Mu Caifei and Mu Chongwen hastily removed the shoes off their tiny feet, exposing their toes, and climbed onto the Kang. They carefully helped Mu Caiwei to sit up. The youngest brother, Mu Chongwu, even fetched a broken pillow to support her back.
"Open your mouth."
Lady Du stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon, scooped a ladleful to Lady Mu's mouth.
Upon smelling the fragrance of the porridge, Mu Caiwei's stomach began to grumble. Without any hesitation, she opened her mouth to taste the porridge. Instantly, the delightful scent of rice permeated to every taste bud in her mouth.
"Mmmm, delicious..."
Mu Caiwei mumbled with satisfaction. It wasn't clear whether it was because she was extremely hungry, or because food in ancient times without chemical fertilizers and pesticides tasted particularly delicious. Regardless, Mu Caiwei thought that this porridge was the most delicious she had ever tasted in her life. It was far better than the fancy seafood and lobster she often consumed in her previous life!
Her younger sisters and brothers watched how she devoured her food, as though what she was eating wasn't mere porridge, but indeed the family's hope for a better future.
"Eat slowly, don't burn yourself." Lady Du, looking at her daughter, gently explained, "You've just woken up, and you can't eat too much. Your stomach wouldn't be able to handle it."
As soon as the bowl of porridge was consumed, although it didn't completely satisfy her hunger, at least the pain in her stomach had subsided, and her whole body gradually relaxed. With the help of her siblings, Mu Caiwei finally had the energy to observe her family members.
Her mother, who seemed to be about thirty years old, was dressed like those poor farmers on TV - she wore coarse cotton clothes in cyan-gray, patched up here and there. A faded old scarf covered her head. Her face was wax yellow, and her lips were chapped. However, on closer inspection, one would find her features to be extremely beautiful. If well taken care of, she would certainly be a rare beauty.
Mu Caifei, her younger sister, had already turned ten, but due to prolonged malnutrition, she looked only eight or nine years old. Although her features were delicate and pretty, her overall pale complexion detracted from her charm considerably.
Mu Chongwen, her younger brother was seven, and Mu Chongwu, the youngest brother was merely four years old. Like two little monkeys, they are both still very childish with their frail and skinny bodies.
As for herself, she had just turned thirteen – the eldest daughter in the family. In modern times, at this age, she would still be considered a child; someone who could be spoilt and act willfully under her parent's watch. But in this era, a teenager of thirteen could be treated like an adult and could even start their own family and business.
The original Mu Caiwei, helped her mother with household chores every day and took care of her younger siblings. Under circumstances where the family could barely afford meals, she generously donated her share of scarce food to her siblings, which eventually led to her starving to death!
"Gurgle~ Gurgle~"
The sudden sound interrupted Mu Caiwei's thoughts.
The youngest brother, Mu Chongwu, quickly covered his stomach. With red cheeks, he pleaded, "Older sister, Wu'er is not hungry. Wu'er ate last night. Wu'er is really not hungry..."
Mu Caiwei felt a pain in her heart: "Mother, is there any more porridge? Give them each a bowl!"
Lady Du's smile froze on her face. She moved her lips a few times, but didn't say anything. Her eyes dropped, filled with sorrow. From her expression, the answer was obvious without needing to ask.
Probably to save Mu Caiwei from feeling guilty, her second sister, Mu Caifei, quickly said: "Older sister, don't worry about us. We can hold on. We are used to being hungry, really!"
Her third brother, Mu Chongwen, also chimed in, "We have already eaten a meal at home today. Let's save the rice for tomorrow's meal."
"Yes, yes, we'll go to bed early. When we sleep, we won't feel hungry anymore." Her youngest brother also piped in.
Mu Caiwei found it hard to believe that her family was living in such abject poverty. However, seeing her mature younger sisters and brothers, a wave of inexplicable emotions surged in her heart.
In her past life, by the time she reached thirteen, her parents had already formed their respective families. She was always shuffled back and forth between their new homes, considered as unwanted baggage that they both tried to fob off on the other. Only she knew the bitterness and grief she had been through. It was only when she, by her own hard work, became an internationally renowned gold medal bodyguard, did she get the life she wanted: status, money, fame. She lacked nothing, yet for some reason, there always seemed to be a void in her soul. Strangely enough, this void seemed to have started filling up within a few hours of her time travel.
Now, she finally understood that her inner void was a lack of the familial love that she had been longing for since childhood. Under God's blessing, in this life, she finally had blood relatives, people who were connected to her both by blood and emotionally!
She gently stroked the fluffy heads of her sisters and brothers, her clear eyes filled with determination: "Don't worry. With your elder sister here, I'll never let you go hungry again!"