Chapter 492: Chapter 492: Another Dream
While Old Lady Hua was helping tidy up the children, Hua Chengtian had already led people through the gates of Hua Village. It didn’t take long before the atmosphere in the village became lively, and everyone felt relieved knowing the people had returned.
Old Lady Hua could hear her son’s loud voice from inside the room. Fortunately, the children were not asleep; otherwise, they would’ve been scared awake.
In the past, Old Lady Hua would never have let Hua Chengtian off the hook, but now she was only filled with joy. Holding her youngest grandson, who was already full, she couldn’t wait any longer and went outside.
Hua Fen and her sisters were even quicker, running out the moment they heard the noise.
"Brother, you’re back!" The two sisters were delighted, constantly sizing up Hua Chengtian and the people behind him.
Seeing that her brother and nephew, though a bit disheveled, were safe, they couldn’t help but glance again outside the door to be sure.
"Big sister and second sister, their husbands went directly home. You should go and check on them," Hua Chengtian, knowing his sisters were worried about their husbands, didn’t waste any words.
"Alright, we’ll head back now, and we’ll come by to see you later," they said, hastily bidding farewell to their parents and sister-in-law before rushing home.
When they’re at home, they are unaware, but once their children and husband are away, their hearts are in turmoil, never at peace. Now they are finally at ease.
"It’s good to be back. Quickly go wash up," Old Man Hua said with a smile, relaxing as he sat in the courtyard.
Hua Yunao and Si hurried to help fetch water so that their father and second brother (second elder brother) could wash.
Old Lady Hua and Mrs. Qi were busying themselves around them, full of concern.
It had been a long time since Hua Chengtian experienced such a loving gaze from his mother. He was somewhat overwhelmed by the attention. If he weren’t so filthy and his mother wasn’t holding his eldest grandson, he would have wanted to hug her.
In the face of their inquiries, he didn’t want to worry his mother and wife, so he only reported the good news, not the bad, saying that they had taken a detour. At the very least, it allowed them to be at ease now. Although they would later learn about the dangers faced, there was no immediate cause for concern.
Love filled Mrs. Qi’s expression with a smile. Seeing that her husband and son were unharmed, she hastily went inside to prepare a change of clothes.
Hua Yunxiang missed his son and, seeing his chubby, soft son, wanted to get close, but seeing how dirty he was, he dared not approach.
The courtyard overflowed with chatter, yet none of it disturbed Hua Jin, who was sound asleep inside the room. She merely frowned slightly and then continued to sleep soundly.
When she awoke, her father and second brother had already cleaned up, eaten, and gone to bed
Waking up, Hua Jin sat dazed on the bed for a moment and, after coming to her senses, vanished into the bathroom. Letting the hot water wash over her, feeling the scalding heat, she realized it was just a dream—a dream that was supposed to happen but changed because of her presence.
In the dream, the Ancient Yan Country lay in ruins, the entire nation a dilapidated hellscape where those alive suffered immensely. The enemy country captured city after city as though unopposed, with the worst at the northern part where Lingyun State faced the cruel Northern Cang Tatars.
Without her, in the extreme heat, only a few people lived near Yun River; even the official garrison suffered staggering losses. With insufficient manpower, they couldn’t repair the city walls immediately. Then, a quake caused the walls to collapse completely, and the Northern Cang Tatars took this opportunity to invade. Lingyun State city fell within hours, and within five days, counties and towns under the state were overrun with Northern Cang Tatar forces, committing atrocities. Hua Village didn’t escape this calamity; the few survivors perished in the disaster.
In the dream, many people disappeared. She saw her eldest brother, Fourth Brother, several cousins, and Sister Hui, but not her grandparents, parents, Second Brother, herself, or other relatives.
She seemed like a bystander, watching her eldest brother lead Fourth Brother and the few Hua Village survivors in a fierce resistance against the Northern Cang Tatars for the sake of their family.
Everyone died miserably in the dream—the brothers, cousins, and all the men of Hua Village did their utmost for their families, ending up in a bloody demise. Even her sister-in-law, Sister Hui, and the few surviving women of Hua Village couldn’t escape a tragic end, raped and killed. The dream ended with the Northern Cang Tatar soldiers’ wild laughter.
Hua Jin was startled awake by this dream; despite the hot water, her heart pounded wildly.
Thus, the dream’s end didn’t show her family because they were all gone, including herself. Thinking of the blood-soaked Hua Village at the end, Hua Jin tightly shut her eyes, even as the scorching water cascaded over her, failing to dispel the chill from her heart. Breathing deeply, it took her a while to quell the murderous intent rising within, slowly opening her eyes.
Constantly telling herself it was just a dream, reality had changed, and what happened in the dream wouldn’t occur again. Lingyun State was no longer the powerless city in the dream. There were still the remaining forces from Yicheng and Yuncheng and the people who survived the extreme heat. Today, Lingyun didn’t resemble a dead city, easily breached by the Northern Cang Tatars.
It took Hua Jin quite some time to calm down, and that was only after eating two pieces of cake, a bottle of milk, and a cup of cola.
Eating sweets indeed helps when you’re feeling down.
By the time she appeared before her family, Hua Jin had fully recovered, back to being that cheerful, smiling, sometimes mischievous girl. But she kept the dream buried deep in her heart and didn’t plan to tell her family.
Two more days passed like this. Once it was certain the earthquake had completely subsided, Hua Village, having lived in the open for several days, began busying themselves, repairing their homes.
In the meantime, all the rescue efforts in the town were completed.
By then, only over six thousand people from the town and surrounding villages survived, thanks to the county magistrate leading the people in prompt rescue, minimizing the death toll. Although nearly two thousand died, it was already a blessing compared to the number saved.
It’s important to note the earthquake struck late at night when few could escape danger; most were trapped under the rubble.
The fact that so many survived was a testament to the magistrate’s dedication to life.
Thus, while everyone was saddened, they were exceedingly grateful to the magistrate, thinking of him as the best official they’d ever seen, one who lived and ate with the people just to save them.
At this moment, the county magistrate was organizing post-quake reconstruction, and the deceased were taken by their families for burial. Those without families were buried by the authorities, and any unclaimed food or usable items were taken by the government.
Shanggu Town, united under the magistrate, saw no post-disaster riots, though the disaster left it entirely in ruins, even the town’s best homes and official residences.