Shangguan Yichen, his face dark, stretched out his small hand: "I'll keep the water pouch."

Don't underestimate me just because I'm small. That's life-saving water! How can you just let people drink so much of it? What if I let it slip? Their whole family would be in danger!

Mo Qingcheng smiled awkwardly, obediently took the water bag, and handed it to Shangguan Yichen.

Shangguan Yichen was slightly taken aback. He thought he would have to use a lot of words, but he didn't expect it to go so smoothly.

Cough cough... Stepmothers aren't all that bad.

A fleeting smile crossed the young boy's eyes, but Mo Qingcheng caught it clearly.

How can a brat be so arrogant?

Bai Ziming and the other children were stunned. Had their mother done something wrong? Why were they listening to their eldest brother?

A glint flashed in Mu Yunchuan's eyes. His mother had fallen into his older brother's hands; he'd go ask her about it tonight...

Haha!

The little guy almost got carried away with his pride, but Shangguan Yunxi kicked him and said, "Hurry up and get down the mountain."

"Second sister..."

"Don't give me that!" Shangguan Yunxi glared at her.

Mu Yunchuan's little shoulders trembled slightly as he thought to himself, "So fierce, I'm afraid I'll never get married."

Mu Wanqing raised an eyebrow with a wicked smile: "Second sister, it's hard to believe that fourth brother is cursing you to never get married!"

"Pfft!" Mu Yunchuan coughed up blood. His twin sister was too wicked!

As they descended the mountain, no one continued gossiping; the children's laughter left happy little footprints on the mountain path.

After a stick of incense had burned, a large group of people lay sprawled out at the foot of the mountain, completely disheveled, exchanging knowing smiles.

Li Tiezhu helped his third grandmother over, and she knelt down at Mo Qingcheng's feet with a thud, kowtowing without saying a word.

Mo Qingcheng was speechless. She waited until Li Tiezhu finished kowtowing before speaking: "Third Grandmother, you're too kind. We're from the same village, we'll see each other all the time. Please sit down and rest."

“Sigh…” Third Grandma sat down next to Mo Qingcheng without hesitation, her face still a little pale.

Li Tiezhu scratched his head sheepishly: "Mo Niangzi, could you... give me a couple more sips of your water?"

"Uncle Li, there are two more bites left, leave them for Fifth Sister and Sixth Brother..." Shangguan Yunxi hurriedly said, her face full of helplessness.

Li Tiezhu was stunned. How could this be? There was still half a water sac left...

Grandma San glared at her silly son. She couldn't let her son act foolishly; that water was a lifesaver.

"Tiezhu, Mother isn't thirsty... Don't talk nonsense, go away."

Li Tiezhu: "..."

Is he or is he biologically related?

Hu Lai interrupted, "Third Grandma, how are you feeling? You almost scared me to death."

Mo Qingcheng shot her a sharp glare: "What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you know that saying too much can backfire?"

"..." Hu Lai, was he being disliked or was he being disliked?

Grandma San shook her head, indicating that apart from feeling weak all over, she felt fine.

The group searched for some dry food and quickly gave the elderly and children a bite to eat to fill their stomachs.

Mo Qingcheng and Hu Lai were reluctant to eat, cough cough... not because they were reluctant, but because there were too many people around and they couldn't eat.

Yunlei grinned, his eyes full of sorrow: "Sister, I'm hungry..."

Mo Qingcheng's lips twitched uncontrollably; she was getting addicted to acting: "If I'm hungry, I won't be hungry anymore..."

"puff!"

"Ha ha!"

The little ones shook the dry rations in their hands and laughed out loud, not in a very kind way.

Yun Lei swallowed hard. These past few days he had been eating and sleeping in the open, but Mo Niangzi's cooking was so good that he was craving the next meal. Eating with his master was practically... pig swill!

Mu Yunchuan shuddered at the death stares from his elder brother and second sister, and stuffed his own dry rations into Yun Lei's mouth: "Uncle Yun, don't cry..."

Yun Lei almost choked to death...