Chapter 18 - 18 0018 Entering the County Town Again 2_1

Chapter 18: Chapter 0018: Entering the County Town Again 2_1 Chapter 18: Chapter 0018: Entering the County Town Again 2_1 They busied themselves all afternoon until the sun went down. Feng Qingxue washed two ounces of rice, and cooked it into a rice soup for dinner. The oil in the rice soup was the most nutritious part. She and Feng Qingyun had been lacking in nutrition for a long time, and their stomachs had gradually shrunken due to hunger, so they needed to gradually nourish their stomachs and bodies, and then they could resume a normal diet balanced in meat and vegetables. Even though it was just a bowl of rice soup, Feng Qingyun savored it like a precious treasure, blowing on it gently and finishing it in small sips. After rinsing her mouth, Feng Qingyun contentedly snuggled into Feng Qingxue’s arms. The two sisters huddled on a pile of straw, covered in the tattered padded jacket that Feng Qingyun no longer wore. The jacket, having been unwashed for so long, emitted an unpleasant odor. Feng Qingxue frowned slightly but endured it. Yes, she was a stickler for cleanliness, but times were different now. If she could bear wearing the original owner’s clothes, naturally she could tolerate this tattered padded jacket. If she wanted to maintain hygiene, it would take slow and steady effort. Only with means, could one talk about hygiene. “Sister, it’s really nice.” Feng Qingyun hugged her sister’s sleeve and murmured. As Feng Qingxue stroked her light, fluffy yellow hair, she said, “Qingyun, your sister wants to make a stand for ourselves so we can have a better life. Following our brother and sister-in-law means depending on others, which would leave us forever hungry and cold.” Feng Qingyun tilted up her little face, “Sister, what does it mean to depend on others?” “To depend on others means relying on them to survive, unable to make decisions for yourself.” Feng Qingxue explained simply what it meant to depend on others, but before she could continue, Feng Qingyun said, “Sister, I understand now. It’s just like when we were living with our brother and sister-in-law, relying on the little bit of vegetable gruel they gave us to live on. If we were still living there, even the good food we begged for ourselves wouldn’t end up in our own mouths.” “Very clever!” Feng Qingxue couldn’t help but praise. This child, she learns so quickly! Feng Qingyun felt incredibly proud, complimented by her sister! Feng Qingyun, who had been raised single-handedly by Feng Qingxue since birth and never had a quiet day, now felt incredibly blessed. Having food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over her head. Having food in her belly guaranteed a restful night’s sleep. Waking up early the next day, Feng Qingxue cooked more rice soup and took two cooked eggs from her storage space while Feng Qingyun was still sleeping. She woke up Feng Qingyun, and the two sisters shared the eggs. After they had finished eating and rinsed their mouths, when the taste in their mouth had disappeared, Feng Qingxue sent Feng Qingyun to their uncle’s house and entrusted her to their aunt’s care. Feng Qingxue did not know when she would return, so she left a steamed bun for Qingyun, hidden in a pocket sewn into her jacket, instructing her to eat it by herself if she came back late in the afternoon. As for the rice and the coat without patches at home that Feng Qingyun was concerned about, they were put into Feng Qingxue’s bamboo basket to be carried with her. Although people were currently living upright lives and every household was destitute, reaching a point where doors were left unlocked at night and nothing was ever lost on the road, who could guarantee that no one, out of extreme hunger, would sneak into their empty house and steal things? Upon seeing the sisters, Feng Qingxue’s aunt noticed Feng Qingyun’s clothes first, which greatly surprised her. “Qingxue, where did Qingyun’s clothes come from? They look really nice.” Feng Qingxue smiled, “I brazenly begged from house to house to put this outfit together. Some well-off good-hearted people, hearing how pitiful I was, gave me their children’s old clothes that they no longer needed.”