Today is the fifth day of our escape from famine. My family has not washed properly on the road. Fortunately, it is winter, otherwise the stench would be unbearable.
Gu Xinran spent twenty cents to rent an abandoned stove in the backyard of the inn.
After a little tidying up, he set up two large pots at home, smuggled a few buckets of water from the space, dripped some spiritual spring water into the pots, and after boiling them, he called Brother Gu to serve them to everyone for a bath.
When Gu Yuchen saw such clear water, he couldn't bear to use it.
In five days, most of the water brought from Qingshan Village has been used up. There are many livestock and water is very scarce.
They encountered villages along the way and tried to borrow water, but were unsuccessful every time.
Clean water is so precious nowadays!
Brother Gu squatted down, holding the bucket, and said awkwardly: "Ranran, can this water be kept for drinking? It's okay if you don't bathe, but dying of thirst is a big deal. Our family wastes too much water."
Looking at her slightly embarrassed elder brother, Gu Xinran smiled sweetly, "Don't worry, we have enough. Brother Xiao will also send water and food over later."
When Gu Yuchen heard Xiao Mingzhan's name, he felt relieved and happily delivered the first bucket of water to his grandfather's room.
Gu Xinran originally wanted to take everyone to Baiweizhai for a big meal, but heard that it had closed, so she had to do it herself.
Since we have a stove, we might as well stew a pot of bone and radish soup and add more spiritual spring water. It’s not easy for everyone to sleep in the open air these days, so we need some nourishment.
I bought some delicious food from the night market a few days ago and heated it up.
I'll have one each of the pork elbow, roast goose, and roast duck from Dafeng County;
Then stir-fry some Chinese cabbage;
The staple food is white flour steamed buns.
After everyone finished washing up, relieved their fatigue, and changed their clothes, Gu Xinran's meal was ready.
The round table in her guest room was filled with delicious food.
The whole family happily had a feast together, and the long-lost warm atmosphere returned. They sat around the table and enjoyed the meal more.
This was the best meal we had since fleeing the famine. Everyone was full and energetic.
After eating, everyone wanted to go out for a walk before dawn. It was their first time in the city, and they were full of curiosity.
After this departure, the city will soon become a deserted town, and it is unknown how many years it will take for it to become prosperous again!
A family of six went out happily.
Poor Brother Gu was left in the backyard of the inn, guarding the food and water.
At this time, Chengzhou Prefecture was bustling with people. Some were busy packing their luggage, some were in a hurry to replenish supplies, and some shops were having big sales to sell out their stock so that they could easily travel south.
There wasn't a single food store, but clothing stores, grocery stores, bookstores... were offering special prices.
Gu Xinran and her family casually walked into a cloth shop. The shopkeeper had a sad face, but when he saw customers coming, he forced a smile.
"Sir, if you need anything, today is the best deal, don't miss it!"
The store was filled with silks and satins, which were dazzling, but none of them were useful. Mother Gu only looked at cotton and linen, as these materials were comfortable and durable when fleeing from famine.
Grandma Gu touched a piece of dark green satin with curiosity and praised its good feel.
The shopkeeper took the initiative to introduce the price of fine cotton cloth, 150 wen per piece, linen cloth, 100 wen per piece, and brocade, 10 liang per piece, which was only half of the usual price.
He frowned and sighed, "I can't even get back my original investment at this price, but there's nothing I can do. I can't take it away, so I can only sell it at a low price."
Everyone had a hard time during the disaster, so Gu's mother asked for three pieces of dark linen to make a coverall to wear on the road.
Gu Xinran also bought the brocade that her grandmother had touched. Although her grandmother kept complaining about the price, she had a big smile on her face. The love of beauty knows no age limit.
There are all kinds of exquisite fabrics in the space, but they cannot be used for the time being. When things settle down in the future, I will definitely let the whole family wear brocade clothes, embroidered jackets, and gorgeous crowns and clothes.
However, some of the old clothes and quilts collected at Duan’s house can be donated to the villagers. We can do more good deeds and start from Qingshan Village.
The clothes and bedding that the Sun family had confiscated could not be touched, otherwise it would be disastrous if they were discovered.
The clothes in the clothing store were also on sale. Gu Xinran saw a lot of clothes that were suitable for current wear. Each person got a set of thick cotton-padded jackets, and each person got three pairs of cotton-padded shoes and cloth shoes.
Tingting put on the new coat, and her chubby little face became even cuter, like a doll in a New Year picture.
Gu Xinran pinched her white and tender little flesh and couldn't let go.
Tingting giggled and cooperated, "Sister, does it look good? This dress is so beautiful."
Now Tingting can speak now and is no longer the baby who can only utter three words.
With the nourishment of the spiritual spring water, the whole family is in good condition. Tingting's premature physical weakness has been made up, and the grandparents are looking younger and younger.
Mother Gu has changed the most. She is now beautiful and elegant, a true beauty.
Brother Gu's kung fu has improved by leaps and bounds, Xuanxuan has an amazing memory, and Gu Xinran has grown taller and more beautiful.
When Gu's mother saw Tingting's little face turned red from being pinched, she glared at Gu Xinran with heartache.
Gu Xinran was not afraid at all. She even made faces at Gu's mother and praised Tingting in a good mood.
"The clothes are beautiful, but Tingting is even prettier!"
Hearing her sister's praise, Tingting jumped for joy.
At this time, Gu Xinran suppressed her smile. It was not a good look to escape from famine. If she was targeted by bad guys, she would get into endless trouble.
What should I do?
My mother and I are both beauties, so why not wear men's clothes?
Gu Xinran discussed with them and bought herself two sets of men's clothes. Her body had just started to develop, and she had a steamed bun on the front, so men's clothes looked good on her.
Gu's mother Tingting could only paint her face yellow and put on freckles. Generally speaking, the uglier the better, and new clothes could only be worn inside.
When Gu Xinran appeared in front of everyone wearing men's clothes and a bun on her head, Grandpa Gu and Xuanxuan didn't dare to recognize her. She looked like a handsome young man.
I went out from here and went to the rouge shop. It was better to apply dark powder than to rub off the dirt.
Gu Xinran bought all kinds of cosmetics to be prepared, as they might come in handy someday.
Xuanxuan’s favorite place is the bookstore.
There are so many books here that he is like a mouse falling into a rice jar. He looks at this book and flips through that book, and likes them all.
Gu Xinran found several travelogues, and there was even one that specifically wrote about the customs and culture of southern Xinjiang, which was a perfect match.
When I walked out of the bookstore, I was carrying a large stack of books. I bought all the books that Xuanxuan liked, and also added some affordable pens, ink, paper, and inkstone.
It cost a lot of money. In this era, the cost of studying is really high. No wonder a poor family has to devote all its efforts to supporting a scholar.
It is said that she collected two shelves of books in the study of Magistrate Sun, which is also a treasure.
I met the village chief and his group at the grocery store and learned that everyone had bought food and had also reluctantly stocked up on water, which cost 100 coins a bucket.
A lot of money was spent on purchasing food, storing water, and buying daily necessities. The villagers were reluctant to stay in the inn and even gave up the big bunk beds that cost ten cents a night.
They found an empty, dilapidated house in the south of the city and stayed there for the night.
Life is so hard for the villagers!
Gu Xinran told her grandfather that she had gotten some half-new clothes and quilts in the past few days and was going to send some to them in the evening.
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