Throughout the journey, everyone was shrouded in a somber and oppressive atmosphere.
The sky was overcast, like a huge boulder pressing on one's heart, making it hard to breathe.
No one in the group spoke up; everyone kept their heads down and hurried on their way. Only the sound of footsteps and the occasional sigh echoed in the air.
Where does the road ahead lead? Nobody knows.
After a day's journey, as darkness fell, the villagers of Stone Village set up camp in the wilderness, preparing to rest for the night before continuing their journey.
The men were busy setting up makeshift tents, while the women started a fire to cook.
While everyone was busy, Wang Xiuxiu excused herself to use the restroom and quietly took her little baby from her bundle to the nearby woods.
Songsong is such a well-behaved little guy. He stayed in Wang Xiuxiu's bundle all day and is now almost asleep!
Upon returning to its familiar and free environment, it was incredibly excited, jumping and leaping about, releasing all the energy it had been holding back.
Wang Xiuxiu watched Songsong playing happily with a smile, and her heart was filled with joy as well.
She crouched down, gently stroking the soft fur, and whispered, "Little one, I'm sorry you had to go through this today. Just bear with it a little longer. Once we find a safe place, you won't have to hide anymore."
Judging that it was about time, Wang Xiuxiu went back to the camp ahead of everyone else.
Back at the camp, she set up a pot and started cooking.
After a long day of work, she wanted to put in more rice so that everyone could have a full meal.
But Chen Chunhua kept a close eye on her, saying, "If you eat too much at night, you won't be able to digest it. Eat more before you set off tomorrow morning."
Thus, under Chen Chunhua's "supervision," Wang Xiuxiu only dared to take out a small handful of rice and put it into the pot.
In the end, the porridge turned out almost like water. The family shared it, and it was so thin that Wang Xiuxiu was hungry before midnight and couldn't fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned.
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In the stillness of the night, Wang Xiuxiu lay in her simple tent, listening to the rustling of leaves in the wind outside, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She sighed softly, thinking about how to cope with the difficult journey tomorrow, when she suddenly felt something gently touch her cheek.
Wang Xiuxiu slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Songsong's cute little face.
The little guy came back from playing outside, holding a few bright red wild berries in his hands, and was now squatting in front of her with an expectant look on his face.
"Oh! Songsong is such a good baby! He even knows to bring food back for me. It's no wonder I love you so much!"
Wang Xiuxiu was filled with joy and emotion. If it weren't for the presence of the Wang family members, she would have loved to lift Songsong up high and spin him around immediately!
She gently took the wild fruit, took a bite, and the sweet and sour juice filled her mouth, instantly invigorating her.
Watching Wang Xiuxiu eat the wild fruit she had painstakingly found, Songsong dashed off again and disappeared from her sight in an instant.
"Sigh, fine, we've kept the kid locked up all day, so let him play a little longer tonight."
As Wang Xiuxiu thought this to herself, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
As soon as Wang Xiuxiu got up, she felt something tugging at the hem of her clothes.
Looking down, she saw that Songsong was tightly clutching her clothes, gesturing for her to follow it.
And so, Wang Xiuxiu, in a daze, was led by Songsong all the way to the woods not far away.
When Wang Xiuxiu saw the scene before her, she was stunned!
There was a small pile of wild fruits on the ground!
"Did you pick all of these by yourself, no, by a squirrel like you?" Wang Xiuxiu asked incredulously.
Songsong nodded vigorously, a hint of pride showing on his rat-like face.
Wang Xiuxiu didn't eat it all by herself; she picked up the bag of wild fruits and headed back.
Back at their lodgings, the Wang family members were all speechless with astonishment at the sight of so many wild fruits.
"Xiuyatou, where did you find so many wild fruits?" Chen Chunhua couldn't help but ask.
"There's a small, inconspicuous tree over there with lots of fruit on it, and I've already picked them all."
Wang Xiuxiu made up an excuse on the spot, but secretly admired her son Songsong's cleverness.
So, that morning, before continuing their journey, each member of the Wang family received a fragrant flatbread and a bowl of steaming wild vegetable soup, as well as several delicious wild fruits.
The fruit was very sweet, and the Wang family seemed to feel a little more relaxed as a result, with rare smiles appearing on their faces.
When it was time to set off, Wang Xiuxiu made a special trip to check her luggage.
After a busy night, Songsong is now comfortably fast asleep inside her bundle.
Looking at the sleeping Songsong, Wang Xiuxiu secretly rejoiced, feeling that she had hidden it perfectly.
However, to her utter surprise, Wang Chengwen had already discovered that she had hidden a squirrel in her bag.
For some reason, he pretended not to know.
Not only did he not tell anyone, but he also secretly helped Wang Xiuxiu cover up her secrets.
After traveling for more than ten days, everyone was exhausted.
Some families have even started to consider turning back, wondering if they should go back the way they came.
Just then, someone shouted, "Attention everyone! A group of people are coming from behind!"
Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had been immersed in dejection, instantly perked up, looked up, and gripped their farm tools and sticks with vigilance.
Seeing this, Wang Chengwen jumped off the donkey cart and quickly walked to Wang Xiuxiu's side.
"Chengwen, why did you jump down!" Chen Chunhua stamped her feet anxiously.
"Let your sister get in the car and watch the luggage."
Without saying a word, Wang Chengwen reached out and pushed Wang Xiuxiu forcefully into the car.
Wang Xiuxiu hadn't reacted yet, staring at Wang Chengwen in astonishment. She was about to say something, but seeing the scene before her, she swallowed back the words she was about to say.
Seeing Wang Chengwen act so recklessly, Chen Chunhua couldn't help but secretly lament her predicament.
But since things had come to this, all she could do was pull Wang Chengwen closer to her and try her best to protect him.
Wang Chengwen, however, seemed to be deliberately going against Chen Chunhua. He dodged her hand and ran straight to the other side of the donkey cart, assuming a protective stance.
Seeing this, Chen Chunhua was so angry that she cursed inwardly at this little devil for never giving her a moment's peace.
Faced with the approaching group of strangers, the people of Stone Village were so nervous that they dared not even breathe.
Fortunately, the two sides only passed each other by and no conflict occurred.
And so, the people of Stone Village made it through the encirclement of refugees without any major incident, and continued their journey into an uncertain future.
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