The little girl, understanding, quickly agreed and turned to hobble after her older brother Luo'er.
Hearing Grandpa Jiang mention rain, Fu Xinci subtly scanned the mountain forest ahead, wondering if she could find a place to shelter, like a cave, or at least a pavilion to rest in.
To her disappointment, despite her constant searching, she found no suitable shelter.
Just as she was about to give up, she noticed two small figures trailing behind them.
Heh, their group was growing.
She wasn't a real eight-year-old girl, but she understood without much thought that some members of the Meng clan saw her grandfather as a lifeline.
Alas, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for the Meng clan to think that way. The journey into exile was long, and without proper care, the young children might well be abandoned along the road.
Luo'er and Ke'er exchanged glances. After giving each other a silent boost of courage, the two children hesitantly approached Meng Qingping and shyly called out, "Second Great-Grandfather."
Meng Qingping looked at their wide, deer-like eyes, unable to harden his heart. He smiled helplessly and then, as if it were nothing, asked, "What are your names?"
"Replying to Second Great-Grandfather, my name is Luo'er."
"Second Great-Grandfather, Mother and Father call me Ke'er." The little girl lowered her head, afraid to look at her Second Great-Grandfather. She didn't say that besides her parents, other elders in the family didn't like her; her paternal grandparents only favored her uncle's children.
"Oh." Meng Qingping didn't say much more, only reaching out to pat the two children's heads, a silent acknowledgment of their staying with him.
The two women behind them had been watching the proceedings. Seeing that the children had been accepted by their Second Great-Uncle, relieved expressions appeared on their soiled faces.
Jiang Tou'er looked up again at the gathering dark clouds in the sky, his expression darkening further. The color needed no words; everyone felt the impending storm, matching the ink-black sky.
Throughout the journey, neither the guards nor the escorted Meng clan members had ever seen Jiang Tou'er so somber. They were immediately terrified into silence, their legs trembling.
Wang Zhuzi had followed Jiang Tou'er for nearly twenty years and knew his temperament best. Seeing him now, worried and with a frown deep enough to catch a fly, he quickly stepped forward to offer his plan, "Head, don't worry. About five or six li further down this mountain road, there's an abandoned Mountain God Temple."
"An abandoned Mountain God Temple?"
"Yes. We'll reach it in another five or six li." Wang Zhuzi was very familiar with the road. Thinking of the temple's dilapidated state, he added with a hint of unease, "Though that Mountain God Temple is in disrepair, it can still provide shelter from the rain."
"That's good enough, as long as it can shelter us from the rain." Jiang Tou'er had no high demands for the temple; shelter from the rain was sufficient.
Indeed, upon hearing Wang Zhuzi's words, his expression brightened instantly. He loudly announced to everyone, "Listen up, everyone. Five or six li is not far. The heavy rain is about to fall, so pick up your pace. We'll rest once we reach the Mountain God Temple."
"Yes."
Moved by Jiang Tou'er's impassioned plea, everyone quickened their steps. The sky was too frightening, and no one wanted to be drenched. They wished they were already at the Mountain God Temple.
Meng Qingping reacted fastest. He crouched down, hoisted Yu'er onto his back, and started walking. Qi Shan followed suit, carrying Qi Ren on his back.
Ke'er, understanding, also began to trot with her short legs, trying hard to keep up. However, being small and with short legs, it was a struggle.
Seeing the little girl pursing her lips and not crying, Fu Xinci reached out and pulled her along.
Qi He, noticing this, also came over and took the little girl's other hand.
With the help of her older siblings, Ke'er's walking speed noticeably increased. The young woman watching them from behind wiped a tear from her eye and also quickened her pace.
The group hurried along, and through the gaps in the trees, they could vaguely make out the outline of the Mountain God Temple.
One could only say, this Mountain God Temple was truly run down.
Glancing again at the rolling black clouds in the sky, they swallowed their complaints and focused solely on rushing into the temple, fearing they would be caught in the downpour if they were too slow.
Fortunately, as the group tumbled into the temple, panting heavily, the first raindrops had yet to fall.
Jiang Tou'er surveyed the dilapidated main hall and his first command was for the Meng clan members to quickly gather some firewood.
Exhausted from their near-military march, everyone collapsed onto the ground, men and women, old and young, unwilling to move.
But Jiang Tou'er had no patience for their inertia. He shouted loudly, "If you get cold when the heavy rain starts, don't you dare complain. You'll endure it!"
"..."
Meng Qingping had already found a spot by the entrance of the main hall. A half-broken door there offered decent shelter from the wind.
Upon hearing Jiang Tou'er's words, Meng Qingping was about to stand up with the children to gather firewood when Qi Shan pressed him down.
"Second Uncle, you should stay here with Yu'er and Qi Ren to rest. I'll take Qi Tian and the others."
Qi Shan had his reasons. The spot Second Uncle had found was good, and he was certain it would be occupied as soon as Second Uncle moved.
Furthermore, he knew that no one but Second Uncle could protect it.
Meng Qingping clearly understood this as well. He agreed with Qi Shan's arrangement and nodded, instructing them to return quickly and not to get caught in the rain.
"Don't worry, Second Uncle, we understand." After speaking with his Second Uncle, Qi Shan led his sister and younger brother out, gathering fallen branches and dry grass as quickly as possible.
Seeing Qi Shan and his sister head out, Qi He also ran out. This time, he didn't ask Fu Xinci to join him.
Fu Xinci nodded to her grandfather and then jogged off to pick up branches. Having survived in the apocalypse, she understood better than anyone the helplessness of humans in harsh weather.
Seeing that the children remaining with their Second Great-Grandfather were all younger than him, Luo'er instinctively lifted his seemingly heavy legs and followed his younger sister, Xin Ci.
He knew he wasn't as capable as those children, but he couldn't just freeload. He believed doing what he could was something his Second Great-Grandfather would appreciate.
Watching Luo'er's somewhat stiff back, Meng Qingping gave a barely perceptible nod. Some of the younger generation of the Meng family were still sensible, able to stand on their own two feet and not take others' efforts for granted.
Seeing Luo'er brother going to gather firewood, Ke'er also wanted to help. Her mother had told her that nothing in this world comes without reason. Just as she wanted Second Great-Grandfather's care, she had to work. She couldn't eat for free; no one wanted a useless burden.