The first change in the space was the water level of the well dropping. The water returned as she began planting soybeans and purslane, and the more she planted, the more water there was.
The plants in the space needed to be watered at different stages such as planting, flowering, and fruiting to continue growing; this was something she discovered last night.
The cilantro, which she disliked, remained green after she watered it once and then left it alone. She wanted to eat cabbage, so she watered a few plants multiple times, and now they had flowered and were producing seeds.
Furthermore, Qin Junyao suspected that the expansion of the space might be due to the increase in the variety of plants she was growing.
She was unsure whether her recovery from fever and improved health was due to the space's expansion or the increased physical labor she performed within it.
As for the shadows in the mist, Qin Junyao had a strong intuition that the answers she sought lay there.
Having figured these things out, Qin Junyao entered the space. After watering the plants intended for seed saving, she found herself in a predicament with the flowering rice.
She picked the soybean pods one by one. The first harvest of rice and wheat was small enough to be handled this way, but the question was, what to do with the second harvest from the saved seeds?
It was a headache.
Worrying about not having food was one thing; having food but being unable to produce it was another source of worry.
Leaving the space, Qin Junyao shouldered her basket and prepared to go out, thinking of a reasonable way to produce the unprocessed grain.
"Third Brother, you go with me," Qin Xiaoyu and Qin Sanniu put down their work and followed Qin Junyao.
Qin Sanniu was specifically instructed by Qin Erniu to accompany Qin Junyao.
"Sister," Qin Sanniu called out, scratching his head shyly.
Qin Junyao nodded. This thirteen-year-old boy, about her height, had a very low presence. She hadn't spoken to him since she transmigrated here.
"Sanniu, use the basket to carry a water jug. Let's find some water to bring back."
Qin Xiaoyu followed Qin Junyao as they walked through the crowd. Not seeing her sister exchange anything, she assumed her sister had no stock and couldn't help but worry about her mother.
She took two steps forward and tugged at Qin Junyao's sleeve, "Sister."
Qin Junyao stopped and looked down at her sister, who had called her "sister" for the first time. "What is it?"
"Let's go find some wild vegetables and trade them for some grain."
Qin Junyao smiled slightly. She tried to pat Qin Xiaoyu's head but was dodged. She reluctantly lowered her hand and said, "Don't worry, we'll have grain."
She already had a plan. There would be grain, and there would be rice.
The three of them wandered around some more. Qin Junyao used her usual tactic of having Qin Sanniu and Qin Xiaoyu act as lookouts.
She filled the water jug, took out the prepared vegetables and a few fresh corn cobs, covered them with dry branches for camouflage, and returned to the donkey cart.
This time, Qin Junyao didn't explain where the items came from, and no one else asked.
Qin Junyao's actions were a bit risky, but judging by the fact that the Hou family hadn't come forward to blame them when their mother had used so much grain, she knew the character of this family. After all, they had used the Hou family's grain.
It took Qin Junyao two days to plant three crops of staples in her space. While it sounded like a lot, it wasn't much given the small area, and it exhausted Qin Junyao greatly.
Without proper farming tools and with someone who didn't know how to farm, it was truly twice the effort for half the results.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, hurry up and see what good stuff I found!" Qin Junyao called out to Qin Daniu and the others with exaggerated excitement.
This spot was a good distance from the crowds by the city gate, a place Qin Junyao had specifically chosen.
Qin Daniu and his two brothers, along with Qin Xiaoyu, ran over at Qin Junyao's call. When they got closer, they saw...
Good heavens, a cart full of... freshly harvested grain!?
The variety was quite rich. Qin Erniu ran his hand over the plants on the cart, which included wheat, millet, and corn cobs.
"Someone must have hidden this here," Qin Daniu said, looking at the low branches that covered the cart.
"Eldest Brother, if we found it, it's ours. Let's find something to cover it and push it back quickly," Qin Xiaoyu didn't care whose it was. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the grain.
Since having that meal of dry rice, her mother hadn't eaten much for the past two days. Now, it was finally good.
"But this crop looks like it was just harvested. What if..."
"There's no 'what if.' Eldest Brother, listen to Xiaoyu and push it back first. I definitely found something ownerless," Qin Junyao interrupted Qin Daniu. If she continued, someone might actually show up, which would be bad. Su Dan Novel Network.
Qin Erniu and Qin Sanniu didn't say a word and immediately started breaking branches to cover the cart. In this era, things that were left unattended were not distinguished by ownership.
Qin Daniu, seeing that his younger siblings agreed, could only compromise.
The cart didn't need to be covered too tightly, as long as the exposed wheat ears were hidden.
Qin Junyao helped push the cart from the side, feeling that it was a bit difficult to use. No wonder it was sold to her for a hundred coins. Fortunately, they kindly pushed it to the outskirts of the crowd.
The donkey cart was still better. She wondered if animals could be stored in her space. In this year of severe drought, even mosquitoes were rare.
Hou Jing, who was queuing to receive porridge, returned first and was surprised to see the children pushing a cart. He put down his bowl and went to help.
"Where did you get this cart? The wheel is a bit problematic, but it can still be used after repair. You kids are so capable to find so much dry grass."
Qin Junyao and the others were holding their breath while pushing the cart and didn't have the energy to answer Hou Jing's questions. They would know what was going on when they reached their destination.
As the cart reached the vicinity of the donkey cart, people queuing to receive porridge began to return. They poured the porridge from their bowls, where the bottom was visible, into the pot, and after adding some vegetables, they would cook it again to share.
"The wealthy families in the city are only offering porridge every two days, and now there isn't even a grain of rice visible in the bowls. If this continues, something bad might happen," Qin Sansu said to Old Man Hou, looking at the clear soup in his bowl.
"Alas, we'll discuss it when we get back. If necessary, we'll have to take the mountain path to go around," Old Man Hou knew that there were restless elements among the refugees, and people were saying all sorts of things. If this continued, a major problem would truly arise.
"Eh? Junyao, did you find something big? Let's go take a look," Old Man Hou put down his empty bowl and called Qin Sen to join him.
"Wait, wait, wait until everyone is back. Hou Si's wife, hold your child aside, he can't climb on this," Grandma Qin protected the cart with both hands, refusing to let anyone touch it.
She had just lifted it to peek and almost knelt before the Bodhisattva again.
Grain, all precious grain.
"Sister-in-law, what are you being so secretive about? Let me see, oh, this," Old Man Hou was also stunned when he saw the items on the cart.
Qin Junyao looked at the reactions of the two elders with some curiosity. She had shown them fresh vegetables, and they hadn't been this shocked. What was so unusual about that grain?
"Ahem, it's such a shame to burn so much dry grass. Everyone can share it and use it to cushion the ground in the tent. Lying on it will be much more comfortable than sleeping on branches," Old Man Hou called out loudly.
Hearing that it was dry grass, the curious gazes around them retracted. Dry grass was not a rare commodity; there was plenty of it in the mountains to the south.
The drought seemed to be artificially controlled. The area where the refugees were staying was dry everywhere, but beyond Anshun Prefecture City, there was water and greenery. This was also why the refugees had not left.
Old Man Hou saw the reaction of those around him and called his son and Qin Mu to quickly carry the grain on the cart into the small tent made of branches.
When the women truly saw the grain on the cart, they instinctively covered their children's mouths. Those with many children directly pulled them away from the cart, preventing them from asking questions.