Ajue glanced sideways and saw her grandmother's wrinkled face, beaming with an overly fawning smile.
The sight, coupled with the blood-smeared face so close, almost made Ajue forget to breathe.
"Grandma, you're bleeding again," Ajue swallowed and steadied her gaze.
"It's fine, as long as you give me a couple more sips, even one will do." Madam Wang changed her scissor-like fingers to a single index finger:
"I swear to the heavens, I will fulfill that wish of yours in the future."
"Heh, is it raining? Grandma, are you sick or really sick?"
Ajue pouted. Nowadays, Grandma's disposition had changed greatly. Although she sometimes spoke quite nastily, she possessed a bit more righteousness than before.
As they traveled, Ajue gradually became less afraid of her, speaking her mind freely.
"Believe it or not." Madam Wang's lewd smile instantly vanished upon hearing this. She smacked her lips, glanced at the waterskin at her waist, and stalked away, plopping down cross-legged.
Ajue looked at her grandmother and muttered, "She's not afraid of scalding her butt."
Only then did she feel at ease, untying the sack and taking out a handful of wheat. A few mischievous grains slipped through her fingers, and Ajue cherishedly picked them up.
Now, not a single grain of food could be wasted.
She stood up and looked around. Even though the sky had darkened, she could still spot her mother, Little Yanyan, and her father in the distance.
Feeling relieved, she walked a little further away, finding a spot under a tree where there was a sliver of soil.
Qi Ming Mountain was a stony mountain with very little soil, otherwise, Father wouldn't have run so far to find sun-baked sandy soil.
Ajue didn't even spare the meager soil found in the cracks of the rocks, letting a few wheat grains fall.
This handful of wheat was enough to feed the family. If her guess was wrong, the sin would be immense.
Coupled with the precious spiritual spring water, it was sprinkled onto the ground bit by bit like this.
Ajue's heart was as taut as a lute string.
Her eyes scanned the surroundings intently, her mind calculating the time from noon until their current resting place.
She carefully estimated the growth rate.
Huh? Why was there no movement?
It itched terribly. Ajue scratched her ankles a few times, and her buttocks, through her pants, were covered in bites.
Speaking of fleeing famine, why didn't the mosquitoes flee? Where else could they find so many people to feed on?
"Slap!" Ajue grew impatient and started swatting randomly. If she waited any longer, the wheat wouldn't grow, and she'd be carried away by the mosquitoes.
"Ajue? Where did you go? Ajue..."
It seemed her mother and the others had returned, calling out for her anxiously.
Before she could complete her experiment, Ajue was afraid her mother would worry about the grain if she knew. "Hey, I'm here."
Ajue reluctantly glanced back one last time. There was still no movement. Gritting her teeth, she returned first.
"Do you want to scare your mother to death? You must never wander off alone." Cai Lihua pulled her over and examined her from head to toe.
"Mom, I'm fine." Ajue looked back, thinking she would check again tonight.
There were many mosquitoes in the mountains. Tuoba Yan was quite smart, diligently striking a spark.
"I don't know how to use this thing." Little Yanyan wiped the sweat from his forehead. He looked like he had been striking flints for quite a while, his fingertips already raw.
"Ah? You don't know how? I don't either." Cai Lihua spread her hands, looking a bit embarrassed.
"I do." Ajue squatted beside the camphor wood branches, gripping the flint and striking it hard.
She had been the family's laborer since she was little, so she knew these things.
Sparks flew from the flint. Now, with the drought, the wood was dry, and soon, the camphor wood caught fire.
"Sister Ajue, you're amazing. I don't know how to do this." Little Yanyan's eyes lit up, filled with infatuation and admiration for Ajue.
This time, even Cai Lihua noticed that the boy seemed to like her precious daughter.
No wonder Old Meng had told the boy not to hover around their daughter just now. He clearly had ulterior motives.
She looked back and saw her husband returning. She quickly went to meet him, intending to discuss this matter.
"What kind of family do you come from? Are you some kind of high official who needs many servants?"
Ajue, however, didn't feel particularly capable due to Little Yanyan's praise. Instead, she thought, who in this era didn't know how to use a flint?
"Many servants?" Tuoba Yan was also taken aback. He scratched his head and asked somewhat sheepishly.