Returning to that familiar place, Lu Jinnian breathed a sigh of relief; she was finally back.
She had been delayed for a while because she needed to check on the surrounding situation.
Otherwise, she would have returned much sooner and wouldn't have been delayed for so long.
"Big Sister is back!" Lu Jinqiu saw her from afar and hurriedly called out.
The people in the shack came out, and seeing that it was indeed her, they rushed out to welcome her.
"Big Sister." Lu Jincheng saw that she was carrying quite a few things, including an iron pot, and was instantly very surprised.
"Where did this pot come from?" He was extremely puzzled; the family had no money, so how did she suddenly get a pot?
Lu Jinnian replied, "I traded two rabbits for this before I left. I picked up some medicinal herbs that were quite valuable, so I was able to buy it. Let's go inside first."
To be honest, she was a bit tired after walking the whole way; she had been walking for a full day without rest, and she couldn't go on like this.
Lu Jinqiu, standing beside her, also noticed her exhausted expression, so he helped carry the things and followed her inside.
However, because the pot was so heavy, his eyes suddenly turned red.
How long had Big Sister been gone? Carrying such heavy things...
Lu Jinnian didn't notice their unusual behavior. She went inside, set down the quilts, and said, "These are used quilts I bought from someone else. Even though they've been used, they are in very good condition and much cheaper than new ones."
Hearing this, everyone noticed the quilts behind her, and everyone was very happy.
"This time we actually have quilts!" Lu Jinxin was the happiest, because she had been constantly woken up by the cold during the past two nights.
The other two boys were a bit more resistant to the cold than her, but things couldn't continue like this.
"Big Sister, I smell meat?" Lu Jinqiu sniffed the air.
It wasn't that they hadn't noticed the quilts on Lu Jinnian's back, but rather that they had smelled the meat first, so everyone's attention was drawn to the scent.
Looking at the expressions of her younger siblings as they swallowed hard, Lu Jinnian smiled, then took a paper package out of her cloth bag.
Once opened, there were four meat buns inside, and the aroma immediately wafted out.
"Wow! Buns!" Lu Jinqiu's drool was practically running out.
They were children after all, and the others were the same.
However, Lu Jincheng turned his head away and did not continue to look.
Lu Jinnian divided the buns, and when she reached Lu Jincheng, she finally noticed the boy.
"What's wrong? Here, Little Cheng, eat a bun." She handed him one.
Lu Jincheng did not take it, saying, "Big Sister, you eat it. I'm not hungry. You've been working too hard lately, so eat more. I am also an older brother."
That was right; he was also an older brother, and he should yield to his younger siblings.
Although the eldest didn't need to yield, he knew all too well what kind of hard work Lu Jinnian had been doing lately.
He wouldn't die of hunger if he didn't eat this bun, so he should let Lu Jinnian eat it instead.
Hearing this, Lu Jinnian looked at him in surprise, then smiled. "Little Cheng, I have one too. Let's each have one. When you grow up, you can help me with many things; you don't necessarily have to starve yourself now."
She was very happy that the child could understand her, but none of that was necessary; as long as they could grow up safely, it wouldn't be in vain for her hard work.
Hearing her say this, Lu Jincheng hesitantly took the bun.
Then he would eat his fill and do more work!
After eating the buns, they skipped dinner. Although Lu Jinnian had bought a lot of rice, it would eventually run out.
Their stomachs had shrunk from hunger, so they would eat as little as possible.
Lu Jinnian sent them to collect branches, while she took an axe to chop wood about the thickness of a human wrist.
This wood was specifically for building a house; since there were no caves nearby, they had to build a house.
(End of Chapter)