Lin Shengxia took the box and looked at the date printed on it. Her hands began to tremble.
“So just now… I really went fifty years into the future?”
Thinking about the vibrant and prosperous world she had just seen, Lin Shengxia felt as though she could barely breathe.
No wonder!
White-flour buns were already such a precious luxury!
And those had even been stuffed with meat!
Back before their family had been sent down here, even when they lived in the capital, they couldn’t eat meat whenever they wanted. Her parents had to wait until payday before she and her little brother could enjoy a meal with meat.
Yet in that world, someone had casually given meat buns to a complete stranger like her—and not just one or two, but three whole baskets!
The thought of that clean and mysterious world filled Lin Shengxia with longing. More importantly, she wanted to personally thank Li Xiangqin.
After all, while they had been eating the buns, Lin Handong’s fever had completely subsided.
His breathing was now steady, and even his previously pale face had regained some color. Dong Wanqiu had just fed him some water, and he had managed to drink all of it. It seemed that he was going to be all right.
Lin Shengxia glanced at Dong Wanqiu, then at Lin Handong lying on the pile of straw. An idea formed in her mind.
“Mother, I want to go up the mountain tomorrow.”
She wanted to return to the place where she had found the small hanging melons before. If there were any left, she would pick one. The wild vegetables on the mountain were also growing abundantly at this time of year.
Their family didn’t have a penny to their name, but a life-saving favor had to be repaid somehow.
Dong Wanqiu looked at her daughter’s frail yet straight back and immediately guessed what she was thinking. After considering it for a moment, she said, “Then tomorrow, we’ll have your father stay here in the ruined temple to look after your little brother. I’ll go up the mountain with you.”
Two people could accomplish more than one.
Besides, her daughter was at the age when a young woman was at her most beautiful. Although the hardships of the past six months had left her much thinner, her features remained delicate and lovely. Especially those eyes of hers—they seemed even brighter than the stars in the sky.
The people of Maisui Production Brigade were extremely hostile toward outsiders. If something happened to them, no one here would take their side.
The only thing Dong Wanqiu could do was protect her daughter.
Lin Shengxia understood her mother’s concerns. Deeply moved, she threw herself into Dong Wanqiu’s arms and silently vowed that one day, she would make sure her parents and little brother lived a good life!
The next morning, before dawn had even broken, mother and daughter left the temple.
During the half month since their family had been sent down here, Lin Shengxia had secretly gone up the mountain almost every day. If not for the wild vegetables and fruits she brought back, there was no telling what condition her family would be in by now.
The people of Maisui Production Brigade treated those who had been sent down here poorly.
No one demanded that they work, but that also meant they couldn’t earn work points. Everything belonging to the production brigade seemed to have nothing to do with their family of four.
The only thing they had was this ruined temple, which had been abandoned for who knew how many years…
Lin Shengxia turned back for another look at the dilapidated temple before pushing those thoughts from her mind and concentrating on finding the hanging melons.
Fortunately, almost no one ever visited that area. Not only were the hanging melons still there, but Lin Shengxia even discovered a large patch of wood ear mushrooms.
She carefully picked them one by one. Afraid they might be crushed by the melons, she wrapped them in the hem of her clothes and continued forward.
Meanwhile, Dong Wanqiu used the faint morning light to dig up wild vegetables from the ground. Before long, she had filled the porcelain basin to the brim.
After finding several more mushrooms, Lin Shengxia finally stopped as well.
Mother and daughter held hands all the way back and soon returned to the ruined temple.
Lin Qizheng had already started a fire.
By the light of the flames, he saw what his wife and daughter had gathered. After thinking for a moment, he pulled an old, torn fishing net from a corner and took one of the meat buns they had saved for Lin Handong.
Without saying anything, he silently pushed open the door and left.
But both Dong Wanqiu and Lin Shengxia could guess what he intended to do.
It was around this time that Lin Handong woke up.
He opened his eyes, looking confused at first. But the moment he saw Dong Wanqiu and Lin Shengxia, the six-year-old boy’s eyes immediately reddened with grievance.
Although he didn’t know that he had just been pulled back from death’s door, he clearly remembered how terrible it had felt when he thought he was going to die.
“Mother, I’m so hungry.”
In the past, Dong Wanqiu could only hold back her tears and coax him to endure his hunger a little longer.
But today, she smiled and reached into the clay pot over the fire. She took out a warm, soft meat bun that Lin Qizheng had reheated and placed it in her son’s hands.
“Good boy, hurry and eat. Once your stomach is full, you’ll be completely better!”
Lin Handong stared at the meat bun in his hands and almost thought he was dreaming!
But the moment he took his first bite, rich, savory meat juices filled his mouth, and he immediately forgot about speaking.
He devoured the entire bun in just a few bites, then stared eagerly at Dong Wanqiu.
To his astonishment, she really did reach into the clay pot again and handed him another meat bun.
Lin Handong desperately wanted to eat it, but by now, his senses had returned.
He tore the bun into two halves. He gave one half to Dong Wanqiu and held the other out to Lin Shengxia, who had been busy sorting through the wild vegetables.
Dong Wanqiu and Lin Shengxia looked at the meat bun offered to them, exchanged a glance, and both smiled.
The buns they had eaten yesterday had long since been digested, and they were already hungry again. Yet neither of them accepted his offer. Instead, they smiled and urged Lin Handong to eat it himself.
Lin Shengxia even deliberately teased him.
“While you were asleep yesterday, Father, Mother, and I ate so many meat buns that we’re already sick of them!”
Lin Handong was certain his sister was lying.
How could anyone possibly get tired of something as delicious as meat buns?
But since his mother and sister clearly had no intention of taking any from him, Lin Handong thought for a moment before finally eating the bun himself.
After finishing it, Lin Shengxia made him swallow another mouthful of medicine.
It was so bitter that the little boy’s entire face scrunched up tightly.
Even so, he didn’t complain once!
He knew that although the medicine was bitter, it had saved his life. His parents and sister must have gone through tremendous hardship to obtain it for him.
He couldn’t be willful, much less waste it!
While the mother and her two children were talking, Lin Qizheng returned.
Two fresh carp were flopping vigorously inside the torn fishing net.
Lin Qizheng had no intention of keeping either fish.
They were living in a ruined temple and didn’t even have any salt. Keeping the fish would only be a waste.
More importantly, if villagers heading up the mountain discovered that their family could actually afford to eat fish, even the village chief and production brigade leader, who had so far chosen not to make trouble for them, might no longer turn a blind eye.
Lin Qizheng tied the torn fishing net into a loose knot and fastened it to the side of his daughter’s bamboo basket.
Then he smiled, patted her shoulder, and said, “Go on. Once you’ve repaid the favor, hurry back. We’ll have mushroom soup for lunch!”
Lin Shengxia’s throat tightened again and again.
But in the end, she said nothing.
She simply nodded solemnly before pushing open the back door once more.
Sure enough, the familiar expanse of white appeared before her.
This time, Lin Shengxia wasn’t afraid.
Without the slightest hesitation, she stepped inside.
When the familiar dizziness washed over her, Lin Shengxia tightly gripped the bamboo basket in her hand.
A moment later, the lively cries of vendors filled her ears.
Lin Shengxia quickly stepped forward and saw Li Xiangqin sitting in front of her stall, chatting with someone.
She hurried over with a smile.
“Auntie! Thank you so much for helping me yesterday!”