An orphan girl from a farming family: Everyday farming in the mountains during natural disasters

At night, the cave was illuminated by warm yellow firelight. Three members of the Fang family sat around the fire. Two covered pots were burning on the fire. White hot air came out of the gaps, swirling and floating gently upwards.

"It's almost cooked, ready to eat." Fang's mother took a wet cloth, wrapped the lid of the pot and opened it, steam rose from the pot.

"Let's eat this pot of wild vegetable soup. Let's keep the pot of egg and wild vegetable soup warm." Father Fang said to his wife and daughter.

I was lucky a few days ago. I went out to look for food and found three eggs in a pile of grass.

Seeing that the fainted woman was too weak, Fang's mother broke an egg and boiled it.

After each person finished eating a bowl of vegetable soup with more soup than vegetables, Fang Xiaoyu looked worriedly at the face of the fainted woman lying on the straw bed not far away.

After bringing the person back, the mother and daughter of the Fang family used warm water to clean the dirt on the fainted woman's body and changed her into a set of clean old clothes.

The Fang family went to wash the dishes and pack up. Qian Yurou, who was lying on the straw bed, listened to the noise, quietly opened her eyes, looked at them with their backs to her, and her gaze finally fell on the steaming clay pot on the charcoal fire.

There was a look of thought and doubt in her eyes.

This family doesn't look like evil people who would do bad things.

"Uh."

Qian Yurou pretended to have just woken up. She raised her hands to press her head, sat up, and looked around blankly.

"Wake up, the girl is awake."

"Finally woke up, everything will be fine after waking up."

The mother and daughter of the Fang family ran over happily.

Mr. Fang was a man, so it was inconvenient for him to get close, so he stood at a certain distance and watched.

Through conversation, the Fang family learned that Qian Yurou had just lost her relatives and was wandering alone in the mountains looking for food, and fainted from hunger.

Qian Yurou, who was lying, had a wandering look in her eyes and felt uneasy. She looked at the Fang family and saw that they did not doubt her but looked at her with pity. Fang Xiaoyu went to make a bowl of egg and wild vegetable soup and fed her with a wooden spoon.

Fang's mother even held her hand to comfort her, telling her not to worry and that she could live with them first and make plans later.

Although Mr. Fang didn't say anything, he nodded in agreement with what his wife and daughter said.

Qian Yurou stared at them in a daze, her eyes red. She instantly felt as if she had returned to her family's old home, living a simple and warm life.

Her heart, which had been broken and cold, was gradually warming up.

In this way, Qian Yurou lived in the Fang family shelter.

Every few days, the Fang family would take her out to look for food, and Qian Wentao, who was secretly following them, would look for opportunities to find her and ask about the situation.

At the beginning, the Fang family didn't tell Qian Yurou too many things, even if she asked indirectly, they wouldn't say anything. Later, as they spent more time together, they talked about some topics and unconsciously talked about their previous life in the village, and inevitably talked about some things about getting along with the Li family.

After hearing this, Qian Yurou became more confused. The Li family described by the Fang family were kind-hearted and helpful, which was different from what her brother said.

In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

That day, the Fang family went to a farther place and came to a river to look for food.

Halfway through the walk, Fang Xiaoyu pinched the hem of her clothes, her cheeks flushed, and whispered, "Dad, Mom, should we go back to our original residence to take a look? Brother Youmao and the others don't know that we moved out more than a month ago."

After they followed the Li family up the mountain, they originally lived in a cave by the river. Everything was fine at first, but later there was a flood at the foot of the mountain. There were more and more refugees on the mountain, and the jealous people set their eyes on the cave.

For safety reasons, Mr. Fang found a cave farther away, which is the shelter they are currently living in.

"Yes, it would be bad if Youmao and the others come here for something and don't see us, so we'd go and see them on our way." Fang's mother said to Fang's father.

"it is good."

Qian Yurou was not unfamiliar with the name Youmao. She had heard her brother talk about the situation of the Li family.

Hearing the conversation of the Fang family, she looked back nervously. Her brother's men were still following them. What should she do if she really met the Li family later?

Qian Yurou clenched her hands and looked at the backs of the three people from the Fang family walking in front of her, her eyes full of painful struggle.

With every step she took, it felt like she was stepping not on the ground but on a blade, and every step made her feel sad and uneasy.

Soon, they came to hide near a river cave. There were several people walking in and out of the cave, and they all looked unfamiliar.

After waiting here for a long time, after noon, Mr. Fang said he was leaving and would come to visit next time.

Fang Xiaoyu was a little disappointed, but didn't say anything. She also knew that the mountain was not peaceful and it would not be good to stay there for too long.

They didn't notice that Qian Yurou let out a sigh of relief.

On the way back, Qian Wentao, who was squatting near the Fang family shelter, came over and found an opportunity to secretly contact Qian Yurou. "I heard that the Fang family took you to the river today. What did they go there for?"

Qian Yurou's heart skipped a beat. She blinked twice in nervousness. "They said there's no food near our place, so we need to look for it somewhere farther away."

"Just to find food?" Qian Wentao stared at his sister.

She faced the other person's pressing gaze and nodded yes.

After parting with Qian Wentao and returning to the Fang family, Qian Yurou's skin under her clothes on her back was covered with a dense layer of cold sweat. She staggered, but Fang Xiaoyu was quick to catch her and prevent her from falling.

Three days later, the Fang family went to the river cave again, but still did not meet the Li family.

Mr. Fang thought that there were too many people there and it was too dangerous to go there so frequently, so he decided not to go there in the short term.

One morning six days later, Fang Xiaoyu got up quietly and left the house without disturbing anyone.

Qian Yurou woke up early and just saw Fang Xiaoyu go out.

There is no toilet in the residence, and one needs to go outside to take care of personal matters.

She thought Fang Xiaoyu had gone out to the toilet, but then she recalled that she had been losing her appetite and tossing and turning every night in recent days.

Through observation, she found that Fang Xiaoyu was very concerned about Chen Youmao, and it was not difficult to guess that he should be Fang Xiaoyu's sweetheart.

Oh no, is Xiaoyu going to sneak to the cave by the river to wait for Chen Youmao?

Qian Yurou's expression changed drastically. She quickly got up, put on her slippers and chased after him.

Fortunately, Qian Yurou caught up in time and stopped Fang Xiaoyu, "Xiaoyu, my stomach hurts, can you accompany me to the toilet?"

"Sister Yurou, I'll go with you, but later I..."

There were people following them, and Qian Yurou was afraid that Fang Xiaoyu would let the cat out of the bag, so she pulled the person and ran into the bushes.

Squatting in the bushes, Qian Yurou deliberately delayed time until Fang's father and mother got up.

Seeing that everyone in the family had gotten up, Fang Xiaoyu was secretly worried.

After returning to the cave and isolating herself from the outside eyes, Qian Yurou secretly found Fang Xiaoyu and asked, "Xiaoyu, do you want to go to the cave by the river?"

"Shh." Fang Xiaoyu was afraid that her parents would hear her, so she pulled Qian Yurou to a more secluded place. "I don't want them to worry, but I'm also worried about Brother Mao and the others. I'll feel at ease if I can see them."

"Don't worry. Aren't we going out today? I'll find a way to let you go later." Qian Yurou was thinking about finding an opportunity to delay the person who was following her, or get rid of him.