Bai Sheng and the others stood by the roadside. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they saw Granny Chen approaching with her son and daughter-in-law, her face darkened.
Both parties went to the village head's house, wrote up the severance of kinship document, signed it, and pressed their handprints. They didn't delay for a moment.
Emerging from the village head's house, the moon, like a jade plate, had already climbed halfway into the sky. The slightly cool moonlight sprinkled across the vast desert. Huangsha Village, where the crowing of roosters and the barking of dogs could not be heard, appeared exceptionally tranquil.
Granny Chen watched the receding figures of Lu Ye and the others, her gaze as venomous as if quenched in poison, exceedingly sinister. With her unconceding hatred, she said to her son and daughter-in-law behind her, "Third one stays, the rest of you go back!"
Granny Chen, taking Lu Dahe with her, went directly to the clan elder's house.
After the complete severance of kinship, these ungrateful brats from the second branch would be of no further use to her. She'd see if she couldn't crush them like ants and grind them to dust under her feet!
Having eaten very little all day, on the way back, Lu Yun and Lu Yu were so hungry their legs felt weak, and they trembled as they walked. Yet, neither of them uttered a word.
Bai Sheng looked at the two thin, small figures, like dried firewood sticks, and felt a pang in her heart. "Lu Ye, is there any food left at home?"
"Less than a pound of sweet potato flour left," Lu Ye's face showed embarrassment, which was conveniently masked by the moonlight. No, he had to find a way to support his wife and siblings as soon as possible. Letting them starve would be his failure.
Bai Sheng nodded. In her consciousness, she called out to Heng Heng.
Heng Heng, panting heavily, said, "Master, what are your orders?"
"What can I eat from the space? I'm starving to death!"
Heng Heng replied, "Other than the wild grass and vegetables on the ground, there's nothing. Master, you need to plant grains quickly; you can harvest in a week."
"I know, I'll do it as soon as possible. Go quickly and dig up some wild vegetables for me; I'll come in later to get them!"
Upon returning home, Bai Sheng asked Lu Ye to find the remaining sweet potato flour, saying she'd make something to eat later.
Even a small amount of dry sweet potato flour couldn't make much. But Lu Ye knew Bai Sheng had "water," so she should be able to manage to make some food.
Lu Hua was also dizzy with hunger. She led her two nearly starved brothers, their heads drooping, listlessly leaning against the stone table. Actually, she really wanted to stand up and help her sister-in-law, but she simply had no strength left.
Bai Sheng excused herself to go to the outhouse and entered the space.
At first glance, she saw the big black pig, Heng Heng, arching its fat backside as it rooted in the ground. Beside it lay a pile of dug-up wild vegetables of various kinds.
So it was true that Heng Heng could till the land and plant crops, only it didn't use a shovel or a plow, but its slightly pointed, protruding snout!
For the first time, Bai Sheng discovered that a snout, besides speaking and eating, could also be used for farm work.
Not far away, a small square of dry land had already been cleared. It was likely also dug up by Heng Heng's snout.
Well, that's good. As a big black pig, Heng Heng was indeed diligent and capable! Bai Sheng's understanding was refreshed.
Watching Bai Sheng emerge from the space with wild vegetables in her arms, Heng Heng's pig face was covered in a hint of melancholy: Master, if you praise Heng Heng for being capable, will it cost you an extra pound of meat?
Bai Sheng: Yes! Sister is so hungry she's floating. If I say another word to you, you'll have no master anymore!
The sweet potato flour was placed on the simple wooden plank. Lu Ye sat by the stove, ready to start the fire.
Bai Sheng let out a "tsk" and looked at Lu Ye, saying, "Why don't you go out first? I'll call you in later to start the fire when I'm done?"
She didn't want anyone to witness water appearing from her palm, as she hadn't yet explained to Lu Ye where the water came from.
Lu Ye gave her a deep look, agreed, and got up to leave.
Bai Sheng washed the stove and wild vegetables clean, then took out half of the sweet potato flour. She poured it into the stone basin and then gently sprinkled a little water with her hand, rubbing the flour into fine granules.
After refilling the water缸 and putting an appropriate amount of water into the pot, she called Lu Ye back in to start the fire.
She wasn't very skilled at starting a fire in such a traditional stove.
When Lu Ye entered the room and saw the water缸 filled with water and the washed wild vegetables, he looked at her with surprise.
Bai Sheng did not evade his gaze. Meeting his eyes, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, after we eat, I'll tell you everything."
Lu Ye was slightly taken aback, then said "Okay" again and obediently sat down to start the fire.
Bai Sheng chopped the wild vegetables. After the water boiled, she sprinkled in the granules, stirring constantly with a spoon. After sprinkling the granules, she added the chopped wild vegetables.
There were no seasonings other than salt. However, salt was the king of flavors, so having salt was a blessing.
While Bai Sheng was busy, Lu Ye's gaze, though seemingly casual, was constantly appraising her from head to toe, perhaps not even sparing a single strand of her hair.
Bai Sheng felt extremely flustered but maintained a calm demeanor, hoping that when she confessed to Lu Ye after the meal, he wouldn't think she was a monster.
Soon, the wild vegetable and granule porridge was ready. As Bai Sheng was about to call out to Lu Hua and the others for dinner, Lu Ye suddenly put his index finger to his lips, signaling her to "hush."
Bai Sheng suddenly realized something and immediately covered her mouth with her hand. As a modern person, her nerves were too exposed, and she lacked the most basic vigilance regarding the harsh survival environment around her.
These two points were enough to cost her her life.
In Huangsha Village, everyone knew that Lu Ye's family had run out of food and water. Lu Dajiang and An Shi had starved themselves to death, leaving the water for their children.
If anyone saw them eating porridge made with water, wouldn't that be too suspicious?
It was Lu Ye who considered things cautiously and thoroughly. Bai Sheng patted her chest, feeling a lingering fear.
Lu Ye pulled her to the water缸 and asked her in a low voice if they would still have water to drink if he poured this缸 of water away.
Enveloped by his powerful aura, Bai Sheng felt a bit dazed. Understanding his meaning, she nodded emphatically, "Yes, very much."
"Good, then I'm relieved," Lu Ye said after this, then bent down and pushed the water缸 over. The water in the缸 instantly seeped into the sandy ground, so quickly that it didn't even have time to flow.
This land was dry enough!
"Remember, the family cannot store any water from now on!" Lu Ye placed his two large hands on Bai Sheng's slender shoulders, gripping them tightly. Then, he bent down, stared into her eyes, and said very seriously.
"Mm, okay!" Bai Sheng heard her own heart thumping. Lu Ye, the husband she had acquired for free, was actually protecting her!
Lu Ye let out a deep sigh and walked out to move the simple stone table from outside the shed into the "kitchen."
That stone table must have weighed two to three hundred pounds. Lu Ye must have been very hungry too and had lost a lot of blood, yet he had moved it with such ease. Bai Sheng watched, dumbfounded.
Lu Hua also understood her brother and sister-in-law's intentions and silently helped her two younger brothers into the kitchen before lowering the straw curtain of the kitchen door.
The five of them gathered around the stone table, each with a broken ceramic bowl in front of them.
Lu Yun and Lu Yu stared at the large pot of granule porridge, their mouths watering. Their two pairs of eyes, which appeared even larger due to their thinness, shone with the "greed" of young animals seeing food.
They didn't know where their brother and sister-in-law had gotten the water and green vegetables to cook with. At this moment, they didn't want to think about it. Their minds could no longer accommodate anything other than eating, eating, eating.
Bai Sheng served each of them a large bowl, with more than half the pot remaining.
Because of the generous amount of water and wild vegetables added, everyone could eat more than half full with this meal.