm-up play was almost over, and he was reluctant to give his face. The wind on the stage was getting stronger and stronger. The Zhou family was panicked, not knowing what to do. What's the good? Yuan Shaolou just won't budge. At this time, Master Zhou smiled slightly, stood up and said: "Saving the stage is like putting out a fire, let me do it." The backstage hurriedly dressed Master Zhou and asked him to show his face. Master Zhou said: "Forget it." Someone said: "How can this be done! Guan Yu has a red face, and you go on stage with a plain face, isn't this a joke?" Master Zhou said: "Don't worry." So he went on stage with a plain face. The audience went crazy, and one voice said: Great, today we have opened our eyes, Guan Yu has a white face, and see how his face becomes red!"

Old Tang asked, "Yes, how did he turn his face red?" Xia Yuanzhang said, "Mr. Zhou was not in a hurry. He recited the four lines of the opening poem, shook his sleeves, stroked his beard, stood up, turned over, and appeared. Then, his plain face turned red, just like a red-faced Guan Gong! The audience in the audience was stunned and cheered continuously. Yuan Shaolou was stunned by Zhou Gong's unique skills. He fell to his knees with a plop and said, 'Zhou Gong's magical skills, Shaolou knows his crime!' He rolled up his bedding and ran away."

On the Longkou Harbor, a high altar was erected facing northeast. On the sea in the distance, a row of sailboats stood in a row, and the sails of the Baina were motionless. The Beidou Tiangang flag was high on the altar, but because there was no wind, the flag was limply attached to the wooden stake, without any grandeur. The incense table was filled with smoke, and all kinds of fruits and vegetables were available. Zhou Dashan, wearing a crane cloak and holding a feather fan, looked like Zhuge Kongming reborn. He slowly climbed onto the altar surrounded by people. Xiao Shanzi, dressed as a Taoist boy, followed behind him holding a sword. The audience was crowded.

On the stage, Mr. Zhou burned incense, knelt down, and performed the great ceremony of offering sacrifice to the heaven. He let his braids down, raised his Qingfeng sword high, and shouted in a desolate voice: "God, since Pangu created the world, the land of Qi and Lu has suffered so much, and the people have suffered so much. The heaven is so unfair! God of heaven, water, and wind, please show your spirit and blow a northeast wind to send all the villagers to Haibei safely! Wind, wind, wind, wind!" After shouting, he danced with the sword like the wind and shouted loudly, "Wind, God, bless the people, wind!"

Wen's mother and three sons in the audience looked at Mr. Zhou silently, and occasionally looked at the sailboats docked on the coast. Wen's mother shook her head and said, "It's useless. God doesn't favor us."

After half an hour of worship, although the sky was gloomy, there was no wind. Zhou Dashan, who was shouting at the top of his lungs, also had a very gloomy face. The onlookers gradually lost interest, and after seeing enough of the excitement, they dispersed. Xiao Shanzi felt sorry for the shopkeeper and whispered, "Shopkeeper, you have done your best. We are ordinary people and can't do anything to change the situation. Don't feel bad." Zhou Dashan shouted, "This God wants to kill people! No, I have to offer sacrifices to the heaven tomorrow. No, this time I want to ask the heaven! Ask God which demons and monsters are harming the people. I want to kill the demons and exorcise the monsters!"

Xiao Shanzi was confused and said, "Boss, you want to kill demons and exorcise monsters? Is this true?" The kind-hearted Zhou said, "I want to perform a big play and use my special skills." Xiao Shanzi was shocked and said, "Boss, are you going to perform a red-clean play? "Beheading Hua Xiong" or "Huarong Road"? "The kind-hearted Zhou said, "You will know when the time comes. Find my costumes. In recent years, the big merchants in the city have been clamoring to watch my plain-faced red-clean play, but I have never agreed. Send someone to send them a letter and tell them that I want to perform a red-clean play. If they want to watch the play, they must agree to one condition, which is to donate money to disaster relief."

Two days later, the drums were beaten again on the altar, and the sound was even louder than the one for offering sacrifices to the heavens. The audience was extremely crowded. In addition to the groups of refugees, even the local people of Longkou came after hearing the news. Together with the wealthy merchants and their families sitting in the front row, there were thousands of people. Several of Zhou's men walked among the merchants with donation boxes, lobbying for donations.

Mr. Zhou played Guan Yu, and Xiao Shanzi played the horse boy. They went up to the altar to the sound of drums and music. Guan Yu stroked his beard, shook his sleeves, and suddenly appeared. His face suddenly turned red! The audience exclaimed!

Mr. Zhou danced and sang with tears streaming down his face: "I sigh, Heaven, you are unfair. Since ancient times, Qi and Lu have not been peaceful. There are droughts for nine out of ten years, and the Yellow River is turbulent every year. The people are displaced and leave their hometowns, selling their children and girls to go to Guandong. If Heaven cannot save us from suffering, how can we face the people? I hold the Green Dragon Sword in my hand, and ride the Red Hare, howling in the sky. I ask Heaven why it does not answer me? If Heaven does not cause wind and thunder, I will wield the sword to kill the demons that are causing trouble in Heaven..."

Mr. Zhou danced with his sword like the wind, as if he was intoxicated. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered and a thunderclap sounded in the sky. The wind blew! The crowd was in chaos, crying for their parents and brothers: "Master Guan appeared, the wind blew!"

"Hurry up and get on board, the boat is sailing!"

People rushed towards the sailboats on the beach. The drums on the altar beat more urgently.

One sail was raised, and then another sail was raised. The refugees crowded and climbed onto the various ships docked at the pier. The weather vanes on the ships spun with sharp whistles. The helmsmen shouted in unison to raise the sails and anchor: "Hey, hey, work hard, hold the sail, prepare the oars, pull up the anchor quickly, ride the wind, follow the waves, Goddess of the Sea, come to help, go to Guandong, leave home, say goodbye to parents, don't be sad, go outside the pass, enjoy the blessings! Hey, hey..."

Aiden Whitlock and his two brothers hugged their mother tightly and squeezed onto a big ship. At this time, the port was in chaos, with families separated and people crying for their parents. Two boatmen removed the bridge planks and the boat slowly sailed towards the deep sea. Those who missed the boat were so anxious that they stamped their feet, and some even burst into tears. Aiden Whitlock said, "Mom, you see, it's all thanks to us brothers. If you had listened to enough operas, we wouldn't be able to leave even if we wanted to." Wen's mother said, "Don't say it, they sing really well, their faces turn red at any time." Caleb Whitlock joked, "What's good? No matter how good it is, it can't be better than Sister Lily Summers's singing, right, boss?" Aiden Whitlock rolled his eyes at him and said nothing. While he was thinking, he suddenly heard someone on the shore shouting, "Brother Aiden Whitlock, wait for me." It was Lily Summers's voice!

Caleb Whitlock pointed to the shore and shouted, "Hey, it's Sister Lily Summers, she really followed us!" Following the direction he pointed, Aiden Whitlock also saw Lily Summers mixed in the crowd on the shore, she was squeezed here and there by the crowd. Aiden Whitlock anxiously gave the pancake tied to his body to Ethan Whitlock. Wen's mother asked, "Boss, do you want to pick her up? The boat has already left." Aiden Whitlock hesitated and said, "I'm afraid it's impossible." He shouted to Lily Summers, "Lily Summers, run over here, the water is shallow here!"

The shore was filled with noise and Lily Summers didn't understand Aiden Whitlock's words and didn't know what to do. Ethan Whitlock saw his brother's hesitation and got angry. He said angrily, "You can only yell, go get her!" Then he kicked Aiden Whitlock off the boat. Aiden Whitlock was unprepared and fell into the sea. He took two gulps of water before raising his head. He was about to curse, but when he thought of Lily Summers on the shore, he didn't care about her anymore and swam towards the shore like a dog paddle.

Ethan Whitlock and Caleb Whitlock shouted from the boat: "Brother, paddle hard and don't look back!" On the shore, Lily Summers ran towards Aiden Whitlock with tears in her eyes, shouting as she ran: "Brother Aiden Whitlock, come this way!" Halfway through the swim, Aiden Whitlock suddenly turned back and shouted to the boat: "Mom, what should Lily Summers and I do?" Wen's mother shouted: "You two wait for the next boat to come!" Caleb Whitlock also shouted: "Brother, don't forget Yuanbao Town at Sanjiangkou!"

Wen's mother looked at her eldest son silently, slapped her thigh and said, "Stop shouting! Let's go over there and wait for them. It's good for them to be together and have company." Seeing Aiden Whitlock's figure getting smaller and smaller, and the people on the shore were also dim and their faces could not be seen clearly, Wen's mother didn't feel two lines of tears passing across her face. The big sailboat had already sailed into the depths of the sea.

After a long time of struggling, they got on the boat. Ethan Whitlock and Caleb Whitlock were already hungry, so they took out the pancakes left by Aiden Whitlock and started eating. Caleb Whitlock said, "Second brother, the eldest brother said that we can't eat all the food at once, otherwise it will be troublesome if something happens." Ethan Whitlock ate until his cheeks were bulging, and said, "It's okay, we're on the boat now, right? We have everything in Haibei."

Xia Yuanzhang, who was standing aside, saw the two brothers and came over to chat with them. He asked Caleb Whitlock, "Little brother, what's your name?" Caleb Whitlock said, "My first name is Caleb Whitlock, and this is my second brother, whose first name is Ethan Whitlock. What's your name, sir?"

Xia Yuanzhang was stunned. He didn't expect that this ragged young man could speak so elegantly. He couldn't help but praise him: "Little brother, you are very knowledgeable! My name is Xia Yuanzhang. I see that you are a family. Are you going to the border areas?" Caleb Whitlock said: "Yes, I am going to the border areas to find my father."

Xia Yuanzhang took out a small peep show and handed it to Caleb Whitlock, saying, "Little brother, I'll give you a little toy." Caleb Whitlock resisted the urge to take it, saying, "My mother said that I can't just take other people's things." Ethan Whitlock, however, took it and said, "He doesn't want to give it to me, what else does Mr. Xia have?"

At this moment, a boat from behind caught up. People on the two boats who knew each other shouted to each other. The captain standing at the bow roared: "Stop shouting, don't scare the sea goddess, meet at Haibei!" People were silent. The captain sang a fishing song in a low voice: "A fishing song flies to the sky, singing the fishing song with tears, running non-stop from Hainan to Haibei, the fishing song is spread between the sea and the sky. Everyone praises me for having many fishing songs, and there are still fishing songs that have not been sung, singing the wind and waves are calm, singing the prosperous years..."

On the shore, Aiden Whitlock took off his coat and wrung it dry. He was shivering with cold, but his face was full of smiles. He ignored people and just held Lily Summers's hand tightly. Lily Summers blushed and said, "Brother Aiden Whitlock, you scared me to death. You dare to jump into such a deep sea? You are going to die!" Aiden Whitlock smiled innocently, "Why not? You are my life! Don't worry, my mother told us to wait for the next boat."

A boatman happened to pass by and heard the sneer: "There is no next trip. The last one was the last one. The war between Russia and Japan in Lushunkou is getting bigger and bigger. The Japanese are going to blockade Bohai Bay. The dock is closed to ships."

Everyone was stunned when they heard this, and they talked about it:

"Oh my god, this is not going to get through the gate?"

"What should I do? I sold everything in my house and I can't go back!"

"Oh...my father got on the boat and left me behind. What shall I do?"

An old man with a hunchback said, "There is no other way. Let's take the dry road instead. Go along the Bohai Bay and go straight to Shanhaiguan. After Shanhaiguan, you will reach Guandong. This is the only way to the outside of the pass." Aiden Whitlock asked, "How long will it take?" The old man said, "It depends. It may take half a year at the fastest or a year at the slowest. The mountains are high and the water is dangerous. You have to stop and go all the way. You have to beg for food every day. You can't go fast even if you want to. There are also sick people who can't pass Shanhaiguan. You will understand when you are on the road. Let me tell you, the road leading to Shanhaiguan is lined with Shandong people's graves. If you want to go, follow me."

Aiden Whitlock was stunned for a long time before he said to Lily Summers: "Lily Summers, I will send you back to your hometown." Lily Summers asked: "What about you?" Aiden Whitlock said: "I will send you back and then take the land road." Lily Summers shook her head and said: "No, I won't go back, I want to go with you!" Aiden Whitlock was anxious and said: "Are you crazy? What a difficult road! Can a girl like you endure the hardship? No, sending you back is also an explanation to your parents." Lily Summers said stubbornly: "If you want to go back, you go back, I won't go back." She ignored Aiden Whitlock and followed the old man who just spoke. Aiden Whitlock had no choice but to catch up with her and said: "Wait a minute, don't regret it!"

Behind Aiden Whitlock, another group of people followed.