Chapter 14
All Kind People
With so much food, the Ning family was relieved. Everyone could eat and drink sparingly for a while.
It was late and everyone should be asleep. The men took turns keeping watch while the women and children rested. Ning Yue slept with the two children with Madam He, who held her hand tightly, as if she was afraid she would disappear again.
“I was really scared to death these past few days. Fortunately, you guys are fine. In the future, you have to follow closely behind Mother and don’t get lost, understand?” Madam He couldn’t sleep and instructed Ning Yue.
Ning Yue replied, “Okay.”
Her three younger brothers were also sleeping at the side, teasing Xiaobao and Xiaobei from time to time. The two little guys were probably happy too. They waved their little hands and giggled with their uncles.
After a while, Ning Yue got up and used the excuse of going to relieve herself to make milk for the two children. Then, she took it back and fed it to them. Seeing the way she fed them, Madam He felt very curious. “What is this?”
“It was also given by that kind person. I don’t know what it is either. He even gave me some powder and soaked it in water for the children to drink. It’s good for their health.” Ning Yue directly made it up. The others had never seen such a thing before, so it was easier to muddle through. She just credited a kind person.
The two children finished their milk and burped. Ning Yue quickly put the milk bottle in her arms.
Madam He was amazed. “Perhaps it’s something from the capital or a trick from the Western Regions. There are many strange things in those places that are quite convenient. Some women don’t have milk, and children can drink something like this to fill their stomachs. They will choke to death if they eat rice paste when they’re born!”
Ning Yue was very surprised to hear this from Madam He. She did not blame the woman for not feeding the children. Instead, she spoke in a very natural and ordinary tone. She also knew that children who were too young would easily choke to death if they ate solid food.
“What did I eat as a child, Mother?” Silang, the youngest, asked curiously.
“You ate weeds!” Madam Harris teased her youngest son.
Silang pouted. “I don’t believe you. I must have grown up eating mushy food!”
Balang helped his mother fool his brother. “It’s just weeds. I was watching!”
“How old were you at that time? Two or three. How can you remember so much? Mother, Brother is lying!” Silang wheedled.
Ning Yue listened to the family’s conversation and smiled. It felt good. Even in a natural disaster, it was an experience to be able to live with her family and have fun.
She looked at the two children resting in her arms. They had fallen asleep after the milk. Their long eyelashes were curled. Their pink mouths were slightly open as they snored.
Ning Yue slept well that night. She was surrounded by people she loved and who loved her.
When Ning Yue woke up the next morning, the others had already started packing, and the women were distributing breakfast.
Half a steamed bun or dry biscuit for each person. Then, they would drink a little water and have breakfast.
The village chief of the Ning Family Village sent someone to inform Old Master Ning that they were about to set off again. Everyone continued heading south.
Old Master Ning replied, “Alright, we’ll set off immediately.”
Ning Guang and Ning Yue had already returned. They had nothing to worry about anymore. They just had to focus on traveling.
The entire Ning Family Village was in this forest. When they escaped from the Ning Family Village, there were more than 80 families in the village, totaling about 200 people. Now, there were only more than 80 people left. Some had starved to death, some had contracted diseases, some had been abducted, and some had died from heatstroke.
As for Ning Yue’s family, they were the largest family in the Ning Family Village. They were also the only family without any casualties.
Old Master Ning was very famous in the Ning Family Village. Even the village chief, Ning Baijia, had to address him respectfully as “Second Master Ning”. This was because Old Master Ning and the village chief’s family were relatives in the family tree. Although it had been a few generations, they were still respectful and orderly.
Ning Yue’s three younger brothers were very sensible. Along the way, they fought to carry the children for her, and so did her other cousins.
Therefore, she was not actually tired. It was just that her body was not strong enough. In the past, she would run with weights every day and undergo all kinds of manual training. Her stamina was very strong.
In contrast, a group of grown men was the most tired. They took turns pushing the cart. Some of the children couldn’t walk anymore, so the men had to carry them.
“Not good!!” Suddenly, the crowd became restless. Someone rushed to Old Master Ning and said, “Dad, Third Brother suddenly can’t take it anymore!”
That person was Meng Laosan’s wife, Ning Yue’s third aunt, Madam Qi.