Han Jinling kicked a pebble on the ground and said angrily, "Hmph, what I said is the truth. You don't want to listen, but I'll still say it. Your Han Yu'an is a fool. And Widow Tan, can you swear that no one has knocked on your door at night?"
The women traveling with her shook their heads repeatedly. "You're the one who's trying to curry favor with others, and now you're poking at their sore spots. That's really going too far."
“My husband may be foolish, but it’s none of your business to comment on that. Besides, my husband only bumped his head; he’ll get better.”
Han Jinling glanced at Cui Yulu and thought it was utterly delusional. If he could recover, why would Liu Xiuying spend eight taels of silver to buy him? Wasn't it just to leave an heir for the fool? But whether that heir would even exist was another matter.
"If he can recover, I will believe you are a god."
As she spoke, Han Jinling pushed Tan Guihua away and turned to walk down the mountain.
However, she was quite strong. Tan Guihua was already weak, and she almost fell down the mountain when she was pushed like that. Fortunately, her son Li Xiaohu grabbed her and prevented her from falling.
"That Han Jinling is a real scoundrel. If she's going to leave, she should just leave. Why did she have to push people like that?"
"Yeah, it's really annoying."
Li Xiaohu is six years old this year. He is very thin, with a small body but a big head, and it is obvious that he is malnourished.
Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?
Seeing how pitiful the mother and child were, Cui Yulu handed them the water jug she was carrying, which contained spiritual spring water that could relieve their discomfort.
"Thank you, we brought water."
Tan Guihua shook the kettle in her hand to show it to her.
"Here you go, this is sweet soup, kids should like to drink it."
Cui Yulu handed the water bottle to her, then got up and continued walking up the mountain with Han Chunying.
The women thought Cui Yulu was easy to get along with, so they continued to follow her.
Tan Guihua put the kettle away, intending to return it to her later.
However, Little Tiger kept swallowing his saliva as he looked at the kettle.
He heard Cui Yulu say that it contained sugar water, and he really wanted to take a sip.
"Mom, what does the sweet soup taste like? Can I have a little sip?"
Little Tiger asked cautiously, afraid of upsetting his mother.
Tan Guihua sighed softly. Life was difficult for her and her son. There were many things her son had never eaten before, and he must be craving them now.
So she opened the kettle and poured the water into his mouth from a distance.
Little Tiger drank it carefully, and found that the water was indeed better than the water at home, sweet and refreshing. He felt a surge of energy after drinking it.
The child no longer spoke weakly; seeing how much more lively the child had become, Tan Guihua smiled.
Cui Yulu watched the mother and son from afar, a smile appearing on her lips.
She never imagined that she would be able to help others one day; it was something she couldn't have imagined before.
"Sister-in-law, look, isn't that the little squirrel that led us out the other day?"
Soon the squirrel jumped onto Cui Yulu's shoulder, holding a chestnut in its hand.
A pair of small eyes darted around, finally settling on Cui Yulu. The little paws scratched at her face, signaling her to follow its instructions.
Cui Yulu chuckled and let it lead the way.
"Hey, Mrs. Han, where are you taking us?"
We've already reached deep into the mountains; it would be troublesome if we couldn't get out soon.
In these famine years, the wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain have been almost completely dug up and are rarely found anymore. However, they dare not easily venture into these deep mountains.
Wild animals often roam the mountains, and those without considerable skill dare not venture in lightly.
If they encounter wild beasts, it's a matter of life and death.
"If you want to get good stuff, follow me. If you don't want to find anything, just look around here and you might find some mountain products."
Han Chunying believed in her sister-in-law's abilities and was sure she could find something good this time.
"Hey, look over there, isn't that water celery? Hurry up, we can make steamed buns when we get home."
A sharp-eyed woman spotted water celery growing in a nearly dried-up pond and exclaimed excitedly.
So a group of women hurried over to pick water celery.
Han Chunying shook her head. It was just as well that they weren't following along, so the good stuff wouldn't be divided up.
"Let's go, sister-in-law, let's continue walking."
"Wait a minute."
When Cui Yulu saw Tan Guihua behind her, she hesitated and looked at the two of them without daring to speak.
"Sister-in-law Li, is there anything I can help you with?"
Tan Guihua's husband's surname is Li. Her husband, Li Daniu, was conscripted two years ago and died in battle. Her mother-in-law kept all the compensation money and kicked her and her son out of the house, leaving them to live a hard life.
Li Daniu and his brother Han Hu were on some terms, so Han Chunying called her sister-in-law.
“I want to go into the mountains with you. Would you like to take my mother and me? Don’t worry, we won’t rob you. We just want to find some things to get through the winter.”
Tan Guihua's voice grew softer and softer, making her look rather pitiful. She was only twenty-three years old this year, a prime age, but unfortunately, she became a widow at a young age.
"Of course, come with us."
Seeing that she wasn't a troublemaker, Cui Yulu happily let the mother and daughter go into the mountains with her.
She also took out a piece of cake from her small cloth bag and gave it to Xiao Huzi, intending to have Han Yu'an coax him.
"Oh dear, this is too much trouble for you. My daughter and I have already gone to so much trouble for you. How can we accept your cake?"
"Take it, otherwise I'll break it later. Tiger, take it."
Cui Yulu placed the mung bean cake into the man with the mustache's hand, and the four of them continued walking into the mountains.
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