“Grandma wants to take us somewhere very far away. There won’t be any food on the journey, and we’ll run into bad people. It’ll be very dangerous.”
“Big Sis knows a good place. Deep in the mountains behind the village, there are sweet wild berries, clear spring water, and little rabbits. How about we go there instead?”
“When Father comes back someday, Big Sis will take you to find him.”
Although Little Stone was still young, he remembered how Grandma often beat and scolded his eldest sister. She even stole the porridge meant for him and his little sister.
He bit his lip and nodded firmly.
“I’ll listen to Big Sis! I’ll protect Little Sister and won’t let the bad people bully us!”
Lin Yaya didn’t really understand what “danger” meant, but when she saw the determination in her sister’s eyes and glanced at her brother, she nodded vigorously as well.
“Yaya will go with Big Sis. Yaya wants to stay with Big Sis and Brother.”
With the support of her younger siblings, Lin Wanxing finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Now all she had to do was secretly prepare supplies for the mountains over the next three days.
Then, before the refugee caravan left Qinghe Village, she would quietly take her brother and sister away and hide deep in the mountains.
Suppressing the throbbing pain in the back of her head, she climbed out of bed and walked over to the rice jar in the corner of the kitchen.
Only half a sack of coarse rice remained inside—the family’s last bit of food.
Old Madam Lin had hidden away most of the grain, leaving only this small amount behind and insisting it be rationed carefully.
Even then, she still skimmed off part of that half sack for herself.
Forget surviving the refugee journey—there probably wasn’t enough to last even these next three days.
Carefully, Lin Wanxing scooped out several small handfuls of coarse rice, wrapped them in an old cloth, and tucked the bundle into the firewood pile outside.
There wasn’t much rice left in the jar to begin with. If too much disappeared at once, someone would notice.
To be safe, she’d only take a little each day.
Little Stone and Lin Yaya watched what she was doing with puzzled, frightened expressions.
“Big Sis… what if Grandma finds out? What if she beats you again?” Lin Yaya looked up at her, her eyes full of worry.
“Don’t worry. I’m only taking a little. They won’t notice. Starting today, we have to find ways to save up food. Otherwise, we won’t have anything to eat.”
Little Stone was older than Lin Yaya and understood exactly what his sister was doing.
He nodded and gently rested a hand on Yaya’s head.
“Don’t worry, Yaya. We won’t let Grandma and the others find out.”
Looking at Little Stone trying so hard to act mature despite his age, Lin Wanxing’s heart ached.
“Big Sis, are we going to chop firewood now?” he asked softly.
She nodded.
“Yes. We have to do what Grandma says so she won’t become suspicious.”
“But we can secretly save some of our strength. Tonight, Big Sis will take you to do something very important.”
She knew the next three days would require extreme caution.
Old Madam Lin and Liu Cuihua were both shrewd and mean-spirited. One careless mistake, and they would spot something amiss.
“You wretched girl! Why are you still standing there? Get the fire started and cook! Are you trying to starve me to death?”
A lion-like roar suddenly erupted from behind her.
Lin Wanxing turned around to see a short, stout middle-aged woman with a vicious expression standing before her.
This was the original owner’s eldest aunt, Liu Cuihua.
Not wanting to stir up trouble, Lin Wanxing simply turned and headed into the kitchen.
“And what are you two staring at? Get in there and help light the fire! Do you expect me to invite you?”
Liu Cuihua’s shouting continued.
Little Stone and Lin Yaya obediently followed their sister into the kitchen.
Lin Wanxing first measured out half a bowl of coarse rice to wash.
After thinking for a moment, she added another half bowl.
Normally, Old Madam Lin and Liu Cuihua’s family ate the thick porridge while she and her siblings only got the watery leftovers.
Since they would soon be fleeing the famine, she had to find a way to build up Little Stone’s and Lin Yaya’s strength so they could better survive in the mountains.
…
After the three siblings busied themselves for a while, the porridge was finally cooked.
Lin Wanxing quietly filled a battered earthenware jar with thick porridge and hid it in a concealed corner of the kitchen. Then she added a large bowl of water to the pot, brought it back to a boil, and only then carried it outside.
The original Lin Wanxing had always been the one to cook.
Whenever she was caught sneaking a bite, Old Madam Lin would beat her mercilessly. After several such beatings, she’d never dared steal food again.
So when Lin Wanxing carried out the porridge, neither Old Madam Lin nor Liu Cuihua suspected a thing.
The family picked up their bowls and began eating.
As always, the adults scooped out every bit of the thick porridge first.
By the time it was Lin Wanxing and her siblings’ turn, only a thin gruel remained—so watery that it was almost reflective.
Lin Wanxing filled two half bowls and handed them to Little Stone and Lin Yaya.
She drank the remainder herself.
After breakfast, the three siblings washed the dishes as usual.
Liu Cuihua’s family, along with Old Madam Lin and Old Master Lin, all headed for the large locust tree at the entrance of the village.
Before leaving, they barked more orders at the children, telling them not to slack off—wash the dishes, chop firewood immediately afterward, then head into the hills to dig up wild vegetables.
Once she was certain everyone else had left the house, Lin Wanxing ladled three full bowls of the hidden porridge from the earthenware jar.
The porridge was thick and fragrant with the aroma of rice.
Lin Yaya couldn’t help swallowing hard.
“Hurry and eat. After we’re done, we’ll go chop firewood. Tonight, Big Sis will take you to pick wild berries.”
Little Stone and Lin Yaya accepted their bowls and gulped down the porridge, huge smiles spreading across their faces.
It was the first time they had ever eaten porridge this thick.
Watching them, Lin Wanxing felt a pang of bitterness.
Silently, she made a vow.
This time, no matter what, she would protect these two children.
She would make sure they grew up safely, never went hungry again, and one day had a home filled with genuine warmth.
Meanwhile, beneath the great locust tree at the entrance of Qinghe Village, the village chief had already climbed onto a raised platform.
Holding a bronze gong, he struck it three times.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, every eye turning toward him.
Clearing his throat, the elderly village chief’s voice echoed across the open village square.
“Everyone! This year’s drought is too severe. Not a single grain has been harvested from our fields. If we stay here any longer, we’ll all starve to death!”
“I’ve discussed it with the clan elders. Three days from now, we’re heading south. There’s more rain there. At the very least, we’ll have a chance to survive!”
The moment he finished speaking, the crowd exploded into an uproar.
Some people stomped their feet in panic, muttering anxiously about what they were supposed to do.
Others hugged their children and wiped away tears, unable to bear leaving the homes where they had lived all their lives.
“What are we supposed to do? My grandson is only a few months old. How can he survive a journey without food or water?” an elderly woman cried.
“Exactly! I have so many children. How are we supposed to manage such a long journey?”
“At least your children still have both parents,” someone remarked. “The three children from Lin Leshan’s family are the truly pitiful ones.”
Old Madam Lin had been discussing the upcoming famine migration with the people beside her when she suddenly heard someone mention Lin Wanxing and her siblings.
Everyone in the village knew, to some extent, how harshly she treated the three children.
She immediately realized they were bringing it up on purpose—to embarrass her in public.
Just as she was about to lash out, Widow Liu beside her cut in.
“Oh? What’s so pitiful about them?” she said with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Aren’t Old Madam Lin and her family still around? Surely they wouldn’t let those three children go hungry.”
As she spoke, she looked meaningfully at Old Madam Lin.