"That Gu Dou is a beast, he really wanted to kill Qingcheng! I will never let this kid go!"
Hu Lanfang, whose combat power was off the charts, radiated killing intent.
This was very comforting to Gu Qingcheng. Although her parents' appearances had changed from before, their personalities and demeanor felt familiar, like a comforting scent.
"Mm, once we figure things out here, we'll make this kid pay!"
Gu Chaobei unconsciously pushed his glasses up again, only to touch empty air. He had to rub his fingers.
No one would have guessed that the seemingly gentle and scholarly Father Gu was a scheming man. On the surface, he was sunny and harmless, but when it came to his family, he immediately turned into a manipulative and cunning individual.
Although Gu Qingcheng was in pain, she was at least in this desolate time and space with her family. Hearing their shared words, she couldn't help but sigh:
"It's a stroke of luck to have Mom and Dad with me. Truly a blessing in disguise!"
"Nonsense, you are our treasure. Whether it's heaven or hell, wherever you go, we will follow and protect you!"
Seeing the expressions on her parents' faces, Gu Qingcheng knew they were truly angered, and Gu Dou was doomed.
The reason Gu Dou dared to act so recklessly against Gu Qingcheng was because the original body's father was cowardly and honest, and her mother was a pushover who couldn't say a word.
No wonder Gu Dou would do such a thing for a steamed bun, even disregarding Gu Qingcheng's life.
"Dad, Mom, don't be rash. Leave Gu Dou for me to practice on. This era seems different from our past, too conservative. Being honest won't get us anywhere. Let Gu Dou be my first prey!"
Upon hearing Gu Qingcheng's words, Gu Chaobei and his wife exchanged glances, then smiled with satisfaction and said:
"Alright, we'll leave this kid for you to practice on. Do it flawlessly. If you're afraid, we'll assist you!"
A surge of hatred welled up in Gu Qingcheng's heart. For a mere bun, he had killed her sister, the original body. Gu Dou didn't deserve to live in this world. She would avenge the original body.
After resting for a while, and with Hu Lanfang feeding her some of the remaining stir-fried rice from their bag, Gu Qingcheng slowly regained her strength.
"Qingcheng, you look like you can't travel. Let's find a place nearby to rest for the night and recover before continuing."
Gu Chaobei suggested.
"Alright, let's rest for tonight. We'll catch up with the villagers tomorrow."
Gu Qingcheng glanced at the sky, which was nearing darkness. She figured the villagers couldn't have gone too far and readily agreed.
Her life was important. The original owner's body seemed quite frail. If they rushed and couldn't catch her breath, she might just die.
Once it got dark, being alone in the wilderness was fraught with danger. Besides fearing attacks from wild beasts, there was also the risk of being robbed. Therefore, no one dared to travel at night.
Gu Qingcheng felt she was young and had good stamina, so a night's rest should be enough to allow her to travel.
Gu Chaobei, doting on his daughter, lifted her in a princess carry.
Gu Chaobei originally thought he could easily lift his daughter, but he stumbled and almost fell.
Hu Lanfang hurriedly said:
"Be careful, don't hurt our daughter."
"Alas, I forgot how weak this body is. I'm so hungry my legs are weak, I don't have the strength to carry our child."
Gu Chaobei said dejectedly, quickly and gently putting his daughter down.
Although Gu Chaobei was a community doctor, he usually exercised and worked out, building a muscular physique. He looked lean in his clothes and muscular when he took them off. Now, he had become a weak middle-aged man who couldn't even lift his daughter. It was no wonder he was frustrated.
Finally, the couple had to work together to carry Gu Qingcheng to the shelter of a large tree nearby.
It was fortunate that Gu Qingcheng was very thin, which allowed them to carry her.
After settling Gu Qingcheng down, all three of their stomachs rumbled in unison. They looked at each other.
Having lived in a prosperous era, they had never experienced such hunger before.
Gu Qingcheng frantically missed the cakes, ice cream, beef jerky from home, and that half-bag of potato chips on her desk. She hadn't finished them yet!
Thinking of this, her hunger intensified. Stomach acid churned in her belly, and her salivary glands went into overdrive.
She touched her shriveled stomach, feeling as if her ribs could be played like a pipa.
Hu Lanfang untied the bundle behind her and said with a hopeful look:
"Let's see what food is left."
However, when the bundle was unwrapped, there were only a few tattered pieces of clothing for changing. No food.
Gu Chaobei's bundle was the same, containing only a few worn-out clothes.
The three of them looked at each other.
"Dad, Mom, this is too miserable. Other people transmigrate and become princes or princesses, living lavishly. How did we end up as refugees? We can't even get enough to eat and are about to starve to death."
Gu Qingcheng, ravenous, felt like crying.
"Alas, daughter, we'll eat grass to fill our stomachs."
Gu Chaobei looked around and suddenly said.
"Eat grass? I'm not a sheep!" Gu Qingcheng was on the verge of tears.
"Here, this is licorice root. It's sweet. Eating more can alleviate hunger."
After speaking, Gu Chaobei picked up a thicker dry branch from the side and dug up some grass roots.
These grass roots grew shallowly, and soon Gu Chaobei had a handful.
He wiped the dirt off the grass roots with the hem of his clothes and handed them to Gu Qingcheng.
"Thank you, Dad. This is my first grand meal since arriving here."
The three of them smiled at each other.
Gu Chaobei said, "Don't worry, daughter. Our family lived a good life in modern society, and we'll surely thrive here too. Your mother and I won't let you starve."
"Ah, right, from now on, we'll address each other according to the local customs to avoid revealing ourselves."
Hu Lanfang reminded them.
"Yes, if we're exposed, we might be hanged or drowned."
Gu Qingcheng shivered.
"Agreed. From now on, we must hide our modern traces, adapt to life here, and live well. At least we have each other as a family."
Gu Chaobei and Gu Qingcheng both nodded. Being together as a complete family was the most important thing.
They were all optimists and doers. After accepting the reality of transmigration, they quickly regained their spirits and began to proactively adapt.
Gu Qingcheng and Hu Lanfang accepted the licorice roots dug up by Gu Chaobei and began to chew them.
Indeed, these grass roots were sweet, though they seemed a bit dry and withered due to the drought. They had a sweet taste when chewed.
They also ate the softer parts of the grass roots, which somewhat relieved their hunger.
"I'll dig up more licorice roots. We'll eat as much as we can, so we won't starve to death at least. Tomorrow, we'll scout the surroundings and figure something out."
Gu Chaobei found the taste of these grass roots acceptable and said.
"Husband, you go dig for grass roots, and I'll collect dry branches. We need to build a fire around here tonight to ward off wolves."
The original memories of the three of them indeed contained instances of being stalked by wolves along the road.