479: Graveyard of the Sun (3)

Graveyard of the Sun (3)

Shen Yanxiao arrived at the village entrance after about an hour's walk.

The small village had many tiny houses that nestled next to each other. With dark mottled walls and roofs made of stacks of straws, the houses appeared to be shabby and crude.

Some cheerful villagers in short-sleeve shirts walked past the entrance with hoes on their shoulders.

Shen Yanxiao squinted her eyes. She could finally understand why Du Lang did not have any suspicions when he was in the village. Everything about it indicated poverty and simplicity, no matter how one observed the village.

Suddenly, the villagers saw Shen Yanxiao and Vermillion Bird at the entrance. With a kind expression on their faces, the villagers stepped toward her with a kin smile. "Little friends, what are you two doing here? Are you lost? Our village is in the middle of nowhere. You must be exhausted."

Shen Yanxiao did not reply to him. She carefully observed the village as he stood quite close to them. She could tell that he did not fake his kindness. There was not a single hint of hypocrisy in his unsophisticated eyes.

The man was either a great actor, or he was an honest man.

"Old Ba, didn't you harvest some fresh summer radishes in your home? Go on and get some for the kids here." Even though Shen Yanxiao did not say anything, the villagers did not mind her. They were quite worried about their safety in such an undeveloped place. They were hospitable, and they even tried to find them some food.

"Yes, I will do that now. Ah Ke, take the two kids to Uncle Nine's place so that they can have some rest. Get them some water to drink too." The middle-aged man, referred to as Old Ba, seemed to be quite simple in nature. He left as soon as he finished his words, with a hoe on his shoulder, to pick up some food for Shen Yanxiao and the Vermillion Bird.

"You two must be very young. I feel so sorry for you. Come with me so you can rest and have some water. Have you wandered away from your family? I'll take you to Uncle Nine now; he is our village head. We will ask him if he has a way to send you home." Ah Ke looked as if he was in his early twenties. He was not tall but was blessed with a muscular build.

Shen Yanxiao was not surprised that the villagers would think that they were lost. The village was the only one within hundreds of kilometers radius. Otherwise, there seemed to be no other reason why those two kids would be at their village.

The villagers could only think of Shen Yanxiao and Vermillion Bird as children who got separated from their family. The villagers tried their best to help the two young and helpless children.

The Vermillion Bird was about to say something when Shen Yanxiao glared at him.

Shen Yanxiao nodded and pretended to be adorable. Still, she said nothing in reply.

Ah Ke and the other two villagers brought Shen Yanxiao and the Vermillion Bird into the village.

Shen Yanxiao noticed that the villagers wore ragged clothes with many patches on them. The toe caps on Ah Ke's shoes were worn out, and his two toes were exposed; it was quite a sad look.

They met other villagers while they were on their way, and they seemed to be in a similar condition as the villagers that they had met.

The houses in the village looked decrepit too. Some roofs had almost collapsed, but there were still people in it. Most did not even have any doors or windows. No matter how one looked at it, the village looked impoverished.

Nonetheless, the villagers there were exceptionally kind and were always ready to help others.

The villagers did not even question outsiders like Shen Yanxiao and the Vermillion Bird much. Instead, they offered to provide them with food warm-heartedly, and they also asked Ah Ke to take care of the two kids as he brought them to Uncle Nine's place.

pqdm.com