Gu Jiu neatly rolled up the bedding and walked over obediently, emphasizing, "My name is Gu Jiu."
Responding with "Jiu," as in the "jiu" in "Qiongjiu," not as in being ranked ninth.
Mrs. Xu tore off a piece of pancake and handed it to her, saying, "It's still warm, have some!"
Gu Jiu took it and thanked her.
Mrs. Zhang deftly rolled out the dough for pancakes, not sure if she understood Gu Jiu's explanation, she casually responded with "Hmm" to brush it off, then quickly said, "Since Fourth Brother brought you back, we can't just leave you alone. But let's get one thing straight, our family is poor, we can't afford to support idle people. You'll have to help with the household chores."
Gu Jiu nodded in agreement. It was only natural. They had no obligation to support a stranger like her. She obediently walked over and put firewood into the stove.
In her previous life, she had never even lit a fire. Cooking was all done by robots. She didn't even know how to turn on their gas stove.
Back then, she was young and skilled, well taken care of by the legion. Besides studying medicine and performing surgeries, she never had to do any rough or tiring work.
"Oh, young lady..."
Mrs. Zhang stole a glance at Gu Jiu, seeing her nibbling on the pancake while stuffing firewood into the muddy stove.
One stick of firewood after another, flames blazed in the stove, and in the blink of an eye, the pancakes on the griddle were burnt.
"You little blockhead, all you know is eating. Can pancakes be cooked over such a high flame?"
Mrs. Zhang felt sorry for the food, quickly put down what she was doing, and pulled out a few sticks of firewood to extinguish them in the ashes.
Mrs. Xu, who was kneading dough nearby, couldn't help but laugh, watching the tender young girl being scolded, feeling a bit sorry for her. She advised, "Don't be angry, eldest sister-in-law. Jiu is still young and probably hasn't done any chores at home. Let's teach her slowly."
Mrs. Zhang grumbled, "Spoiled brat, can't even light a fire. She's like a burden we picked up!"
She used chopsticks to pick out the burnt pancakes, looked at them, and said with regret, "Still edible."
Then she shouted into the house, "Da Ji, come out and make fire."
Gu Jiu had been hungry for too long. Even tasteless grain cakes were eaten with delight, her cheeks bulging. When scolded, she smiled awkwardly and mumbled with a mouthful of pancake, "I won't cause trouble here. I'll go help Mother tidy up clothes."
Mrs. Zhang was dumbfounded, "Mother? Who is she calling mother?"
Mrs. Xu chuckled, "She's being set up as a child bride in our family."
Overheard by Second Xie who was moving grain, he shrugged, "So what if she is? Our fourth, fifth, and sixth brothers, along with Da Ji, are all of appropriate age. Though Er Qing and San You are a bit young, they'll learn to be considerate when they're older."
Oldest Xie patted him on the head, "Don't speak ill and ruin the reputation of this young girl. Jiu is still too young to understand. Are you any wiser?"
...
Huaishu Village got its name from the big locust tree at the village entrance.
Oldest Xie stood beneath the tree, banging the copper gong in his hand, creating a resounding noise.
Villagers heard the gong ringing and gradually gathered together. Some pulled carts, while others carried large bundles or sacks on their shoulders, supporting the elderly and the young, tearfully gathering around.
Once everyone was assembled, Oldest Xie instructed each family to count their members to ensure no one was left behind. With a wave of his hand, he led the group forward.
Leaving the village, the roads were lined with golden ripe wheat fields.
The entire Qinghe County was flat, with wheat fields stretching endlessly, the sight of the approaching harvest season was splendid.
In a few more days, the wheat would be ready for harvest. At this time, with the grain reserves of each household nearly depleted, it was indeed a tough period.
Despite the imminent harvest of the wheat they had toiled over for half a year, there was no time to reap it. The more beautiful the wheat waves, the more the villagers felt a pang of regret.
Suddenly, an elderly man in the procession burst into tears, "After toiling for half a year, just as we are about to harvest the wheat... sob... heaven doesn't give us a way out!"
His cry seemed to infect the sorrowful atmosphere, and soon a wave of weeping swept through the crowd.
They cried for the impending disaster, the uncertain future, and the plight of leaving their homes.
But for the sake of survival, what choice did they have?
Oldest Xie shouted amidst the crowd, "There's no time to cry now. Once the flood comes, none of us will survive! Alright, stop looking back. Even if you stare at the grain, it won't follow you. Let's go!"
Reluctantly, the villagers moved forward, casting glances back every few steps.
There was another small group of people in the village who were not heading to Immortal Dwelling Mountain. They wielded sickles, intending to harvest the wheat in the fields.
Led by Wu Laowu, they believed that even if the water rose, it wouldn't engulf the entire Ling Mountain. Taking refuge there temporarily, they could return once the water receded and still have time to harvest the wheat, ensuring they had food to eat and their families wouldn't starve. Most importantly, they feared the deep forest too much and didn't believe the villagers could safely make it out.
Oldest Xie tried to persuade them for a long time, using both kind and harsh words, analyzing the situation from different angles, but they refused to listen, unwilling to waste any more time. So, he let them go.
At the village entrance, the two groups parted ways, one heading towards Immortal Dwelling Mountain, the other to the fields to harvest wheat.
Wu Laowu looked at the departing crowd with a mocking expression, then sneered to his wife, "A bunch of fools, believing the words of Fourth Xie, a mere kid who hasn't even grown a beard yet. What does he know? Just because he read a few books, he thinks he knows it all. I've been eating for decades longer than him!"
Wu Laowu's wife nodded along, appeasing her husband.
Wu Laowu's daughter, Wu Sanniang, pursed her lips, watching the villagers gradually disappear into the distance with worry. From now on, she wouldn't be able to see Fourth Xie anymore!
Suddenly, gritting her teeth, she said with a tearful voice, "Dad, let's also go to Immortal Dwelling Mountain. Fourth Xie is so smart; what he says must be right. Can't we just not go to Ling Mountain?"
Just as Wu Laowu had mocked others, his daughter was now contradicting him. His face immediately darkened, "What does this silly girl know? I've lived for so many years, and I'm not as knowledgeable as a young brat? Hurry up, stop dawdling!"
Wu Sanniang cried, "Dad, we can definitely find food on the mountain. There are wild vegetables and mushrooms everywhere. We won't starve. Let's go with everyone else, please!"
Wu Laowu felt even more embarrassed. He was thinking about this incident. Everyone respected him, and when they returned to the village after the flood receded, he might be able to take over as the village head from Xie Dalang.
But now his daughter kept praising others. How could he bear it? He slapped Wu Sanniang, "You know nothing! You want to find wild vegetables and mushrooms? No one has dared to enter that old forest from ancient times to now. There are all kinds of wild beasts. If you can't find food, let the wolves eat you first!"
Wu Sanniang was pushed back a few steps by the slap, crying even more fiercely. She ran towards the Xie family and knelt down, "Fourth Brother, please help me persuade my dad. I... I want to go with you."
Gu Jiu widened her eyes in curiosity, looking at Xie Zhan's exceptionally handsome face, and gossiped, "Is she your sweetheart?"
Xie Zhan flicked her forehead with his index finger, "Don't talk nonsense. Let's go!"
Turning around, he said to Xie Dalang, "Big brother, it's all uphill from here. If we walk slowly, we might not make it in time."
Xie Dalang hurriedly shouted, urging the villagers who wanted to watch the excitement to hurry up.
Wu Sanniang saw the villagers turning to leave, suddenly squeezed through the crowd and ran to kneel in front of Mrs. Gao's donkey cart, "Auntie, Auntie, please take me with you. I'll be a child bride in your family, I'll do anything, even be a cow or a horse. Please take me with you!"
Gu Jiu chuckled, "Oh, here comes someone looking for a job!"
