Zhang Xiue smiled and said, "If you could think of that, we wouldn't have had to eat sweet potatoes for so many days!"

Li Qiang's wife pouted, "That was all to save water. And wasn't it your idea to roast sweet potatoes?"

Seeing that the two women were still bickering and showed no interest in eating, Song Heren became a little anxious.

"Third Aunt, Madam Tian, ​​please eat quickly. We still have a long way to go. If we are delayed any longer, we will definitely not be able to reach Xinzhou on time!"

Zhang Xiue didn't say anything more, picked up the bowl and drank the porridge clean.

Qin Xiaoniang, who was standing to the side, had not yet woken up and her high fever had not subsided. Song He'er fed her the medicine and continued to wipe her body with cold water to cool her down physically.

Seeing Song He'er bustling around like this, Su Yu's wife wanted to come over and help, "He'er, cover your mother with a few more clothes, she'll sweat it out and be fine."

Song He'er knew that the ancient people's method of reducing fever was to cover themselves up to sweat, but this not only failed to dissipate the heat, but actually made them feel hotter.

“Madam Zhou, I can take care of my mother myself, but I would appreciate it if you could look after Huan Ge’er for me.”

Su Yu's wife nodded. "I understand. I've been keeping an eye on Huan Ge'er for you. I think we shouldn't rush on our way today. Your mother is so ill, it's better to let her rest properly and avoid the fatigue of travel."

Song He'er shook her head. They still had to leave. Qin Xiaoniang could lie on the cart and be pulled around, but they couldn't waste any more time here, since they didn't know what the road conditions were like ahead.

Moreover, the weather is cooler after rain, which is suitable for traveling.

"Madam Zhou, I'll have to trouble you to help my young lady walk with you in a bit..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhang Xiu'e, who was washing dishes nearby, suddenly replied, "He'er, don't worry. I'll take care of your mother. You know how strong I am!"

"Hehe, Third Aunt is the best!" Song He'er smiled and continued to wipe Qin Xiaoniang's body.

After packing up, the group continued on its way.

The sun was high overhead, and the temperature was rising. After taking her medicine, Qin Xiaoniang slept for a long time before finally waking up.

"Cough cough..."

"He'er, your mother has woken up, come and see her quickly!"

Song He'er handed Huan Ge'er to Li Qiang's wife, and then ran directly to Qin Xiaoniang's side.

Although the person had woken up, their complexion was still poor, and their lips were pale and dry.

"Mother, how are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

Qin Xiaoniang nodded weakly, "He'er, Mother is fine, you don't need to worry. How about Huan-ge'er? Is he alright?"

Zhang Xiue tucked her clothes in, saying, "You don't need to worry about Huan-ge'er, we'll take care of him. You just need to rest..."

"What is wrong with me?"

Zhang Xiue breathed a sigh of relief, "You had a high fever. Luckily, He'er brought back some herbs for you, otherwise you would still have a high fever now!"

When Qin Xiaoniang heard that Song He'er had gone to gather herbs again, she couldn't help but worry. "He'er, I'm fine. Don't go to gather herbs anymore, and don't stray too far from the group. We're in a foreign land now, so you have to be careful!"

Song He'er smiled and comforted her, "Mother, I found them very nearby. You don't know, it rained yesterday, and lots of little mushrooms have sprouted in the ground today. I even made porridge with them. You were unconscious earlier and didn't drink any, but I specially saved a bowl for you. I'll go heat it up for you!"

"No, Mother can't eat it. Don't heat it up, keep it for yourself."

"Mother, I've already eaten. Don't always be so reluctant to eat. What will happen to Huan-ge'er and me if you ruin your health?"

Zhang Xiu'e sighed and then advised, "Yes, He'er is right. You caught this cold because you weren't getting enough nutrition. Huan'er shouldn't drink your milk anymore. Look, it's draining all your nutrients!"

Qin Xiaoniang was unwilling to do it. Compared to her own health, she valued her two children more. She would rather starve to death than let her children suffer even a little.

“Mother, just listen to Third Aunt. Besides, Huan-ge’er has grown teeth and can eat some things by himself.”

Seeing that Song He'er was also pleading like this, Qin Xiaoniang couldn't bear to see her daughter sad, so she had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Then let's steam egg custard for Huan-ge'er from now on!"

Steamed egg custard?

That's right, Song He'er didn't even remember this dish!

She used to cook for herself when she didn't feel like cooking at home. It was not only convenient, but also made the food soft, tender, and easy on the stomach!

“Mother is right, from now on we will steam egg custard for Huan-ge’er!”

The group smiled but didn't say anything.

Zhang Xiue lit a fire and simply reheated the remaining bowl of porridge before feeding it to Qin Xiaoniang.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the entire team finally entered the desert area.

The road beneath our feet had turned from soil into yellow sand, and the car was stuck in a sand pit, unable to move.

"Madam Zhou, what should we do? The carriage won't move!" Zhang Xiue stood there, worried.

Li Qiang's wife looked at the wheels and used a stick to probe the thickness of the sand. Instantly, she felt a little discouraged. "It's over. We really can't go any further. This yellow sand is too deep. The wheels are stuck and we can't pull them out at all."

"What should we do then? We can't just abandon the car and walk ourselves, can we?"

Li Qiang's wife sighed, "It's a small matter for us to walk, but what about all this grain? We can't carry it by hand; we'll be exhausted! Besides, we have children to take care of."

When this bad news came out, everyone was dejected and didn't even want to walk anymore.

“It’s one hurdle after another, I’m afraid we won’t make it to Xinzhou!” Zhang Xiu’e said, and then burst into tears.

When Nianjie saw her mother crying, she quickly went over to comfort her, "Mother, don't cry. I heard Uncle General say that camels often travel in the desert. We can find a camel!"

camel! !

This is not a bad idea. Song He'er has thought of it, but there is not a single person in this vast desert. Where can they find camels?

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Xiue immediately stopped crying, hugged Nianjie in her arms, and kissed her repeatedly. "You're such a smart daughter! I love you so much!"

Li Qiang's wife smiled and said, "After all this fuss, it turns out that all of us adults are less capable than a child!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than a commotion arose from nearby, as if someone was fighting over something.

After a long while, a dozen or so people indeed climbed up from the downhill slope and started grabbing at a sack, some even resorting to violence.

"You old filthy old man! Give me back my potatoes!"

"Why should we give it to you? We dug this up with great difficulty! You bastard, get lost!"

"Hey, I'll beat you to death! Hit her!"