Chapter 28

When Mu Qing woke up the next day, she found that he was gone. She was still lying naked on the animal skin, there was only her shirt covering her lower body. She also found a piece of honeycomb inside the bowl next to her. It seemed like the piece of honeycomb that Youyou had invited her to eat the day before was broken off from that very piece.

Mu Qing was still a little dazed when the curtain was suddenly lifted. She immediately covered her chest with her hands and then realized that it was Youyou who had entered. Although she was relieved, but she still felt a little embarrassed, and hurriedly turned her back to quickly put on her own clothes. She then turned around and smiled at Youyou.

She pointed at the bowl of honeycomb, wanting to ask if it was from Youyou. But soon she dismissed the idea, for she saw Youyou’s eyes lighting up in surprise. Mu Qing also saw her stick out her little tongue and lick her lips.

Mu Qing smiled and handed that bowl to Youyou. Youyou refused to take it at first, until Mu Qing kept pointing to her mouth and waving her hand, Youyou probably understood that she did not like this or could not eat this, and only then did she carefully take it. She revealed her a bright smile, and then pulled her by the hand to the front of her family’s hut.

Youyou’s mother looked a little surprised to see the bowl of honeycomb. Youyou pointed at Mu Qing and said a few words. Seeing her look at herself, Mu Qing smiled and nodded. She hesitated, as if she wanted to refuse, but when she turned her head and saw Youyou’s somewhat eager gaze, she then took the bowl and went inside, she only broke off a few small pieces from the top part, which she distributed to Youyou and her siblings.

She had Mu Qing eat the same thing as yesterday, and then instructed Youyou with a few words, she was probably telling her to look after her younger siblings. She went inside her family hut, and when she came out, she had something like a basket in her hand, which contained a knife made of stone inside. Then she called out a few women in the other huts on the side, and four or five women started to walk out together.

After a few steps, Youyou’s mother looked back at Mu Qing, said something, and waved at her. Mu Qing guessed that she was probably asking if she wanted to go with her. She nodded her head and followed her.

Rather than stay here and do nothing for a day, she would rather go together with these women, at least to get an idea of the surrounding terrain. The day where she could really escape, she didn’t want to run out only to find a river in front of her.

Yesterday, she had searched inside the hut, but she couldn’t find her backpack. She didn’t know where Li Mang had hidden it. The compass was extremely important to her.

Mu Qing followed the group of women around her for a while as they walked towards the south, they were also walking through a forest. The women were all wearing tatters as clothes, their long hair was dry and knotted, and their exposed skin was rough, with small bumps on it. But they were all very happy.

As if she was the center of the conversation, they often looked back at her, before letting out giggles, Mu Qing only understood the word “Li Mang”.

Mu Qing was a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Youyou’s mother probably saw through her feelings and stopped them in time. At that moment, they stopped walking.

Then, Mu Qing realized that they were growing something here, the large area was surrounded by a fence.

She didn’t know what kind of plant it was, but from the looks of it, that yellow grain-like stuff in the bowl of porridge that she had just drunk should be coming from here.

While Mu Qing was still watching, a few women around her let out surprised shriek, before quickly running straight forward. A part of the fence there had collapsed, while on the side, the plants of an entire parcel of crops were lying flat on the ground, it looked like they had been nibbled and trampled on. Some kind of beast had probably broken in last night.

The women kept cursing as they picked up the fence and began to repair it.

Mu Qing helped them by handing branches over to them, after the fence was repaired, she squatted on to the ground with them to take out some weeds. Later, they all scattered into the nearby woods to pick wild fruits and vegetables.

Mu Qing followed Youyou’s mother outside, they walked very far away, and when they returned, it was evening again.