Description
San Luo traveled through time and started with a broken thatched hut and two children who were so hungry that they lost their looks.
It doesn't matter whether you are poor or a widow. What's better than losing your life?
As for the lack of food at home, with hands, feet, and vast mountains, was there still a fear of starvation? San Luo wasn't afraid; she rolled up her sleeves and got to work!
Shen Lie was pushed by his third uncle to serve in the military. After more than two years, when he returned to the village, the villagers were shocked to see him alive.
Upon inquiry, they found out that not only had he "died," but he also gained an unseen wife. Moreover, his wife and two younger siblings were all divided up and given away by his third uncle and aunt. They lived here when the Shen family was exiled. I was in the makeshift thatched cottage in the mountains.
A shabby thatched cottage like that can't kill people on this windy and snowy day?
He didn't bother to go home and question him; he suppressed his anger and hurried to the mountains. When he arrived in front of the thatched cottage in the wind and snow, he could hardly recognize it as the place where he had lived.
This is a little different from what he thought…
The house has obviously been repaired and is no longer as dilapidated as before. A high courtyard wall has been built with yellow mud outside the house, and an extra stove has been built in the was dinner time when a young woman came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of hot food, followed by two children carrying rice, bowls, and chopsticks. As soon as they saw each other, the two children's eyes widened, then they yelled "big brother" and rushed out.
What if a husband falls from the sky? Waiting online is quite urgent.
Chapter 1
So hungry…
Can one still feel hunger after death?
Sang Luo, in her drowsy state, pondered this thought. After an indeterminate amount of time, the discomfort of extreme hunger finally roused her.
Moonlight, as silver as frost, shone into the room. She was somewhat confused, her mind foggy for a moment before recalling that she seemed to have died. But, this doesn't look like the underworld, does it?
Even though it was nighttime, the moonlight was bright enough to reveal that she was in an entirely unfamiliar house.
She moved her fingertips slightly, assessing her body's condition with each breath. Although feeling weak, she was free from the agony of sickness. Gathering some strength, she placed her hand over her heart. Her skin was warm, and her heartbeat, though faint, was certainly present.
Was she still alive?
As this thought crossed her mind, something inexplicably surged within her brain, a sudden, intense pain. Sang Luo arched her back, instinctively clutching her head. The memories of another person merged and churned with her own. By the time she had assimilated these memories and understood that she had traveled through time, she was already drenched in cold sweat from the pain.
Sang Luo, propping herself up on the bed with effort, examined the thatched cottage in the moonlight, which perfectly matched the one in her "memories."
She had traveled through time, to a dynasty known as the Great Qian. The original owner of this body was also named Sang Luo, a fifteen-year-old girl born into a common family. Her family perished in a flood, leaving her as the sole survivor. She had luckily lived, fleeing with her relatives from the disaster.
Upon reaching the boundaries of Qi Yang County, most of the people in her clan had already exhausted their food and money. They continued southward, begging along the way, and foraging for wild fruits and vegetables in the mountains and fields.
But after months of fleeing famine, most people couldn't endure the hardship. Selling children became a common practice, both to give the kids a chance at life and to provide for the family.
The original owner of this body, now without a family, encountered the Li family in Qing Pu Township, who wanted to buy a bride for their nephew.
She heard that the nephew, named Shen Lie, was a tall and strong man, not given to gambling or cruelty, but currently serving in the military and hadn't returned.
Marrying into a farmer's family, despite the risk of her husband not returning from military service, was better than selling oneself into slavery. With nowhere else to go and her caring clan aunt falling ill, she bravely approached Mrs. Li, who was still negotiating, and traded herself for half a bag of food, not as a slave, but as a bride for the Shen family.
She gave all the food to her clan uncle and aunt, and then followed Mrs. Li to Shi Li Village.
Mrs. Li was much more proactive than Sang Luo. Although she didn't buy her and had no deed of sale, she spent very little, just half a bag of grain, and not a penny more.
Upon returning to the village, Mrs. Li quickly arranged to transfer the original owner's household registration to the Shen family and expedited the marriage certificate with Shen Lie.
It was only then that the original owner learned her so-called husband had been away on military service for two years and three months, and was rumored to have died in battle.
In other words, she was newly married and already a widow.
Although the original owner was fearful and confused, she had no other choice. It was better than continuing to wander and beg, or possibly being sold into slavery or worse. At least now, she had a "home."
The reason why Mrs. Li still sought a wife for the deceased Shen Lie was a mystery to the original owner, but this was clarified half a month after moving into the Shen household.
In the division of the Shen family property, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the main house, she was separated along with Shen Lie's twin siblings, both only nine years old.
It was then that the original body realized the purpose of Mrs. Li's half bag of grain in exchanging for her.
A blatant way of offloading a burden.
The Great Qian Dynasty, plagued by years of continuous warfare and a decade of floods, droughts, and various disasters, made life difficult for the common people. The Shen family had fled to this place nine years ago, with more than half dying on the road from protecting their families or succumbing to illness and hunger.
Of the Shen family's three branches, the first branch, after the exodus, was left with only the then nine-year-old Shen Lie and his mother Mrs. Zhang, who gave birth to twins on the road but passed away shortly after. The second branch didn't survive; the third branch, a newly married couple without children, saved themselves with their food and water, both surviving.
Since then, the three children of the main house lived with their third uncle and aunt.
Initially, things were fine, but after settling in Shi Li Village, Mrs. Li bore two children in three years, four in seven, three sons and a daughter. With her own children, her focus naturally shifted, and the children of the main house started to have a harder life after the birth of the first child of the third branch.
Fortunately, Shen Lie, though young, was quite capable of looking after his siblings. Perhaps inheriting his parents' stature, he grew taller than his peers, and by the age of twelve or thirteen, he was strong enough to be considered a labor force in the household. Uncle Shen and Mrs. Li valued this fact and continued to grudgingly raise the two younger nephews and niece.
The complication arose two years ago when the imperial court started conscripting soldiers. The most suitable candidate in the Shen family was Uncle Shen, the head of the family. But would he dare to go to the battlefield? He wouldn't, even if it cost him his life!
Without much struggle, Uncle Shen set his sights on his sixteen-year-old nephew, Shen Lie. He secretly arranged things with the local official, and the name submitted ended up being Shen Lie's.
Since the main and third branches hadn't separated, Uncle Shen, as the head of the household, naturally had the final say in family affairs.
Shen Lie returned from the mountains and was taken away by the military draft officers before he could understand the situation.
After Shen Lie left, life became harder for the twins. At first, they were treated decently, perhaps out of guilt and respect for Shen Lie. But a few months ago, several soldiers from a neighboring village returned, bringing news of a great defeat at the front lines. The vanguard troops had suffered heavy losses, with only three in ten surviving, and Shen Lie's camp was rumored to have been entirely wiped out.
With Shen Lie's death, Mrs. Li was unwilling to continue supporting the twins, especially since the court provided no compensation. As time passed without any news of Shen Lie, Mrs. Li grew bolder and her thoughts became twisted.
The Shen family had settled here just nine years ago. Though they had cleared some land for farming, it was limited, and most of the land they cultivated was rented. After paying rent and various taxes, life was already tough.
Mrs. Li had four children of her own, and with six mouths to feed on Uncle Shen's lone income, even ensuring enough food was a struggle. Adding the two children from the main house meant eight mouths.
How much less would her own children have to eat with two additional mouths?
Although Mrs. Li had these thoughts, she was also aware that Shen Lie had been conscripted at only sixteen, sent to serve by his own uncle, and now was dead on the battlefield...
The couple, therefore, didn't dare to simply abandon the two children from the main house. Aside from fearing the village's judgment, Uncle Shen himself was afraid of facing his brother in the afterlife.
They couldn't just abandon the two children; doing so would mean starving them.
Reluctant to support them, yet finding no immediate way to cast them off, Mrs. Li kept pondering over this issue until the appearance of the group of refugees, including the original owner, presented an opportunity – exchanging half a bag of grain for a wife for Shen Lie.
Mrs. Li thought herself very clever – with no elder brother, why not bring in an elder sister-in-law? Isn't it said that an elder sister-in-law is like a mother?
Unable to separate the two young children, they decided to bring in an older one, and then separate the household – that would work.
Rushing home with this idea, both Mrs. Li and Uncle Shen immediately agreed and swiftly arranged everything. After keeping the new daughter-in-law from the main house for half a month, the separation of the family was scheduled.
The division for the main house was simple: the thatched cottage they built upon first settling in Shi Li Village, a few homemade benches, bed planks, a blanket, old clothes, a bag of grain, a clay pot, three sets of bowls and chopsticks, some farming tools, and a bit of salt.
The most valuable item was the undeveloped mountain land where the thatched cottage stood.
Uncle Shen felt quite generous; after all, mountain land is still land, and he himself was still renting half of his farmland from a wealthy landowner.
Uncle Shen felt quite content with himself for having raised his three nephews over the years and even dividing a mountain top among them in the separation.
As for the fact that this mountain top was one of the two given for free by the government for refugees to cultivate and gather firewood – a share that should have rightfully included Shen Lie – Uncle Shen conveniently forgot.
And the fact that Shen Lie was pushed to the battlefield in his stead and lost his life, along with the promise he made before Shen Lie left to take care of the two younger ones... Uncle Shen and his wife felt that getting a wife for Shen Lie with half a bag of grain and having her raise the children didn't break their promise.
The two younger children were powerless to resist, and the original owner, who had just been traded in with half a bag of grain and immediately became a widowed niece-in-law, dared not speak up.
The Shen family, having fled famine, had no relatives or elders in the area to exert control or influence. Even though the villagers disapproved of Uncle Shen and his wife's actions, they had no standing to intervene.
In the end, the family division was indeed recognized.
The original owner, a fifteen-year-old girl unable to shoulder heavy burdens, lived in the mountains with her nine-year-old brother-in-law and sister-in-law for three months, by which time the allocated grain was almost depleted.
Unable to bear the hunger, the two younger ones sought food from Uncle Shen, who would agree, but Mrs. Li's provisions were limited. She would occasionally give a bit of food, saying 'times are hard, and since you've separated, you shouldn't always come here for food.' Even on those occasions, she provided just enough to keep them from starving.
The younger ones were good-hearted. Although the elder sister-in-law appeared out of nowhere, having depended on each other for over three months, they would share whatever food they got with the original owner. Twice a day, the little rice they begged for, boiled with wild vegetables, was their meal.
Before Sang Luo arrived through time travel, the family had been in a near-starvation state for over ten days.
The original owner, already weak from the long journey fleeing famine, was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. She fell ill and passed away in the middle of the night, awakening as Sang Luo with a new soul.
Even then, Sang Luo couldn't believe it, tremblingly moving her hand to her heart to feel her heartbeat, then shakily to her thigh, pinching the tender flesh inside her leg with all her might.
Yes, the heartbeat was real, the body temperature was real, the pain from the pinch was real, and the burning hunger and debilitating weakness were definitely real.
She... was truly alive?!
Author's Note:
A light-hearted farming story set in the final years of a fictional dynasty, depicting the everyday survival of common folk in troubled times.
Chapter 2
Sang Luo pinched her now gaunt cheeks, feeling alive. What a wonderful thing!
Without further thought and not waiting for dawn, she dragged her weak body out of bed and headed towards the outer room.
She needed to find food. Sang Luo vividly remembered how the original body had starved to death. She was not willing to meet the same fate just after coming back to life.
Expectations are full, but reality is harsh.
She hadn't felt it while sitting on the bed, but as soon as she moved, the little energy left in her body rapidly depleted. Her stomach quickly shifted from empty to mildly painful. After just a few steps, her vision began to blacken.
Sang Luo knew this was due to extreme lack of food in her stomach, low blood sugar, and insufficient blood flow to her brain. If she didn't eat soon, she was at risk of sudden death.
She was only thankful that the hut was small.
Following the original owner's memory, Sang Luo stumbled towards the clay pot stored in the corner of the room.
The burst of potential energy allowed her, who was barely able to walk, to lift the pot to her mouth. Her lips brushed against a chipped part of the pot, the brief pain soon overwhelmed by the agony in her stomach and the body's desperate craving for food. The metallic taste of blood diluted in the pot's cool water, rolling down her throat into her stomach.
She drank greedily, her mind telling her to stop, but her swallowing reflex not slowing down, seemingly endless.
The wooden door creaked open, and a soft, surprised child's voice came through.
"Big sister, you're awake?!"
Sang Luo's consciousness finally emerged from the frenzy of desperate eating. She put down the pot and turned to look at the speaking child.
Shen Ning, the younger sister of the twins, stood by the door, apparently just back from outside.
Right, there was only one bed in the hut. When she had first traveled here, dazed and dominated by hunger, Sang Luo hadn't noticed that the two children were not in the hut in the middle of the night.
Of course, she couldn't worry about that now. The cold water she had drunk too quickly seemed to seep into her soul, making Sang Luo so uncomfortable that she couldn't remain squatting. She fell to the ground with a "thud", spilling most of the water from the pot onto her clothes, while the pot itself rolled away.
Trembling, Sang Luo leaned against the mud wall, gasping for breath. The discomfort was even worse than before she drank the water.
Shen Ning, startled by her fall, rushed over, "Big sister, what's wrong with you?"
While asking, she tried to help Sang Luo up.
However, although Shen Ning was nine years old, she was born during the famine escape without her mother and raised by her uncle and aunt, never having enough to eat. These past two years without her brother, Mrs. Li was even more frugal with food. After separating from the family and living on the mountain with Sang Luo for three months, enduring scant meals and even days without food, she was no bigger than a six or seven-year-old child.
A true image of a little refugee, she was unable to lift the fifteen-year-old Sang Luo.
Shen Ning tried her best but couldn't move her elder sister-in-law, growing so anxious that her eyes reddened.
Sang Luo shook her head, signaling her to save her strength, and after a pause said, "I'm just hungry, Ah Ning, can you... can you help your sister boil some hot water?"
Hot water was the only thing they could consume in their home now if the water in the pot hadn't all spilled out in the fall.
Shen Ning nodded repeatedly, wiping her tears as she went to pick up the clay pot from the ground.
The floor of the hut was made of dirt, and the pot had rolled over it, leaving only a bit of water at the bottom. Not minding whether the rim of the pot was clean or not, Shen Ning hurriedly carried it to the stove near the table.
The stove was actually just a simple structure made of a few stones piled together. At that moment, she placed the chipped clay pot, usually used for storing water and cooking, atop it.
This pot served as both a water jug and a cooking pot. Besides the three bowls, it was the only usable container in the house.
Despite her young age, Shen Ning was adept at chores. She lit the fire and boiled water without any hesitation, looking quite capable if it weren't for the occasional wiping of tears.
Her big sister-in-law was ill with hunger, a fact Shen Ning was painfully aware of, especially today when her condition worsened. Shen Ning and her brother couldn't get any food from their uncle's house. When they brought the wild vegetable soup to their sister-in-law, she couldn't even swallow it.
The siblings were terrified. They didn't dare sleep tonight, staying beside the bed. Only when their sister-in-law's complexion turned grayer and her breathing weaker did they run out in the middle of the night to find a solution.
Find a solution!
Suddenly remembering something, she turned and pulled out a handful of pale red wild berries from her pocket, holding them up to Sang Luo: "Big sister, I found some ground berries. Eat these quickly."
After realizing Sang Luo was still trembling, she placed the berries in her palm and tore one open, bringing it to Sang Luo's mouth.
The strong aroma of the fruit filled the air. Sang Luo instinctively swallowed and, looking down at the torn fruit in Shen Ning's hand, realized they were ground loquats.
Instinctively, without a second thought, Sang Luo opened her mouth eagerly, swallowing the wild fruit handed to her by the little girl, skin and all.
Sang Luo had lived in the mountains for five years before her time travel and was no stranger to ground loquats, but this was the first time she ate them with such desperation and urgency.
The aunt and niece duo, one feeding and the other eating, went through seven fruits. When Shen Ning tore open the last one and brought it to Sang Luo's mouth, she finally resisted the urge and turned her head away, "You eat this one."
Sang Luo had the memories of her former self. She knew how terribly hungry the original owner had been, and these two children hadn't fared much better.
Shen Ning's tears had not stopped since she saw Sang Luo wake up. Her face, dirty like a spotted cat washed away in streaks by her tears, was a mix of crying and smiling, "Big sister, eat."
Then she pushed the last piece of fruit into Sang Luo's mouth.
The fruit was sweet as honey. The nourishment and sweetness brought a momentary relief to her nearly collapsing body, at least alleviating the blackening of her vision.
Sang Luo sat there on the ground, not moving, conserving her strength.
She asked Shen Ning, "Did you go out in the middle of the night just to find food for me? Where did you find these?"
It was impossible to find anything edible near their grass hut. Although the original owner was born into a common family and lived a sheltered life, the journey fleeing famine had made her familiar with various wild vegetables and fruits. Since moving to the Shen family and experiencing months of hardship, most edible things nearby had been foraged. Now, even finding wild vegetables required traveling quite a distance.
"I went towards the western side of the village, near the mountains. Couldn't find much, just these few fruits."
Ground fruits are delicious, and every year when they ripen, both adults and children in the village pay attention, searching wherever the vines are seen. It's rare to find any left in the outer fields and mountain edges.
Sang Luo sighed, "You're really too bold."
Shen Ning hung her head, "I took a stick to ward off the grass and didn't go deep, just around the edge of the mountain."
The little girl, feeling guilty, quickly turned to check on the water in the pot, afraid of being scolded by her sister-in-law.
Sang Luo, with the memories of her former self, understood the reason. The vast mountains behind Shi Li Village were intimidating even near the village edges. The children were usually forbidden from venturing deep into the mountains, let alone at night to look for wild fruits.
But she also knew that the child had dared to venture out at night in search of food entirely for her sake, or rather, for the sake of her former self. Thus, she didn't say anything more and instead asked, "Where's Xiao An?"
Shen An, the brother in the pair of twins.
The siblings were usually inseparable, but now, after quite a while, only Shen Ning had returned, with no sign of Shen An.
Shen Ning's shoulders slumped, "Second brother went to ask Uncle Shen for some grain."
…
In the dead of night, the courtyard door of the Shen house was being loudly banged on, interspersed with occasional calls of Shen An for his uncle.
Inside, Uncle Shen and Mrs. Li had already been awakened by the noise.
Uncle Shen, restless, had listened for a while and was about to get out of bed when Mrs. Li stopped him firmly, "Don't go. It's been over half a month; when have those two not come to borrow grain? They say borrow, but do they ever return it? Now they've even started coming at night when they can't get it during the day."
Uncle Shen's hand, lifting the blanket, paused as he whispered, "But we can't just ignore them. If something serious happens from hunger... we'll be criticized by the villagers."
Mrs. Li scoffed, her expression steady, "Don't worry. I gave them food the day before yesterday. I'm aware of the situation. We've already divided the household; I can't keep indulging them with full meals, but they won't starve to death. With floods and droughts in the north, our southern part is better off. Despite some impact, you can still find wild vegetables and fruits in the mountains. Can people really starve to death here?"
Uncle Shen's hesitation gradually faded.
Mrs. Li concluded, "Alright, let them come tomorrow morning, and I'll give them some food. But that Sang woman is really useless. We brought her here hoping she would take care of Shen An and Shen Ning. Now she can't handle anything. Had I known, I would have chosen someone capable of working."
Her voice lowered on the last sentence. In truth, having escaped from the north to here meant surviving the hardest times. Buying another person now would not be cheap.
Even though Mrs. Li wanted to offload the burden, she was unwilling to spend several silver taels to do so. With that money, she could support the two children for a year or two.
Therefore, even if there were other options, she would still choose Sang Luo, who didn't sell herself into servitude but could be brought in as a niece-in-law for just half a bag of grain.
Uncle Shen was uninterested in this talk, merely nodding and saying, "As long as you have a plan. But don't be too strict with every little thing. Gaining a reputation for being heartless could affect our life in the village later on."
What mattered most was that he still felt somewhat guilty; after all, his elder brother's only remaining bloodline were these two children.
The couple exchanged a few words and then let the matter go. They ignored Shen An knocking on the door outside, pretending not to hear and went back to bed.
Chapter 3
While Uncle Shen and his wife could return to bed, next door in the Chen household, the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Chen, being light sleepers due to their age, were awoken by the noise.
Mr. Chen, listening intently for a while to the unceasing knocking, got out of bed and peered out of the window.
Mrs. Chen, propping herself up, asked her husband, "What's happening?"
Mr. Chen, squinting in the moonlight, looked closely, "It's little An from the Shen family knocking on the door in the middle of the night. Could something have happened in the mountains?"
Hearing this, Mrs. Chen also got up and joined her husband at the window, "Indeed, it's true."
Seeing that no one from the Shen family was answering the door, the old lady frowned, "The Shens are truly heartless. Pushing their eldest nephew into military service before he was of age, losing his life, and now the last bloodline of the Shen family is just left to fend for themselves, those poor little kids out on the mountain."
"That Sang woman, although called their sister-in-law, is barely a few years older than little An and Ning. She can hardly manage a household."
Indeed, she couldn't. Mr. Chen thought of the small plot of vegetables allocated to the main family of the Shen house, which his wife had given to Sang Luo. Now, those sprouts were either dead, lacking fertilizer, or infested with pests, none growing properly.
"Don't know what Mrs. Li was thinking in choosing her. Sang Luo can't do any farming, and the three of them together, how can they possibly survive?"
Mrs. Chen turned to put on her clothes, "I'm going out to check, in case it's something serious."
Mr. Chen didn't stop her.
The Chen and Shen families had fled famine together and settled here nine years ago. They didn't know each other before, but had joined forces halfway through their escape. Additionally, the Chens had lost their eldest grandson to conscription over two years ago, and he hadn't returned, rumored to be in the same unit as Shen Lie.
On one hand, they grieved for their brother, and on the other, their grandson. Now, seeing the plight of the children in the main Shen household, whether it was empathy or shared sorrow, their hearts softened.
While there was still no movement from the Shen household, next door the Chens unlatched their door.
Hearing the noise, Shen An turned to see Mrs. Chen opening the gate, waving him over, "Little An, come here."
Shen An, who was about to raise an alarm to embarrass his uncle into giving him some lifesaving grain, deflated upon hearing Mrs. Chen's call.
His sister-in-law couldn't wait any longer.
He almost ran over, dropping to his knees before Mrs. Chen could speak, "Granny Chen, my sister-in-law is in a bad way. If you have any food, could you spare me some? I need to get it to her immediately."
Thinking of his sister-in-law's barely perceptible breath when he left, tears streamed down Shen An's face.
With his elder brother gone and the household divided, Shen An was acutely aware that he and his sister only had their sister-in-law to rely on. He couldn't bear to think what life would be like living in the mountains with just his sister if their sister-in-law were gone too.
He had little hope that his uncle and aunt would take them back into the family home. At best, like these past days, they would give them a bite of food every couple of days, just enough to keep them alive. But what about the winter? Were there wild animals in the mountains? And what if they got sick?
With their sister-in-law around, he and his sister at least had a sliver of courage. Without her, he dared not even contemplate their future.
Upon hearing Shen An's words, Mrs. Chen's heart skipped a beat. She asked anxiously, "Is it hunger?"
Shen An nodded, then shook his head, "Yes, hunger, and she seems to be sick too. She said she'd be fine after lying down, but since this afternoon, she's been asleep and won't wake up, no matter how much Ning and I call her."
Mrs. Chen had experienced famine and had seen people starve or thirst to death.
Hearing this, she guessed it was severe hunger.
Indeed, Sang Luo had escaped the famine and probably ruined her health on the journey.
"Wait for me, I'll go up the mountain with you," Mrs. Chen said, turning back into the house to get food without further ado.
Mr. Chen had heard their conversation from inside and now came out, "I'll accompany you there."
Seeing his wife heading back inside, he added thoughtfully, "Get some malt sugar."
Mrs. Chen nodded. If it was indeed hunger, salt and sugar dissolved in water could help. She turned to ask Shen An, "You have salt at home, right?"
Shen An nodded quickly, "Yes, we do."
"Alright then."
Mrs. Chen entered the house, measured out a litre of rice, and, thinking of her eldest grandson who used to follow Shen Lie around, and now both of them gone, her eyes welled up. She bit her lip and measured out another litre of rice, then sealed the rice container and took out two pieces of malt sugar, a luxury her family rarely indulged in, and hurried out of the house.
Mr. Chen handed his wife a bamboo stick for walking through the grass and took a stick for himself. Closing the courtyard gate behind them, the three of them hastened towards the mountains.
As they walked, Mrs. Chen asked Shen An about the situation at home. The more she heard, the more worried she became for the siblings. With Shen Lie gone and Sang Luo being ineffective, she wondered how these three would manage to survive in the future.
…
In the grass hut on the mountain, Shen Ning was spoon-feeding her sister-in-law hot water.
While drinking, Sang Luo was also worried, not about the future, but about how to find food in the immediate term.
She couldn't count on finding anything near their mountain home, unless she resorted to eating leaves... Indeed, there were edible leaves in the nearby mountains, but she couldn't recall their exact location from the original owner's memories.
There was no point in hoping for help from the twins' uncle and aunt. Even if she could borrow grain in the middle of the night, given Mrs. Li's past behavior, it would be just enough to keep them alive.
She needed to gather enough strength to go out and find food. Otherwise, not only her, but the two children continuing to survive on sporadic meals would eventually ruin their health.
If they were to experience extreme hunger again, especially if all three of them were in that state... Sang Luo doubted she would be lucky enough to have another miraculous escape, to be saved by a kind-hearted little girl finding wild fruits by moonlight, or a young boy borrowing grain to save her life.
Thinking this, Sang Luo lowered her eyes, not daring to meet Shen Ning's gaze.
Because the person the siblings wanted to save was already gone. She was merely someone who had received incredible fortune, inhabiting the original owner's body and continuing to live.
Just as she lowered her eyes, hurried footsteps approached the hut, the voice preceding the arrival, "Ah Ning, I got some grain!"
The door burst open, and a skinny boy, thin as a stick, rushed in like a bullet.
As it was a young woman's dwelling and in the middle of the night, Mr. Chen stayed outside, while Mrs. Chen followed Shen An into the hut.
With just one glance, Mrs. Chen inwardly cursed the cruelty of Shen's parents again.
Could this even be called a house? It was barely better than a ruined temple where beggars might stay.
Aside from a bench and a makeshift bed of planks, with a few farming tools standing against the wall, there was hardly anything in the hut.
The stove was made of piled stones, and a chipped clay pot along with three sets of bowls and chopsticks were placed on a rock slightly larger than a small basin, sparing them from being on the ground.
And Shen An's critically ill sister-in-law, Sang Luo, was indeed in bad shape, sitting on the floor against the wall, relying on Ah Ning to feed her water.
Mrs. Chen, who had survived a severe drought and famine, could guess the situation without asking. She didn't think Sang Luo would choose the floor over a bed for no reason.
Without delay, she placed the bag of rice down, saw the scant amount of hot water in the pot, swiftly dropped a piece of malt sugar into it, and put the other piece in an empty bowl. Next to the bowl, she noticed a small jar with a lid, opened it to find only a bit of salt left at the bottom.
She pinched a bit of salt into the clay pot to dissolve in the water and beckoned Shen Ning over, pouring the salt and sugar solution into the bowl Ning was holding, "Go feed this to your sister-in-law."
Chapter 4
With most of the malt sugar in the pot still undissolved, Mrs. Chen wanted to add water and boil it again, only to realize there was no water left in the hut.
Mrs. Chen: "…"
Shen An, quick to react, grabbed the last clean bowl and dashed outside, "I'll go fetch some spring water."
Mrs. Chen only had time to shout after him, "Take your Uncle Chen with you!"
After drinking a sip of the life-saving salt and sugar water, Sang Luo rapidly sifted through her predecessor's memories and recalled this old lady.
She was an elderly neighbor of the Shen family. The original owner didn't know her well, but shortly after the division of the household, she had met the old lady while gathering firewood and wild vegetables in the nearby mountains. The lady was tending to her vegetable garden and had offered to give her some vegetable seedlings, which the original owner had gratefully accepted.
Seeing that the savior Shen An had brought was Mrs. Chen, and noticing the cloth bag on the rock, Sang Luo guessed that the so-called borrowed grain had come from her.
As Shen Ning brought the water to her, Sang Luo first thanked Mrs. Chen.
Mrs. Chen, however, did not acknowledge her gratitude, responding indifferently, "I didn't do it for you, but for these two children. Taxes are increasing, and everyone is struggling. We can't do much to help you. You need to stand on your own."
Mrs. Chen's tone was not unkind without reason; she truly felt Sang Luo was useless. When the Shen family first divided, she had encountered Sang Luo in the fields and generously given her many well-cultivated vegetable seedlings.
She had never imagined that Sang Luo wouldn't know how to plant vegetables.
"If you've never planted before, you should have asked. You never asked a single question, just took the seedlings with a thank you and tried to plant them without knowing how," Mrs. Chen thought. She was annoyed by Sang Luo's lack of practicality.
Mrs. Chen felt like pursing her lips upon hearing Sang Luo's thanks. Knowing or not knowing, a mouth is for asking questions, not just for expressing gratitude.
So, in Mrs. Chen's eyes, Sang Luo left an impression of being useless, polite but not practical, and never asking for guidance even when needed.
Now, seeing the hut, Mrs. Chen figured it hadn't changed since they moved in after the division. In over three months, not a single item had been added to their meager belongings.
Thus, Mrs. Chen concluded that Sang Luo truly didn't know how to live properly, even thinking that the Shen children would have been better off without her, as she only seemed to be a burden to Shen An and Shen Ning.
At least without Sang Luo, Uncle Shen and his wife wouldn't dare to just cast out Shen An and Shen Ning.
Now, if Sang Luo were gone, the ones to suffer would be the young Shen siblings.
Consequently, Mrs. Chen's tone was naturally not very gentle.
Sang Luo, unaware of the whole picture, felt extremely grateful for the elderly couple's assistance in these hard times, despite having no close ties. She wasn't offended by Mrs. Chen's tone and smiled lightly, "You are right. Once I get better, I'll make sure to take good care of myself and not let An and Ning go hungry."
Mrs. Chen: "…"
Mrs. Chen thought to herself how Sang Luo could promise such a thing. Even their own families couldn't ensure their children wouldn't go hungry, let alone Sang Luo with her empty house, no land, and no grain. How could she prevent the children from starving when they nearly starved to death themselves?
But Mrs. Chen, having no close relationship with Sang Luo or the Shen children, felt it unnecessary to say more. They were just villagers helping out of temporary compassion, so she just nodded.
Just then, Shen An came in with a bowl of water. Mrs. Chen turned to heat the water, dissolving the remaining half piece of malt sugar and adding a bit more salt, completing her task.
Observing how well Shen Ning was taking care of Sang Luo, spoon-feeding her the salt and sugar water, and seeing Sang Luo gradually recovering after drinking it, Mrs. Chen decided not to stay much longer.
"I've brought two liters of rice from home. After drinking the salt and sugar water, you should cook some porridge. It should help you recover after a few days."
Indeed, they could only nourish themselves; in layman's terms, endure. Rural families couldn't afford to visit medical clinics or doctors.
Sang Luo nodded, "Thank you, Granny. I'll pay you back for the grain and sugar later."
Although Mrs. Chen had prepared herself for the possibility of not being repaid when she brought the rice, hearing Sang Luo say she would return it, Mrs. Chen didn't insist on generosity. She poured the rice from her bag into the empty bag Shen An had found, nodding, "Alright, we'll be going back then."
Her husband was still waiting outside.
Shen An didn't need Sang Luo to ask him to see them off. At the door, Mrs. Chen shooed him back inside, "We're grown-ups, no need for a child to escort us. We don't want to have to walk you back again. Go inside and lock the door."
As the door to the hut closed, the elderly couple walked a few steps before Mrs. Chen pressed her husband's arm.
He turned to look and saw her putting a finger to her lips, signaling him to be silent.
Chapter 5
After decades of marriage, Mr. Chen quickly understood his wife's intentions and cooperated, standing still and listening quietly.
They didn't have to wait long to hear Sang Luo's soft voice inside, instructing Shen An and Shen Ning to also drink some sugar water. A smile finally appeared on Mrs. Chen's wrinkled face, and she motioned for her husband to quietly leave.
Unaware that she had been observed by Mrs. Chen, Sang Luo felt her strength gradually returning and was relieved to have averted the risk of sudden death. She naturally turned her attention to the two skinny children, almost as thin as bamboo sticks.
Thinking about how her own life was essentially saved by these two young ones, her heart was filled with gratitude and tenderness.
Shen An and Shen Ning were truly frightened this time. At first, when Sang Luo offered them the sugar-salt water, they vehemently shook their heads, refusing to take their sister-in-law's "life-saving food." It wasn't until Sang Luo reassured them with a smile that she was much better and soon would be able to cook some porridge, confirming that she would not die of illness or hunger, that Shen Ning, upon having the bowl brought to her lips, cautiously sipped and swallowed the liquid. Seeing her sister-in-law and then her brother, she tentatively took a small sip.
The drink was sweet yet slightly salty, an odd combination, but for Shen Ning, who rarely tasted anything sweet except for a few wild berries like raspberries and blackberries from the mountain edge, even this faint sweetness was incredibly delightful. Her eyes and brows curved in joy from just a touch on her lips.
Savoring just a small sip, she passed the bowl to Shen An: "Brother, it's so sweet, you should drink too."
Since the loss of their eldest brother, Shen An had been acting like a little adult, always standing strong for his sister. But when the half-bowl of sugar water was brought to his lips, he couldn't hide his childlike nature.
After all, he was still a child – how could he resist the temptation of sugar water brought right to his mouth?
Sang Luo didn't finish the last bit of sugar water herself. Instead, the siblings shared it, taking turns sipping until the bowl was empty.
Shen An, being the elder brother, only sipped a little each time, mostly letting Shen Ning drink. By the time the last mouthful was left for him, he no longer acted like a little adult and drank it eagerly, leaving not a drop, even going so far as to lick the bottom of the bowl clean. He even added water to the pot that had cooked the sugar water, shaking and swirling it around before boiling it again, not wanting to waste a single trace.
Sang Luo didn't see any shame in this. In times when people could starve to death, such behavior was only too normal.
In her previous life, she was an orphan. Just one year into her job after graduating from college, she was hospitalized due to illness. Only after several examinations did she learn that her life wouldn't be long.
Had she been born into a wealthy family, able to spend millions on hospital treatment and maintenance, Sang Luo might have managed to survive a few more years.
But she didn't have millions to spend on treatment, couldn't afford the expense, and rather than suffer, she cried in her bed for two days. After three days of contemplation, she resigned, using her savings from part-time jobs since college and her year of work after graduation. She did thorough research online, visited several places, and finally settled on a mountain area she liked, buying an abandoned house there. She renovated it while settling into a life in the mountains.
She began living the life she had longed for but only dared to dream about.
Sang Luo lived alone in the mountains for five years. There were neighbors, but they were mostly older people left behind, as the young and children had moved to the city for work and education.
Therefore, Sang Luo rarely had the opportunity to interact with children.
Now, watching the two little siblings' affectionate and caring relationship, she felt a sense of warmth.
Living in the mountains wasn't bad at all. Compared to her last few years spent in illness in her previous life, now she was at least physically healthier after some rest and had two companions.
Poverty wasn't scary. With hands, feet, and a brain, there's always a way to make money.
Sang Luo felt that her life was quite good, as if fate had given her a second chance.
By the time all three had quenched their thirst and it was beginning to dawn, Sang Luo had regained enough strength to move around the hut without feeling dizzy.
She didn't waste time, soon asking the children to help with chores, cleaning the clay pot, fetching spring water, and washing rice to cook porridge.
Pure white rice porridge, without any wild vegetables mixed in.
Shen An and Shen Ning were stunned to see Sang Luo handing them a small handful of rice to wash.
Both children stood motionless, staring at the rice in the pot, then at Sang Luo.
Shen An pursed his lips, "Big sister, at this rate, we'll run out of grain in a few days."
His face showed clear disapproval.
Shen Ning, seeing her brother speak up, nodded vigorously in agreement. Without saying a word, her eyes seemed to implore: Brother is right, big sister, put some back.
Sang Luo found this both amusing and heart-wrenching, insisting, "Just this amount. Go wash the rice and cook the porridge."
Her insistence didn't budge the children.
Sang Luo explained, "Don't worry, your sister-in-law will find a way to get more food. I promise!"
The children glanced at her, still not moving, clearly unconvinced by Sang Luo's promise after months of living together.
Sang Luo sighed, "Look, your sister-in-law almost starved to death this time, right? If we continue like this, not just me, but both of your health will suffer. Trust me, just wash this rice and cook a pot of porridge. Let's have a good meal, and once we have the strength, I'll take you out to find food. We can't save food by being frugal alone."
Shen Ning blinked her eyes, not fully grasping everything Sang Luo said, except the part about almost starving to death. She turned to look at her brother.
Shen An's face showed a conflicted expression, clearly wavering. After thinking, he reached into the pot and took back a thin layer of rice from the dry part on top, saying, "Cook this amount. I don't need much."
Such maturity beyond their years.
Sang Luo remembered her own childhood, knowing that hardship breeds such character.
She nodded, not insisting any further.
Shen An and Shen Ning visibly relaxed and hurried to fetch spring water to wash the rice, not giving Sang Luo a chance to change her mind.
The three gathered around the simple stone stove, listening to the bubbling sound from the pot. Shen An stirred the porridge occasionally with a wooden spoon, waiting for the rice grains to puff up, the aroma making them all hungry.
When it came to serving the porridge, Shen An, as the cook, dished it out – a spoonful for Sang Luo, slightly less for Shen Ning, and only half a spoon for himself.
The wooden spoon wasn't large. In modern terms, it was about the amount of a dainty, fist-sized bowl – fine for Sang Luo and Shen Ning's servings, but for Shen An, his half-spoon in the larger, rustic bowls they used was barely enough to cover the bottom.
Sang Luo, unable to bear it, took the spoon and scooped half of her portion into Shen An's bowl. He looked a bit stunned, but Sang Luo smiled, "There, young man, eat. I was extremely hungry earlier, but I can't eat too much at once. Eating small, frequent meals is the right way to nurture the stomach."
The siblings eyed the steaming, thick white porridge, still hesitant to start eating.
Sang Luo, noticing their hesitation, urged, "Eat, just remember to blow on it to cool it down, don't burn yourselves."
Shen An remained silent this time, and Shen Ning glanced between the bowl of white porridge and Sang Luo, "Big sister, should we really eat it? If we add wild vegetables, this could last us for many days."
"Eat!" Sang Luo affirmed, "Once we finish, rest a bit. When I have enough strength, I'll take you to find food."
Her determined and confident demeanor finally gave the two hungry children a bit of courage, albeit a fragile one. The aroma of the white rice porridge wafted into their noses, gently nudging their hearts towards Sang Luo's assurance.
Eat!?
Just one satisfying meal!
Without chairs and with the bowls too hot to hold, the three of them squatted by the stone slab they used as a makeshift table. They blew on the surface of the porridge to cool it down, then carefully ate the top layer with small, slurping bites.
The children treasured each bite, unwilling to eat too quickly. Between mouthfuls, Shen Ning couldn't help but turn to her brother, "Brother, this white rice porridge is so delicious! It's been so long since I've tasted such good porridge."
Her enraptured expression made it seem as though the bowl contained not just white porridge, but rare delicacies.
Shen An knew exactly how long it had been – since before their elder brother left home. His eyes grew misty, and he quickly pressed them, smiling at his sister, "Eat up."
"I'll make sure you always have enough to eat in the future."
This promise was only a silent thought in his heart; Shen An dared not speak it aloud, knowing he was still too young and weak to ensure it.
His mood visibly dampened, only brightening with a smile when Shen Ning looked his way, though his pace of eating noticeably slowed.
While Sang Luo and Shen Ning finished their porridge, Shen An still had half left in his bowl.
As Shen Ning glanced at him, Shen An placed his half-finished bowl of porridge on the stone table, saying, "I'll save the rest for your lunch."
Then, he efficiently washed the dishes and returned, carefully covering the remaining porridge with another bowl, treasuring even those last few spoonfuls.