Knowing that Sun Miao'er had grown up, Madam Jin was too lazy to make a scene anymore and slammed the door as she went back to her room.
Things are different now. People like Jin Shi will only become stronger if you are weak. If you are tough on her, she will know to restrain herself.
After finally seeing Jin off, Sun Miao'er breathed a sigh of relief, calmly picked up the burlap sack from the rice jar, held the moldy wheat, and asked Xiaoman to bring over candles.
Dinner is still not decided.
“If we sort through the wheat, there will still be some usable grains left. I’ll grind them into flour, and that will be enough for us to eat for a few days.”
Sun Miao'er strained her eyes until they were sore and watering, and Xiao Man had gone through several candles before finally managing to divide the wheat in the rice jar.
Fortunately, hard work pays off. Although the wheat looked badly moldy, after sifting it, most of it was still of good quality.
"If only we had a stone mill."
She knew that Aunt Ge's family had graphite, and that they usually sold some cornmeal, but it was so late...
Yes, it's so late. If we don't finish this wheat tonight, we won't even have food for tomorrow, let alone the days to come.
There was a cacophony of barking dogs and the sounds of wild cats in heat coming from outside.
Sun Miao'er gritted her teeth and said, "Xiaoman, you stay home with Grandma. I'll be right back."
"Where are you going, sister?"
"Miao'er, it's so late, what are you thinking of doing now, you silly child?"
Sun Miao'er picked up the last half candle on the table, left without looking back, and told Xiaoman to stay home obediently before leaving.
Fortunately, there were other people living on both sides of the Sun family's house, and the houses were lit up, which gave Sun Miao'er some courage, but the night in the countryside was still too dark.
By the faint light of the candle in her hand, she could barely see the road ahead.
"Keep pushing, and we'll be there once we cross that field!"
Sun Miao'er took deep breaths to cheer herself up, and her steps unconsciously quickened.
You should know that she is terrified of dogs. A sudden bark from a dog always makes her feel like a dog is chasing her.
Finally, we were able to see Aunt Ge's house, but by then, the candle in our hand had only burned down to a little less than half.
"Aunt Ge, has Aunt Ge gone to sleep?"
Standing outside Aunt Ge's fence, Sun Miao'er called out softly.
A moment later, a noise came from the inner room. Aunt Ge pushed open the door and saw that it was Sun Miao'er. Her previously wary expression relaxed considerably.
"Miao'er? Why are you here so late?"
Sun Miao'er looked troubled. "It's all because of Xiaoman, that little glutton. She kept asking for some noodles. We only have dried wheat at home, and no stone mill. I thought Aunt Ge must have some. I'll just use it. Look, it's just a little bit of wheat, it'll be ready in no time!"
Aunt Ge knew a little about the Sun family's situation. Jin Shi had a good reputation, and just by looking at Miao'er's thin body, which weighed only a few ounces, one could guess what kind of life she led.
If they weren't desperate, they wouldn't have bothered me so late at night.
Aunt Ge pointed to the backyard and said, "Look, this is my stone mill. But it's very heavy, so I usually borrow someone's mule to pull it. If you're not in a hurry, leave the wheat here, and I'll grind it for you when I grind the corn tomorrow."
"No need to trouble Aunt Ge, I can manage it!"
Sun Miao'er sighed, rolled up her sleeves, and thought, "Let's give it a try. What else can we do if we don't try?"
There is no other choice.
Only after trying it did she realize that the stone mill was unusually heavy, much heavier than any farm tool Sun Miao'er had ever picked up since waking up. She exerted all her strength for a long time, her whole body soaked in sweat, and she could barely push it around once. Her strength was almost completely drained, and the wheat was only half-ground, far from being flour.
"Miao'er, if it really doesn't work, then let's just give up!"
Undeterred, Sun Miao'er pushed the stone mill and said, "Aunt Ge, you go back and rest. I'll try again."
She stopped and started again, rested and rested again, her hands aching so much she could barely lift them, but finally she managed to grind a small bag of flour. This bag of flour was the most precious thing to Sun Miao'er.
I bet Xiaoman is too hungry to stay awake any longer.
Fortunately, they can eat slightly better food now. Xiaoman looks chubby on the face, but she is actually very thin. She is just as thin as Sun Miaoer and much smaller than other children her age.
It's truly heartbreaking.
When Sun Miao'er returned from Aunt Ge's house, the candles inside had already been extinguished, and the neighbors had all gone to bed. The candle that Sun Miao'er had lit on her way there was only a small stub left; if she walked quickly, she might be able to make it home.
As the dim light faded, the night deepened.
Her walking distance was already her limit.
"Whoosh!"
A gust of wind came, and the candle, unfortunately, went out.
All around was pitch black; you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
Only the fireflies in the haystacks emitted a faint light, and what disappointed Sun Miao'er the most was that the thick clouds in the sky tonight blocked out the only moonlight she could count on.
"Woof! Woof!"
The barking of a dog came from who-knows-where.
It was too close. The sound was way too close to her. Sun Miao'er didn't dare to breathe or move. The dog seemed to be right behind her.
What should she do? She was panicked and at a loss. After being here for so many days, this was the first time she had ever felt such fear. If she left, would the dog pounce on her and bite her?
In ancient times, there was no rabies vaccine. If you were bitten by a dog, would you just die?
While she was using her imagination, she only felt a chill down her spine and her hands and feet were icy cold.
I don't know how long I stood there in a daze, but then a faint scent of herbs wafted from behind me.
It seemed to offer some solace to her agitated and fearful mind.
There were also footsteps.
The steps were steady and firm on the damp earth, but they didn't seem to get any closer.
The road ahead suddenly brightened, and Sun Miao'er realized that, driven by the light, the dog had already run far away.
Behind me, is it a person? Or some other dirty thing...?
Fortunately, along with the light came a tall, slender figure. She calmed herself down and kept telling herself, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Ghosts don't have shadows. This one has a shadow, so it must be a person!"
She wanted to turn back, but still didn't dare. What if he was someone with ill intentions?
She could only move slowly, but no matter how far she went, the sound of footsteps behind her always remained, and the light always followed her.
My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, slowly settled down. It seemed to be just a kind passerby.
The light behind her illuminated the road ahead. As she neared home, Sun Miao'er finally mustered the courage to thank the kind stranger behind her.
She turned around, and there stood a person in the darkness behind her, holding a lantern.
The only discernible feature was a man's figure; even his face was shrouded in darkness.
A gust of wind blew in, carrying the scent of herbs. The scent was so strong that it made Sun Miao'er cough twice.
In the dim light, only a corner of the man's indigo robe could be seen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
