The next day, before dawn, Lu Qiqi got up and cooked a large pot of porridge and baked three large pots of flatbread.

Two bowls of plain porridge and two pieces of flatbread were set aside for breakfast.

The remaining porridge was put into bamboo tubes and left to eat on the road.

After two years of drought, crops failed completely. In ancient times, harvests were generally low, and now, very few farmers can afford to eat plain porridge.

Considering that she and her sister were outnumbered and outmatched, Lu Qiqi decided it was best to keep a low profile.

They didn't have much: a quilt weighing three or four pounds, a jar, a chipped kitchen knife, an iron pot, and a bag of bitter herbs—that was all the sisters owned.

After the two sisters finished their porridge, they took their baskets outside and sat down to wait.

Lu Yao looked at the donkey cart her uncle was leading with some envy. When her father was alive, her family also had a donkey cart.

"Hurry up and get in the car," Lu Dazhuang shouted to Lu Changping.

The load in Lu Qiqi's basket weighed at least twenty or thirty pounds, making it impossible for her small frame to carry it for months on a long journey.

While Lu Yao wasn't paying attention, she hid behind the door, stored the items in her spatial storage, and covered the bamboo basket with a blanket.

Other villagers hurriedly carried their belongings out, and the village road became chaotic with the sounds of carrying things, the cries of poultry and livestock, and the crying of children. Then the village chief shouted, "Let's go!"

A group of about a hundred people, young and old, set off in a grand procession towards Luzhou Prefecture.

At noon, the village chief told them to stop, rest, and have a meal.

Along the way, Lu Qiqi would occasionally give Lu Yao a couple of sips of porridge, while she herself ate more than Lu Yao and wasn't too hungry at the moment.

She settled Lu Yao under the shade of a tree, and then, under the pretext of taking a break, went into the woods.

After checking that no one was around, I entered the space, took out some cakes, and also fetched some spiritual spring water.

"We didn't steal anything, cousin, don't falsely accuse us."

As Lu Qiqi walked back, she heard Lu Yao's aggrieved and retorting voice from afar, and quickly went forward to check the situation.

"You still dare to say you didn't steal it? Where did you get this millet? There's no grain left to harvest in the fields. You sisters don't know how to make a living, yet you dare to lie and say you didn't steal it?"

After finishing lunch, Lu Changping saw Lu Yao cooking millet alone under a tree. She asked her for some, but Lu Yao refused to give her any. So, she decided to take it all back.

"Didn't their two families sever ties?"

“These two sisters are dishonest. We need to be careful with our food supplies from now on and stay away from them.”

"Exactly. We accused them of stealing grain last time, but they wouldn't admit it. Now they've been caught red-handed."

Lu Qiqi used her hand to pry open the group of gossipy aunties who were huddled together.

He walked straight towards Lu Yao.

Lu Qiqi said firmly, "That was given by Third Uncle. The grain that Third Uncle brought you yesterday, did it end up in a dog's stomach?"

"You keep talking about stealing grain. If you dare to spout nonsense again, I'll beat you to a pulp!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, wrongly accusing my cousin again. This girl is just as shrewish as her mother, and she never tells the truth. Who would dare to marry her!"

"My family wouldn't dare; marrying her would be the worst thing that could happen to us."

"You, you all..." Lu Changping was so angry at her gossipy aunt that she wanted to hit her.

In the distance, the village chief shouted, "Pack your things, get ready to go!"

The gossipy aunties around hurriedly went back to pack their things.

Seeing that everyone had dispersed, Lu Changping glared fiercely at Lu Qiqi and fled in panic.

The midday farce came to an abrupt end as they continued their journey.

Lu Changping remembered the loss she suffered at noon, and now she and her grandmother were sitting on a donkey cart.

Watching the Lu sisters, carrying bamboo baskets and sweating profusely, her spirits soared. While everyone else wore bitter expressions, she began to hum a song.

Lu Qiqi and Lu Yao walked behind. She handed a small piece of cake to Lu Yao, saying, "Eat some more. We still have at least two more hours to go."

Lu Yao shook her head. Food should be eaten sparingly; she dared not eat too much and waste it.

Lu Qiqi saw what Lu Yao was thinking and comforted her, "Don't worry, there's still plenty. I cooked three big batches this morning, and they're all hidden in the basket."

The food in her space was enough to feed her and her sister for a year, and there was also spiritual spring water.

If she could bring Lu Yao into the space with her, she wouldn't want to escape. She's been traveling long distances every day, and she doesn't know when it will end.

Lu Yao finally couldn't resist the temptation of the pancakes and started eating them in small bites.

Seeing how thin and weak Lu Yao looked, Lu Qiqi thought to herself that she should go into the woods that night to see if there were any pheasants or the like, and hunt one to nourish Lu Yao.

Just as she was thinking, a grasshopper made of straw appeared in front of her.

Lu Qiqi looked up at the person who had come; it was Ge Zhou.

Ge Zhou was a distant relative of the village chief of Lujia Village. He had fallen on hard times years ago and sought refuge with the village chief, where he stayed ever since.

Ge Zhou worked as a waiter in Yushan Town year-round. His skin wasn't as dark as that of a farmer, and he had a decent appearance, but he wasn't Lu Qiqi's type.

"Here, take it." Ge Zhou said to Lu Qiqi.

Lu Qiqi wasn't interested in these childish toys.

Just as he was about to refuse, he saw Lu Yao's bright eyes fixed on the grasshopper.

Lu Qiqi swallowed her refusal and thanked him before accepting the gift.

Then he handed the grasshopper to Lu Yao.

Lu Yao was still a child; she smiled happily when she received her new toy, her eyes turning into two crescent moons.

Seeing Lu Yao's happy expression, Lu Qiqi couldn't help but soften her heart.

Because she was in a hurry, Lu Qiqi was only paying attention to her footing and did not notice the resentful gaze staring intently at her from ahead.

As evening approached, the hundred or so people stopped to start a fire and cook.

Lu Qiqi chose a spot in the middle of the crowd, which would slightly alleviate the safety concerns of the two sisters.

She was skilled in martial arts and unafraid of danger herself, but she feared that a moment of carelessness might put Lu Yao in danger.

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