Chapter 25: Developing the Space

The Su family felt a complex mix of emotions as they looked at those people. They had fallen into this dire situation precisely because of the high-ranking Su clan, so how could they not harbor resentment? Yet, seeing the pathetic state of their kin with their own eyes, that resentment felt stuck in their throats, neither finding an outlet nor subsiding. They simply were not ruthless enough.

Old Mrs. Su turned her head away. "Find a place to settle first. Don't stand here and be an eyesore to the guards. And don't go trying to get close; we may recognize them, but they certainly won't recognize us."

Su Da and Su Er immediately grabbed the wooden cart, and before the guards could notice them, they hurried their family away. The guards' whips were blind and merciless. They had endured enough hardship on this journey without sustaining any real injuries; there was no reason to get whipped at the very end. Besides, other than the two brothers, the family consisted only of the elderly, the weak, and women—they could not withstand such violence. As for the noble Su clan and their main branch? To hell with them. Now, everyone was just an exiled prisoner; there was no rank to speak of.

"Father, Mother, there are over a dozen households at the foot of the mountain; it seems people live there. I see plenty of empty space around; shall we pick a spot to settle for now? We can figure out how to build a shelter when it gets light tomorrow," Su Da suggested, pointing toward a cluster of thatched huts at the base of Mount Tubi.

Old Mrs. Su and Old Mr. Su exchanged a look and nodded. "That will have to do. When you pick a spot, stay as far from those houses as possible. Don't crowd them. We are newcomers and don't know what kind of people live there; it's better to keep our distance."

Caution ensures longevity. The family had learned much during their grueling travels. After some discussion, they chose a corner at the foot of the mountain, a bit further away from the huts. They had hoped to slip by quietly without drawing attention, but they were spotted nonetheless. Many residents ran out to investigate. When they saw a group of beggars with nothing but a few small children on a wooden cart, they quickly lost interest and went back inside, shutting their doors.

The Su family: "..." The hospitality here could be summed up in two words: cold indifference.

"I bet if we had anything on our cart, those people would have robbed us," Su Er muttered.

Su Da added, "We haven't had a proper meal all day. My stomach is sticking to my ribs. Should we prepare something to eat now?"

"We can't starve ourselves just to be cautious. Let's eat!" Su Er rubbed his hands together and approached Old Mrs. Su with a pleading look. "Mother, Tianbao... can we have something? We need to be full to have the strength to work!"

The three women—Liu Yuelan, He Daxiang, and Su Xiu'er—looked at his pathetic display, wanting to laugh but feeling a bitter ache instead. It was humiliating for a group of adults to rely on a baby still in swaddling clothes, but in their current situation, they had no other choice.

The three children on the cart were already curled up, clutching their stomachs. They knew there was no food left, and for such young children, they had endured the entire journey without a single cry or complaint. How could the adults not be heartbroken?

Old Mrs. Su’s lips quivered as she looked at Tianbao with tired, weary eyes. "Baby..."

Tianbao reached out her tiny hand and touched the bitter corners of the old woman's mouth. "Ah-yi."

A sack on the cart bulged. Su Da, who had been watching the bag, immediately grinned. "Yuelan, Daxiang, Xiu'er! Go gather some dry grass from the slope behind us. Second brother, set up the stove!"

"You got it!"

With damp eyes, the family responded with spirits lifted. Soon, in a corner sheltered from the wind, the Su family sat around a crackling fire. They chatted while warming themselves, secretly eating pears to stave off their hunger while waiting for the fish buried under the embers to cook. Su An and the other two little ones were instructed by the adults to eat quietly without making a fuss. Their grandparents had warned them that if others discovered they had fruit, they would come to steal it. They couldn't let that happen; everyone was starving, their eyes dizzy with hunger.

"At least we don't have to keep running," Old Mr. Su said, looking around in the dim light. "We'll settle here from now on. We'll clear the land and farm. If our family works together, we'll manage to scrape by."

"The beginning is always the hardest," Old Mrs. Su added. "Tomorrow, we'll build a shelter. In ten days or so, spring will arrive. Then we'll go to the administration office and ask where to get farm tools and seeds. Also, those families nearby must have been exiled here earlier and have already taken root. If we interact with them and get to know them, we can learn a lot."

Tianbao was too young to worry about these things, nor could she help, so she retreated into her inner space. She hadn't forgotten about the game on the mountain. There was a vast, mist-shrouded mountain range bordering her fields in the space. She had previously treated it as a backdrop, but now she felt curious to explore. Her family had been eating fish for too long; even the best food becomes tiresome. If she could provide more variety, that would be even better.

As Tianbao approached, the clouds and mist parted, revealing the mountain's true face. Near the foot of the mountain, behind the hazy white fog, was a vast orchard. Branches were heavy with various fruits: orange tangerines, bright red apples, and many others Tianbao didn't recognize. As she went deeper, the trees grew denser, towering giants reaching into the clouds, with vines and thorns covering the ground.

Just as Tianbao was starting to grow impatient, she finally saw a beast. It had pointed triangular ears, fierce eyes glowing green, a coat of gray-white fur, sharp claws on its paws, and a fluffy tail behind.

As their eyes met, Tianbao’s little brows furrowed. She tilted her head, thinking hard for a moment, and then her eyes brightened. "I know you! You're a dog!"

The "dog": ...

After a moment of stiffening, the creature retracted its bared fangs, the fierce light in its eyes faded, and its tail, which had been hanging low, awkwardly and stiffly lifted. Then, it wagged it at Tianbao.

"I wasn't wrong! You really are a doggy! I think dog meat is edible, too!"

The dog's tail froze in mid-air.

Tianbao sighed in disappointment and waved her little hand. "You look too fierce, and you're too big. It won't be easy to roast you. I don't want you."

"Awoo!" The dog's tail wagged once more before it vanished into the jungle like a bolt of lightning. It had been terrified!

Completely unaware that she had just intimidated the king of the jungle, Tianbao regained her patience. She walked deeper into the forest, muttering, "Wild rabbits are edible, wild chickens are too... I need to find rabbits and chickens."

As soon as she finished speaking, rustling sounds emerged from the thorn bushes. Soon, wild rabbits and chickens—creatures Tianbao definitely recognized—appeared before her. The gray and white rabbits were plump and beautiful, while the wild chickens had vibrant plumage and bright red combs, looking proud and spirited.

Tianbao blinked, stared at the little animals for a moment, and her mouth spread into a wide, happy grin. She reached out and easily grabbed a wild chicken, while her other hand snatched a fat rabbit. "You'll do!"