Chapter 5

After decades of marriage, Mr. Chen quickly understood his wife’s intentions and cooperated, standing still and listening quietly.

They didn’t have to wait long to hear Sang Luo’s soft voice inside, instructing Shen An and Shen Ning to also drink some sugar water. A smile finally appeared on Mrs. Chen’s wrinkled face, and she motioned for her husband to quietly leave.

Unaware that she had been observed by Mrs. Chen, Sang Luo felt her strength gradually returning and was relieved to have averted the risk of sudden death. She naturally turned her attention to the two skinny children, almost as thin as bamboo sticks.

Thinking about how her own life was essentially saved by these two young ones, her heart was filled with gratitude and tenderness.

Shen An and Shen Ning were truly frightened this time. At first, when Sang Luo offered them the sugar-salt water, they vehemently shook their heads, refusing to take their sister-in-law’s "life-saving food." It wasn't until Sang Luo reassured them with a smile that she was much better and soon would be able to cook some porridge, confirming that she would not die of illness or hunger, that Shen Ning, upon having the bowl brought to her lips, cautiously sipped and swallowed the liquid. Seeing her sister-in-law and then her brother, she tentatively took a small sip.

The drink was sweet yet slightly salty, an odd combination, but for Shen Ning, who rarely tasted anything sweet except for a few wild berries like raspberries and blackberries from the mountain edge, even this faint sweetness was incredibly delightful. Her eyes and brows curved in joy from just a touch on her lips.

Savoring just a small sip, she passed the bowl to Shen An: "Brother, it’s so sweet, you should drink too."

Since the loss of their eldest brother, Shen An had been acting like a little adult, always standing strong for his sister. But when the half-bowl of sugar water was brought to his lips, he couldn't hide his childlike nature.

After all, he was still a child – how could he resist the temptation of sugar water brought right to his mouth?

Sang Luo didn't finish the last bit of sugar water herself. Instead, the siblings shared it, taking turns sipping until the bowl was empty.

Shen An, being the elder brother, only sipped a little each time, mostly letting Shen Ning drink. By the time the last mouthful was left for him, he no longer acted like a little adult and drank it eagerly, leaving not a drop, even going so far as to lick the bottom of the bowl clean. He even added water to the pot that had cooked the sugar water, shaking and swirling it around before boiling it again, not wanting to waste a single trace.

Sang Luo didn’t see any shame in this. In times when people could starve to death, such behavior was only too normal.

In her previous life, she was an orphan. Just one year into her job after graduating from college, she was hospitalized due to illness. Only after several examinations did she learn that her life wouldn't be long.

Had she been born into a wealthy family, able to spend millions on hospital treatment and maintenance, Sang Luo might have managed to survive a few more years.

But she didn't have millions to spend on treatment, couldn't afford the expense, and rather than suffer, she cried in her bed for two days. After three days of contemplation, she resigned, using her savings from part-time jobs since college and her year of work after graduation. She did thorough research online, visited several places, and finally settled on a mountain area she liked, buying an abandoned house there. She renovated it while settling into a life in the mountains.

She began living the life she had longed for but only dared to dream about.

Sang Luo lived alone in the mountains for five years. There were neighbors, but they were mostly older people left behind, as the young and children had moved to the city for work and education.

Therefore, Sang Luo rarely had the opportunity to interact with children.

Now, watching the two little siblings' affectionate and caring relationship, she felt a sense of warmth.

Living in the mountains wasn’t bad at all. Compared to her last few years spent in illness in her previous life, now she was at least physically healthier after some rest and had two companions.

Poverty wasn’t scary. With hands, feet, and a brain, there’s always a way to make money.

Sang Luo felt that her life was quite good, as if fate had given her a second chance.

By the time all three had quenched their thirst and it was beginning to dawn, Sang Luo had regained enough strength to move around the hut without feeling dizzy.

She didn’t waste time, soon asking the children to help with chores, cleaning the clay pot, fetching spring water, and washing rice to cook porridge.

Pure white rice porridge, without any wild vegetables mixed in.

Shen An and Shen Ning were stunned to see Sang Luo handing them a small handful of rice to wash.

Both children stood motionless, staring at the rice in the pot, then at Sang Luo.

Shen An pursed his lips, “Big sister, at this rate, we’ll run out of grain in a few days.”

His face showed clear disapproval.

Shen Ning, seeing her brother speak up, nodded vigorously in agreement. Without saying a word, her eyes seemed to implore: Brother is right, big sister, put some back.

Sang Luo found this both amusing and heart-wrenching, insisting, “Just this amount. Go wash the rice and cook the porridge.”

Her insistence didn’t budge the children.

Sang Luo explained, “Don’t worry, your sister-in-law will find a way to get more food. I promise!”

The children glanced at her, still not moving, clearly unconvinced by Sang Luo’s promise after months of living together.

Sang Luo sighed, “Look, your sister-in-law almost starved to death this time, right? If we continue like this, not just me, but both of your health will suffer. Trust me, just wash this rice and cook a pot of porridge. Let’s have a good meal, and once we have the strength, I’ll take you out to find food. We can’t save food by being frugal alone.”

Shen Ning blinked her eyes, not fully grasping everything Sang Luo said, except the part about almost starving to death. She turned to look at her brother.

Shen An's face showed a conflicted expression, clearly wavering. After thinking, he reached into the pot and took back a thin layer of rice from the dry part on top, saying, “Cook this amount. I don’t need much.”

Such maturity beyond their years.

Sang Luo remembered her own childhood, knowing that hardship breeds such character.

She nodded, not insisting any further.

Shen An and Shen Ning visibly relaxed and hurried to fetch spring water to wash the rice, not giving Sang Luo a chance to change her mind.

The three gathered around the simple stone stove, listening to the bubbling sound from the pot. Shen An stirred the porridge occasionally with a wooden spoon, waiting for the rice grains to puff up, the aroma making them all hungry.

When it came to serving the porridge, Shen An, as the cook, dished it out – a spoonful for Sang Luo, slightly less for Shen Ning, and only half a spoon for himself.

The wooden spoon wasn’t large. In modern terms, it was about the amount of a dainty, fist-sized bowl – fine for Sang Luo and Shen Ning’s servings, but for Shen An, his half-spoon in the larger, rustic bowls they used was barely enough to cover the bottom.

Sang Luo, unable to bear it, took the spoon and scooped half of her portion into Shen An's bowl. He looked a bit stunned, but Sang Luo smiled, “There, young man, eat. I was extremely hungry earlier, but I can't eat too much at once. Eating small, frequent meals is the right way to nurture the stomach.”

The siblings eyed the steaming, thick white porridge, still hesitant to start eating.

Sang Luo, noticing their hesitation, urged, “Eat, just remember to blow on it to cool it down, don’t burn yourselves.”

Shen An remained silent this time, and Shen Ning glanced between the bowl of white porridge and Sang Luo, “Big sister, should we really eat it? If we add wild vegetables, this could last us for many days.”

“Eat!” Sang Luo affirmed, “Once we finish, rest a bit. When I have enough strength, I’ll take you to find food.”

Her determined and confident demeanor finally gave the two hungry children a bit of courage, albeit a fragile one. The aroma of the white rice porridge wafted into their noses, gently nudging their hearts towards Sang Luo’s assurance.

Eat!?

Just one satisfying meal!

Without chairs and with the bowls too hot to hold, the three of them squatted by the stone slab they used as a makeshift table. They blew on the surface of the porridge to cool it down, then carefully ate the top layer with small, slurping bites.

The children treasured each bite, unwilling to eat too quickly. Between mouthfuls, Shen Ning couldn’t help but turn to her brother, “Brother, this white rice porridge is so delicious! It’s been so long since I’ve tasted such good porridge.”

Her enraptured expression made it seem as though the bowl contained not just white porridge, but rare delicacies.

Shen An knew exactly how long it had been – since before their elder brother left home. His eyes grew misty, and he quickly pressed them, smiling at his sister, “Eat up.”

"I'll make sure you always have enough to eat in the future."

This promise was only a silent thought in his heart; Shen An dared not speak it aloud, knowing he was still too young and weak to ensure it.

His mood visibly dampened, only brightening with a smile when Shen Ning looked his way, though his pace of eating noticeably slowed.

While Sang Luo and Shen Ning finished their porridge, Shen An still had half left in his bowl.

As Shen Ning glanced at him, Shen An placed his half-finished bowl of porridge on the stone table, saying, “I’ll save the rest for your lunch.”

Then, he efficiently washed the dishes and returned, carefully covering the remaining porridge with another bowl, treasuring even those last few spoonfuls.