Ah Jiu returned to the place where the fruit trees were planted and stuffed the steamed buns into her mother's cloth bundle.
This small pile was enough for their family of several people to eat for five or six days.
Cai Lihua wolfed down the steamed buns, with Meng Shaode on her left attending to the waterskin. By the time she swallowed the last bite, her chewing slowed.
Then came choked sobs, "I thought we could settle in Nanming City. Remember how much effort we spent to get in? Now it's all burned down, the food is gone, the clinic is gone. What's the use of having money on us? Wuwuwu."
She hadn't even had time to pack her pots and pans, and what was the use of just a set of precious knives?
"Lihua, don't cry, the child is watching." Meng Shaode ate one steamed bun and reached for another, then put it down seeing the situation. He couldn't eat either.
He wondered how those brats in the private school were doing, if they had safely left Nanming City.
When would this end?
"Mom, we walked for three months to get to Nanming City. At most, we'll only need to walk double the distance to reach Lingnan. Lingnan is a good place, we'll definitely be able to settle down there."
Ah Jiu wasn't crying because she had a space. She was gradually understanding it, and any long journey was just a matter of lowering her head and walking.
Even if they couldn't settle in the city, they could still make a living by cultivating wasteland in the mountains.
It was just a matter of how determined she was on this journey of fleeing famine.
"Listen, listen, less than a nursing baby, what's the use of crying all day long?"
Wang Shi, who was beside them, grumbled. If it came to crying, he was the one who wanted to cry the most. As he said this, he actually rolled up his sleeves and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
Damn it, what kind of world is this? You hit me, I hit you, is that fun? Everyone will die eventually, what's the point of fighting?
Ah Jiu calmly picked the ripe peaches one by one and piled them into a small heap.
The ripe watermelons over there were picked and piled into a small heap. There were still a few small watermelons on the vines, and if she waited a bit, three or five more could grow.
"Mom, eat peaches." Ah Jiu handed a peach to her mother.
Coupled with being chided by Wang Shi, Cai Lihua wiped her face with a little embarrassment and said with a dry laugh:
"Mom won't cry anymore, your Grandma is right. Crying is useless."
"Dad, shall we give some to those patients?" Ah Jiu said, gathering the front of her coat, filled with peaches.
"Yes, we should give some to those patients. They gave us their life-saving food."
Meng Shaode also scooped up a lot, with a large watermelon tucked under his armpit.
Father and daughter walked side by side, stepping on uneven stones towards the other side.
"Who?"
The people over there were very vigilant.
Ah Jiu announced her name. Before she even got close, she started shouting, "Please don't refuse our humble offering, Miss Jiu. You saved our lives. If you refuse again... Oh, watermelon?"
As soon as she said this, a group of people swarmed forward.
"You're giving us food, and I have good food for you too." Ah Jiu squatted down and carefully placed the peaches on the ground, afraid of them getting bruised.
"My goodness, how many years has it been since I last saw watermelon?"
"Me too, these peaches are like the ones I ate when I was a child." The person who said this looked only about ten years old, skinny as a rail, but their spirit was no longer that of a patient.
"Don't panic, let's divide them."
"Miss Jiu, thank you, you are truly a kind person."
"Then we'll eat them. Do you still have food?"
Several elder uncles asked with concern.
Ah Jiu was touched. There were still strangers in the world worth caring about.
"Yes, please eat slowly."
Ding dong! Merit points increased by one hundred. Ah Jiu's eyes lit up. She calculated that she had a considerable "deposit" again.
"Yes, you eat. We'll rest here for the night and set off tomorrow morning." On the way back, Meng Shaode couldn't help but express his thoughts:
"Daughter, actually, Dad was also startled."
Ah Jiu suddenly looked at her father gradually. When did he become so timid?
"Daughter, don't look at Dad like that. Dad's meaning is, I didn't expect so many people to eat poisoned meat. You say with the war in Nanming City and then the fire, won't there be even more refugees?
It's inevitable that they'll encounter this kind of harmful poisoned meat on the road. Daughter, who do you think is so heartless?"
"Why are there so many soldiers?"
"Yes."
A commotion came from behind. Ah Jiu suddenly looked back, and when she turned around, someone from the group of patients had lit a torch.
"Fierce Lady Doctor, look, didn't we lose another battle? Are these soldiers retreating?"
Ah Jiu's heart tightened, and she hurried back, "Uncle, quickly put out the torch."