It was getting late, he had to hurry home or else he would be scolded. Zhu Ping'an took big strides down the slope, running towards home.,Along the way, the irregular arrangement of thatched huts and earthen houses, Xiashan Village, although nestled by mountains and water, remained a remote and impoverished village. The local people's utilization of the mountains and water was limited to meeting their basic needs. To build a house, they would go up the mountain to cut down a few trees to bring back as beams; when there was no rice for cooking, they would go up the mountain to find some wild vegetables and fruits, or fish a couple of small fish from the river to cook. The feudal peasant economy still relied on farming, and most villagers struggled to make ends meet with their three-tenths of an acre of land. Only a few landlords were relatively wealthy.,“You still know how to feel pain. You’re out and about all day long, nowhere to be seen. When you were taken away by that flower-seller, your old mother finally found peace.” Mrs. Chen said, giving Zhu Pingan a glare. Thinking about the missing children in the county town made her uneasy, but luckily, the village was quite safe with people coming and going constantly.。