Compressed biscuits again.
Mei Qian didn’t know what to say in her heart.
Since the System Space hadn’t been unlocked yet, Mei Qian had to take out the food from the previous exchange before each new exchange.
She didn’t even dare to think about it—if she exchanged a few more times and got compressed biscuits each time, she wouldn’t be able to explain why their food supply kept increasing.
“The wild vegetable porridge today is quite fragrant~”
At this moment, Mei Qian heard her eldest brother say this.
“That’s right, I feel like I can taste the flavor of meat in it.”
Even Mei Erhu smacked his lips, looked up at Mei Qian, and praised, “It’s all thanks to our Qianqian. Who would have thought she had such skills? Making wild vegetable porridge so delicious—truly amazing!”
Hearing Mei Erhu’s praise, Mei Qian forced an awkward yet polite smile.
She felt undeserving of such high praise for the wild vegetable porridge.
However, thinking about the flavors in it, Mei Qian remembered to ask Xiao Mei if this was something naturally present in the compressed biscuits.
[Yes, Host. Because the Exchanger from the Apocalypse Plane lives in an era of soil pollution, where many organisms have been mutated by radiation and corrupted by virulent viruses, normal plants have become extremely rare.
Their compressed biscuits are synthesized from artificially cultivated high-protein, high-fiber mutated grains and some non-toxic mutant beast jerky.]
This was also why the wild vegetables, which looked and tasted quite ordinary to Mei Qian, had been exchanged twice in a row by the Exchanger from the Apocalypse Plane.
These were pollution-free, non-mutated green vegetables!
Just as she had cleared up her confusion, Grandma Mei spoke up again, “Don’t make so much next time. It’s such a waste.”
Grandma Mei looked at the large amount still left in the pot and added, “Finish it all later. Don’t leave any leftovers.”
“Of course, of course, Mother. Don’t worry, I can still eat more~”
After finishing her bowl, Aunt Han showed everyone her spotlessly clean (licked) bowl, which caught Mei Qian’s attention.
Did her aunt have a hidden gluttonous side?
Grandma Mei also knew her eldest daughter-in-law’s nature and couldn’t help but mutter quietly about her pitiful appearance, as if she hadn’t eaten for generations.
“I actually didn’t use much grain. It’s just that there’s a lot of water, and after soaking for a long time, it looks like more. Aunt and my mother were both watching, and with these wild vegetables added, it just looks like a lot.”
Knowing that Grandma Mei was worried about wasting grain, Mei Qian quickly explained.
After hearing this explanation, Grandma Mei immediately felt relieved. Originally, she had been reluctant to eat more out of concern for the grain, but now, with her mind at ease, she joined in to finish off the remaining portion in the pot.
This dinner turned out to be the most satisfying meal the Lao Mei Family had enjoyed in the past few days.
After the meal, as the sky darkened, the family gathered around the campfire and began chatting.
“I heard that after the Xirong soldiers broke in, they captured several cities to the west. They probably plan to head straight for the capital along the main road.
They’re coming with such ferocity. If they succeed, more Xirong soldiers will likely follow.
Otherwise, those wealthy families wouldn’t be thinking of crossing south.”
Full from the meal and warmed by the fire, Mei Qian was almost asleep, leaning against Madam Jiang, when her grandmother quietly shared such shocking news with the family.
It startled Mei Qian awake instantly.
“Grandma, how did you manage to find out this news?”
Mei Qian didn’t forget to lower her voice.
Her grandmother had also kept her voice low enough that only the family members present could hear.
“It’s just my guess. When I fled south as a young woman, I saw… a similar situation.”
“What situation?”
The attention of everyone in the family shifted to Grandma Mei.
“These wealthy families are heading to Mingcheng.”
The term “Mingcheng” didn’t exist in the original body’s memories, so it probably wasn’t very close.
Seeing the curious expressions on her family’s faces, Grandma Mei didn’t keep them in suspense. “Mingcheng is a large city south of our Xing’an Fu.”
Hearing that Mingcheng was still within Xing’an Fu, Mei Qian immediately understood why her grandmother had made this guess.
Moreover, her grandmother added, “Mingcheng is located along the Canal.”
After hearing this, Mei Qian fully understood. But seeing that the rest of the family still seemed somewhat confused, she couldn’t help but explain:
“Since the Xirong have broken through the border defenses and entered Xing’an Fu, and given their current momentum—as Grandma said—more Xirong soldiers will likely keep pouring in. It’s only a matter of time before the entire Xing’an Fu falls. Is it really possible that these wealthy families are making such a grand escape just to reach Mingcheng?”
Mei Qian only said this much. The rest, given that everyone else in the family was older than her, they quickly figured it out.
These wealthy families were heading to Mingcheng to cross south via the Canal!
Grandma Mei looked at Mei Qian with newfound respect for her insight at such a young age—or rather, for her second daughter-in-law.
“The girl takes after her maternal grandfather—clever.”
Suddenly, Grandma Mei said this to Madam Jiang, which made her slightly taken aback.
She turned to look at Mei Qian, her eyes involuntarily reddening again.
Mei Qian was also surprised.
Her maternal grandfather was the village’s only elderly scholar. After passing the imperial examination at the county level, he stopped pursuing higher ranks due to health issues. Later, he opened a private school in the village to support his family.
In the past, the villagers often said her grandfather was a clever man. If not for his health, he might have even become an official!
It was precisely because of Scholar Jiang’s intelligence that Mei Qian’s grandfather, before he passed away, arranged for Mei Erhu to marry Jiang Xue, Scholar Jiang’s only daughter.
At the time, Grandma Mei hadn’t been entirely pleased, thinking Madam Jiang looked too delicate and frail, and fearing she might inherit her father’s sickly constitution and need constant medication.
But she couldn’t resist her second son’s fondness for her, and Mei Laotou firmly believed the family needed a clever daughter-in-law. That was how Madam Jiang came to marry into the family.
Recalling this, Grandma Mei’s gaze grew distant, thinking of the past and of Mei Laotou, who had left her so early.
She couldn’t help but sigh softly.
“So, what should we do?”
Hearing all this, the family grew somewhat anxious.
Han Shi had no ideas of her own. She looked uneasily at Grandma Mei, her face full of worry, and asked, “Mother, should we also go to Mingcheng to cross south?”
“If we can cross south via the Canal, that would be best. If not, we’ll have to keep heading south. Given the current situation, we won’t be safe until we cross the Yuan River.”
Grandma Mei’s words suggested two possibilities. Mei Qian’s mind stirred, and she tentatively asked, “Grandma, is it difficult for people like us to enter Mingcheng?”
“People like us are called refugees. Without official permission, who would take in refugees? Right now, the officials and the court are likely too preoccupied with their own troubles to care about us.”
“All of us are destitute refugees, so detestable that even cats and dogs would shun us, without even a travel permit. Who would let us into the city?”
Grandma Mei let out a self-mocking laugh, her tone tinged with indignation. She picked up a wooden fork and poked and prodded the bonfire for a while before finally letting out a long sigh.
Although they had brought some silver with them when fleeing, there were cities where they could enter by paying.
But Grandma Mei knew that the little money she had was far from enough to get such a large family inside.
Mei Qian, lacking experience in ancient life, couldn’t help but scratch her head in frustration.
This life really seemed hopeless!
Was being a refugee this miserable?
[Xiao Mei, can our Gourmet Exchange System only exchange for food? Can’t we trade for guns, cannons, or bombs or something?]
Late at night was the perfect time for dreaming.
Even though Mei Qian was still awake, she couldn’t resist teasing the System.
So, Xiao Mei didn’t hold back either and replied directly: [Host, this is a Gourmet Exchange System, not a turtle wishing pond.]
“Why are you all hanging your heads and staying silent?”
Suddenly, Grandma Mei spoke up again.
She glanced at the whole family, her eyes filled with disdain as she scolded, “What’s with all the long faces? Can a living person really be held back by their own urine?”
“Then… then, Mother, what should we do?”
Aunt Han Shi hadn’t spoken since earlier. She was never one with ideas, only good at panicking. Now, she had no choice but to rely on her mother-in-law, the family’s pillar of stability.
“What? You only know to ask me? Can’t you think for yourselves?! All you do is eat all day without using your brains, expecting me to figure everything out?”
But as soon as she spoke, she was met with Grandma Mei’s sharp retort.
Since it no longer involved the earlier inquiries, her grandmother’s voice couldn’t be held back, sounding especially frightening in the dead of night.
The most direct reaction was the flock of birds that had been resting and sleeping on the tree branches next to their home—they all flew away in an instant.
Tonight, Grandma Mei finally understood one thing—the family really needed a few clever people!
And so, just as Mei Qian was about to close her eyes and sleep, her still-open eyes met her grandmother’s gaze, which seemed to sparkle even through the bonfire.
“Qian girl, tell us~ what should we do next?”
Mei Qian: …