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墨書 Inktalez
Due to the distance from the bustling village and the frequent noise made by livestock, the night in this remote Mountain Valley had long descended into tranquility.
A dreamless night passed.
As dawn approached, the soft voices of Zhou and Zi Lao Er could be heard outside.
Ziyan also got out of bed, stretching as she walked out the door, just in time to see Zhou putting a wild chicken and a wild rabbit, gifted by the Gu Family father and son yesterday, into a patched old burlap sack.
Then, using a bamboo water bottle he made himself, he filled it with tea from an Earthenware Tea Pot, likely for their journey.
At that moment, Zi Lao Er had just finished washing up and was dressed neatly as she walked towards the mother and daughter. Zhou casually handed over what he was carrying.
He also reminded them, "The earlier you go, the earlier you can return. If you come back early, you might still have time to check the river for some small fish or shrimp. We have very little rice and flour left at home; we need to conserve food since my daughter is still weak."
No wonder there was no rice for dinner last night; they only boiled a few sweet potatoes for soup. It turned out they had to save on rice and flour!
In an instant, Ziyan understood.
"Mm-hmm,"
Zi Lao Er nodded gently in response to Zhou before turning to Ziyan with another round of caring advice.
"My daughter, you just woke up yesterday and traveled so far on mountain roads yesterday afternoon. Today, you should rest at home. I will go visit your Grandma's House to see the Elderly Couple and bring these two small items to help them regain their strength. I'll also bring your sister back. Since you're still weak, it's too far to take you along to your Grandma's House."
After giving instructions to Ziyan, she waved goodbye to Zhou and said, "I'm leaving!"
Seeing Zhou nod, Zi Lao Er picked up the old burlap sack and strode along the riverbank into the distance.
In rural families during this era, breakfast was generally not eaten; there were only two meals a day: lunch and dinner.
After a night of rest and adjustment, Ziyan's mind and thoughts became clear and active. She also recalled that she was currently in a place called the Nanchu Kingdom, which had never been recorded in the history of the Twenty-First Century.
There were also three other countries named: Yunqi Kingdom, Hafan Kingdom, and Mongolian-Manchu Kingdom.
Among them, the Nanchu Kingdom was the most abundant in resources because it was located in the heart of this continent as well as in the Southwest, directly south, and southeast.
The climate was pleasant year-round. Compared to other countries, Yunqi Kingdom was very small, existing only in a corner of the Southwest and belonging to an alien tribe; Hafan Kingdom was located in the northwest part of this continent, belonging to the harsh snowy plateau; Mongolian-Manchu Kingdom was situated in the northern part of this continent and bordered the northeast and northwest regions, also inhabited by foreign tribes known for their fierce nomadic lifestyle.
Ziyan pulled her mind away from her memories and thought about what Zhou had mentioned earlier regarding their family's dwindling food supplies.
Thus, Ziyan decided to take a stroll by the river or around the edge of the forest, believing that there would be plenty to gather in this season. Thinking about the potential harvests, Ziyan turned around to grab the largest bamboo basket from the storage room when Zhou, who was preparing to wash clothes nearby, stopped her.
"Dear daughter, what are you going out for?"
Seeing Ziyan's determination, she suddenly realized what her daughter intended to do and quickly intervened: "You don't need to go. I'll finish washing clothes first and then go."
"Hey! No need for that. I'm just going to a place not far from here; there's no need to worry. Besides, hasn't that Mad Cow already been killed?" Ziyan argued back at her mother.
Remembering the past, this girl often went out alone to find food. If it weren't for the mad cow incident in the village that led her to flee into this remote Mountain Valley, her child would not have faced any other dangers.
In the end, Zhou hesitated for a moment but still stepped aside.
"Alright, but remember, don't wander too far. You absolutely must not go alone to the mountain across the way."
Ziyan let out a sigh of relief and replied with a "Okay," then lifted her skirt and walked toward the small riverbank in front of their home, carefully scanning both sides of the embankment as if searching for treasure.
At that moment, Zhou's voice came from behind, "Wait a minute, daughter. There are many venomous snakes at the start of spring; you should tie on some realgar."
Zhou hurried over to Ziyan and squatted down, tying a fist-sized bulging cloth bag around his daughter's left ankle.
Then he stood up, sighed in relief, and continued to remind her, "Make sure not to wander too far!"
Until Ziyan raised her hand to her ear in a gesture of assurance and urged, "My dear mother, your beloved daughter Ziyan solemnly promises: I will not wander far and will return home safely. You should hurry back and wash the clothes."
Zhou sighed helplessly and gently patted his daughter's head, saying affectionately, "You naughty girl!"
After saying that, he turned and headed back home.
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