In the end, Bai Lan couldn’t persuade Yu Yangyang otherwise and agreed to let her walk on her own for a while. However, she insisted that Yangyang tell her immediately if she felt uncomfortable.
Starting from Tupo Village and heading south, they would have to pass through two counties before reaching Shuntian Prefecture: Biyang County and Taizhou County.
Two consecutive years of drought had left the entire land barren. Occasionally, along both sides of the road, they could see dense clusters of roots, faintly revealing what the vegetation had once looked like.
The Yu family’s pace was not very fast. Yu Yangyang was physically weak, and Bai Lan kept a close eye on her condition the entire way.
“How are you feeling, Yangyang? Do you want to rest for a while?”
Yu Yangyang was indeed getting tired.
When they had first set out that morning, she still had some energy. But as the sun rose and the scorching heat intensified, her already fragile body was pushed even further toward its limits.
Her throat felt as though it were about to catch fire. Yu Yangyang swallowed hard, her lips pale as she looked at Bai Lan and shook her head.
“Mother, let’s walk a little farther.”
Along the road, they encountered quite a few refugees heading south just like them. Their dark, sunken faces were numb and expressionless, and at first glance, they looked simple and honest.
But Yu Yangyang remembered that in the original novel, the Yu family had been killed by a group of violent refugees. Their corpses had even been eaten.
Who knew whether these refugees were still human or had already become something else?
Yu Yangyang didn’t want to take that gamble.
Bai Lan sympathetically wiped the sweat from Yu Yangyang’s forehead.
“We can walk a little farther, but you have to let your eldest brother carry you.”
They had already been walking for two hours. How could Yangyang’s frail body possibly endure it?
This time, Yu Yangyang did not refuse.
Her vision was already going black intermittently, and she felt as though she might faint at any moment.
Yu Yan silently crouched down in front of her.
“Come on.”
Yu Yangyang obediently climbed onto Yu Yan’s back.
It was the height of summer, and they had been traveling continuously with little clothing and water. Naturally, no one smelled particularly pleasant.
Still, Yu Yangyang rested her head against Yu Yan’s back.
For the first time in two lifetimes.
The girl’s voice was soft and gentle, obedient to the point of being almost too sweet.
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
Yu Yan’s footsteps paused.
A trace of hesitation flashed across his face.
After all, countless times in the past, he had carried Yu Yangyang on his back, and all she had ever shown him was a sense of entitlement and endless unreasonable demands.
The Yu Yangyang of today was obedient in a way that was almost beyond belief.
Yu Yangyang wrapped her arms around his neck and said softly,
“Big Brother’s back is so comfortable.”
Yu Yan remained silent and did not respond, but the hard line of his lips softened considerably.
He was her older brother. What was there to argue with his little sister about?
Perhaps Mother was right.
Yangyang had grown up.
Maybe she really had changed.
If Yangyang could continue behaving like this, then as her eldest brother, he wouldn’t truly hate her.
At the very least, whatever Rongrong had in the future, he would make sure Yangyang received a share as well.
Yu Yangyang had no idea what was going through Yu Yan’s mind.
Her limbs ached, her breathing was labored, and her head felt dizzy and heavy. Not long after lying on Yu Yan’s back, she fell asleep.
Under the blazing sun, everyone was drenched in sweat.
At noon, when the sun was at its most merciless, the Yu family finally stopped.
They couldn’t go any farther.
If they continued, their bodies would give out before long.
The trees along the roadside had all withered and become bare, leaving them with no shade. Fortunately, there were some hills along the road, so the Yu family found a shaded spot and sat down.
Yu Yangyang woke up as soon as she was put down.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the Yu family’s sunburned faces. Their cheeks were already sunken, making their cheekbones appear even more prominent.
The men loosened their collars and fanned themselves with their hands.
Little Yu Lan’s lips were cracked.
“Mother, I’m hungry.”
Bai Lan had no intention of cooking lunch.
They had only a limited amount of food left, and they had to make it last for a long time. How could they eat whenever they wanted?
Every bit of food had to be carefully rationed.
Yu Jin swallowed and comforted his little brother.
“Little Brother, hang on a little longer. We’ll be able to cook porridge tonight.”
Tonight…
That was still so far away.
Little Yu Lan’s lips trembled. He wanted to cry, but he sniffed and held it back.
Mother had told him that once they finished their food, they would have nothing left and would go hungry.
Little Yu Lan looked at her hopefully.
“Then can Lanlan have just a little water? Just one sip.”
He was truly both thirsty and hungry.
Bai Lan’s heart ached for him, but water was even more important than food.
At that moment, Yu Yangyang, who had been leaning against Yu Shanghua, spoke in a clear voice.
“Mother, let Little Brother drink some water. Father and Big Brothers should drink too. People are more precious than water, aren’t they?”
“Let’s make lunch as well. We still have to travel this afternoon, so we’ll expend too much energy otherwise.”
Yu Yan frowned.
Just a moment ago, he had thought Yu Yangyang had changed.
Why was she acting so recklessly again?
Was she still the same as before, with nothing but food on her mind?
Yu Jin was even more direct. His sharp voice was filled with anger.
“Yu Yangyang, have you gone crazy? Do you want us all to die on the road?”
Bai Lan interrupted them.
“Enough. Stop arguing.”
She made the final decision.
“Yangyang wants to eat, so we’ll cook.”
Yu Jin: “?”
Had his mother gone crazy too?
His mouth practically twisted with anger.
His father wasn’t saying anything either, and even Big Brother’s opinion apparently didn’t matter.
Crazy. This family had already become Yu Yangyang’s one-person dictatorship.
It was terrifying.
The happiest person of all was little Yu Lan.
He happily clapped his hands.
“Yay! Yay! We can eat!”
Yu Jin glared at him.
Another little idiot!
Yu Shanghua and Bai Lan used their bamboo tubes to draw a bucket of water, and the entire family drank their fill.
Yu Yangyang took a large gulp of water and finally felt as though she had come back to life. Her head no longer felt quite so heavy.
This body was seriously troublesome.
The system seized the opportunity to speak.
“So the Host should work hard to earn points and buy the Essence-Nourishing Pill as soon as possible.”
Yu Yangyang rolled over and ignored the system.
Instead of pinning her hopes on the unrealistic goal of earning 99,000 points for the Essence-Nourishing Pill, it would be better to make some money first and escape this homeless existence.
While Bai Lan cooked the porridge, more and more refugees gradually gathered nearby.
The fragrant smell of the porridge instantly made Yu Yangyang tense.
Fortunately, those people merely glanced in their direction with curiosity and envy.
During the early stages of the famine, life was difficult, but people had not yet reached the point of complete desperation. Most still maintained certain moral boundaries.
That allowed Yu Yangyang to breathe a sigh of relief.
While Bai Lan was cooking the porridge, Yu Yangyang opened the system panel.
【Main Quest 1: Unlock any 3 Food Encyclopedia entries. 0/3】
【Main Quest 2: Purchase any item from the System Shop.】
【Side Quest: Personally prepare one dish.】
For the moment, the only quest she could complete was Main Quest 2: purchasing something from the System Shop.
Yu Yangyang entered the shop and casually browsed through the merchandise.
She had no interest in the miscellaneous items for now, so she focused mainly on the food section and household necessities.
Millet cost 10 points per pound.
Rice cost 20 points per pound.
That wasn’t even worth buying when she could simply open gift packs.
A bar of soap cost 20 points.
A set of underwear cost 100 points.
Yu Yangyang currently had 115 points.
Her gaze lingered intensely on the underwear.
Then she turned around and bought five pounds of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes were sold in bundles. Five pounds cost only 10 points.
An absolute bargain.
System: “?”