When the rice is almost done, put the side dish on top of the rice, relying on the residual heat to warm it up.
"Mom, is this, is all of this ours?"
The steaming, fragrant braised pork, and the white, piping hot rice made Xiao Bao’s mouth water uncontrollably.
He uttered a muddled question, his beautiful phoenix eyes filled with expectation and disbelief.
"Yes, from now on, all of this is ours!"
Ms. Hetian was intentionally vague, letting Xiao Bao mistakenly think that all these were supplies found in the donkey cart.
The space in her mind was too extraordinary; even Ms. Hetian herself didn’t know how it came to be, how long it would last, or if there were any dangers, so naturally, she didn’t dare to expose it to others.
It’s not that she didn’t trust her own son, Xiao Bao, but she was afraid of bringing danger to him!
All the unknown things, until Ms. Hetian had complete control over them, she wouldn’t easily reveal.
Taking two pairs of chopsticks, Ms. Hetian and Xiao Bao, the two of them, sat beside a big clay pot, wolfing down their meal.
"Mom, this rice is so delicious! The meat is so fragrant!"
Xiao Bao’s face was covered with meat juice and rice grains, his thin little face full of excitement and happiness.
Because he had an unreliable mother, Xiao Bao had memories from a very early age.
And ever since he could remember, he had never eaten such good food.
The braised pork was soft, tender, and delicious, and the rice was soft and fragrant. Chewing them in his mouth was an indescribable taste.
Swallowing it down into his stomach brought a full feeling.
Eating well, eating till full, such experience was truly wonderful.
Xiao Bao felt that even if everything today was just a dream, he would still feel satisfied.
"If it’s delicious, eat a little more, but you shouldn’t eat too much meat, lest your little stomach can’t take it!"
Having long been without oily food, suddenly eating such greasy meat dishes could easily upset the stomach.
Had it not been for feeling that Xiao Bao was living too bitterly, and the fact that there wasn’t much plain food in her space, Ms. Hetian wouldn’t have come up with this portion of braised meat over rice.
Xiao Bao was very sensible. Although he still wanted to eat meat, upon hearing his mother’s words, he obediently put down the chopsticks and only used a spoon to scoop up rice soaked in juice.
His little belly was bulging, and the hot water in the clay pot was also ready.
Ms. Hetian wiped her son’s hands and feet, then cleared a place in the carriage, spread out the bedding, and let Xiao Bao sleep.
As for her, she sat cross-legged beside the campfire by the donkey cart, meditating while keeping watch over the fire.
The quiet mountain forest in the deep night, with the distant howls of wolves and the crackling sounds of the nearby fire, should have been frightening, yet inexplicably made one feel secure.
Sometimes, beasts are not scary; what is frightening is people’s hearts and some so-called family members.
Xiao Bao slept soundly. He originally thought he would be too excited to sleep, but once he lay in the carriage, knowing his mother was right beside him, he completely relaxed.
As soon as his eyes closed, he fell into a deep sleep.
He slept right till daybreak without hearing a rooster’s crow or Old Lady Han knocking on the window, cursing in disguise, only the chirps of birds in the woods. Even when he opened his eyes, Xiao Bao felt as if he was in a dream.
"...This dream is really nice, I wish I could never wake up from it!"
Xiao Bao stared with his big round eyes, blankly at the ceiling of the carriage, not wanting to get up or willing to get up.
Afraid that if he stood up and walked out of the carriage, he would find out it was indeed a dream!
"Xiao Bao, awake? It’s time for breakfast!"
Xiao Bao feared discovering he was dreaming, like an ostrich not daring to face anything outside the carriage.
Just then, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice sounded from outside.
Familiar, because he knew it was his mother speaking.
Unfamiliar, because in his memory, his mother rarely had such gentle and detailed moments.
So, was he still dreaming?
Whoosh!
The curtain hanging on the donkey cart’s carriage was pulled open, and a beam of sunlight shone in.
Within the halo of sunlight, there was also the smiling face of a woman.
"Mom?!"
Xiao Bao cautiously called out, afraid that his voice was too loud and would wake him from his beautiful dream!
"Awake, then hurry and get off to eat!"
Ms. Hetian deliberately pretended not to notice the confusion and disbelief in Xiao Bao’s eyes, her hands still a bit wet.
Seeing her son’s dazed, incredulous little appearance, she suddenly felt it was very cute. Ms. Hetian, for a moment, felt playful and deliberately wiped her son’s little face with her damp, icy-cold hands.