Fortunately, her years of athletic training and experience in national competitions quickly calmed her down.
There would always be a way!
She wasn't all alone and helpless!
She still had her parents!
They must be worriedly looking for her.
The woodshed was dark. Gu Qingcheng took out a small, rechargeable portable light from the Mountain Cat Supermarket, the kind used for nighttime trips. The light was dim, but here, it shone like a conspicuous pearl, immediately illuminating the entire woodshed.
Mi Guo's eyes widened as he looked at the shining nightlight, his expression like he had seen a priceless treasure, utterly astonished.
"Ah? Immortal sister? What is this? It can shine? And it's so bright?"
Gu Qingcheng could now see Mi Guo's appearance. His hair was messy, his face smudged with dirt, his features obscured by his hair, and he was very thin, clearly malnourished.
So, she took out another bowl of hot soy milk and two meat buns from the Mountain Cat Supermarket and handed them to Mi Guo, saying:
"That's called a lamp; it's for lighting. Are you hungry? Have something first?"
Mi Guo smelled a rich aroma of food. He never imagined that he could have hot soy milk and meat buns in a dark room. The smell of food made him lightheaded.
He couldn't refuse the temptation of food. Even if eating it meant dying the next moment, he wanted to die with a full stomach.
Mi Guo took the soy milk, which was still quite hot, fragrant, and sweet. He dazedly drank half a bowl, finishing one meat bun in almost three gulps, and then drank the rest of the soy milk.
Even though, in Gu Qingcheng's opinion, the meat buns and soy milk were enough to fill him up, Mi Guo felt as if they had gone into a mud-swamp, still feeling hungry.
Seeing his wistful look, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but smile. She took out two more meat buns, dangled them enticingly in front of him, and then said solemnly:
"Let's set some conditions first. Don't ask me where these foods come from. It's a secret. If you tell anyone, both of us will die, understand?"
"Understood."
Mi Guo was already at the brink of despair. For someone to offer him a hot meal was like being reborn.
He knew Gu Qingcheng was worried, so he voluntarily swore a heavy oath, saying:
"If I, Mi Guo, speak of this matter to any outsider, may I be pierced by ten thousand arrows and buried alive under the Seven Star Tower!"
However, after finishing his oath, Mi Guo said naively:
"I was wrong, sister. We're going to be buried under the Seven Star Tower anyway, so I'll change my oath.
Well, if I reveal your secret, sister, may I not be human in my next life and become a beast!"
Gu Qingcheng was amused by him.
This child was truly innocent and cute. No wonder he was sold by his heartless uncle. So soft, cute, and charming.
She said, "Alright, whatever you wish, as long as it's a sincere oath!"
Mi Guo solemnly swore again, saying that everything he saw today by Gu Qingcheng's side would be forever buried in his heart, and he would not reveal a single word to anyone. If he did, may he die without a burial place and be unable to reincarnate in his next life.
Watching Mi Guo mutter like a little old man, Gu Qingcheng, despite wanting to laugh, knew that this was a serious matter for him. Once he made an oath, he would not betray it.
Gu Qingcheng gave him another bottle of Ginseng Energy Drink and told him not to eat too much at once, or his stomach would not be able to handle it later.
Mi Guo was quite sensible and nodded obediently. Although he swallowed hard, he did not ask Gu Qingcheng for more food.
Gu Qingcheng unscrewed the drink bottle for him and gestured for him to drink while they talked.
Mi Guo ate a bite of his bun and a sip of his drink, looking utterly content.
"Where are your parents? Why did your uncle sell you?"
"My father and mother went up the mountain to work three years ago and accidentally fell down, dying. I had to live with my uncle.
Recently, the weather has been bad for two years, and not much grain could be grown in the fields. Everyone is struggling. My uncle's family was on the verge of starvation. They heard that Old Master Gu needed virgin boys and girls for a live sacrifice, for which he would get 20 taels of silver, so they sold me."
Mi Guo recounted his plight in a few words, his face surprisingly calm, which greatly shocked Gu Qingcheng. She asked:
"Aren't you afraid of death? You don't seem particularly scared."
"What's the use of being afraid? It's death either way! I couldn't survive at my uncle's house either. Here, at least I can eat for a few days. I heard they'll let us eat a good meal before we go on the day of the sacrifice."
In his words, Mi Guo surprisingly showed longing, longing for a full meal, and then to lose his life after eating it.
Gu Qingcheng felt very sad. This child was unexpectedly sensible and precocious.
Mi Guo was probably only 7 or 8 years old. Gu Qingcheng herself was originally petite, and Mi Guo was only half her height.
She couldn't help but recall the gossip from the old man in the tea house: they would be dressed up as lotus boys and sacrificed in the most beautiful poses.
Gu Qingcheng found a silver lining amidst hardship and laughed. Well, she was significantly taller than Mi Guo, and sitting next to the small Mi Guo, they didn't look like a matching pair of virgin boy and girl!
Mi Guo was surprised that she could still laugh and asked strangely:
"Sister, is something happy happening?"
"Happy? What happy thing? I was just thinking that our heights are so different, we don't match at all.
Alright, let's get serious. We still need to find a way to escape."
"No, if we escape, my uncle's family will also suffer. Old Master Gu will definitely not let them off."
Mi Guo said fearfully.
"Does Old Master Gu have great influence in this area?" Gu Qingcheng asked. "Isn't live sacrifice illegal? How can he do it?"
"You're mistaken. This is not illegal! We were sold by our families, and once the money is accepted, it's not illegal.
Moreover, Old Master Gu has a high status in this area. He has connections everywhere. He is very wealthy and has good relationships with officials. The officials are all respectful to him.
I heard he is close with the prefect of Jinsha City and often goes to the prefect's yamen for drinks."
So this was the source of Mi Guo's despair. There was no escape anyway. He might as well close his eyes, eat a good meal, die early and be reborn early, perhaps into a wealthy family, to start a new life.
A sense of powerlessness surged in Gu Qingcheng's heart.
When powerful landlords and officials act recklessly, ordinary people are like insects trapped in a spiderweb, difficult to escape.
So, as long as they were sold, it was legal. No wonder those people in the tea house dared to discuss this openly.
Mi Guo asked, "Sister, who sold you? Was it your parents?"
"Nonsense, my parents would never sell me! They love me so much, I'm their treasured pearl," Gu Qingcheng said, completely trusting her parents. "I don't know who sold me. Anyway, I was ambushed from behind while walking on the road, knocked unconscious, and then brought here."