Soon, the pitch-black night faded away, and beneath the large tree, the members of the Han family woke up one after another.
As soon as Old Madame Han opened her eyes, she called out to her sons and daughters-in-law, “Wake up, everyone! Get up early, pack our things, and keep moving! We need to hurry south, or we’ll starve to death on the road!”
The adults awoke immediately. Without wasting a moment, they got up to rouse the dazed, groggy children, and the family began packing their belongings once more.
Lin Yueru opened her eyes alongside the others, helplessly tapping Han Yanqing, who was still sound asleep with his head leaning against hers.
When Han Yanqing was nudged awake, he stared at Lin Yueru with bleary eyes. “Fairy?”
“Hahahahaha…”
The Han family burst into a chorus of laughter.
First thing in the morning, Lin Yueru found herself blushing scarlet.
Zhao Shuangtao bent over with laughter. “Han Si! Open your eyes and take a good look—is that your wife or an immortal fairy from the heavens?!”
Obediently rubbing his eyes hard, Han Yanqing leaned close to Lin Yueru’s face to study her carefully.
Then he grinned foolishly. “It’s my wife! My wife’s gotten even prettier—she’s prettier than a fairy!”
Hearing this, everyone laughed even harder.
It was only when Old Madame Han saw that Lin Yueru’s face had turned as red as a monkey’s bottom that she suppressed her own laughter and scolded them sternly, “All right, what’s so funny! Third’s wife, hurry up and take your Sibao!”
Sibao was not yet three years old. She was the only little girl among the four children of the Han family and looked exceedingly adorable and spirited.
Zhao Shuangtao found some cloth strips to securely tie Sibao against her chest, then finished packing and slung a large wicker basket onto her back.
Ever since Han Sansan had left, she wished she could tether Sibao directly to her waistband; the child had to remain under her watchful gaze every single second.
With everything packed, only Sanbao was left standing alone on the ground, at a loss as to where he should go.
Wang Cuiju used to lead him along, but now she was gone.
Sanbao’s big, watery eyes blinked in a few circles before finally settling on Han Yanqing and Lin Yueru, who were carrying the least.
He trotted over and wrapped his arms around Lin Yueru’s thigh. “Will Little Auntie take Sanbao?”
Everyone’s expressions tightened, worried Lin Yueru might take out her anger toward Wang Cuiju on the child.
To their surprise, Lin Yueru swept the child into her arms and nodded with a beaming smile. “Sure, I’ll take Sanbao.”
Seeing this, Han Yanqing dumped the few items in his hands onto the wheelbarrow in a frantic pile, not caring in the least whether it would tire out his second brother.
The moment his hands were free, he took Sanbao from her. “Sanbao is heavy! I’ll carry Sanbao!”
Liu Qiumei could not help feeling a bit envious. She nudged Han Laoda’s arm. “Look at Han Si over there. He knows how to pamper his wife far better than you do.”
Han Laoda gave an honest, foolish grin. “I pamper you too. Why don’t you put some of the things in your hands onto the cart?”
Li Qiumei shot him a glare. “Spare me. If you wear yourself out, won’t I be the one aching with worry for you?”
Hearing this, the elder branch’s An Jun and An Xing exchanged glances and chuckled quietly on the side.
Taking advantage of Liu Qiumei’s distraction, the two boys stealthily took a few heavy items from her basket and stuffed them into their own little wicker baskets.
On the other side, Han Yanqing hoisted Sanbao onto his shoulders, happily trailing behind Lin Yueru.
Once the novelty of riding on Han Yanqing’s neck wore off, Sanbao quickly grew glum.
After holding it in for a long while, the little boy finally tilted his head and asked in a small voice, “Little Auntie, where is my mother?”
Lin Yueru paused, taking Sanbao’s small hand and gently squeezing it.
“Sanbao, your mother went to find her own mother. She won’t be traveling with us anymore.”
Sanbao’s lower lip trembled, and tears began welling in his eyes.
Lin Yueru immediately followed up, “But Sanbao is already a big boy now. You’re a little man, so you can handle being apart from your mother, right? Walking with your father, Grandma, and all of us is lots of fun too, isn’t it?”
Sanbao rested against Han Yanqing’s head and thought for a moment before nodding solemnly, forcefully blinking back the tears that had reached the corners of his eyes.
Seeing this, Lin Yueru stood on tiptoe to pinch Sanbao’s cheek. “Good boy, Sanbao!”
Han Yanqing tilted his head and happened to catch sight of Lin Yueru on her tiptoes.
He instantly broke into laughter. “Wife, you don’t even reach my shoulder! You’re so tiny!”
To prevent herself from blushing red all over again, Lin Yueru went on tiptoe once more and clamped a hand over Han Yanqing’s mouth.
With his mouth covered, Han Yanqing’s eyes crinkled with laughter, but he obediently stopped making a sound.
Lin Yueru deliberately gave him a fierce look and shook a small fist at him.
“Focus on walking. No more talking.”
Han Yanqing only smiled without a word, obediently following behind her.
The Han family marched from the crack of dawn straight through to midday.
Let alone the adults, even Sanbao and Sibao, who had not walked a step, grew listless.
Zhao Shuangtao wiped the sweat from her daughter’s forehead with an aching heart.
“Mother, why don’t we rest a bit? The adults can hold out, but the children can’t take it anymore!”
Old Madame Han squinted at the sun, then kept trudging forward with her head down. “We’ll find some shade up ahead before resting.”
Hearing Old Madame Han say this, everyone felt a weight lift from their hearts, and even their steps grew considerably lighter.
Before long, they arrived at a stretch of woods where quite a few refugees fleeing famine with their families had already gathered.
Everyone was sizing each other up warily.
They were gauging how much silver and food the others might carry, and whether they would have the upper hand if a fight broke out.
Although Han Laoda and Han Er’er had never received formal martial arts training, they had learned a few moves from Han Yanqing.
At this moment, their expressions darkened, and they deliberately flexed their thick, sturdy muscles.
Seeing this, the surrounding people quietly withdrew their probing gazes.
Old Madame Han led the family to settle in a spot far away from the crowd.
Unable to wait any longer, everyone dropped their burdens, slumping onto the ground to wipe their sweat and gasp for breath.
Han Laoda and Han Er’er skillfully set up a makeshift stove and propped up the pot. To conserve food on the journey, they only ate one meal a day.
Old Madame Han looked at the pitifully small amount of grain left on the cart. Gritting her teeth, she took a tiny handful of millet and dropped it into the pot; it vanished into the water instantly.
With so little grain, it was merely meant to give the plain, watery broth a faint taste.
Lin Yueru could not help furrowing her brows.
Setting aside the fact that the growing children needed nourishment, even the adults could not possibly sustain themselves on so little food after walking an entire day.
Making sure no one was looking, she stole a glance into her Space.
Confirming that her divine sense could still enter and that the provisions inside remained just as they were yesterday, she moved closer to Old Madame Han.
“Mother, there’s hardly any food left at home. I’ll go into the woods to see if I can find something to eat.”
Old Madame Han looked back at her with a gratified expression.
Yet, despite her gratification, Old Madame Han still sighed. “Child, it’s rare of you to be so thoughtful. It’s just that our family has fallen behind on the road; I’m afraid that even if there was any food, others would have scavenged it long ago.”
Han Yanqing leaned in from the side. “Mother, let my wife go! I’ll go with her!”
Old Madame Han frowned. “Han Si, stay here with your second brother. Stop causing trouble.”
Han Yanqing pouted and stepped behind Lin Yueru, looking thoroughly wronged.