Gu Jiu felt that the Xie family was quite kind and open-minded. Even in the face of disaster and an uncertain future, they did not appear as worried and distressed as the other villagers.
Being taken in by such a family was a blessing in her misfortune.
The Xie family thought this girl looked delicate, but she was not so easily daunted. Her feet were covered in blood blisters, yet she did not utter a single complaint of tiredness. She always had a cheerful smile on her face that brightened everyone's spirits.
The torchlight was limited, not enough for cooking, so most families simply ate some dry rations haphazardly.
Time was precious, so after eating the dry rations, Oldest Xie arranged for people to stand watch while the others laid out some hay to sleep on the ground.
The ground was damp, so the Xie family looked after Gu Jiu, moving things from the donkey cart so that she and Mrs. Gao could sleep in the cart. Mrs. Gao also brought the youngest, Xie Siyu, to squeeze in between them.
Xie Siyu was the six-year-old son of Third Xie.
The little boy was a bit shy and stubbornly squeezed himself close to Mrs. Gao, showing Gu Jiu only the back of his head.
Gu Jiu poked his armpits, and the little boy giggled but still refused to turn around.
It was just entering May, so the nights were not cold, and they could manage to sleep. However, there were mosquitoes in the summer, so Gu Jiu had to cover her head and face with a thin blanket to fall asleep.
The next day, just as the sky was brightening, Oldest Xie woke everyone up and urged them to pack up quickly and get on the road.
After packing up their bedding, the men and women separated to find secluded spots to take care of their bodily needs.
They did not wash their faces, as the water they carried was limited and needed to be preserved for drinking and cooking.
The younger Xie boys helped distribute the dry rations, with Xie Daji holding a stack of flatbreads and handing one to Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu hesitated before accepting it with thanks, but found it difficult to eat.
She could go without washing her face, but not brushing her teeth was truly unbearable for her, and she had no toothbrush.
Moreover, after everyone had finished taking care of their needs in the morning, she did not see anyone wash their hands before directly handling and eating the food.
Xie Zhan, tall and handsome with a noble and aloof air, even took bites from the flatbread while holding it against his sleeve, his face as beautiful as a celestial being. Gu Jiu felt he had suddenly fallen from the clouds to the ground.
Between his dusty, travel-worn sleeves and unwashed hands, she could not tell which harbored more bacteria. Gu Jiu swallowed hard, struggling to bring the flatbread to her mouth.
"What's wrong? No appetite?" Second Xie laughed nearby. "Even without an appetite, you have to eat. Otherwise, you won't be able to walk. Although you're a young lady and quite precious to our family, look, we're all carrying things. If you can't walk, no one will carry you."
Xie Zhan glanced at Gu Jiu, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.
Fifth Xie laughed teasingly, "Just call me Fifth Brother, and if you can't walk, Fifth Brother will carry you. I'm very strong."
The other brothers all smiled kindly at her as well.
Gu Jiu gave an awkward laugh, not knowing how to explain her reluctance to eat. She did not want to lie, but feared being scolded by Mrs. Zhang if she told the truth too directly.
Mrs. Gao's eyes seemed to see through everything. "People who have endured many hardships no longer care about such things. As long as they can survive, they don't worry about anything else. Just having something to eat and not starving is enough. Never mind not rinsing your mouth, they'll even eat food handled with dirty hands, or that has gone moldy or been gnawed on by rats and dogs."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood.
Mrs. Zhang glared at Gu Jiu and snatched the flatbread from her hand. "If you're not going to eat, then don't! Stop being so picky! The head of the household only gets one flatbread after all this hard work. How can that be enough?"
Gu Jiu reached out her hand. "I'll eat it, it's fine."
Coming from an advanced era, even food vendors who didn't wear gloves were considered unsanitary. She just needed to mentally prepare herself. A bit of squeamishness was fine, but she still had to eat.
Oldest Xie turned and scolded his wife, "She's an adult now, stop throwing a tantrum like a child. If she doesn't want to eat it, leave it for the children."
Mrs. Zhang huffed and put the flatbread away, refusing to give it to anyone.
Fifth Xie, carrying a large bundle on his shoulder, took a bite of his flatbread and came over with a grin. "Fifth Brother will share half with you?"
Fifth Xie and Xie Zhan were twins, about the same age, but with completely opposite personalities. One was calm and aloof, the other lively and unrestrained.
They did not even look alike. Xie Zhan had an otherworldly, celestial beauty that made him stand out in any crowd.
Fifth Xie was also handsome, but in a way that was just slightly more handsome than an average person—sunny and amiable, still within the normal range.
Gu Jiu glanced at the half-eaten flatbread, resigned, and tore off a piece with thanks. "Thank you, Fifth Brother."
Fifth Xie was delighted to be called Fifth Brother and laughed heartily, giving Gu Jiu's head a couple of pats. "If you can't walk, just call out, and Fifth Brother will carry you. I'm very strong, you know."
Xie Daji was not pleased and pointed at Gu Jiu. "She's about the same age as me, how can she be my aunt? That won't do. Gu Jiu, you should be my sister instead, and I'll be your brother."
He asked, "You're not older than me, are you? You're so short after all."
Gu Jiu: ...
I'm not angry, I won't get angry with a little brat.
Still sounding a bit annoyed, she said, "My birthday is in June, I'll be twelve soon."
"Ah? I thought you weren't even ten yet, but you're actually older than me. I'm eleven, so I'll let you be my older sister," Xie Daji said.
Gu Jiu: Thanks, but I don't feel comforted at all.
Fifth Xie said, "That won't do, we just got a little celestial sister, you can't make her your niece. If you want a sister, have your sister-in-law give birth to one for you."
Mrs. Zhang had also been listening intently. At first, she was secretly delighted. It had been so many years since her eldest son was born, and she had not had another child. Being able to have such a pretty, fair-skinned girl as her daughter would be wonderful.
But after hearing Fifth Xie's words, she glared at him fiercely. If the Xie family was destined to have a daughter, would they need to take one in?
Gu Jiu gave Fifth Xie a meaningful look. "Actually, I'd like to call you Fifth Younger Brother."
Up ahead, Xie Zhan stumbled slightly. Mrs. Gao shook her head with a helpless smile, while the others looked baffled, not understanding the implication of her words.
Second Xie laughed loudly after a delayed reaction. "You have quite an imagination. Our Fourth Brother is a real catch, with many pursuing him. You should just obediently become our family's daughter."
At this, Mrs. Zhang's heart, which had been unsettled as a mother with no daughter to dote on, suddenly turned cold. She glared at Xie Zhan. This wretched son, what was the point of being so devastatingly handsome, captivating even their new daughter's heart?
Xie Zhan: ...
What did I do wrong?
Mrs. Gao pondered, "Since Gu Jiu has already been taken in, it's fine for her to be a daughter. Or we could treat her as a child bride later on, it's up to the children. Either way, she'll be part of our family."
She made the final decision. "Alright, you brothers, you all need to cherish your sister from now on, understand? Daji, Erqing, Sanyou, Siyu, from now on you must call Gu Jiu 'Aunt'. Did you hear that?"
Oldest Xie and his brothers happily agreed. The younger ones had no objections either and obediently called her Aunt.
Only Xie Daji, after looking at Gu Jiu's short stature several times, reluctantly called her Aunt.
Gu Jiu responded with "Mm-hmm", suddenly gaining several nephews without any sort of gift. She could only plan to make it up to them later when she had money.
Mrs. Gao was in high spirits, finally having a daughter of her own. Her eyes scanned her new daughter's face with great satisfaction.
While the Xie family's mood was light and easygoing, not at all like refugees, the atmosphere at the back of the procession remained oppressive, further highlighting the Xie family's open-mindedness.
The group had been walking for the morning when they passed through Dahu Village and saw that a large section of the wheat fields had already been harvested, with only the stubble remaining.
The villagers from Dahuai Village felt envious upon seeing this, as Dahu Village was closer to Immortal Dwelling Mountain, giving them about a day and a half's head start to harvest some grain, so they would not go hungry on the road.
At noon, they found a shady spot under a tree to rest, still without time to cook, so they continued eating their dry rations.
The Xie family's meal consisted of a hard, miscellaneous grain dumpling for each person that could probably be used as a weapon. The younger brothers each had an additional sweet potato.
Gu Jiu and Mrs. Gao were also given a sweet potato each.
Gu Jiu looked at the extra sweet potato in his hand, and passed it to Xie Siyu, "You eat this one, it's soft."
Xie Siyu hadn't gotten to know Gu Jiu well yet, as he went to see his mother.
Mrs. Sun hurriedly took the sweet potato and gave it to Gu Jiu, "He's just a little boy, how could he eat so much, you eat it quickly."
