Chapter 2 Thunderclap
When Fan Xiaoxiao woke up again, it was already midnight.
A sweet aroma of food wafted into her nostrils, and her mouth watered—she was so hungry…
Her craving for food made her slightly lift her heavy eyelids. The dim, yellow candlelight illuminated the small, simple bedroom before her. Hunger made her thoughts a little sluggish, and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was.
The straw mat curtain was lifted, and a small, adorable little boy walked in, carrying a bowl. When he saw Fan Xiaoxiao looking at him with her eyes slightly open, he exclaimed, "Oh! Auntie's awake!"
Hearing the little bean call, Fan Xiaoxiao remembered where she was—the original owner's older sister's house!
It's embarrassing to admit, but after being rescued by her older sister, she barely managed to walk out of Taiping Town and call out "Sister!" before fainting from hunger. And this little brat in front of her—wasn't he her nephew, Yu Xiaobao?!
"Xiao Bao..."
"Auntie, get up and eat! Mom has been cooking millet porridge for a long time."
Fan Xiaoxiao's words were cut off by Xiaobao. Looking down, she saw that the ceramic bowl was full of golden millet porridge. That warm and sweet aroma came from it.
Fan Xiaoxiao instinctively swallowed, quickly leaned over the bedside, took the millet porridge from his hand, and gulped down half a bowl in one go.
"Auntie, slow down, don't choke."
Seeing Fan Xiaoxiao wolfing down her food, Yu Xiaobao was worried she might choke, so he reached out his small, fleshy hand and gently patted her back.
Whether it was because Xiao Bao's touch was too gentle, or because the millet porridge in her hand was too soft, sweet, and had a taste of home, Fan Xiaoxiao's tears instantly rolled down her cheeks.
"Oh dear, why is Auntie crying? Don't cry, don't cry, is the food too hot? Let me blow on it, Xiao Bao!"
After saying that, Xiao Bao really puffed out his cheeks and started slurping the millet porridge.
Fan Xiaoxiao wiped away her tears and shook her head.
"No, it's nothing. It's just that your mother's cooking is so delicious that your aunt is touched."
"Oh, is that so? Then Auntie, eat more!"
After drinking half a bowl of porridge, Fan Xiaoxiao controlled herself and sipped it slowly. This body had been hungry for too long, and she was afraid that eating too quickly at once would be too much for her.
When Madam Fan walked in carrying the earthenware pot, Fan Xiaoxiao had just finished drinking the porridge in her hand.
"Er Ya, are you done drinking? Give me another bowl."
Fan Xiaoxiao shook her head: "No need, sister, I'm full. Eating any more would be a waste of food."
That was a lie; how could a child who had been starving for so long be full after just one bowl of rice porridge? But Fan Xiaoxiao knew that her older sister had married a hunter, and the family owned no land; they relied entirely on her brother-in-law's hunting and fishing. Moreover, her brother-in-law hadn't returned from hunting in the mountains last year; people said he'd been eaten by wolves.
As an orphan and a widow, it's easy to imagine that her sister's family wasn't well-off, especially considering they bought her from a slave trader for five qian of silver!
Madam Fan wanted to persuade her again, but seeing that Fan Xiaoxiao had put down the earthenware bowl and even let out a burp, she gave up the idea of adding more porridge to her bowl.
"Xiao Bao, go put your food in the well water to cool it down so it can be eaten tomorrow morning!"
After saying that, Yu Xiaobao twisted his small body to carry the porridge outside.
"Hey! Little Bao! It'll spoil if we eat it tomorrow morning! Why don't you and your mother eat it?"
Fan Xiaoxiao hurriedly got up and reached out to stop Xiaobao, but Xiaobao twisted his little body and refused to agree. Fan Shi watched with a smile as the two of them, one big and one small, bargained for a while. In the end, the three of them finished the rest of the porridge together before the matter was settled.
Just as Madam Fan was carrying the earthenware pot out to the kitchen to wash it, there was a series of urgent knocks on the door. The three people inside looked at each other, wondering why anyone would come so late.
"Xiao Bao's mother! Is Xiao Bao's mother here?!"
Madam Fan recognized the voice as that of Granny Wang from next door and quickly went into the courtyard to reply, "Yes, Granny Wang, what's wrong?"
Through the door, Aunt Wang's voice sounded muffled, but her anxiety and panic had penetrated the wooden board.
"Little Bao's mother! Quickly take Little Bao and run! A band of bandits has come from outside the village!"
"Old woman! Hurry! We're leaving!!!"
"Hey! They're here! Run!!"
A muffled clap of thunder ripped through the night sky, and the earthenware pot crashed to the ground with a loud bang, its sound accompanied by Aunt Wang's terrified voice, exploding loudly in Fan Xiaoxiao's ears.
(End of this chapter)
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