Crossing the famine to find the white moonlight

Ye Wan gradually adapted to the desolation and hardship of troubled times and came to understand the importance of survival. However, she was not alone in this world. During her difficult life in the village, she got to know her "family"—her mother, Ye Cui Niang, and her younger brother, Ye Er Shun.

When Ye Wan first learned she wasn't alone, she felt a glimmer of hope. She longed for some support and warmth from her family, even if it meant supporting each other in these turbulent times. However, reality was heartbreakingly cruel. Ye Wan brought Xiaotong to Ye Cui Niang's residence, only to discover her mother lived in a simple, dilapidated thatched cottage in the village. The cottage was drafty, the furniture shabby, and the air filled with a stale, musty smell.

Pushing open the door of the hut, Ye Wan whispered, "Mom, it's me, Awan." She walked in holding Xiaotong with some expectation.

Ye Cui Niang didn't respond immediately. Instead, she sat on the worn bamboo chair, slowly raised her head, and glanced at Ye Wan with a cold gaze, without any intimacy. Ye Wan's heart trembled slightly. She didn't know why, but just as she opened her mouth to say something, Ye Cui Niang interrupted her coldly.

"What are you doing here? You're holding a child. Do you want me to have another mouth to feed?" Ye Cui Niang's voice was calm and indifferent, as if she was examining a stranger.

Ye Wan felt a pang of pain in her heart. These cold words pierced her heart like a sharp knife. She suppressed her disappointment and tried to lower her voice, carefully responding, "Mom, I... just wanted to bring Xiaotong to see you."

However, Ye Cui Niang's face remained unchanged, instead showing a hint of impatience. "Look at me? What can you see? We can't even survive here, and we have to take care of you and that child? If you are sensible, you can find a way out on your own and don't drag us down."

These words chilled Ye Wan's heart. She felt an invisible barrier, as if she didn't belong in this family at all. She knew that Ye Cui Niang's gaze on her lacked a trace of maternal warmth; instead, it shone with a hint of defensiveness and indifference. The glimmer of hope she had held in her heart vanished in an instant.

Just then, her younger brother, Ye Ershun, entered the house. Ye Ershun was about ten years old, thin but with a stubborn look in his eyes. He wore shabby clothes and a hint of disdain in his eyes. Seeing Ye Wan, he couldn't help but sneer, "Sister, don't you have your own child? Why are you still coming to us? Do you still expect mother to give you food?"

Ye Wan forced a smile, trying to get closer. "Er Shun, I just came to see you guys. How are you doing recently?"

"Good? What's good about it?" Ye Ershun's voice was filled with sarcasm. "There's not enough food at home, do we have to share it with you? Sister, you know that life is not easy these days, so don't bother us."

Ye Wan's heart ached again. She had come with a tinge of longing, believing that even in troubled times, the bonds of blood, thicker than water, would always offer a warm comfort. But she found her mother and brother's attitudes incredibly cold, almost resistant and repulsive. It was as if her and Xiaotong's existence were a burden, an additional encumbrance. She realized that in this age of famine and hardship, family ties had become as thin as paper, even a burden to be avoided.

She felt a dull pain in her heart and was silent for a moment. Finally, she couldn't help but whispered, "Mom, Ershun... Aren't we a family? Why are you doing this to me?"

Ye Cui Niang smiled coldly, as if she thought her question was childish and ridiculous. "A family? How can you be considered a family if you're out there with your child and living like this? Ah Wan, if you expect to get anything from us, you're really mistaken. In this world, no one can protect themselves, so who has the energy to take care of you?"

Ye Wan's heart sank. She finally understood that this home wasn't a warm haven for her, but a cold, alienated corner. She gently hugged Xiao Tong tighter, as if wanting to warm the skinny child with her own warmth, and to comfort herself in the process.

At this time, Ye Cui Niang suddenly said: "If you really want us to live an easy life, then you'd better take that child away, so that we won't even have food to eat in the future."

Ye Wan felt a chill running through her bones, unable to even speak a word. Standing in the dilapidated hut, enduring the cold stares of her mother and brother, holding her child, she felt a mixture of pain and helplessness. She began to understand that in this world, she had only herself to rely on, and the only person she could rely on was the young Xiaotong in her arms.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and hold back the tears. Without another word, she turned around and carried Xiaotong out of the hut.

The moment she walked out of the house, she felt the pressure in her chest finally released. The icy air was biting and cold, but it made her mind clearer. She looked down at Xiaotong in her arms and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Xiaotong. I will take you to live with me."

She knew that in these troubled times, blood ties offered no warmth, much less salvation. All she could rely on was her own hands and her unwavering will. From then on, she no longer yearned for so-called "family affection," but instead silently resolved to carve out a path for herself and Xiaotong.

After this cold reception, Ye Wan came to a clearer understanding of the cruelty and ruthlessness of the world. She learned not to rely on others, but to fight for survival for herself and Xiaotong in this indifferent world. She began actively seeking ways to obtain food, observing her surroundings and making the most of the resources around her. She wanted to tell herself and Xiaotong that even in difficult circumstances, even without the so-called warmth of family, they must persevere in this chaotic world.

From that day on, Ye Wan stopped trying to get close to her mother and brother, and instead devoted all her energy to surviving in the village. Through odd jobs and helping out in the village, she learned how to find leftover food, extract nutrients from herbs, and find a glimmer of hope in the cracked, dry land.

In this chaotic era, Ye Wan gradually moved from being passive to being active, becoming a strong mother who struggles for survival.