Some refugees were driving horse-drawn carriages, and the team following behind them was quite long. Usually in situations like this, they would choose to stop and find a place to rest.

However, whether they were resting or on their way, Yun Yiyi felt that none of them had the same numbness and despair as the refugees she had encountered before. They were all full of life, the kind that made people feel like they were just out for a stroll and would be back home soon.

Yun Yiyi liked this kind of atmosphere. Although it was tense, it gave people hope. Yun Yiyi looked at the sun, which was still some time away from setting, and sighed, "Today is another peaceful day."

"Yiyi, don't stand on the roadside. Come and help your mother light the fire." Zhang shouted loudly.

"I'm here, Mom." Yun Yiyi picked up a stick, sat in the pit, and started to make a fire.

"Mom, where are my dad and my brother?" Yun Yiyi looked around but didn't see them.

"Your father has taken your brothers to look for firewood. The sun is still high today, so we can pick up some more firewood."

"We have to pick up more. There isn't much firewood left on the roof of our donkey cart."

"Mom, is there mung bean soup in the pot?" Yun Yiyi asked, looking at the big iron pot that was steaming.

"Yes, open the pot, scoop out the mung bean juice, then add water to cook it into mung bean soup. Mung bean soup is the most comfortable drink in hot weather."

"Little girl, I brought two more clay jars. Can you help us fill them up later?" A voice sounded behind Yun Yiyi.

Yun Yiyi was startled. She stood up and looked behind her. It turned out to be the uncle who asked for mung bean water at noon.

"Little girl, don't get me wrong, we're not forcing you to buy. It's just that there are too many of us and we can't divide the jar among them."

"We left in a hurry this time and were not well prepared, so many people got irritated. Your mung bean water is just the right drink to help everyone cool down," the big man said embarrassedly.

"Yiyi, why don't you just fill it up for them? If we want to drink it, just add water and boil it." Zhang said from the side.

"Okay, uncle. You put the clay pot here. I'll talk to you after I've packed it up." Yun Yiyi glanced at Zhang and said.

"That's great, little girl. Also, could your family spare us some kimchi? We've been eating sesame seed buns and water every day lately, and it's really tasteless." The big man asked in a low voice.

"Come here, uncle. Please squat down and let's talk slowly. I have pickled ginger, pickled peppers, pickled radishes, and pickled beans. Which kind of pickles do you want to eat?" Yun Yiyi counted on her fingers.

"How about this, you put the pickled peppers and pickled radishes in one jar?" The big man said after thinking for a while.

"No problem, uncle. My family buys pickled peppers and pickled radishes for 200 wen a jar. We buy them from a sister who sells pickles year-round. Her pickles are especially delicious. We decided to buy them after we tasted them.

"Uncle, it's up to you to decide the price of the kimchi." Yun Yiyi said.

"How about this, I'll give you three taels of silver along with the mung bean water. Scarcity makes things valuable, so it's worth the price." The big man said readily.

"Uncle, you are such a straightforward person. I like dealing with people like you." Yun Yiyi praised with a thumbs up.

The big man touched Yun Yiyi's head and laughed. He found it so funny to see Yun Yiyi, a fat kid, seriously imitating adults' speech.

"Little girl, my last name is Li. You can call me Uncle Li. What's your name?"

"Uncle Li, my name is Yun Yiyi. You can just call me Yiyi." Yun Yiyi said.

"Come, Yiyi, here are three taels of silver. When the mung bean water is ready, go to the woods in front and call me." The big man pointed to the woods twenty meters away, where people from a trading company were parked, and there were a lot of people.

"Okay, Uncle Li. Then you can go back first. I'll call you later."

The big man touched Yun Yiyi's head and went back.

"Yiyi, what did you just say to that big man?" Zhang put down the dough in her hand, walked over and asked in a low voice.

"Mom, Uncle Li just now not only wants two cans of mung bean water, but also a can of pickles. However, he wants pickled peppers and pickled radishes in one can." Yun Yiyi said to Zhang.

"Are you talking about the pickles you and your father bought in the capital?"

"Yes, Mom, Dad and I bought it by the can. I remember it should be on the donkey cart. You can find it later and help Uncle Li mix it and pack it into a can."

"Uncle Li, he gave me three taels of silver in total. Mother, please keep the money." Yun Yiyi secretly handed the silver to Zhang.

"Yiyi, you're selling it at a really high price. How about we give it to him at a lower price?" Zhang said embarrassedly while holding the silver.

"Don't worry, Mom. This is the price Uncle Li gave us. We're out in the wilderness, so where can we find kimchi? Scarcity makes things valuable. Just take the money and be at ease."

"Mom, if you really feel embarrassed, just fill a bowl with the lard we made ourselves and I'll give it to Uncle Li. Uncle Li and his family eat flatbread every day now, and they don't have any oil. It will be more convenient for them to eat it if you take the lard back."

"Yiyi, what you said is a good idea. I'll roll out the pancakes first, and then go find some pickles." Zhang happily put the silver away.

"Mom, please go and get busy. When the mung bean water boils, I will put it into the jar." Yun Yiyi said as she added firewood.

"Then be careful not to get burned." After instructing Yun Yiyi, Zhang hurried back to roll the pancakes.

Yun Yiyi continued to light the fire. After more than ten minutes, the mung bean water in the pot boiled. Yun Yiyi kept the fire high for another five or six minutes before she lifted the lid and poured the mung bean water into the jar.

I have to give Zhang some credit; she added just enough water to fill two jars. Yun Yiyi added cold water to the pot and continued to light the fire. Ten minutes later, the mung bean water in the large iron pot was boiling again. Yun Yiyi found her own clay pot, filled it with mung bean water, and set it aside to cool.

She added a few more ladles of cold water to the pot and continued to light the fire. This time she was not in a hurry, because to make mung bean soup, she had to boil the mung beans until they bloomed.

Yun Yiyi added more firewood and boredly drew circles on the ground with a stick. After burning for more than twenty minutes, Yun Yiyi opened the lid of the pot and scooped up a ladle of soup to check. Sure enough, the mung beans had finally bloomed. Yun Yiyi replaced the lid and continued to burn.

"Mom, the mung beans in the pot have bloomed. Will they be ready if we cook them for a few more minutes?" Yun Yiyi asked.

"Yes, let's cook it for more than ten minutes. The more rotten the mung beans are, the better they taste." Zhang looked up and said.

Yun Yiyi added more firewood, then stood up and paced back and forth beside the fire. It was too hot to sit there all the time.