Traveling Through Farmhouses: Taking the Baby on a Famine Escape

At dawn, urged on by the crowing of roosters, Zhang Xixi, still having a sweet dream, sat up groggily. Why was there a rooster crowing? I went back to my hometown.

She opened her eyes and looked at the simply furnished room in front of her, and the hard bed with straw mats under her, and instantly woke up.

Oh, I've already time-traveled!

Although I knew from my memory last night that this family was very poor, seeing the mud walls on all four sides of the house, with visible cracks in the walls, the uneven mud floor, and the dilapidated table in the middle of the house that could barely stand, with a teapot and a teacup on it.

This family was poorer than Zhang Xixi could have imagined; even rats probably wouldn't want to visit!

Zhang Xixi looked at the quilt again. Fortunately, it had no patches, but it was too thin. Luckily it was summer; it would have been freezing in winter.

They have the same name, but I wonder if they look the same!

Zhang Xixi quickly sat up and picked up the most valuable item in the house, a small bronze mirror, which was on the bedside table.

She stared in shock at the haggard, rough, sallow, and somewhat weathered face she saw in the mirror!

Wasn't the original owner only 24 years old? How come she looks so old!

She looks even worse than an old hag! It's so sad to look at her like this. It's such a waste of her looks!

"System, you have to take responsibility for my current state!"

system:"……"

"Isn't there anything good for beauty and skin care?"

System: "Yes, but the host's current luck value is 0."

Zhang Xixi thought for a moment, "System, shouldn't there be a newbie gift pack?"

System: "Host, would you like to check your newbie gift pack now?"

"certainly"

System: "Please check your newbie gift pack, host!"

Zhang Xixi looked at the light screen in front of her, which read: One beginner health pill, one pair of protective shoes, and one map.

Zhang Xixi clicked "accept," and the gift arrived in her hands. She picked up the cloth shoes and looked at them. The quality was good, but they were very ordinary. However, they were much better than the original owner's shoes. She could wear them for now.

System: These shoes can relieve fatigue and protect your feet from injury. You really don't know what you're talking about!

She picked up the map again and saw that it depicted the Tianmu Mountains. Could there be gold and silver treasures hidden in the mountains? She asked excitedly, "System, could this be a treasure map?"

System: "Please don't overthink it, host. This is just a normal map."

Zhang Xixi rolled her eyes. Compared to the newbie gift packs for female protagonists in the novels she had read before, this was far too stingy!

Aside from this health-preserving pill which is somewhat useful, what the rest are just rubbish!

"System, were you sent here as a relegation mission?!"

System: "..." This host is so unlikable!

Seeing that she didn't hear a reply, Zhang Xixi muttered, "Nobody likes to hear the truth these days!" She put on her shoes, went to the table, poured a bowl of water, and put the health pill in her mouth.

She had just put down the bowl when an old woman pushed open the door, followed by two identical little boys.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xixi recalled that this should be the original owner's mother, Chen Lianhong, and her two children.

The working people of ancient times were really suffering. They were only in their forties, yet their temples were already gray and their faces were covered with wrinkles.

When Chen saw Zhang Xixi wake up, she quickly came over and hugged her tightly, saying happily, "Daughter, you're finally awake! You scared your mother to death!"

Zhang Xixi didn't know what to do for a moment, so she remained silent.

Chen didn't pay much attention, assuming her daughter was still grieving, and continued to comfort her, saying, "Even though your son-in-law is gone, you still have us, and you still have two children!"

Yes, in my memory, the original owner fainted and developed a high fever after hearing the news of her husband's death in battle. Then she went to the Western Paradise!

Amitabha! My tolerance for stress is too low!

Madam Chen released Zhang Xixi, looked into her eyes solemnly and said, "Xixi, promise your mother, for the sake of the children and for us, you must be strong. There is no hurdle you cannot overcome!"

"Xixi, promise your mother, okay?"

Looking at the pleading in the old woman's eyes, Zhang Xixi felt a pang of sympathy and immediately replied, "Okay."

At this moment, Da Bao and Er Bao slowly walked forward, raised their heads, and looked at her with their big eyes.

"Mother, how are you?"

"Mom, are you feeling better?"

Zhang Xixi stared blankly at the two thin, sallow-faced children in front of her, dressed in patched clothes! These were the original owner's children—no, they were her children now! They were so adorable!

She had never even been in a relationship, yet she already had two grown children. She became a mother the moment she transmigrated—she was overjoyed! This was exactly what she had dreamed of in her previous life: to have her own children without the pain of pregnancy and childbirth.

Zhang Xixi happily knelt down and hugged the two children, but they were so thin; the seven-year-olds looked like five, clearly suffering from severe malnutrition. It seemed she needed to work hard to earn money. She was determined to raise her little darlings to be plump and healthy, so everyone would love them!

Looking at the mother and her two children embracing each other, Mrs. Chen wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. It was so good that her daughter had woken up!

Just then, a voice called out from the courtyard, "Mother, Mother, is my sister awake yet?"

Hearing her second son's loud voice, Chen immediately went outside, saying, "Your sister is awake, don't worry!"

Zhang Xixi came out with her two sons. Looking at her second brother Zhang Wenhong, who was tall and strong with a dignified appearance, she thought, "He really is a man who often goes hunting in the mountains. Just by looking at his physique, you can tell he is very strong!"

"Second brother, I'm all better now!"

Zhang Wenhong was overjoyed to see his sister and exclaimed, "Sister, you're finally awake! That's wonderful!" However, when he thought of the news he had just heard, his face was filled with worry.

"Second brother, what happened?"

"I heard from Father that we might have to flee the famine. He asked me to inform you to go to the clan chief's house to discuss it."

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Xixi and Chen Shi's expressions changed!

At this moment, Zhang Xixi felt like a million grass mud horses were flashing through her mind. Was the power of the double effect really that great? This miserable life, God, do you just not want to see me have any good things?

Madam Chen was also worried, "Second Brother, the situation has become so serious that we have to flee!"

"Yes, Mother, there's not much water left in the village well. In a few days, it might be completely dry. We're also out of food, and there's still fighting at the border. If we don't leave soon, we'll starve to death. So this morning, the village elders held a meeting at Chief Zhou's house and decided to flee the famine. But we haven't decided where to go yet. After breakfast, we'll have one person from each household come to discuss it."

Zhang Xixi thought that given the current situation, fleeing the famine was inevitable. "Mom, let's eat first, we'll talk about it later." Eating is the most important thing in the world!

Ms. Chen agreed, saying, "Yes, let's eat first. I've already prepared everything."

Zhang Wenhong refused, saying, "I've already eaten, and I still need to notify the other families! You guys go ahead and eat!" With that, he strode out.

After Zhang Xixi and the others finished breakfast, they told the two children to stay home and rest. Then Zhang Xixi and she went out. One of them went home to check on the situation at home, while the other followed the route she remembered to the Zhou clan chief's house, which should be her eldest cousin's house.