A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

One neck was crooked, and there was blood on the other forehead. It looked like he had panicked and lost his way, crashing headfirst into a tree trunk and dying.

She knelt down and touched the rabbit; its body was still warm.

Su Xiulan was quite frightened. This crow was truly amazing; it had actually led her to the rabbit.

What incredible luck to run over a rabbit like that!

This is the first time in all the years I've been married into this family that I've found two wild rabbits that have been hit and killed.

"Mommy, we have bunnies, can we eat meat?"

Nuannuan's two eyes sparkled, and she licked her dry lips, while her little tummy started rumbling again.

The sound was so loud that Nuannuan lowered her head shyly.

Nuannuan felt a sudden warmth on her forehead and looked up in surprise to see Su Xiulan's forehead pressed against hers.

"Can!"

"The succulents were all found by Nuannuan."

Nuannuan quickly shook her head, stretched out her little hands, looked at her little paws wrapped up like rice dumplings, and was extremely annoyed.

Waaah, my little hands can't show, and Nuannuan can't count anymore.

"Mommy eats, big brother eats, second brother eats, Daddy eats, everyone eats..."

After Nuan Nuan finished speaking, she looked at Su Xiu Lan with a plea for praise.

She counted them all without even using her fingers; she's amazing.

Su Xiulan patted her little head; this child was so well-behaved and sensible.

Even though he's starving, he still doesn't forget them? What a good child.

Besides, the rabbit was found because of Nuannuan.

Su Xiulan deftly took Nuannuan out of the basket, put the two rabbits back in, and covered them with some dry grass.

"Nuan Nuan, let's eat one of the bunnies, and exchange the other for some cornmeal, okay?"

Nuannuan nodded obediently, and Su Xiulan gently rubbed her little head through her headscarf. "Then we'll have food to eat at home. Mommy will make you cornbread tonight."

We haven't made flatbread at home for a long time. We're short on food, so in order to have enough to eat for a couple more days, we can only make thin porridge.

With this rabbit, the porridge can finally be cooked a little thicker tonight.

I was originally planning to borrow some grain from the Party Secretary's house today, but now that I have this rabbit, I can get quite a bit in return.

The rabbit will fetch a higher price if sold at the town's black market.

However, with the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in her family, and the family currently having no food, Su Xiulan still wanted to go to the village secretary's house to exchange some.

If we eat sparingly, our family can last for several more days.

Su Xiulan carried a bamboo basket on her back and held Nuannuan in her arms, walking home with uneven steps.

Fortunately, Nuannuan isn't heavy; she's not even as heavy as two rabbits.

Su Xiulan weighed it in her hand. This little girl definitely needs to be properly nourished in the future; it's too light.

"Nuan Nuan, how old are you?"

"Mommy, Nuannuan is already five years old!"

Seeing the affection in the child's eyes, Su Xiulan felt even more heartbroken. Such a well-behaved and sensible child, which family wouldn't cherish him like a precious gem? Who was so heartless as to want to kill the child? It's utterly depraved!

Su Xiulan wanted to ask about Nuannuan's parents, but she was worried that the girl would think of something bad, so she kept quiet.

The sun was shining brightly today, and at the edge of the village, a few women were chatting together.

Aunt Zhang, the village's famous loudspeaker, was also there; her voice was so loud that it could be heard from a great distance.

"Let me tell you, that Su Xiulan is completely out of her mind, she must have been screwed in a door! What's her family's situation? They're so poor they can't even afford food, and last night they actually went out and brought back a child!"

Another old woman scoffed, "How do you know it's an adopted child? Maybe it was born from some random man outside!"

"No way! They have such a great relationship! Her husband's been unconscious for so long, and she's been acting strangely all along, hasn't she?"

"That's why I said she's mentally ill!"

"Her husband used to receive a 15 yuan monthly allowance, which was more than enough for the three of them. But she insisted on using it to buy medicine for him. To me, it was like trying to fill a basket with water..."

"It was all for nothing!"

Su Xiulan frowned; these people just couldn't keep their mouths shut.

She was about to confront them when the gossipy women changed the subject.

"Have you heard? Something happened in the mountains last night!"

"What's up? I just came out, how come I didn't know?"

"They weren't from our village, I think it was Niulan Village. The three brothers went out to steal trees in the middle of the night, and then..."

"Getted caught by the patrol? That's a big deal! They'll probably be paraded through the streets!"

Stealing trees from the forest farm is like fleecing socialism; at best, you'll be paraded through the streets in criticism, and at worst, you'll be imprisoned.

"It's good that they caught them. Those three brothers are really unlucky; one broke his arm, and another was hit on the head and is still unconscious!"

"And what's the last one?"

"That one was even worse. Terrified, they ran back, only to encounter wolves. I heard they lost an arm and a leg, and barely managed to crawl home to call for help!"

"By the time the villagers got there, those two brothers would have been frozen solid!"

This is really bad luck. Su Xiulan kept walking towards the Party Secretary's house.

"I think the most unfortunate one is the three brothers' mother. She's a real pitiful woman. She's been a widow for over ten years, and this summer she lost her son, and her daughter-in-law's body was also lost! I heard her little granddaughter is missing! I've seen that child before; she used to be so pretty, chubby and fair-skinned, even more beautiful than the dolls in New Year's pictures!"

Su Xiulan paused slightly. Had she lost her granddaughter?

She looked down at the baby in her arms and saw that, without her noticing, the little girl's eyes were watery and she looked like she was about to cry.

"Warm and cozy?"

Su Xiulan quickly tightened her grip and gently comforted her, "What's wrong? Are you hungry?"

The little girl in her arms suddenly looked up, her big, dark eyes brimming with tears. Her little nose twitched. "Mommy, what does 'gone' mean? Does it mean it went to a very far place to earn money for Nuannuan?"

Su Xiulan's heart skipped a beat; she knew the little girl had overheard those gossipy women.

Could it be that Nuannuan's parents are gone too?

But how could she explain to a five-year-old girl that "gone" means "dead" and "never to come back"?

"Nuannuan's parents are definitely not gone! They just went to a very far place!"

"My aunt said that Mom is waiting for Nuannuan at the foot of the mountain. She even made Nuannuan's favorite big white steamed buns and big meat buns. But Nuannuan is too small and doesn't have the strength to go find Mom!"

Su Xiulan felt a lump in her throat, and tears streamed down her face.

She reached out a hand and stroked the little girl's head, her voice choked with emotion, "Yes! Nuannuan's parents must still be alive! They're far away, earning money for Nuannuan, and they'll bring it back to buy her new clothes! And big meat buns!"