After exiting the space, Yang Ruxin climbed back onto the kang. The little ones were sleeping like pigs and hadn’t noticed her movements, so she had a good night’s sleep.
On the second day in their new home, when Yang Ruxin woke up, she found that Erni had already gotten up and was in the middle of making bingzi.
"So early?" Yang Ruxin tiptoed out, not wanting to wake up the sleeping children.
"Didn’t Big Sister say yesterday she was going to the mountain today? I’m making something to eat for you." Erni shaped the maize dough, that had been kneaded with water, into a little bun, slapped it against the side of the pot with a pat, then pressed it down with her small hand until it turned into a flatbread the size of a palm. When the porridge would be ready, the bingzi would be done too. By then, one side of it would be golden brown, and biting into it would be crispy and tasty.
Yang Ruxin smiled with satisfaction, "Don’t we have eggs? Boil five eggs, from now on everyone can have a boiled egg every day."
"Ah?" Erni furrowed her brows, "Aunt Feng only brought us so many eggs, eating one a day we’d only have enough for two days..."
"Don’t worry, your big sister can make money." Yang Ruxin gave Erni an assured look, "Eat boldly without worries."
"But..." Erni’s eyes widened in surprise.
"No buts." Yang Ruxin waved her hand, "Who’s in charge of this household now? If it’s me, then you listen to me, understood?" There were so many things in the space, although they couldn’t be used openly and aboveboard, it was still possible to occasionally supplement the family’s needs without notice.
Erni shut her mouth, but still looked rather unwilling.
"Erni." Yang Ruxin had to look at her earnestly, "We’re in the growing phase; if we don’t nourish ourselves properly, we won’t grow tall. I don’t want to be short..."
Now, Yang Ruxin estimated she was a little over 1.5 meters tall, and there was no need to talk about the little ones; each of them looked like an African refugee. Therefore, it was necessary to increase nutrition. Even if it was not possible to reach her previous life’s height of 1.72 meters, she definitely had to surpass 1.60 meters.
"Oh." Erni nodded earnestly, but still hesitated about the eggs. In the end, she only took four, thinking she herself would go without one.
"Mother is unconscious and won’t eat, but there are five of us." Yang Ruxin went over, took another egg, and placed it in Erni’s hand, "Can’t you count?"
Erni laughed and then stopped fussing. She took the five eggs over to put them in the pot.
"We’re not doing this sort of thing anymore, okay?" Yang Ruxin knocked on Erni’s head, "Back at the old house, we didn’t have the chance, but now that we’re on our own, we must treat ourselves better. If we run out of money or food, we’ll earn it, not skimp on it, got it?"
Erni nodded, "Big Sister, I understand."
Only then was Yang Ruxin satisfied. She turned to pick up the only broken bucket in the house to fetch water for washing from the river not far behind the house. However, just as she opened the courtyard door, she was startled, "So early?"
"Big Brother asked me to bring water for you." Gu Yao, who was about to knock, dropped his arm and entered the courtyard. He placed the bucket he was carrying at the doorstep, "Use this bucket for now, and when you get a chance, go to the town to buy a water jar...", then he turned around and left.
"Hey..." Yang Ruxin called out, but he was already gone. She couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile; she hadn’t even had the chance to say thank you. However, when she went up the mountain later and if she managed to catch some game to give to him, that would be a way of returning the favor.