After much persuasion, Feng Qingyun allowed Feng Qingxue to take care of her. However, Feng Qingxue wasn't at ease leaving her alone in their home so she took Feng Qingyun to their uncle's house for her aunt to look after.
Their uncle was Feng's father's younger brother. He lived not far from their house in a small, three-room thatched cottage. He was married with three sons, the eldest of whom was already married while the middle and youngest sons were still unmarried.
Nevertheless, they had more hands on deck, so their living standards were a bit higher.
During the distribution of grain after the dissolution of the communes, they received much more than others due to their greater manpower.
"Aunty, Qingyun and I are running out of food, I plan to go out and beg for some. Could you please take care of Qingyun for me?" Feng Qingxue asked.
The aunt was a good-natured person, but like everyone else, she was struggling to make ends meet. Unable to babysit Feng Qingxue and her sister, she agreed to watch over Feng Qingyun for the meantime, without them asking for food or drinks.
"Alright, you go ahead. Leave her with me, you can put your doubts to rest."
Feng Qingxue planned to head into the city with a basket on her back that she brought from the shed, which contained nothing but four sweet potatoes.
She had never been to the city before, neither did she know the way there. So, after asking her uncle and aunt for directions, she headed north from the commune.
A few kilometers to the north lay a mountain range. To head north, one had to cross these mountains.
As she rested in a valley, she dug out her hidden books from the space ring.
She was from a scholarly family and under the influence of her elders, grew up curious and well-read. She had a considerable collection of books in her space ring, most of which she had already read, including one about this era.
She flipped through the pages, trying to understand this period in detail.
Having grasped the basics, with a thought, some threads and cloth appeared in Feng Qingxue's hand.
She sewed a few small cloth bags, filled them with rice, flour, coarse rice, and eggs, put them back into her space ring. Once in the city, she intended to use her mental control to put them into the basket- eggs on top.
Asking for directions along the way, it took her two full hours to reach the county town.
Upon seeing the buildings in the town, Feng Qingxue was stunned.
The county town was so backward?
The buildings were low and squat, made of brick and wood. There was a mix of thatched cottages, brick-tiled houses, and even a few two-story buildings.
The two-story buildings were so scarce that they almost went unnoticed.
The roads were uneven and dusty.
The town's folk seemed much better off than the peasants, both in terms of dress and speech. However, they had one thing in common, they were gaunt and simple.
Approaching noon, the tantalizing aroma of food wafted from the roadside eateries. Feng Qingxue's stomach growled and she blushed a little.
The original host had a small appetite, and after walking for so long, she hadn't expected to get hungry so quickly.
With her hand in her basket, a plain bun appeared out of thin air in Feng Qingxue's hand. She then took it out.
She squatted in a corner and ate the bun leisurely.
As a result of her upbringing, she didn't like the idea of eating while walking - that wasn't etiquette.
Seeing her eat the white bun, some people looked on with envy.
An old lady with a pale and thin face approached her, crouching down beside her and watching her eat.
Halfway through her bun, Feng Qingxue lost her appetite. She looked up at the old lady and gave a small smile, "Granny, what can I do for you?"
"Girl, where did you buy this bun?" The old lady asked bluntly.
"Why do you ask?" Feng Qingxue enquired.