She got up and went to the pot, only to find that the porridge she had cooked that morning was still in the pot.
The son didn't eat a single bite.
If you take a closer sniff, it has a slightly sour smell.
One day, after only eating breakfast, Wang Chenshi's stomach was rumbling with hunger. She simply finished off all the sour porridge and made fresh wild vegetable soup for her precious son.
"Mother, did you sell all the fields in our village? Didn't you keep any for yourself?"
Suddenly, Wang Guangyao seemed to remember something.
He turned his head and asked Wang Chenshi.
“Silly child, of course we sold everything. If we didn’t sell, how would your mother buy you a house in town, pay off your debts, and help you get married? We can’t go back. The village is close to the city. What if those bad guys suddenly remember us and come to the village? We’d be dead. So let’s stay in this dilapidated temple. While it’s still warm, let your mother earn more money. Then we can rent a house in another county and start over.”
Wang Chenshi stirred the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as she spoke slowly.
"Then, where is my older sister? Where were those thugs sold her to? Have you asked around and found out?"
Wang Chenshi shook her head.
"I don't even dare to go into the city. Where am I supposed to ask? Even if I find your eldest sister, it won't help. Your brother-in-law—pui pui pui, what brother-in-law? That scoundrel Deng Qiuzhi is as ruthless as Yu Nian'er. Of course, he won't save your eldest sister. Your eldest sister is penniless and can't help you anymore. What's the difference between her and a useless person? Come on, let's not talk about her anymore. The soup is ready. Drink it while it's hot. Wild vegetables are very bitter when they get cold. I'll go find some work tomorrow and try to buy you a steamed bun. Just bear with it for today."
There were no bowls in the dilapidated temple, so Wang Guangyao could only sit on the bed and eat from a pot.
Because the pot was too hot, he grabbed a handful of straw and put it on his thighs to make himself feel better.
The soup in the pot was an awful green.
Wang Guangyao had no appetite, but he had been starving for a day in order to eat meat buns.
He had no choice but to eat, so he reluctantly scooped up spoonful after spoonful.
No salt, no oil, and no sugar.
The wild vegetable soup had a grassy taste and a bitter flavor.
It tasted like nothing at all.
It's like taking medicine.
After filling his stomach, there was still some soup left in the pot. Wang Guangyao refused to drink any more. He put the pot on the ground with disdain. Because he put it down too hard, the soup in the pot splashed out, and Wang Chenshi was heartbroken.
This was a wild vegetable she had searched for for a long time before finally finding it.
Without farm tools, they pulled them out of the ground one by one.
She picked up the pot and ate all the wild vegetables inside with a spoon, leaving not a drop of soup. After finishing, she picked up the pot again, preparing to wash it clean in the river. Before leaving, she instructed Wang Guangyao, fearing that he would refuse to wash himself. No matter how much she loved her son, her nose could not stand the smell.
"Son, I'm going to the river to wash the pot. I'll boil some water for you later, so you can wash yourself, okay?"
"Okay, I understand."
Wang Guangyao spoke in a very impatient tone.
But Wang Chenshi had already gotten used to it.
She went to the riverbank, squatted down, and since the wild vegetable soup had no oil at all, the pot and ladle were clean after just a couple of rinses. The river water was flowing water, and the dirty water had already flowed away while she was washing, so Wang Chenshi didn't wait a moment and scooped a pot of it back.
She placed the spoon on the table.
Pick up the dead leaves and branches piled up to the side.
Since she didn't have a machete, Wang Chenshi could only go to the mountains to collect some loose branches and leaves that had fallen on the ground and bring them back. Although it was a bit of a hassle, it was easy to burn.
"Son, keep an eye on the fire. I'll go down the mountain and see if there are any mushrooms or wild vegetables to eat tomorrow morning. I'll also gather some firewood while I'm at it."
The burning dry leaves produced a lot of smoke. The temple had no windows and poor ventilation. Although there were many holes in the roof, the smoke could not rise very high. It was really choking. Coupled with the stuffy heat, Wang Chenshi could not sit still. Even though it was already dark outside, she still decided to go down the mountain for a walk. The weather was nice today, and the moonlight was bright enough to see clearly.
"Mom, it's already dark. What are you going out for? Let's go tomorrow morning."
Hearing her son's words, Wang Chenshi felt very gratified. She thought her son had finally grown up and knew how to care about her. In fact, Wang Guangyao was afraid that his mother would die outside and there would be no one to take care of him in the future.
"It's alright, Mother can see clearly. Mother is going to try her luck. If she finds mushrooms, Mother can leave earlier tomorrow morning and definitely find work. Mother will bring you steamed buns to eat then. Remember, watch the fire, don't let it boil, just put it out when it's a little warm. Don't wipe it with cold water, it will get cold soon and you'll catch a cold. The cloth is hanging on the wooden pole above your head. Mother is off now."
"Okay, I understand." Wang Guangyao felt a little sad.
For no apparent reason.
He didn't pay much attention and continued to lie on the haystack, looking out at the starry sky through the hole in the roof.
The dilapidated temple is built at the foot of the mountain. Turning left after leaving the temple leads to a path leading up the mountain. The area is sparsely populated, and you can only occasionally see a few villagers from nearby villages carrying bamboo baskets and machetes to chop firewood.
Under the moonlight, Wang Chenshi stepped onto the path.
Although she could see clearly outside, the trees in the mountains blocked the view, so it was not very clear. She had picked up all the wild vegetables and branches on the path, so Wang Chenshi did not stay long.
She walked straight into the mountains and came across a dense forest. Wang Chenshi was overjoyed. She bent down and searched the ground as she walked. Sure enough, she found several mushrooms. She picked them up and put them in the simple bamboo basket she had woven. These round mushrooms were the sweetest. They were delicious even without anything else, just for making soup. She would take them back and make mushroom soup for her son tomorrow morning. He would definitely be very happy.
Wang Chenshi thought happily.
She continued forward with her back bent over. Because she was looking at the ground, she did not notice that fog had risen around her. After walking thirty meters, Wang Chenshi stood up and rubbed her sore back.
She was stunned.
The once vast forest is now less than half a meter in visibility.
Completely unable to determine direction.
It was also accompanied by fog.
Why does fog form late at night?
Wang Chenshi felt a little flustered. She had lived in a village outside the western part of Jiangnan since she was a child. There were no mountains around, and this place was at least 30 miles away from her home, so she naturally didn't know much about mountains.
They didn't even know that you should never go into the mountains at night.
"Shhh—"
"Coo coo coo—"
"Hiss hiss hiss—"
The surroundings were unusually quiet. Apart from the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the sounds of unidentified insects, there was no one else around.
Wang Chenshi's heart was racing. She didn't want to pick mushrooms anymore; she had to get down the mountain immediately.
She quickly turned around, picked up a thick branch at her feet, and used it as a walking stick. There were many snakes in the mountains, and she had encountered them several times when she went into the mountains a few days ago.
Although most of them are non-venomous grass snakes, there are also some venomous snakes mixed in.
To avoid being bitten by venomous snakes, she used a branch to vigorously slap the grass in front of her, trying to scare them away.
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