Liu Zhixia possessed light-footed martial arts skills.
A journey that normally took an hour was shortened to just twenty minutes by her.
With her swift pace, she spent two hours and had practically explored every street and alley in the county town.
Liu Zhixia visited the county town’s black market, the pharmacy, and even the snack shops. She had also made a trip to the government compound.
Everything was done quietly and without leaving a trace.
Along the way, Liu Zhixia merely asked about the prices of various supplies and medicinal herbs.
She did not linger in the county town for long.
Looking up at the moon hanging in the sky, Liu Zhixia sighed inwardly.
She had wasted a little too much time.
She needed to hurry back!
At this moment, the three members of the Zhou family—grandfather and grandson—could not rest at all. They were all standing outside the door.
Old Master Zhou was afraid that others would notice something unusual, so he had his son and grandson sit on the ground.
Zhou Yunting looked at the sky, which was growing darker and darker.
A man who had never been afraid even amid gunfire and battlefields suddenly felt a trace of fear.
He could no longer sit still.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, he moved as fast as lightning and disappeared into the night.
Liu Zhixia sensed the familiar presence and quickly took the supplies out of her space.
The two large bundles in her hands were extremely conspicuous, especially as they were pressed against her thin shoulders.
Her entire body was almost buried beneath them. If one did not look carefully, they might have thought that two large bundles were moving on their own!
Zhou Yunting’s deep eyes, cold and dark like an icy abyss, froze for a moment when he saw the two moving bundles.
He thought to himself that the bundles probably only looked big but were actually light.
The small face hidden beneath the large bundles slowly lifted.
Liu Zhixia smiled brightly.
“Zhou Yunting, why did you come out?
The Long March starts with the first step. You can’t take even one step wrong.
Could it be that you were worried about me?”
Zhou Yunting did not know how to answer.
He did not know why, but when the girl asked whether he was worried about her, he actually dared not meet her clear and transparent eyes.
He was afraid she would see his nervousness.
He was afraid that in front of her, he would have nowhere to hide.
He answered in a low voice:
“I’m always cautious. I won’t be discovered.
It’s too late…”
Liu Zhixia did not hesitate and handed one of the large bundles to Zhou Yunting.
The moment he took it, Zhou Yunting was stunned again.
The weight was at least a hundred jin.
This girl had actually carried more than two hundred jin of supplies all the way back from the county town?
Then he looked at Liu Zhixia, whose face was neither flushed nor showing any signs of exhaustion.
She seemed completely unaffected.
Perhaps carrying two more bundles like this would not even be a problem for her.
Zhou Yunting’s gaze became complicated.
He felt that Liu Zhixia was like a thick fog.
Every time he thought he had finally seen through her, she would always cover herself with another layer of mystery.
He did not know that liking someone always began with curiosity.
Until one day, one would become completely lost in that person and unable to break free.
Both of them had martial arts foundations, and Liu Zhixia had never intended to hide her abilities.
She moved swiftly ahead, running through the night.
Zhou Yunting followed closely behind.
When Old Master Zhou saw the two of them return, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
The sound of his stomach rumbling was rather embarrassing.
The old man coughed lightly to cover it up.
“My stomach is just a little uncomfortable. I’m not hungry, not hungry.
As long as Zhixia is back, that’s enough. Rest early.”
At this moment, Old Master Zhou was too embarrassed to ask how Liu Zhixia had bought so many things or how she had carried them back.
General Zhou silently went inside to help Liu Zhixia organize the supplies.
The more he sorted through them, the more shocked he became.
His heart pounded.
Where had this little girl bought all these things?
Could it be that she had spent all the money from her family?
There were many things inside Liu Zhixia’s bundles.
There were:
Five pounds of brown sugar,
Two pounds of white sugar,
Fifty pounds of rice,
Fifty pounds of flour,
Twenty pounds of cornmeal;
Five pounds of pork,
Five pounds of beef,
Forty eggs;
Twenty pounds of cotton,
Two coarse cloth bedsheets;
Ten pounds of cooking oil,
Two pounds of salt,
Two pounds of dates,
Five pounds of apples;
Three pairs of rubber shoes,
Three pairs of clean, fresh socks;
As well as various cooking seasonings, bowls, chopsticks, and other necessities…
In this era, especially in the countryside, these things were far too eye-catching.
Zhou Yunting was stunned again.
“Comrade Liu Zhixia, so many things…
Where did you get them?”
There was a trace of tension in his voice.
He was still worried that the girl had encountered danger.
He knew that obtaining food and daily necessities through legitimate channels was extremely difficult at this time.
Liu Zhixia’s perception was exceptionally sharp.
She glanced at the three members of the Zhou family.
None of them were looking at the supplies.
Instead, they were all staring closely at her.
Their eyes held disapproval and concern.
There was no joy from receiving so many supplies.
Liu Zhixia felt warmth spread through her heart.
A sense of emotion quietly took root.
With a gentle voice and a playful smile, she tried to ease the atmosphere.
“Don’t worry. I have skills.
Ordinary people can’t catch me.”
Zhou Yunting knew that the girl was capable, but his eyes still showed disapproval.
Old Master Zhou snorted.
“Zhixia, there won’t be a next time.
The three of us are rough old soldiers.
Going hungry for a few meals won’t hurt us.
Back when we marched and fought, your Grandpa Zhou ate tree bark when hungry and drank melted snow when thirsty.
This little hardship is nothing.
You just need to take care of yourself.
The three of us don’t need you to worry about us…”
Old Master Zhou continued talking endlessly.
Strangely, Liu Zhixia did not feel annoyed at all.
Perhaps because at this very moment, she realized that she had always kept herself separate from the three of them.
The heart that wanted to remain detached from ordinary emotions had slowly begun to crack.
Her defenses were gradually buried beneath their silent care.
Liu Zhixia let out a soft breath.
Forget it.
They were not divorced yet.
Since they were family, they should stand together.
Her thoughts were now simple.
She not only wanted to rely on the Zhou family’s strength, but she also wanted to give them genuine sincerity in return.
Even if she and Zhou Yunting eventually divorced, she had accepted this bond with the Zhou family.
Like magic, Liu Zhixia pulled ten large meat buns out of her pocket.
With a smile, she handed them to Old Master Zhou.
“Grandpa Zhou, could you please eat two, just this once?”
The old man seemed to still be upset about the girl acting on her own.
He knew this girl was stubborn and had her own ideas.
But he was genuinely worried.
The current situation was unclear.
There were countless pairs of eyes secretly watching them.
If something happened to this girl…
Old Master Zhou did not even dare to imagine it.
Liu Zhixia moved the buns slightly closer.
The aroma became stronger and stronger.
Old Master Zhou swallowed.
As if that was not tempting enough, Liu Zhixia opened one of the buns.
The pure fragrance of meat rushed straight into his nose.
Old Master Zhou stared at the meat bun, unable to look away.
Liu Zhixia smiled.
“Grandpa Zhou, have a taste?”
This time, Old Master Zhou no longer pretended to refuse.
The girl had bought so many things.
The family would not go hungry for a while.
Eating one or two buns would not hurt.
After finishing one bun, the old man ended up eating three in succession before he finally felt full.
He stroked his nonexistent beard, his satisfaction obvious.
Zhou Yunting never imagined that his usually stern and expressionless grandfather could have such a side.
He looked at Liu Zhixia with new admiration.
But he actually liked seeing his grandfather like this.
He did not want the old man to suffer too much from this hardship.
The Zhou family’s situation would definitely improve.
They had survived the hidden attack.
They had already succeeded halfway.
Looking at the young woman laughing happily beside his grandfather, Zhou Yunting suddenly wondered—
Could he perhaps let go of those past glories and honors he had once held so tightly?