The rain outside gradually weakened, yet showed no sign of stopping. A cold wind blew from an unknown direction, making the tall ginkgo tree outside the temple gate sway and dance.
Curiously, the ginkgo tree seemed unaffected by the drought. Its lush leaves, washed by the rain, took on an even deeper green.
Through the ginkgo leaves, Fu Xin Ci gazed at the silhouette of the entire mountain, which appeared more profound and secluded amidst the misty rain.
For a moment, Fu Xin Ci became engrossed, as if she were in a landscape painting rendered in ink by a master artist.
Seeing his sister resting her cheek on her hand and gazing outside, Yu Er smiled and wiggled closer, sitting beside her.
Fu Xin Ci turned her head. The siblings exchanged a knowing glance and a silent smile.
Watching the siblings huddled together, Meng Qing Ping felt a warmth spread through his heart.
Another gust of cold wind swept in, and Yu Er habitually burrowed into his sister's embrace. Fu Xin Ci held Yu Er's slender little body, a pang of sadness in her heart.
Her low mood lasted only a moment before a good idea sparked in her mind. She stealthily scanned her surroundings, noticing that no one except her grandfather was paying attention to them. Fu Xin Ci then broke a peeled quail egg in half and put it into Yu Er's mouth.
"Mmm..." Yu Er was about to ask what his sister was giving him, when he saw her wink at him.
The clever Yu Er stopped questioning and, nestled in his sister's arms, slowly chewed with his mouth covered.
"Mmm." The savory and fragrant taste was delicious. The little one leaned contentedly against his sister, savoring it, unwilling to swallow.
By the time Qi He approached, the little one had already finished the quail egg. Seeing Qi Ge squatting beside him, he felt a pang of guilt for not saving any for him.
Sensing Yu Er's little hand tugging at her clothes, Fu Xin Ci nodded in understanding before he could speak.
Yu Er felt his sister was even smarter than him; she knew and agreed with his thoughts before he even voiced them.
Heh heh, Sister is so smart, as smart as Grandpa.
Qi He, unaware of the subtle interaction between the siblings, leaned in to whisper in their ears.
"Sister Fu, Yu Er, I asked Grandpa Jiang earlier, and it seems we'll have to spend the night in this dilapidated temple."
As Qi He spoke, he looked up at the several holes of varying sizes in the roof. Rain poured through the openings, forming puddles on the ground.
"Sigh." Qi He glanced again, and with disdain, continued, "This dump leaks from the roof and is drafty everywhere. It's still raining outside, and who knows when it will stop."
Fu Xin Ci understood Qi He's implied meaning. Disdaining the dilapidated mountain god temple was one thing; another was his restlessness and desire to go out.
Although Qi He was active and mischievous, his actions were usually reliable. He wanted to go out not to play, but to find some food.
He was at the age where growing boys could eat their parents out of house and home. Although Grandpa Jiang had given him a bowl of gruel and a pancake earlier,
which might seem like a lot to others, it was far from enough for a growing Qi He, only managing to fill him up halfway.
Thus, he sat beside Fu Xin Ci and Yu Er, racking his brains again. The reason was simple: his thoughts were the same as Yu Er's. Sister Fu was smarter than him. Working with Sister Fu to find food, even if they didn't return with a bounty, they wouldn't come back empty-handed.
Fu Xin Ci had the same idea. Hearing Qi He's words, she smiled with pursed lips. Seeing this, Qi He knew their thoughts aligned.
The two young boys quickly reached a consensus. Fu Xin Ci then quietly told Yu Er to return to his grandfather's side.
The little one was initially unwilling, wanting to go with his sister and Qi Ge.
But his sister told him it was still raining outside, and getting wet would make him sick.
Thinking of his sister's earlier condition, Yu Er became scared. He hugged his sister's neck and urged her to return quickly.
"Okay, Yu Er, be a good boy. Sister will definitely bring back delicious food."
Hearing his sister promise to bring back food, Yu Er obediently returned to his grandfather's side to wait.
Meng Qing Ping tried to stop them, but Fu Xin Ci gave her grandfather a reassuring look and then pulled on Qi He's sleeve, heading towards the temple gate.
Qi Shan and Qi Tian, who had been watching them, saw Fu Xin Ci and Qi He walking towards the temple gate. They immediately stood up and followed.
Hearing movement behind them, Fu Xin Ci and Qi He turned around simultaneously. Seeing it was the two brothers, they both nodded and smiled without speaking.
Qi He followed Fu Xin Ci's lead. In his eyes, Sister Fu was not only smart but also exceptionally lucky.
Although Qi Shan and Qi Tian were elders, their survival skills were clearly inferior to Qi He's. Since they were no match for Qi He, it was natural to follow the lead of this "niece."
The mountain god temple faced south. Exiting the temple gate, Fu Xin Ci led the way, walking east along the wall under the eaves, minimizing or avoiding rain exposure.
However, avoiding the rain entirely was impossible. Looking at the water curtains of rain falling from the eaves, Qi He and the other two boys’ eyes were drawn to the lush green wild vegetables splashed by the raindrops.
"Heh heh, this Aster scaber isn't too old yet." Qi He, indifferent to getting wet, squatted down and began plucking the tender leaves.
Qi Shan and Qi Tian followed suit, mimicking Qi He's actions.
Fu Xin Ci: Are the Aster scaber this time of year really too old to eat?
However, she kept this thought to herself. In the post-apocalyptic world, ordinary people, just to survive, would eat anything edible.
Thinking this way, even the older Aster scaber could be considered edible.
But she didn't want to eat it. She had plenty of food in her space; she didn't want to compromise.
Needing a valid reason to bring out her supplies, Fu Xin Ci, like a thief, sidled along the wall, moving slowly like a crab. After a few zhang, she was almost at the corner. She cautiously looked back, seeing the three boys engrossed in plucking vegetables, occasionally discussing how to prepare the Aster scaber.
Qi He suggested making soup and asked Grandpa Jiang if they could add cornmeal to it for a perfect meal.
Qi Shan and Qi Tian wholeheartedly agreed. The three were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't notice her actions.
Fu Xin Ci quickly turned the corner. Although there were tall grasses here for concealment, she still carefully surveyed the surroundings. Assured that no one was around, she ignored the rain hitting her and decisively dug out the largest-looking potato seedling from her space and planted it in the muddy soil at her feet.