Famine and Chaos: Weaving Cloth in Exile to Escape the War

"Mom, have some water."

Xiaoman had quietly boiled a pot of water sometime earlier, and now she was holding a chipped bowl and carefully bringing it to Jingzhichun's lips.

The bowl contained freshly boiled water that had cooled to a warm temperature, with wisps of steam rising from it.

Kyoto Haru weakly raised her head and took a few sips.

Warm water slid down her parched throat, soothing her so much that she let out a comfortable sigh.

She raised her hand again to touch Xiaoman's forehead, and then pressed it against her little face. It wasn't so hot anymore, so the fever must have subsided.

However, Xiaoman is weak and cannot be taken lightly. She needs to take the fever reducer again to suppress the root of the illness.

"Xiaoman, go get your bowl too, let's have something hot together, mother and son."

"Okay." Xiaoman nodded obediently, got up, scooped half a bowl of hot water from the pot, and sat down next to Jingzhichun again, sipping the hot water in small sips. Her big, dark eyes kept glancing at the new baby in the quilt next to her, her eyes full of surprise and curiosity.

After watching for a while, she finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Mother...it's my younger brother, right?"

Kyoto Haru hummed in agreement, her gaze falling on the small bundle with a complex expression.

To be honest, at this moment, she felt like she had swallowed a bottle of mixed emotions, and she couldn't quite describe the feeling.

Most people who time-travel experience becoming mothers without pain; as soon as they open their eyes, their sensible and adorable children surround them.

But what about her?

She was a truly dedicated and heart-wrenching mother.

The excruciating pain that lasted for several hours, almost tearing her in two, constantly reminded her how real and horrific this childbirth was.

What's even more perplexing is that this body belongs to the original owner, the one who carried the child for ten months is the original owner, the one who had that night with Shen Qingzhou is also the original owner, and the one who has expectations and love for this child is also the original owner.

As for her, Kyoto Haru, her soul was forcibly stuffed into this unfamiliar body, and she was forced to give birth. In her heart, there was no throbbing of blood connection, nor any joy of becoming a mother.

More than anything, it seems to be a sense of alienation, or even a touch of absurd bewilderment.

It's like being forced to take over a stranger's precious keepsake. You know you have to take responsibility, you know it's a matter of life and death, but you can't find that heartfelt, passionate connection for the time being.

In her view, he was more like a medical patient who needed to be properly cared for, a fragile life that she had to nurture with her knowledge and responsibility, rather than her own flesh and blood.

In short, she did not yet have maternal love for this little life.

Sigh, maybe it will happen in the future.

"Great! I finally have a little brother!" Xiaoman danced with joy.

Jing Zhichun was pulled back to Shenlai by Xiaoman, and turned to look at Xiaoman: "Why do you want a younger brother so much?"

Xiaoman held the bowl, lowered her head, and thought seriously for a moment before speaking, "It was Grandpa who said it. Grandpa said that with a younger brother in the family, no one will dare to bully Mom anymore. My brother has grown up, he's a man, he can support the family, and he can protect us."

Kyoto Haru was taken aback, then sighed.

The maternal grandfather Xiaoman mentioned was the original owner's father, the former Grand Secretary Jing Ziming, who had already committed suicide by crashing into a pillar and shed blood in the Golden Palace.

Now, this high-ranking official, who could turn the tide of power with a flick of his wrist, had spent his life navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom and scheming countless times, yet he only had two daughters and never had a son to carry on the family line.

Back then, his political enemies in the imperial court used this matter to their advantage, openly and secretly mocking him, saying things like, "Jing Ziming has done too many immoral things, and God has punished him by making him childless," and "The Jing family's fate has run out, and they don't even have a son to carry on the family line."

Jingmingzi always maintained a calm and collected demeanor, scoffing and calling those people "pedantic and vulgar."

But what about at heart?

In this world where patriarchal traditions and etiquette are paramount, a high-ranking official without a son, no matter how powerful he is, will always face the scrutiny of his legacy and the continuation of his family line, as long as he has no son.

Therefore, he cared more than anyone else and longed for a son, but unfortunately, he was not destined to have one.

Ever since the original owner, Kyo no Haru, was diagnosed with pregnancy, Kyo no Miyamoto placed all his hopes on the original owner. He started eating vegetarian food, saying that he wanted to accumulate blessings for his unborn grandson.

When I talk to Xiaoman, I always unconsciously bring out my own hopes.

He always said, "Wait until your mother gives birth to your little brother..."

"When our family has a little man..."

After hearing it so many times, the idea that "my little brother is very important, and he can protect my mother" was firmly imprinted in Xiaoman's little mind.

Thinking of all this, Jing Zhichun didn't know what to say. She didn't speak again, but simply reached out and took Xiaoman's bowl.

"Xiaoman, go to the stove and cook another pot of porridge, make it thicker. Let the water in your bowl cool down before you drink it."

"Okay, sure!"

Xiaoman quickly and carefully placed the half-bowl of hot water she was holding next to Jingzhichun. She then turned around and ran to the stove with her short legs. She tiptoed to reach the half-empty rice bag, carefully grabbed a handful of brown rice and put it into the pot, then added some snow water.

While Xiaoman was busy with her back to her, Jingzhichun quickly took out a packet of cold granules from her sleeve, poured it into the half bowl of warm water that Xiaoman had just drunk, and then stirred it well with chopsticks.

"Xiaoman, come on, drink this first."

Xiaoman wiped her hands, ran back, took the bowl, and took a small sip.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she looked up at Jing Zhichun with surprise: "Mother, why is this water...so sweet?"

"Hmm, Mom secretly added a little bit of sugar to your drink. Drink it, it will help you recover faster."

"Sugar?!" Xiaoman was both surprised and delighted. She seemed to have thought of something, but then pushed the bowl back. "Mom, you drink this sugar! You just gave birth to your little brother, you're exhausted and need to replenish your strength. Give the sugar water to Mom! Xiaoman will just drink plain water!"

Looking at the thin but sensible child in front of her, Kyoto Haru felt a pang of sadness.

If she hadn't traveled through time, how would she have survived leaving this child in exile?

Jing Zhichun forcefully pushed the bowl back, saying, "Silly child, your mother is an adult and doesn't need to drink this. You should drink it quickly, and then go and watch the porridge pot so it doesn't burn. When you're better and have more strength, you can help your mother take care of your younger brother."

Xiaoman wanted to refuse, but seeing her mother's determined eyes and the precious sweet soup in the bowl, she couldn't resist her childlike nature and obedience to her mother. She picked up the bowl and drank the sweet medicine in small sips, cherishing it very much. After finishing, she couldn't help but lick the rim of the bowl.

"Thank you, Mother..."

"Alright, hurry up and cook some porridge, Mom's hungry."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Xiaoman obediently ran back to the stove and carefully stirred the porridge in the pot.

At this moment, only the crackling of firewood and the occasional faint whimpers of the baby beside him remained in the room.

Jing Zhichun leaned against the pile of quilts, turning her head to look at the baby in the swaddling clothes. The baby's safe arrival was only the first step; the next twenty-four hours would be the real test, especially in this environment where there was nothing to be had.

She reached out and placed her fingers on the side of the baby's neck, feeling the rapid but regular and strong pulse. Then she leaned down and put her ear close to his mouth and nose. The baby's breathing was faint but steady.

No problem for now.

So the most pressing issue right now is feeding them.

The original owner of this body endured two months of hunger during the exile, and then another two months of cold and hunger upon arriving at the place of exile. In just four months, the person had become skin and bones, and was now severely malnourished. The childbirth just now had almost exhausted all energy and water.

When will the colostrum come out?

Jing Zhichun was uncertain.

If, according to physiological laws, colostrum will come out in the first few hours to one or two days after childbirth. It is rich in antibodies and nutrients and is the perfect first food for newborns.

But now...

She raised her hand and gently pressed her chest through her thin clothes, but felt no swelling.

This body is too weak; it may take longer for colostrum to form.

If a newborn baby does not eat for a long time, it can lead to hypoglycemia, worsening jaundice, and even dehydration.

Thinking of this, Kyoto Haru felt another headache coming on.

However, just as she was worrying about the newborn's food supply, she saw Xiaoman squatting in a sheltered spot by the door, fiddling with something.

They must be playing in the snow.

Jing Zhichun was a little angry. "Xiaoman, you can't stand in the wind, you know? What are you doing playing in the snow on such a cold day?"

This child, whose cold had just gotten a little better, is already making a fuss.

"Mom, I wasn't playing in the snow, I was washing tree roots."

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Kyoto Spring felt a surge of energy.

Then, Xiaoman turned around.

She was holding a piece of Cistanche deserticola, about twenty centimeters thick and as thick as a person's arm, and was vigorously rubbing it against the clean snow piled up at the doorway.

Snowflakes covered her small, red hands from the cold, and rubbed the skin off some of the Cistanche deserticola.

Moreover, there was an even longer and larger Cistanche deserticola next to Xiaoman.

At the same time, a mechanical voice appeared in Kyoto Haru's mind.

[Ding! 5 catties of natural wild Chinese medicinal herb Cistanche deserticola, valued at 600 wen, detected. Sell?]