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墨書 Inktalez
In the distance, a group of people gradually descended the mountain. Fearing that others would see them at the foot of the mountain, Liu Qingxi pulled Liu Qingyan to hide quickly. "Shh, don't make a sound!"
Liu Qingyan nodded, indicating she understood, and lowered her head even further.
The two of them were relatively small and managed to remain unnoticed in the bushes at the foot of the mountain.
Gradually, fewer people passed by, and they saw the Liu Family, led by Wang, coming down from the mountain. Finally, the two of them crouched low and quietly made their way up the mountain.
They found some edible wild vegetables by the roadside. After searching all morning, their basket only contained a thin layer of greens. "Let's go home!"
Liu Qingxi knew that there was nothing more to find; this place had been searched countless times.
Recently, everyone had been climbing higher; only in the depths could they find food.
At this moment, the village was sparsely populated. They only encountered two villagers. Liu Qingxi politely greeted them, "Hello, Uncle! Just coming down?"
"Hello, Aunt! Have you eaten yet?"
Watching the siblings leave, one villager couldn't help but sigh, "Those two kids are really pitiful. Wang is an elder and still holds grudges against children; it's truly..."
It was merely a simple lament. The Liu Family was an outsider; although the village had taken them in, the villagers had no right to demand anything from others. Wang's actions did not harm anyone's interests.
Yet there were always some kind-hearted aunties who felt sorry for the siblings' lives.
Bent over by life's burdens, they lived each day in numbness, leaving early and returning late just to ensure they had one full meal a day. As for Wang's behavior, most people could still understand it.
After all, the two children consumed quite a bit but were unable to contribute much work.
Everyone has overestimated Wang's kindness; the siblings had not eaten for several days.
Liu Qingxi and Liu Qingyan were unaware of the villagers' sympathy. Today, they had secretly eaten a bun and two steamed buns in town, and they were feeling quite happy.
Liu Qingyan had never heard of a smile on her little face. Since the beginning of their escape, she had not eaten white steamed buns, let alone meat buns.
When the two returned home, the family had just started eating.
Liu Qingxi put down the backpack: "Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt!" He stood respectfully in front of them, his timid demeanor making Wang feel irritated.
When she turned over their backpacks, there were only a few pitiful wild vegetables. Wang was instantly furious: "You two little brats, what have you been doing all morning to only find this much?"
"Aunt, we... we really only found these; there are too few wild vegetables on the mountain!"
Wang interrupted Liu Qingxi: "Don't tell me this. I already told you both that if you can't find food, don't come back for meals!"
"But Aunt, we are really hungry; we haven't eaten since yesterday!"
This was what Liu Qingxi had arranged with Liu Qingyan beforehand; she understood that Wang liked to see them timid. This way, she would feel at ease and would bother them less.
Sure enough, Wang's expression softened a bit. In front of the siblings, she was the one in control, deeply satisfying her twisted psychology: "Alright, alright, useless things. If you don't work properly next time, see if I won't deal with you!"
After saying that, she raised her hand to warn the siblings: "Got it, Aunt? Can we eat now?"
"Go ahead and eat; it won't kill you. What sins have I committed to have to feed two freeloaders every day? It's really bad luck. Just eat over there!"
Wang pointed to a corner by the stove, not allowing the siblings to sit at the table to eat.
Liu Qingxi and Liu Qingyan each took a broken bowl, enjoying the thick porridge that tasted quite sweet.
Although they had eaten steamed buns for lunch, they had walked enough to digest most of it.
Liu Qingyan secretly stuck out her tongue, initially thinking that Aunt wouldn't let them off easily. Who would have thought that her sister would manage to persuade Aunt to let them go after just a few words?
"Don't be naughty, hurry up and eat. We still have work to do later!" Liu Qingxi warned Little Guy, aware of the many people behind them and not daring to be careless.
Liu Qingyan understood and quickly finished her bowl of porridge, wiping her mouth and carefully placing the bowl down just as the others in the house finished eating.
"Aunt, you all take a break; I'll wash up!" Liu Qingxi skillfully took over the task from Wang.
Living under Wang's watchful eye, perhaps it was her childhood experiences that allowed her to flatter Wang now, all for a better life.
Seeing Liu Qingxi so perceptive, Wang's mood improved significantly. She glanced at her sideways and said, "Make sure to wash it well, understand?"
"Don't worry, Aunt; I promise to wash it clean!" Liu Qingxi's diligence left Wang with no outlet for her frustration, so she turned and went back to the cave to rest.
Liu Qingxi didn't feel ashamed about this; everything was for survival. In a world where the weak are preyed upon by the strong, today she had saved up nine coins, which made her feel happy and indifferent to Wang's sour expression.
After tidying up, she led Liu Qingyan out quietly. She still had nine coins in her pocket and didn't dare hide them in the cave due to the large number of people in the household, which made it easy for them to be discovered.
After searching around, she finally found a good spot about fifty meters from the cave: "Xiao Yan, keep an eye out for people; if anyone comes, let me know."
"Got it!" Knowing her sister wanted to hide money, Liu Qingyan was particularly vigilant.
This was what Liu Qingxi planned to hide today. She dug a small hole and wrapped the copper coins in a piece of rag before covering them tightly with large leaves and burying them in the hole.
A layer of stones that had fallen from the mountain covered the area, and after disguising it, she felt reassured enough to get up.
This was her future livelihood, and she had to make arrangements for their life ahead.
“Xiao Yan, you must not tell anyone!” This was the second time Liu Qingxi had emphasized this today.
“Little Guy” may be young, but he was quite clever: “I know, if we tell others, the money won't belong to us anymore!”
“Very good!” Liu Qingxi patted his head. “If you listen to your sister, you’ll get to eat meat every day, wear new clothes, and go to school!”
“Really?” Liu Qingyan's big eyes sparkled instantly. “But the village chief's children can’t go to school either. I heard that studying costs a lot of money.” After saying this, he sighed in disappointment.
“Don’t worry. Do you not trust your sister? If I say you can go to school, then you can!” Liu Qingxi felt motivated with a goal in mind.
“Okay, hehe!” Little Guy looked at Liu Qingxi with starry eyes filled with admiration.
This made her, who had been used to being alone since childhood, feel uneasy. No one had ever trusted or admired her so wholeheartedly. Even before coming to this era, she already held a certain status.
“Alright, let’s hurry back. We still need to go up the mountain to find food later. If you don’t rest a bit, how will you be able to move?”
“Hehe, I can move!” After saying that, Little Guy mischievously looked at Liu Qingxi. “Sister, are we going to roast Cicada Monkey tonight?”
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