Chapter 32 Going Home

After resting for a day, Molly went up the mountain again. This time, she didn't have a specific goal; she wandered around aimlessly, picking up whatever she came across. She collected half a sack of chestnuts, dug into several rat holes in the mountains, caught over a hundred mountain rats, and also caught a few rabbits and pheasants.

In the afternoon, Molly burned the rat's fur with dry grass, and then found a place with water in the mountains to gut the rat and remove its internal organs.

By the time she finished her work, it was getting dark.

As soon as it got dark, she returned to the farm, and the first thing she did upon returning was to salt the more than one hundred rats.

She didn't hide anything from the Ji family when she did these things. She thought they wouldn't dare to watch, but to her surprise, they all crowded around, each offering their opinions. When she asked them if they wanted some, they waved their hands repeatedly, saying, "We have enough meat at home, no need."

Molly didn't insist. She left the pheasants and rabbits she had hunted that day and planned to give Brother Xu twenty more mountain rats as a parting gift when she went to the Xu family tomorrow.

After giving twenty to Brother Xu, she still had about one hundred and thirty left, which was quite a lot.

At night, Grandma Ji and Mom Ji habitually hugged Molly's arms when they went to sleep.

“We have enough food. Don’t come over from now until the New Year,” said Mother Ji.

Grandma Ji also said, "It's cold, and it's not easy for you to come all this way. We're doing well now, so please stay home and rest assured. If you miss us, just write a letter to your brother Xu, and he'll bring it to us."

Molly knew they were worried about her, so she accepted their offer, "Okay, I won't come this year. If you need anything, just let Brother Xu tell me and I'll find it for you."

Grandma Ji agreed, "Okay. Be careful on the road tomorrow."

Molly got up before dawn the next day. She didn't intend to wake the Ji family, but when she got up, the Ji family was already awake. Ji's mother even got up at four or five o'clock to cook boiled eggs and boiled potatoes for her.

Molly only ate one egg and one potato. Her mother packed the rest into a bag for her to eat on the way.

Molly, carrying her burlap sack and a bag of mountain rats on her back, disappeared into the darkness.

Both Mrs. Ji and Grandma Ji cried, and Aunt Ji and Ji Herun also had red eyes.

Molly, on the other hand, was quite calm, but she seemed eager to go home. She had been away from home for so many days and didn't know how things were at home.

When they arrived at the Xu family home, Xu Xia'an was already up. Seeing Molly, she quickly pulled her inside, saying, "Qiao Ye made dumplings last night, just waiting for you to come and cook them."

Qiao Ye was busy in the kitchen, making dumplings and some cornbread. Seeing Molly, she quickly called out, "Come warm up by the fire, it must be cold on the way here!"

The temperature was below ten degrees Celsius, which wasn't much of a problem for Molly, but she still nodded, "It is quite cold."

She took out twenty mountain rats that she had prepared separately in advance and handed them to Xu Xia'an. "I caught these on the mountain yesterday and salted them. You shouldn't need to add salt when you eat them."

"Why are you bringing us things again?" Xu Xia'an asked helplessly.

Molly kicked another sack and laughed, "I accidentally caught too many in the mountains yesterday, more than a hundred of them."

Xu Xia'an stared in shock, her eyes wide. "How did you do that?"

"This is an exclusive technique, not to be passed on to outsiders," Molly said seriously.

Xu Xia'an didn't say whether she believed it or not, but said, "Then you'd better keep your skills hidden and not let outsiders find out, otherwise people will be envious and you'll be in danger."

Molly knew he cared about her, and humbly accepted his words, saying, "I will."

The dumplings were cooked quickly. The dough was made of mixed grain flour, and the filling was chives and eggs. Qiao Ye's cooking skills were excellent, and the dumplings were very delicious. Molly liked them at first bite.

She ate twenty in one go, and when Qiao Ye offered to give her another bowl, she refused. There were quite a few members of the Xu family, and if she ate any more, none of them would be left.

"My mom boiled eggs and potatoes for me this morning, and I'm full."

She decided to make dumplings as soon as she got back; after all, she had thirty pounds of flour.

Qiao Ye packed a few cornbreads for Molly to take and eat on the way, and Molly did not refuse.

After breakfast, Molly and Xu Xia'an went out. Xu Xia'an carried Molly's things on a carrying pole, with rice, flour, and a tote bag on one side, and the more than 130 mountain rats on the other.

Molly told him to take over when he got tired, and Xu Xia'an agreed verbally, but he insisted on carrying the car all the way to town by himself. He put Molly on the bus before going to work at the commune.

It takes an hour to get from the town to the county. Once in the county, Molly transfers to another bus.

It was just dawn. Molly had boarded the bus early and chose a window seat. Soon after, another person came up next to her, a young man with a sleazy look.

As soon as the young man sat down, he reached out and placed his hand on the back of Molly's chair. Molly glanced at the man, who gave her a greasy smile. "Where are you going, little sister?"

Molly scoffed, grabbed the young man's wrist, and pulled his hand off the back of the chair. Under the man's incredulous gaze, she suddenly exerted force.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... Let go." The man grimaced, his pointed, monkey-like face contorted in pain.

“My husband is a soldier, don’t mess with me, or I’ll make you regret it,” Molly said, shaking off the young man’s hand.

The young man looked down at his wrist; it was red, and the spot where he had been grabbed was almost bleeding. His expression changed several times, but in the end, he didn't dare to provoke Molly any further. He snorted coldly and went to another seat.

The car quickly filled up, and the engine started.

Molly faced the window and closed her eyes.

The car drove out of the city. Molly appeared to be asleep, but she remained vigilant. People got off and got on along the way, but Molly didn't move from her seat the entire time.

About four hours later, several menacing-looking men pulled out knives and pointed them at the ticket seller and driver.

"Hand over the money," the robber said to the ticket seller.

The ticket seller cried, "The money is in the box, but I don't have the key, so I can't open it."

The robber didn't believe him and held the knife close to the ticket seller's neck, whereupon a bloody gash appeared. "I'll give you three seconds. Money or your life?"

"Brother, I really don't have the key. Please let me go, I'll give you all the money I have." The ticket seller said, reaching into his pocket for money.

The robbers exchanged glances, neither confirming their belief nor doubt. They turned to the driver and asked, "She said she doesn't have the keys. What about you? Do you have any?"

"We don't have the keys, we really don't have them." The driver was also helpless; there was only a little over an hour left in the journey, and he didn't expect to encounter this situation.

"Boss, let's just take that box," one of the robbers suggested, and the others chimed in.

Then, turning to the people inside the car, he said, "You all get out of the car."

"They are not allowed to take anything with them."

"You have to leave behind your money and tickets."

"Yes, come over one by one, search them and then throw them down."

Unfortunately, Molly was sitting in the second row, and if they were to search her, she would be the third one.

She frowned. In the apocalypse, the only way to get what was hers was to give your life.

Now that she's in a different time and space, she can't kill people, so she has to be more careful.

No one saw how Molly moved. By the time they came to their senses, the robbers who were holding the driver and the saleswoman had already had their arms broken by Molly and had been thrown out of the car.

"One, two, three, four, five, that's it!"

All five robbers were thrown out of the car and lay on the ground groaning.

The young man who had originally intended to harass Molly was now filled with fear. Fortunately, he stopped in time, otherwise he would have been one of the people screaming right now.

"Don't just stand there, grab the rope and go down and tie him up."

The car started again, and the five kidnappers, their hands and feet bound, were thrown into the aisle.

More than an hour later, the car drove into the town's police station. Molly was to go and give a statement, fill out the basic information, and hand over the letter of introduction she had on her to the police for inspection.

"Were those robbers you really the ones you fought?" The police officer taking the statement was a young man, his eyes filled with suspicion.

“The driver, the salesperson, and the passengers all saw it,” Molly said expressionlessly.

"Trained?" the policeman asked again.

Molly nodded. "I'm naturally strong. My husband is a soldier, and I've learned a few moves from him."

The policeman seemed to be thinking, "Let's exchange a few moves."

Molly narrowed her eyes. "Okay, I won. You give me your pen."

The policeman laughed in exasperation. This girl was really bold, daring to covet his things.

"You won't give it to me? Then forget it, I'm going back." Molly got up to leave.

The policeman pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek, refusing to believe he would lose to a mere girl, and agreed, "Okay."

The two stepped outside, and almost the instant they stood still, Molly moved. She was so fast that only a blur could be seen with the naked eye. The next second, there was a loud bang, and the young policeman was grabbed by the neck by a hand and shoved to the ground.

Time seemed to stand still, and those who had come out to watch the spectacle were frozen in place.

Is that it?

Molly helped the person up and brushed the dust off their clothes. "Sorry."

"It's nothing," the young policeman murmured, turning back into the room to retrieve a pen, which he then handed to Molly. "A bet's a bet."

Molly accepted it. "It's getting late, I should go back."

After saying that, Molly picked up her things and walked out of the police station under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Only after Molly's figure disappeared did someone finally speak up, "Giving up like that? That's not like you."

"She is very strong. I have no chance of winning against her."

What the young officer didn't say was that there was a moment when he felt he was only a hair's breadth away from death.

"Are you really that amazing? Or did you go easy on her just because she's pretty?"

Do you think I would?

"It's hard to say."

Mo An walked halfway before it got completely dark, so she quickened her pace and quietly returned to the house at the foot of the mountain.

Mo He and Mo An were eating when they heard the noise. Mo An rushed out first, "Second Sister, you're back!"

"Yes, you're back. How's everything been at home these past few days? Nothing's happened, right?"

"Everything is fine at home." Mo An went to help Molly carry her things.

At this moment, Mo He also came out. Her eyes were a little wet. She hugged Molly tightly and said, "You naughty girl, you went out without saying a word and went to such a far place. You scared me to death."

"I'm back now." Molly smiled faintly, as she was most afraid of people crying, so she quickly changed the subject, "I'm hungry, is there anything to eat at home?"

"Yes, I'll go cook some more." Mo He wiped away her tears and headed towards the kitchen.

"Wait a minute." Molly called out to her, taking out the boiled eggs and potatoes that Ji's mother had given her that morning. She had only eaten cornbread on the way, and the eggs and potatoes were left over. "Heat these up. Also, I brought back some mountain rats, let's roast a few and eat them."

Molly took out six mountain rats and handed them to Mo An. "They've been salted. Just wash them and roast them over the fire. Did you boil some water?"

"It was burned."

"Then I'll go take a shower first."

She hadn't had a proper shower for several days, and now that she was home, she felt uncomfortable all over.

"Sister, go get your clothes, I'll get you some water."

Mo An carried three buckets of water for Molly, adding more water along the way. By the time Molly finished her bath and came out, the mountain rat was already roasted. Mo An and Mo He were having hot pot tonight; they peeled boiled eggs and potatoes, put them directly into the pot, and they could eat them once heated up.

Mohe served Molly a boiled egg, a potato, some vegetables, and some soup, while Moan gave her a roasted mountain rat. Molly drank the soup and ate a few bites of vegetables before eating the roasted mountain rat.

"Second sister, where did you catch this mountain rat?" Mo An was extremely curious. He also liked to catch mountain rats, but he had only caught them a very small number of times.

"They were caught on the mountain near Grandpa Ji and Feng's place. We caught a lot, and my eldest sister will take some back with her later." My eldest sister has been here for so many days, and the Zhao family must be unhappy about it. Taking some things back with her will also help shut Li Xiaoju up.

"No, you can keep it for yourselves. I've been eating here all day, saving the Zhao family a lot of food. Li Xiaoju is happy about it." Mo He was biting into the fragrant roasted mountain rat, somewhat reluctant to leave. She didn't want to go back to the Zhao family.

Never mind, she was just thinking about it. The younger sister already has a lot of pressure taking care of her younger brother; if she were to become an older sister, her brother-in-law would probably have objections.

“I brought back a lot of mountain rats, more than 130. You take 30 back with you.”

"so much!"

Mohe and Moan said in unison that they had never seen so many rats before.

"So you can take it back with you. Rats are considered one of the four pests, so it doesn't matter if someone finds out."

Mo He had no reason to refuse. "Okay, I'll take some back. Li Xiaoju and your brother-in-law are in for a treat."

Molly found it amusing and comforted her, "Sister, don't be sad. Once they're healthy, they won't be a burden to you."

"That's true."

"Second sister, did you catch all these rats?" Mo An's focus was still on the rats.

"Yes, I caught it. There are a lot of rats over there."

"Second sister, please take me with you next time."

"If you leave, who will look after the house?"

"Then, next year you'll take me to the mountains and fields to catch mice."

"Sure."

Molly didn't give Moho any rice or flour, and the origin of the rice and flour was hard to explain.

After the meal, Mo He carried thirty fat mountain rats back to the Zhao family.

The Zhao family had already gone to bed. It was Zhao Shangxun who got up to open the door for Mo He. When he saw Mo He, Zhao Shangxun grinned foolishly and said, "You're back!"

Mo He laughed, "What you should be asking is whether Second Sister is back."

Zhao Shangxun immediately asked, "Second sister is back?"

"We're back." Mo He walked in and headed towards the kitchen. "My second sister brought us some nice things."

Zhao Shangxun closed the door, then quickly walked a few steps to light the lamp. "What good stuff? Food?"

“It’s meat.” Mohe placed the basket on the stove, removed the lid, and found it filled with fat, plump rats.

"hiss--"

"So many!" Zhao Shangxun exclaimed in surprise.

“Molly said there are a lot of rats over there. She’s a generous person; she has a portion for herself and she wants to give me one too. It’s winter now, and she wants us to eat more meat to nourish our bodies,” Mohe said.

Li Xiaoju's door opened, and she walked in quickly. She heard her son say, "Second sister is doing well. If she needs help in the future, call me along."

"What help do you need?" Li Xiaoju asked sternly.

Fearing his mother might say something unpleasant, Zhao Shangxun quickly said, "Mother, Molly gave us thirty mountain rats, please come and see."

Li Xiaoju's gaze fell on the mice in the basket, and her anger instantly turned to joy. "Wow, so much meat!"

Mo He rolled her eyes, pulled Zhao Shangxun out of the kitchen, and said, "Mom, you can put the mountain rat away. Let's go back and rest."

Li Xiaoju is very stingy, so Mo He isn't worried at all that she'll give away the mountain rat meat.