He broke off half of his remaining multi-grain flatbread, which he had been reluctant to eat, and pressed it into her hand.
Before the mother and daughter could speak, Meng Shaode got up and called his elder brother to go out.
A Jiu still had food in her hands, and now she had an extra piece. Her father had truly changed his ways, actually showing concern for her and her mother.
In the past, her father would have squandered all their food and money outside and wouldn't have come home until it was gone, never considering their well-being.
Something was wrong.
A Jiu’s mind raced, and she quickly looked at her hands.
Her calloused hands were as thin as a chicken's claws. She then looked at her aunt and two cousins opposite her.
She could even see the way their clothes creased with perfect clarity.
Startled, A Jiu dropped the flatbread in her hand with a clatter. She looked towards the cave entrance with some reluctance. Her uncle and father had just stepped out, each holding a sickle.
"There used to be a wild boar on this mountain. I tried to catch it several times but failed. I wonder if we'll encounter it today."
"Even if we do, what good will these sickles do us?"
"Just seeing it would be enough to satisfy our cravings," Meng Shaode replied sheepishly.
The two brothers chatted back and forth, their earlier animosity seemingly forgotten.
But A Jiu could see the rust on the sickles as clearly as if it were broad daylight.
"A Jiu, come and sleep in your mother's arms. We don't know what tomorrow will bring."
Her mother patted A Jiu's arm, signaling her to lie down.
In her mind, she thought of the delicacies she used to prepare in her past life. If they could safely reach Nanming City, she would sell blood to ensure A Jiu was plump and fair.
A Jiu, however, couldn't sleep. Before long, her mother's snoring filled the air.
The arm that had been embracing her drooped.
The moonlight slanted into the cave. As A Jiu looked at the bright moonlight and closed her eyes.
"You little brat, your family has already sold you to me. Where do you think you're going to run?"
A Jiu jolted awake. The air was still, save for the smell of animal dung in her nostrils. She realized she had been having a nightmare.
The moonlight outside shone directly into the cave entrance. A figure suddenly flitted past.
A Jiu clapped a hand over her mouth in fright. Could it be the refugee army? The cave was pitch black, and it seemed the intruder hadn't noticed them.
Before the thought had fully formed, the figure retreated, and a head reappeared, poking into the cave. A Jiu quickly nudged her mother a few times.
"Mom, Mom?" A Jiu retracted her small hand. Her mother slept as if she were dead.
Just then, A Jiu noticed that the half-visible head peering into the cave had disappeared again.
After a long while, it felt as if the air had solidified. A Jiu cautiously got up and crept to the cave entrance to take a look.
A voice drifted in from a distance on the wind.
"Among the people who fled from Xinghua Village, there must have been a leak of military information. Since they weren't caught, they must be hiding in Mount Qiming. Search the area."
A Jiu stumbled back in fear and collapsed onto the ground. She watched as fires, like scattered fireflies, moved through the jungle at the foot of the mountain in several directions, heading towards the mountains.
A Jiu frantically turned and rushed back into the cave, intending to wake her mother and aunt. They had to escape immediately.
A round figure was trembling as it shuffled into the cave. In an instant, they collided. A Jiu quickly stumbled back several steps.
"Who?" they both exclaimed almost in unison.
But A Jiu's eyes focused on the person clutching their chest, and she could clearly see the beads of sweat on his face.
Wasn't this Manager Hong from Steward Li's estate?
A Jiu dared not even breathe deeply. The Li family had indeed sent people to pursue them.
"Which village are you from? Speak," Steward Hong took a few steps forward and finally saw A Jiu's appearance.
"You wretched girl, it's you. Damn it, I've been looking for you so hard!"