"Wonderful, let's go inside and warm up by the fire, and have something to eat," Luo Juan said happily.
The two first found some dry branches around the dilapidated temple. Both were used to doing chores and quickly gathered two large bundles of firewood.
Inside the ruined temple, the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust, indicating it had been uninhabited for a long time.
The two skillfully struck a fire with flint and steel. Watching the flames "crackled" and rise, they both let out a long sigh of relief.
Luo Juan took out two white flour steamed buns from her earlier bundle, threaded them onto sticks, and placed them by the fire to roast.
As the white flour steamed buns were roasted, soon the aroma of wheat filled the air. Both of them couldn't help but drool.
"This is so delicious! I haven't had white flour steamed buns in so long," Wang Daya said with delight, taking a hearty bite of the soft, warm bun.
Just then, they suddenly heard the temple door creak open.
"Huh? Someone's coming? Could it be bad people?"
The two quickly hid their food.
The temple door opened, revealing a pair of young masters with distinguished bearing. The one in front was tall and slender, with fair, glowing skin and a face like a painting. He was clearly from a wealthy family.
The boy behind him was slightly younger, equally handsome. He kept looking up at the taller young master, seemingly regarding him as the leader.
"Two elder sisters, we'd like to stay for the night. Don't worry, we're not bad people and won't disturb you," Gu Qingcheng, still dressed as a boy, said.
Dressing as a man made it easier to travel the martial world. Since she had changed into men's clothing, she encountered far less harassment and odd stares.
Although the two girls were wary, seeing their young age and polite words, their expressions relaxed considerably.
Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo also started a fire on the other side of the ruined temple. To avoid suspicion, they brought out some meat buns and meatballs to roast.
Gu Qingcheng took out two bamboo-covered thermos flasks from her storage cabinet and handed one to Mi Guo.
Sipping the steaming hot tea and enjoying the grilled food, their bodies, frozen all day, gradually warmed up. They felt quite content.
Seeing so many people leave the city for the south that day, Gu Qingcheng felt extremely pleased.
The supplies collected at great risk during the extreme cold weather were finally useful.
Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.
The system rewarded her with 50 "satisfaction points."
As Gu Qingcheng ate and drank, she noticed the two girls still seemed wary, occasionally glancing at them and observing them. She smiled at them kindly.
Then, Gu Qingcheng took two skewers of meatballs and stepped forward, offering them.
"These meatballs have a filling inside. Be careful when you eat them; they're molten, and also be careful of the heat."
Wang Daya waved her hand and said, "No need, we have our own food."
"Yes, we've had enough to eat," Luo Juan said, feeling a good impression of the refined-looking Gu Qingcheng, but still unable to relax her guard.
Although they didn't dare to accept her food, their attitude had clearly softened.
Gu Qingcheng didn't insist. She walked back to her own campfire, gave one skewer of meatballs to Mi Guo, and they ate with relish.
Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo were eating so heartily. The aroma of the grilled meatballs was incredibly enticing, especially for those who hadn't eaten meat in a long time.
Wang Daya and Luo Juan couldn't resist the temptation and involuntarily swallowed.
The sound of swallowing was so loud, a distinct "gulup," that everyone around could hear it. Both their faces flushed with embarrassment.
For Wang Daya and Luo Juan, the white flour steamed buns were already the best food they could have eaten recently, but they still couldn't compare to the meat skewers in Gu Qingcheng's hands.
Of course, they wouldn't ask Gu Qingcheng for food, but the hunger in their stomachs was uncontrollable. Their stomachs rumbled like drums, and a slight sharp pain made them instinctively press their stomachs.
Gu Qingcheng grilled a few more skewers, this time with mushroom balls and sausages, which had even richer and more tempting flavors.
Wang Daya and Luo Juan's mouths were watering secretly. Fortunately, they had already eaten the white flour steamed buns. Otherwise, they might not have been able to resist the temptation and would have rushed to grab them by now.
"Two ladies, if you don't mind, I've grilled too many of these sausages and mushroom balls. They'll just freeze tomorrow if left here. Please take them if you're not put off," Gu Qingcheng said.
At this moment, Gu Qingcheng placed the freshly grilled skewers on a paper plate and held it out to Wang Daya and the others.
Wang Daya and Luo Juan looked up at Gu Qingcheng. They saw her clear eyes, devoid of any unsettling ill intent, and a genuine aura emanating from her.
The fragrant meatballs were right under their noses. Even if a god were to come, they had to eat their fill first.
Wang Daya and Luo Juan's mouths watered profusely. Faced with the aroma of meat, they could no longer suppress their desire to eat.
It was like a person who had vowed to go on a diet, after three days of starvation, finally surrendering to the temptation of delicious braised pork, giving in completely and devouring it, possibly even more than they originally intended.
This was a similar experience for Wang Daya and Luo Juan at that moment.
The crucial point was that, after observation, they felt they could trust Gu Qingcheng.
Gu Qingcheng had eaten the meatballs they had refused earlier and was perfectly fine. This time, they had also witnessed how she grilled the skewers, without a single extra or suspicious movement from beginning to end.
Moreover, before offering them, Gu Qingcheng herself had eaten two skewers.
With thorough observation and the temptation of delicious food, they finally gave up their resistance. They sheepishly accepted the paper plate from Gu Qingcheng, thanked her, and prepared to share the food.
Luo Juan held Wang Daya's hand and said, "You don't eat. I'll eat first."
Wang Daya was startled, then immediately understood. Luo Juan was rushing to eat, not to hoard it, but to test for poison herself.
Before Wang Daya could react, Luo Juan had already picked up a skewer of pork belly and taken a bite.
The pork belly was grilled to perfection, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It was seasoned with a superior sauce, though they didn't know what it was, it was very flavorful, savory, and delicious.
As Luo Juan bit into it, the fat from the pork belly exploded in her mouth, and the aroma of crispy meat went straight to her head.
Luo Juan was almost entranced. This was the most delicious grilled pork belly she had ever eaten. If it was poisoned, so be it. She was unwilling to stop eating.
After finishing the pork belly, she ate the grilled gluten and meatballs. About fifteen minutes passed, and Luo Juan's body showed no abnormalities. Only then did she allow Wang Daya to eat with peace of mind.
Seeing Luo Juan eating with such joy, Wang Daya had been waiting impatiently. As soon as she heard Luo Juan tell her to eat, she eagerly stuffed the pork belly into her mouth.
The second she put the meat in her mouth, her face also showed an expression of bliss.
Their eating was more hurried and less graceful than they had imagined.
But as they chewed and the delicious meat exploded in their mouths, they no longer cared about the potential danger of eating someone else's food.