Su Cuiping held the sleeping baby. Su Muqing held the grain that had just been obtained. There was also a small clay pot.
By the time they arrived, Wang shi and the others had already kneaded many coarse grain cakes. Although their families had split, their relationships had always been harmonious. Before fleeing, the situation of each family was not very different. For convenience on the road, they put their grain together. Along the way, the family became even more united than before.
"Eldest Aunt, you're kneading so much. Won't you get a stomachache if they spoil and you eat them?" Su Muqing couldn't help but ask when she saw the pile of cakes as high as a small mountain in front of them.
These cakes were actually not very tasty. They were made from the fine powder of various coarse grains. In the past, when grain was abundant, it was occasionally used to feed livestock. Once steamed after being moistened, they spoiled very easily!
"Hmph! Are you afraid of them spoiling? I'm afraid there won't be enough! Your uncle and cousins have appetites that are different from your little cat-like stomach. They can eat a lot in one meal. If we make too few, they won't have enough to eat on the road," Wang shi replied with a smile as she kneaded the cakes.
While Su Cuiping wasn't paying attention, Su Muqing replaced the water she had just received with purified water. This time she took white flour, planning to bake some sugar cakes.
Su Mingyuan’s family was small, but they had a lot of things, and the variety was rich. The worst coarse grains were basically used to feed cattle. He had earned some money from escorting goods in previous years. When he decided to flee, he had traveled to many places to prepare the things needed on the road. This was also why the old Su family members kept eyeing his belongings and refused to let go.
Su Muqing heated a little hot water, and she and Su Cuiping sat together. Turning their backs to them, they melted two large pieces of chocolate into it. Then they poured it into the prepared flour and added some white sugar.
After heating the iron griddle, she poured a little oil from the clay pot onto it. After spreading it with a wooden spoon, she poured the prepared batter onto it.
Wang shi saw them acting sneakily and walked over to take a look. She saw several black, irregularly shaped patches lying on the iron griddle, sizzling and emitting hot steam! They looked disgusting, but smelled quite fragrant!
"What are you two making? What is this thing? It looks so much like..."
"Mom, don't say it. These are the cakes we're going to eat. If you say it, how will we eat them later?" Su Cuiping quickly stopped her mother from saying the word that was about to slip out.
Although they both felt they looked alike, they couldn't think about it. If they thought about it, how could they eat them!
"Do you know what I was going to say?" Wang shi asked the two girls with a smile.
"Of course, we know!" The three of them looked at each other and then burst into laughter.
Su Muqing felt a little embarrassed. She just wanted to make something flavorful to eat on the road. But after making it, she hadn't even started eating it yet. Just by looking at its appearance, she felt like she could already smell its "strong" aroma!
After making a few strangely shaped cakes, she added a little water, scraped off the batter stuck to the sides of the bowl, and then boiled it into chocolate paste.
By the time they finished, others had also come over one after another. When Su Muqing and Su Minghui's family ate together, she gave a few cakes to Wang shi and the others, letting them each taste a little. Then she and Su Cuiping each ate three chocolate cakes and drank a little less than half a bowl of paste. They also fed some paste to the little baby.
Actually, in Su Muqing's opinion, the cakes tasted alright, but the texture was average, a bit too dry. However, in the eyes of Wang shi and the others, these were more than just a little better than the coarse grain cakes! Although the taste was strange at first, they felt a indescribable sensation in their mouths at the end.
After dinner, it was already past the hour of You (7-9 PM). The sun was about to set. Everyone packed their belongings and returned to their luggage carts, preparing to set off.
When they set off, Su Muqing deliberately walked at the very back. She tied the little baby to her front, facing forward. Su Cuiping also insisted on coming to the back to be with her.
Su Mingyong and several other strong laborers from the village were arranged at the back, so that the entire convoy had strong laborers from head to tail to prevent any unexpected situations.
Su Muqing thus began her long journey of fleeing!
At first, she was a little excited because she had space and wasn't too worried about food and water. So, for her, this kind of fleeing, apart from not being able to openly use her supplies, was more like participating in a life experience program!
Even if she could produce something valuable enough and find a strong trading target, it wouldn't be a problem to support this team.
The official road they were traveling on was quite wide. They consciously kept to the left side. The ox cart was also stable and didn't bump much. Swaying like this for over an hour, the sky had already darkened.
Su Muqing sat on the ox cart boredly, occasionally teasing the little baby. The baby was very well-behaved, cooing and babbling all the way, very excited.
Su Muqing felt like she had forgotten something. She entered her space with her consciousness and asked 217, "217, is there still one trading opportunity today?"
"Replying to the host, there is one trading opportunity left for today. Do you wish to connect?"
"Connect."
"Connecting... Connected."
"Hello, hello? Is anyone there?" As soon as the trade connected, a series of anxious female voices came from the other side.
"I'm here, I'm here. Where are you? Why is it so dark that I can't see anything?" The screen was black, and only shadows could be seen moving.
"Wait, I'll get a lamp. Don't turn off the video! This is the apocalypse. My name is Lin Xue, and I'm so scared! Can you talk to me?" The girl was clearly terrified. While looking for something, she started crying.
"Okay, I won't turn it off. Don't cry. Go find a lamp quickly!" Su Muqing quickly comforted her. The apocalypse! Zombies! Thinking of this, she also trembled. It felt quite terrifying.
After a short while, the lamp was turned on, and she could see the girl in a place that looked like an office.
A young lady in a mall sales assistant outfit appeared on the screen, with tear tracks on her face and smudged mascara. "Do you have food to exchange? I'm hiding in the mall staff lounge next to the warehouse. There's a simple kitchenette, but there's no food."
Su Muqing felt like crying. Why did all the trading partners she met ask her for food? She was the one lacking food! And the food she had on hand, modern people probably wouldn't be used to eating it!
"I do, but it's the ancient times, and it's a time of famine. I'm fleeing on the road right now, and I mostly have coarse grains. Do you want them?" Su Muqing asked somewhat awkwardly.
"Yes, yes. As long as it's edible. I'm in the living supplies warehouse here, full of laundry detergent, shower gel, towels, toothpaste, and other things. What do you want?" Lin Xue immediately agreed to the exchange upon hearing that there was food. At this point, there was nothing to be picky about.