Early the next morning, just as the sky began to lighten with a pale fish-belly white glow—
Gu Jiu quickly got up. She took four eggs out of her spatial spring and boiled them over the fire.
“Sis, what are you cooking?” Gu Rong was the first to wake up, still half-asleep as she stumbled out of the room.
When she saw it clearly—eggs being lifted from the pot—her sleepiness vanished instantly in excitement.
“I went out to fetch water earlier, then tried my luck at the back mountain and found four wild eggs. Breakfast today is eggs. I couldn’t find any meat this morning, so you’ll have to make do,” Gu Jiu said casually.
Gu Rong showed no disappointment at all. Instead, she looked delighted and quickly washed her hands to help peel them.
“Sis, I’m already very satisfied just having eggs! Besides, you can’t always run into prey. We ate meat a few days ago, and I can still remember the taste. I don’t even need meat for the next few months.”
The little girl was sensible—but she was still only eight. There was no way she truly wasn’t craving meat. Gu Jiu could tell she was just saying it to be considerate.
The reason Gu Jiu didn’t keep taking meat out was also because she didn’t want the siblings to become suspicious if they kept eating it every day.
Eggs were enough for protein anyway—she could always bring out meat later when appropriate.
The buns and steamed bread from last night were reheated. After peeling the eggs, Gu Rong woke up the younger sister and younger brother.
They still had to rush to the village entrance to meet up, so breakfast needed to be quick.
Each of the two girls and Gu Jiu herself had one bun and one steamed bun, while the youngest only had one bun.
“Eat quickly. If it’s not enough, we still have more in our bundle.”
Gu Rong originally wanted to save food and only eat a steamed bun, but Gu Jiu wouldn’t allow it. In this house, Gu Jiu was firmly in charge.
Still, the little girl worried inwardly that their limited dry rations wouldn’t last long on the road.
Freshly steamed buns were still hot. The girls kept tossing them between their hands before biting into them, and juice immediately burst out. The rich wheat aroma filled their mouths.
The flour Gu Jiu used came from high-grade stock in her unlimited storage space. Even after a night, the texture didn’t change at all—the buns and steamed bread were slightly sweet. Only the scallion rolls had a hint of saltiness.
Gu Changle, the youngest, ate slowly on his own. Gu Jiu tore his bun into small pieces and placed them in a bowl so he could eat them by hand.
Although it would get messy, it helped train his independence.
After breakfast, Gu Jiu packed everything up. They only had one backpack, which held food and bedding. Pots and bowls were wrapped in a large sack and carried separately.
That was all their belongings.
“Let’s go. Time to head to the village entrance and meet the village head.”
Gu Jiu led the way out.
Gu Rong carried the youngest child, and after walking a few steps, she turned back to look at their “home” of just a couple of days. A faint trace of reluctance appeared in her eyes.
Gu Changle also stared at the large tree at their doorway. In the past two days, she liked climbing it to look over the village scenery and had grown fond of it.
Turning onto the village path, they saw many other families already carrying their belongings toward the village entrance. Most stood outside their homes, reluctant to leave.
Luo Xiulan was holding her son and wiping tears with a handkerchief.
“Husband… I really can’t bear to leave our four-room house, and the bamboo shoots in the backyard that just started growing last year… I was waiting to eat fresh bamboo shoots this year!”
Her husband said nothing. Her mother-in-law pulled her a few steps forward.
“Alright, Xiulan, crying so early in the morning—aren’t you afraid it brings bad luck?”
Since her husband was silent, Luo Xiulan didn’t dare argue with her mother-in-law and reluctantly followed.
“Oh, Jiu girl, it’s you,” she suddenly noticed Gu Jiu. “The clothes and shoes you asked me to make yesterday—I’ve finished them. I’ll go get them.”
She rummaged through her basket and pulled them out.
After greeting her, Gu Jiu noticed the elderly matriarch of the Jiang family looking displeased, clearly unhappy that her daughter-in-law was helping others.
“Xiulan, are you crazy? Why are you wasting all night sewing clothes for unrelated people? You don’t even care about your own work anymore? Playing bodhisattva all day helping others!”
The old woman’s face darkened as she saw the finished clothes and eight pairs of cloth shoes being handed over.
Before, Luo Xiulan had been a well-known seamstress, but her mother-in-law clearly disliked her helping others.
“I wasn’t neglecting work… I just forgot to explain last night. Jiu girl didn’t let me work for free—” Luo Xiulan hurriedly explained.
“You can’t handle your soft heart? Then go be their mother instead! Our Jiang family doesn’t need you!”
The old woman grabbed her son and grandson and stormed ahead.
Luo Xiulan nearly cried, afraid her in-laws would abandon her during the escape.
Just as she was about to chase after them, Gu Jiu took out a string of one hundred copper coins and handed it to her.
“Madam Luo, this is your payment. With your skills, it should be worth more, but I can only afford this for now.”
The weight of the coins made Luo Xiulan instantly happy.
“This is already more than enough! Really, more than enough!”
She quickly waved them toward her mother-in-law.
“Mother! Look, this is Jiu girl’s payment—I wasn’t working for nothing!”
The old woman immediately came back, snatched the money, and tucked it into her own pouch.
“Hmph. You worked so hard for such a small amount. What use are you? Let’s go.”
Luo Xiulan, though scolded, still cheerfully helped her husband carry things, as if she felt no grievance at all.
Gu Jiu watched her quietly.
People who constantly please others without boundaries will eventually be controlled by others.
This Luo Xiulan’s future life would likely be full of hardship.
“Rong’er, Xiao Man, Changle, let’s go change into the new clothes in the bamboo grove.”
“Okay, sis!”
The children happily followed.
Soon, the three little ones changed into their new outfits.
Gu Changle wore a bamboo-green outfit, her hair tied into two small buns, looking lively and adorable.
The two girls wore matching green sets—one lively and bright, the other gentle and quiet.
Gu Jiu and the youngest wore deep indigo outfits.
Gu Jiu herself stood tall in a long indigo robe, hair tied high with a matching ribbon, giving her a calm and almost boyish elegance.
After changing clothes, the siblings immediately looked much more refined—like children from a modest but respectable family rather than impoverished villagers.
They discarded their old ragged clothes and straw shoes.
Gu Jiu had long wanted to change them anyway—the previous clothes had been worn for months without washing, and the smell alone was unbearable.