Chapter 10: Milk is Delicious
The little girl’s body was frail, as if it might break with the slightest touch.
Gu Yundong handled her with the utmost care, afraid to apply too much pressure.
“Little girl, little girl? Can you hear me?” She cradled the girl in her arms and moved her a little away from the kang, gently trying to rouse her.
Blinking in confusion, the little girl gazed at Gu Yundong with wide eyes. “Big sister?”
“Come on, open your mouth and have some of this.”
Without question or hesitation, and not even seeing what was presented to her, Gu Yunke opened her mouth trustingly and took a drink.
After a few sips, a look of surprise crossed her face. “Sweet?”
“Drink as much as you want,” Gu Yundong encouraged.
She had taken the milk from her storage space, warmed it over the fire, and was now feeding it to Gu Yunke.
The little girl was alarmingly skinny. At three years old, she could barely walk steadily and spent most of the day in a sleepy daze.
Gu Yunke was not as fortunate as Gu Yunshu. Although he was a boy and held a small place in their grandfather’s heart, which meant he ate slightly more than Gu Yunke, among them, he had the best physical condition.
Gu Yundong lacked experience in caring for young children, but she knew the milk was an excellent source of nutrition for them.
Having drunk half a bowl, Gu Yunke couldn’t help but let out a burp.
“Delicious.”
Setting the bowl aside, Gu Yundong saw the contented expression on her face and felt her heart soften, her tone gentler as she spoke, “Go on, go back to sleep.”
She nestled the little one in the middle of the bed and tucked her in before sitting back by the fire.
The little girl wasn’t fully awake yet and soon drifted back to sleep.
The room fell into silence. Gu Yundong couldn’t help but gaze up at the wooden beams above, taking a moment to appreciate the peaceful setting.
It was so quiet; the constant fear of zombie cries from her previous life was now absent, replaced by a sense of security and the presence of family—something she had not dared to even dream of before.
The feeling was surreal, almost like a dream.
“Dongdong…” She was brought back to reality by the sound of Yang’s getting up.
“Are you awake?” Gu Yundong was surprised by how much time had slipped by.
“Yes, it’s early morning.”
It would still be dark at this time in the modern world, not even dawn just yet.
But Yang was accustomed to waking up early to cook, feed the pigs, and clean the yard. Now, even after their escape, with no one to assign her night watch duties due to her state of mind, Yang’s wake-up time hadn’t changed much.
Gu Yundong stood up, stretched her limbs, took a bag from the side, and handed it to Yang, “Here, have something to eat.”
Yang’s eyes brightened as she peered into the bag, “Flatbread and steamed buns?”
“Shh.” Gu Yundong nodded toward the still-sleeping children.
Yang immediately covered her mouth, vigorously nodding her understanding.
Gu Yundong suppressed a smile. “Eat one now to fill up, then later warm the rest on the fire for the children when they wake. I’m going to catch some sleep now, but if there’s any noise outside or someone comes by, you must wake me, alright?”
Gu Yundong trusted Yang to keep watch now that she was alert. She needed to seize the chance to rest for a few hours; her body was demanding it.
“Understood.”
Yang affirmed with seriousness, allowing Gu Yundong to lie down and quickly succ*mb to sleep.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when she was roused by warmth. As she opened her eyes, she could hear Gu Yunke’s tender voice.
“…It’s true, I had it last night, and it was sweet and delicious.”
The recollection of staying at her grandmother’s as a child surfaced in her mind—her grandmother would rise at 3 am to cook before heading to sell vegetables at the market. Now, the thought of waking up at three or four in the morning felt utterly ludicrous.
