After the flood subsided, the villagers hastily left the mountaintop.
The Gu Family, having buried Gu Wen, still followed the old custom of mourning on the mountaintop, a practice that everyone found ominous.
Years had passed among the folks of the village, and no one knew if there would be another chance in this lifetime to be neighbors again.
But under the current circumstances, with life and death uncertain, no one could afford to look after anyone else.
Moreover, Huang Xiangwen might have contracted the illness, and people are selfish; they naturally did not wish to take the Gu Family members with them in their escape.
Erya insisted on staying behind, waiting until the funeral rites were done before leaving. Shunzi, a man of kindness and loyalty, naturally wanted to stay as well.
Shunzi's parents were loath to part with their eldest son but could not persuade the Wang Family to stay.
