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Chapter 11: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
🕑 Added 2024-02-23 07:10:24 +0000 UTC
Chapter 10 Perception (Part 2)
Mo Yan hadn't been gone for long when Mo Qingze woke up. Not seeing his eldest daughter, he assumed she had gone to relieve herself. However, when he started boiling water, he saw his daughter walking towards him with a bunch of fresh Chinese cabbage, her face beaming with joy as she stepped into the morning sun.
Mo Qingze couldn't believe his eyes. He worried it might be an illusion...
Mo Yan returned happily with a pile of Chinese cabbage, seeing Mo Qingze staring at her with wide eyes as he held a pot of water. Before he could ask, she quickly explained with words she had prepared in advance, "Dad, we're so lucky! I found these Chinese cabbage ahead. This should be enough for us to eat well for a day!"
The crisp voice snapped Mo Qingze out of his stupor. Looking at his daughter's delighted smile, a hint of contemplation flashed in his warm eyes, but his face showed only pleasant surprise. "I didn't expect such lush Chinese cabbage to grow in this desolate place!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Yan's heart sank. Since it was desolate and uninhabited, how could Chinese cabbage, a vegetable that requires care, grow here?
She chuckled twice to disguise her inner panic and slipped away under the pretext of washing vegetables.
Watching his daughter's fleeing figure, Mo Qingze felt somewhat saddened. In the past, his daughter had never hidden anything from him...
If Mo Yan knew that Mo Qingze had only tested her because of this reason, she wouldn't have been so uneasy in the days to come!
...
Still lacking oil and salt, but with products from the space, quality was guaranteed! The Chinese cabbage was not only fresh and tender but also contained a hint of vitality. Floating in the bowl, it was very appetizing. With just one taste, it wasn't difficult to swallow, but instead had a sweet flavor. Drinking it with soup, one immediately felt warm in the stomach, alleviating much of the hunger and emptiness.
Mo Qingze couldn't bear to see his children hungry, and with so much Chinese cabbage available, eating for a day wasn't a problem. If they were left until tomorrow, they might dry out due to the heat. So, he generously cooked a whole pot.
The four of them devoured the pot of Chinese cabbage along with the soup, which was the most satisfying meal they had eaten since fleeing together. The contentment was evident.
"If only we could eat such delicious Chinese cabbage every day in the future!" After finishing the last sip of soup, Zhen'er licked the soup from her lips and held up the clean bowl, her face cleaner than the bowl itself.
"Do you think Chinese cabbage grows everywhere like weeds? Today, it's lucky that big sister found Chinese cabbage. Tomorrow, forget about Chinese cabbage; we might not even have a single stalk of grass!" Xin'er interjected with a splash of cold water, but thinking about possibly going hungry again tomorrow, she didn't have the heart to dampen her brother's spirits any further.
Hearing Xin'er's words, Zhen'er remembered how uncomfortable it had been to go hungry before and immediately wore a grimace, clearly affected by the memory of hunger.
Mo Yan felt uneasy hearing this and couldn't help but hug them tighter, pressing their thin and pale faces against hers as she solemnly assured them, "We won't go hungry again in the future. When we reach the capital, we'll not only have food to eat but also meat with every meal. Big sister will take you to taste all the delicious food in the capital!"
Xin'er and Zhen'er had almost worshipful trust in their big sister, who had raised them, so hearing her assurance, none of them thought it was false. They all cheered, holding onto their big sister's arms.
Seeing their innocent smiles, Mo Yan secretly vowed to make sure her family had good days ahead!
Chapter 11 Saving People (Part 1)
"Dad, the old man said there's a town called Longshi not far ahead. Shall we enter the town first and take a rest this afternoon instead of continuing on the road? We can stay in the town tonight!" Mo Yan said to Mo Qingze while gulping down water from a bamboo tube, relaying the information she had just obtained from an elderly passerby.
Mo Qingze looked at his exhausted daughter and son sitting on the ground, then looked up at the sky and nodded. "It seems like the weather might change tonight. Let's rest in the town for two days until the heavy rain passes."
Mo Yan had great respect for her father's ability to predict the weather. Wiping the sweat from her forehead as she looked at the glaring sun outside the shade of the trees, she couldn't help but feel relieved. It had been half a month since they crossed over, and during this time, they had been rushing non-stop. Fortunately, the journey had been smooth, and apart from encountering some people fleeing north like them, they hadn't encountered any more robberies or kidnappings.
The heat of the past two days had been unbearable, and the two children couldn't take it anymore. If they continued to travel in the rain, they might get sick.
...
"Please, kind sirs, my grandfather is critically ill. Please let us in to find a doctor!"
At the gate of Longshi Town, Li Yan knelt in pain, clinging tightly to her grandfather lying on the ground with barely audible breaths. Unable to hold back her tears, her parents were already gone, and she couldn't bear to lose her only relative, her grandfather.
"You, a poor family who can't even come up with twenty wen, want to enter Longshi Town? Are you daydreaming?" one of the seemingly leading gatekeepers impatiently waved his hand, pushing Li Yan away. The young girl lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Ignoring the pain in her palms, she got up again and knelt on the ground, clutching the gatekeeper's clothes, pleading, "We were on our way to the capital to find relatives when we were robbed. My parents were killed, and all our money was taken. We really can't come up with twenty wen. My grandfather is my only relative left. Please, sir, let us into the town to find a doctor!"
After speaking, she knocked her forehead forcefully on the ground, the sound echoing one after another. In no time, her forehead became bloody and covered in mud.
The gatekeeper's impatience was evident on his face, and he had no intention of letting her in.
Beside him, another sneaky gatekeeper rolled his eyes with ill intent and said ingratiatingly, "Boss, this little girl is fair-skinned. Why don't you take her in as a concubine for Dashuang? Train her slowly, and you can save a lot of bride price! "
"I also think this is a good idea. If others know, they will only praise you for being kind-hearted, boss!"
"Yes, yes, this little girl looks gentle. She will definitely be obedient to your son, Dashuang!"
The other gatekeepers nodded and chimed in.
Thinking of his already adult but hot-tempered and violent son at home, the leading gatekeeper did consider the idea for a moment. However, if he did this, others might laugh at him for being unable to find a wife for his son and resorting to taking in a poor girl as a concubine.
Thinking of this, his face darkened, and he kicked the little girl heavily, scolding, "According to the rules set by the town mayor, outsiders who want to enter the town need to pay ten wen per person. If you don't have the money, even if you knock your head on the ground until it's broken, I won't let you in."
The kick was heavy, and Li Yan's petite body was directly knocked over. She struggled for a long time before she could get up.
Many bystanders watched helplessly, but no one dared to speak out for justice, let alone step forward to help her up.
The leading gatekeeper looked at her disdainfully, snorted coldly, and turned away. The other gatekeepers, who had just been flattering, dared not follow him. They continued to stand at the gate collecting "tolls."
