That night, Ethan and Serena were both shocked by their son's words, feeling a mixture of excitement and fear. They were excited because their son had a place to store grain, and valuable items had a safe place as well.
The fear came from what their son had said: the "immortal" had warned that locusts would soon arrive. They had lived here for many years—leaving home to escape wasn't going to be easy.
Ethan was especially reluctant to give up his position as village chief, feeling both anxious and heartbroken.
But even if they had to flee, the first step was to prepare these essentials.
Julian knew that his parents couldn't store enough supplies for many years. Their family had money, so they had to buy grain as soon as possible.
Ethan planned to stockpile grain while the harvest was ongoing. Thinking about it, Julian fell asleep, comforted that persuading his parents would make the rest of the plan easier.
Ethan and Serena barely slept that night, and the next morning, their eyes were dark and tired.
Thinking about his son's warning, Ethan got up early. He and his brother-in-law went out, first visiting his older brother-in-law, who was the director of the local supply cooperative, to purchase slightly defective goods.
They bought items that didn't require ration tickets, like seasonings and salt, and even used up some of their tickets to buy candles.
Ethan also had other matters to discuss, not just with his older brother-in-law but with his uncles. Their son had said that the locusts would arrive in a month, so they couldn't remain in the village. Staying in temporary mountain shelters without grain or vegetables wouldn't work.
Many villagers had already dug temporary shelters, and moving later could cause more trouble.
Ethan decided they needed to find a safer, more remote mountain area to secure temporary housing in advance.
He didn't consider escaping to another city—urban residents couldn't buy supply grain, and without it, they would starve as refugees.
Ethan went to speak with Serena's two brothers, who were in the town, to make everything clear.
"Brother-in-law, no meetings today. What's going on?"
Recently, the town mayor frequently called them to meetings; they were village leaders and supply directors.
Those in charge could eat well, but they also had to pay taxes and contribute grain.
"First brother, second brother, yesterday I went to our village temple. That night, the Buddha in the temple appeared in a dream and gave me guidance. He said that in a month, grain here and nationwide will sell at higher prices. More importantly, locusts will arrive here in a month. We need to find a way to move!"
Serena's two brothers were married with children. The eldest, Charles, married Miss Chen and had two sons and a daughter. The second, Daniel, married Miss Lee and had three sons and a daughter.
Their elderly parents were still healthy.
"Really? Are you saying this is true? And you went to the temple? Aren't you afraid someone would report you?"
Both brothers were skeptical but didn't think Ethan would joke about it. The past two years had been especially strict outside, and the nearby sea was constantly monitored.
Transporting goods was risky, and higher-risk items sold at higher prices.
"I plan to ask second brother to help us secure extra grain, as well as more firewood, rice, oil, salt, and condiments. I think we should find a more remote mountain area, prepare housing, and in a month, send the elderly and children there first."
Charles and Daniel thought this was serious and decided to discuss it with Ethan's parents first.
When they arrived at the Yao family home, the brothers-in-law were greeted politely; everyone gathered in the main hall to talk.
"Tell us, what happened?" asked the eldest grandfather.
"Father-in-law, recently my wife and I visited the temple. That night, I dreamed that an immortal gave my son a medicine. He's now fully recovered. Last night, the immortal appeared in my dream again, warning that locusts would arrive here in a month. I'm only half convinced, but we need to prepare!"
"WHAT? Our grandson is better now? But you actually went to the temple? What if someone saw you?"
The adults' main concern was that Ethan's son had recovered from his condition. As family members, they naturally knew that if their grandson couldn't inherit the family property, it would benefit outsiders.
Then there was also fear of the local authorities.
"Yes, my son is well now. The past few days, he even went up the mountain with me to pick lychees and could say a lot of words. It's just too dangerous to bring him out, so I didn't take him."
Ethan's smiling expression didn't look like a joke. No wonder everyone who saw him last time thought he was just cheerful about the village's harvest.
In reality, it was because their only son had recovered.
At first, the adults' attention was entirely on the fact that Ethan and Serena's only son was healthy again, and they were genuinely happy for them. After all, they were the closest relatives.
"Not bringing him out is the right decision. But did the immortal really appear in the dream?"
They discussed in whispers, careful not to be overheard.
Others weren't fully convinced, but the two elderly grandparents believed it. Their region had ancient traditions, and legends of immortals were taken seriously. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many temples.
"Let's assume this is true. We should prepare. Our entire family—old and young—should find a safe place to settle first. That's the right thing to do."
The patriarch spoke, and the Yao brothers could only nod in agreement. They promised Ethan that they would follow through.
"I'll go notify my maternal uncle's side. If our three families work together, we can manage the timber. Together, we'll go into the mountains, and once there, we can hunt."
Ethan's proposal seemed reasonable to the Yao family.
They agreed to discuss today, and notify others once a plan was finalized tomorrow.
Of course, they first needed to arrange people and the timber-gathering operations.
Such preparation would naturally require money.
Ethan went to his maternal uncle's house—his mother's family.
His mother came from a large family with three older brothers and two younger brothers. The elder generation were already elderly. Among their children, some joined the army, some became village captains, some worked as laborers, and one even became a county mayor.
The family was large, and all lived together in a big house.
Ethan met his mother's brothers and younger siblings, and they brought along their sons. Only the one working in the county wasn't back yet, but once matters were discussed, notifications could be sent. They had the channels to organize timber operations.
When Ethan discussed the plan, he repeated what he had told his in-laws. The elders all believed in immortals.
Hearing that locusts were coming, they hesitated to part with family wealth but felt their solid walls would protect them somewhat.
Ethan added that they should first send the elderly and children up the mountain. If the three families built houses together at a safe location, they would have a place to hide if disaster came.
Even if the locusts didn't arrive, moving the valuables would only cost a little labor. But if the disaster did come, it would save their lives.
The Yao family agreed. After all, the deep mountains weren't in their town, and traveling far could mean wild animals in the forests. Preparing timber in advance was the sensible choice.
( End of chapter )