Chapter 3: Siblings Enter The Mountains
Cherishingly swallowing the last bite of steamed bun, Lin Nan contentedly patted his slightly bulging little belly, baring his small white teeth as he smiled at Lin Xin: “Older sister, so this is what steamed buns taste like! It’s so delicious!”
Seeing him like this, even Lin Xin’s iron-hearted nature felt a pang in her chest, and she softly hummed: “From now on, we’ll all eat steamed buns.” After saying that, she patted his head again.
The moment her hand touched his hair, Lin Xin’s movement stiffened. Tsk, this sticky feeling.
Wash! Must wash!! Absolutely must wash!!
Lin Nan sat in the crumbling large wooden basin with a bewildered face, looking at the bubbles all over his body and smelling the pungent fragrance, doubting his life.
He scooped up a handful of snow-white bubbles from the basin and held them in his hand, stammering: “Sis, this······what is this?”
“This? Soapberry! Haven’t you seen it before?” Lin Xin wasn’t worried at all about giving herself away. This was a mutated soapberry she had grown with her supernatural ability. A few years into the apocalypse, everyday items were basically depleted, and survivors began to use all sorts of tricks. The seeds of this soapberry were discovered and widely spread by a supernatural ability user who came from a small mountain village.
“Soapberry?” Lin Nan’s little heart was filled with great doubt. He had seen soapberries before, and although this one looked quite similar, the size and smell were way off! And which soapberry could produce so many bubbles!
“Yeah! It’s soapberry! Older sister found this in a place deep in the deep mountain, and didn’t tell anyone. You shouldn’t say anything either, or we won’t have any more, got it?” Lin Xin deceived the little kid without any guilt.
Lin Nan, who had been used to having things snatched from him since childhood, immediately nodded his little head like a little chicken pecking rice upon hearing this. “Mm, older sister, I absolutely won’t say.”
“Nan Nan is good!” Lin Xin rubbed his head again. This time the feel was much fresher, but the kid was too malnourished, with sparse and dry yellow hair that was also limp.
Mm, need to raise him well. It was rare to encounter such a well-behaved kid who wasn’t naughty, and Lin Xin’s heart was now filled with great ambitions.
After wiping the clean kid dry, she took a set of cotton cloth children’s short-sleeve outfit from her space and put it on him. Lin Xin couldn’t help but marvel in her heart: so kids look this good when their hair isn’t oily and their faces aren’t dirty!
Suddenly, she became expectant about her own appearance too. She and this kid had the same parents, so there was no reason for the younger brother to be good-looking while the older sister was an ugly freak, right?
With anticipation, she washed herself clean too, scrubbing until almost a layer of skin was gone. Lin Xin immediately felt her body lighter by several pounds. While Lin Nan couldn’t see in the kitchen, she took a full-length mirror from her space and examined herself from head to toe.
Sure enough, just as she thought, although this body was as malnourished as Lin Nan’s, looking sallow and skinny with lots of calluses on hands and feet from long-term labor, the foundation was really good. As long as raised well, in time she would definitely grow into a stunning beauty.
Even after changing shells, still so pretty. Lin Xin was satisfied, put away the mirror, and prepared to go back to sleep.
All her good mood took a huge hit when she saw the situation in the room.
Lin Nan was already asleep. The clean little kid lay on bedding hard enough to use as cardboard, and the quilt cover clearly showed stains that couldn’t be washed out.
Sigh! Lin Xin sighed to the heavens.
Her space had all kinds of quilts, but how to take one out was the problem.
Lin Nan might be a kid but he wasn’t stupid. Steamed bun, quail egg, and soapberry could barely pass, but if she brought out a set of bedding, even at three years old he would suspect!
Just make do and sleep!
While doing psychological self-talk, Lin Xin despised herself. This was truly the sentimental habit from changing environments flaring up again. Back in the early apocalypse days, when her supernatural ability was still useless, she could sleep exhausted after scraping a nest in the grass. Not anymore?
After PUA-ing herself for half a day, she finally laid a towel quilt underneath and slept on it.
Before sleep, her mind was full of thoughts on quickly finding ways to improve their current situation. She never wanted to sleep on bedding that could bruise someone to death again.
Waking up again, it was early the next morning. Lin Nan beside her was still sleeping, with a trail of dried drool by his slightly open little mouth. Strangely, she didn’t find it dirty; instead, she thought it a bit cute.
Getting up, she first put away the towel quilt. Lin Xin stretched lazily with force. A wonderful day starts with improving life!
She had already thought it through yesterday. To change her and Lin Nan’s current life, first they needed money.
She had also figured out the source of money: go into the mountain.
Her space had all kinds of rare medicinal herb seeds, some mutated. As long as she went into the deep mountain and found a chance to grow a few with her ability, everything would be solved. Then just say they were luckily dug up.
Too perfect!
Lin Xin happily gave her IQ a thumbs up and shook Lin Nan awake.
“Nan Nan, today older sister is going into the mountain. Will you stay home waiting or come with older sister?”
Lin Nan was originally sleepily rubbing his eyes, but upon hearing this he immediately perked up, his big eyes sparkling as he looked at Lin Xin: “Older sister is taking me to the mountain?”
Since Lin Nan was born, the original body never took him into the mountain, afraid she couldn’t protect this younger brother that mother had traded her life for. So the little child stayed in this rundown house all day, his only thought waiting for older sister to come back soon.
But Lin Xin was different; she had the ability to protect Lin Nan.
“Mm, is Nan Nan going?”
“Going, going! Older sister take me!” Lin Nan jumped up, nimbly taking off his clothes and changing into the ragged dirty outfit from yesterday, then turned to Lin Xin: “Sis, are we leaving now?”
But after a night’s sleep, his little belly was empty again, and suddenly it rumbled inappropriately.
But Lin Nan seemed already used to it, not even pausing, pulling Lin Xin’s hand and running out: “Sis, let’s go quick!”
Lin Xin nodded. “Let’s go. Once we reach the mountain, older sister will find you something tasty.”
On the mountain path, a skinny little girl carried a back basket on her back and held a little boy’s hand as they walked forward. The two chatted chirpily as they went, mostly the little boy asking and the girl answering, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.
While walking, a faint rustling sound suddenly came from the grass ahead, then a colorful wild chicken burst into the sky.
“Wild chicken!” Lin Nan shouted excitedly, watching the wild chicken flapping its wings flying into the distance.
Lin Xin picked up a pebble from the ground and tossed it casually without even aiming. With a “pa” sound, it hit the wild chicken’s head squarely.
“Wow! Older sister is so awesome!” Lin Nan broke free from Lin Xin’s hand and ran to pick up the wild chicken.
Lin Xin followed unhurriedly behind him, parting the grass where the wild chicken had burst out, and there lay six or seven grayish-blue wild eggs.
