Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Ye Qing grabbed the wooden poles on both sides and lifted the wheelbarrow. She tested its weight and found that even with the little one, it wasn’t much heavier.

Jiang Jinhuang steadied the little one on the side to keep her from falling. The little one was smart too, clutching the coarse hemp rope on the cart with her small hands.

Ye Qing pushed the cart forward, moving much faster this time. She covered four streets before stopping to rest.

After that, Ye Qing and her group headed toward the city gate. Luckily, they lived in the outskirts of Linzhou City. Otherwise, walking from the city center to the gate would have taken an entire day.

As the sun set, Ye Qing reached the city gate with the cart just before dusk. There wasn’t a single guard in sight. With famine raging everywhere, the government couldn’t pay the soldiers, so they had all fled.

Ye Qing was covered in a fine layer of sweat. Pushing so many things was quite tiring.

Jiang Jinhuang glanced back at Ye Qing several times. She wanted to help but knew she couldn’t push such a heavy cart. Her heart felt a mix of emotions.

“Need a break?” Jiang Jinhuang asked, seeing sweat on Ye Qing’s forehead.

Ye Qing shook her head. “No, it’s getting dark soon. If we don’t find a place to stay, we’ll have to sleep in the wild. We need to keep moving.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang replied. “Can you keep going?”

“No big deal,” Ye Qing said. After all, she was someone who could fight through a zombie horde. Pushing a cart wouldn’t kill her.

The little one, though sitting in the cart, was getting tired too. She thought Ye Qing, who was pushing, must be even more exhausted. The little one glanced at Ye Qing and stayed still, not daring to move.

Ye Qing and her group headed south along the main road until they reached a rundown temple.

Winter was already cold, and though the temple was drafty, its roof and walls blocked some wind. The temperature inside was at least five or six degrees warmer than outside.

“Let’s go. We’ll stay here tonight and continue tomorrow,” Ye Qing said, pushing the cart into the temple.

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang replied, quickly lifting the little one from the cart and holding her as she followed Ye Qing.

There were already people in the temple, likely other passing refugees.

Ye Qing planned to bring the cart inside. If it or their things got stolen, they’d be in trouble.

“Jinhuang, go pull the front of the cart. We need to get it inside,” Ye Qing said.

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang answered. She first carried the little one inside and said to her, “Yangyang, stay here and don’t run around.”

“Okay,” the little one replied immediately.

Jiang Jinhuang then helped Ye Qing. She pulled hard from the front while Ye Qing pushed from behind, finally getting the cart over the temple’s threshold.

Ye Qing placed the cart against the left wall and stood up to look around.

It was a Guanyin temple. The Guanyin statue on the altar was old and worn, and the offering plates were long gone. On the right side, a few refugees sat—three men and two women, likely a family. They had no donkey cart either, with all their belongings piled on two wooden boards.

While Ye Qing observed them, the family was sizing her group up too.

Ye Qing looked for a moment before turning away. She said to Jiang Jinhuang, “Watch Yangyang. I’ll get the bedding out.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang nodded.

The little one was well-behaved and didn’t need much watching. She clung to her sister’s leg, watching Ye Qing work.

The little one suddenly thought Ye Qing was pretty nice. She had pushed her and a cart full of things all afternoon and was still taking care of them.

Ye Qing didn’t know what the little one was thinking. She untied the hemp rope, took a broom from the cart, and swept the area by the left wall, brushing dust and dirt aside.

Ye Qing laid a quilt on the ground and glanced at the two standing nearby, waiting for her.

Ye Qing’s eyes softened. “Come rest. I’ll start a fire and cook.”

She grabbed two more quilts and placed them on the one on the ground.

Jiang Jinhuang led the little one over, sat her on the quilt, and wrapped her in another to keep her warm.

Jiang Jinhuang then went to Ye Qing’s side. “I’ll go find some firewood to start a fire. You’ve been working all afternoon. Rest a bit.”

As Jiang Jinhuang started to leave, Ye Qing grabbed her wrist and shook her head. “It’s already dark. Stay with Yangyang. I’ll be right back.”

As if remembering something, she leaned close to Jiang Jinhuang’s ear and whispered, “Be careful of that family across from us. When you’re out here, it’s always good to stay cautious.”

Jiang Jinhuang frowned when Ye Qing leaned in, but thinking of what Ye Qing had done that afternoon, her expression softened. Hearing the warning, she nodded. “I know. Come back soon.”

“Okay,” Ye Qing replied and left the temple.

She didn’t go far. Things weren’t safe, and she didn’t trust leaving Jiang Jinhuang and the little one alone. Besides, she had firewood and branches in her space and didn’t need to search. Going out was just for show.

Meanwhile, Jiang Jinhuang sat by the little one, her eyes fixed on the temple door. She found herself hoping Ye Qing would return soon.

Across the temple, the family had lit a small fire. The group of three men and two women, including two elderly people, sat around it. They were likely the parents of the other three.

They had set up a small clay pot on branches, cooking something. Soon, the smell of corn porridge spread through the temple.

The little one sniffed deeply. She hadn’t walked all day, just sat in the cart pushed by Ye Qing, but her stomach was already hungry again.

Huddled in the quilt, she pinched her flat little belly. Was she eating too much?

She didn’t dare tell her sister she was hungry, but smelling the corn porridge, she couldn’t help swallowing.

The family across the temple started talking louder. One of the men stood and walked toward Jiang Jinhuang and the little one.

Jiang Jinhuang noticed and stood protectively in front of her sister, gripping the dagger hidden in her sleeve.

“Stop. What do you want?” she asked coldly.

“Oh, don’t be nervous. We’re also fleeing south. I saw you alone and thought we could chat,” the Qianyuan man replied.

Jiang Jinhuang pulled out her dagger. “It’s this dark, and I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”

“You’ve got a dagger? Relax, we’re all refugees. Just making friends. Was that your wife who went out?” the man continued, but seeing the dagger, he didn’t come closer.

Before Jiang Jinhuang could respond, Ye Qing returned with a bundle of branches. Her cold gaze fixed on the man. “Something wrong?”

“Nothing, just chatting, just chatting,” the man said, stepping back.

Ye Qing tossed the branches to the ground with a loud thud, her eyes still on him. “Do we know you? What’s there to chat about?”

“It’s just a few words, no big deal,” the man muttered, cursing under his breath as he retreated.

Ye Qing hurried over. “You okay?”

Jiang Jinhuang put away the dagger, relieved Ye Qing was back. “I’m fine. Why were you gone so long?”

It hadn’t been long, but without Ye Qing, time felt slow. Jiang Jinhuang had never wanted her back so badly.

Ye Qing wasn’t a good person, but she was better than strangers on the road.

Ye Qing softened her voice. “Okay, I’ll come back sooner next time. Rest now. I’ll light the fire.”

“Let me do it,” Jiang Jinhuang said, feeling uneasy about doing nothing all afternoon.

Ye Qing guessed her thoughts and let her take over. “Alright, you start the fire.”

She handed Jiang Jinhuang the flint and striker. Jiang Jinhuang took some dry branches and soon had a fire going.

Ye Qing added more branches, and their side of the temple lit up.

The temple was already dim when they arrived, and now with light, the family across kept glancing over.

Ye Qing ignored them. She built up the fire and surrounded it with large stones. Then she took the clay pot from the cart, scooped a bowl of rice from a sack, rinsed it with water from a gourd, and put it in the pot with more water.

She covered the pot and placed it on the stones to heat.

Ye Qing then pretended to grab three eggs from the cart, actually taking them from her space.

She prepared to crack the eggs into the porridge later for extra nutrition.

After finishing, she sat beside Jiang Jinhuang, who shifted uncomfortably.

Ye Qing didn’t mind. The original Ye Qing had been awful, and she was tired anyway.

Their side fell quiet, with only the crackling of burning branches.

Soon, the smell of rice porridge filled the air. The little one’s stomach growled loudly.

She sneaked a glance at Ye Qing, relieved to see she wasn’t angry. Pinching her flat belly, she felt annoyed it emptied so fast despite eating well at noon.

Ye Qing heard the growling and smiled. She used a rag to lift the pot lid, and the porridge’s aroma grew stronger.

She cracked the three eggs into the pot without stirring, planning to cook them whole.

The little one’s eyes widened at the eggs, and she drooled a bit before wiping it with her hand, still staring at the pot.

Ye Qing saw her fixation and smiled. “Almost ready. Hungry?”

“Not hungry,” the little one said firmly, but her stomach growled again.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but laugh, and Jiang Jinhuang smiled at her sister’s antics.

The little one shyly hid in her sister’s arms. “Sister~”

“It’s okay. Food’s coming soon,” Jiang Jinhuang said gently, her heart softening as she looked at her sister.

“Okay,” the little one nodded shyly.

Ye Qing grabbed a porcelain bowl from the cart and used a wooden spoon to serve the porridge. She and Jiang Jinhuang got large bowls, the little one a small one, each with a whole egg.

After serving, Ye Qing took the pot off the fire to avoid burning the porridge.

“Eat up,” Ye Qing said, digging into her bowl.

Jiang Jinhuang fed the little one first. She was curious where Ye Qing got the eggs since they didn’t keep chickens, but knowing Ye Qing wouldn’t tell the truth, she didn’t ask.

Her sister needed good food to grow, so Jiang Jinhuang fed her the egg.

The little one took a big bite of the egg white, tilting her head back happily. Seeing her joy, Jiang Jinhuang smiled, though her heart ached that her sister had to suffer so young.

“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Jiang Jinhuang said gently.

“Okay, sister, this egg is so yummy,” the little one said, eating eagerly.

“Eat more if it’s good,” Jiang Jinhuang said, feeding her more porridge.

Ye Qing, hungry from pushing the cart, ate her porridge and egg quickly.

Jiang Jinhuang finished feeding the little one, who played in the quilt. Jiang Jinhuang then ate her own bowl.

Ye Qing, still hungry, served herself another bowl. Seeing the little one watching, she asked, “Want more?”

The little one touched her full belly, shook her head, and gave Ye Qing a big smile. “I’m full. Thank you, Ye Qing.”

“Okay, rest a bit. We’ll sleep early,” Ye Qing said.

“Okay,” the little one nodded obediently. She knew Ye Qing had worked hard pushing the cart and wanted to be good to avoid being a burden.

Ye Qing finished talking and continued eating.

The family on the right whispered among themselves. The sturdiest man started walking toward Ye Qing’s group.

Ye Qing noticed and looked up coldly. “What do you want?”

The man, in his twenties or thirties and likely a farmer, smiled at Ye Qing. “Miss, my parents are old and haven’t eaten a full meal in days. I see you have some porridge left. Could you share some with them? Consider it a good deed.”

Ye Qing didn’t want to respond. A good deed? He just thought they were easy targets—a single Qianyuan with a child and a Kunze.

Ye Qing had a bad temper and hated people who judged others like this.

Seeing Ye Qing’s cold stare and silence, the man’s smile faded. “What’s wrong? I’m talking nicely, and you’re ignoring me?”

His gaze shifted to Jiang Jinhuang. By the firelight, he saw her face clearly and stared, stunned.

Ye Qing stood, pretending to get a knife from the cart but taking it from her space.

Jiang Jinhuang didn’t know what Ye Qing was doing. She glared at the man, hating how he looked at her like prey.

Moments later, Ye Qing stepped in front of her, blocking the man’s view.

Holding a long knife, Ye Qing stared coldly at him. “Want to lose your eyes? I can help.”

The man saw the knife and stepped back cautiously. “No need to get a knife. Besides, with your build, can you even handle it?”

Ye Qing smirked. “Come try. But I’ll warn you, it’s chaotic out there. If you die, no one will care.”

“Bad luck, you’re the one dying,” the man snapped, but he backed off.

Ye Qing kept her cold gaze on him before sitting, keeping the knife close.

The little one, frightened, hid her face in her sister’s arms. Jiang Jinhuang looked at Ye Qing, surprised.

Was Ye Qing protecting her because she noticed her discomfort?

Then she dismissed the thought. Ye Qing, protecting her? More likely Qianyuan possessiveness, treating Kunze like property. That’s why she stepped in.

Still, Ye Qing drove off the annoying Qianyuan, and Jiang Jinhuang felt relieved.

“It’s okay, Yangyang, don’t be scared. Sister’s here,” Jiang Jinhuang soothed.

The little one peeked out and rubbed against her sister.

Ye Qing tended the fire and asked, “Want more? There’s some porridge left.”

Jiang Jinhuang shook her head. “No, save it for morning. We don’t have much food left, right?”

Ye Qing nodded. They were running low. If only Jiang Jinhuang’s favorability would increase. Sadly, it stayed at -150.

Ye Qing sighed. “We’ll take turns keeping watch tonight. You sleep first, then switch with me.”

Traveling like this, they fell asleep fast, but even Ye Qing’s vigilance could slip. Someone had to stay awake.

“You pushed the cart all afternoon. I’ll keep watch. You rest,” Jiang Jinhuang said. She hadn’t pushed but walking drained her.

Ye Qing said, “No need to argue. You two sleep first.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded and lay down with the little one.

The temple’s roof and walls kept out the cold, and with the fire, it wasn’t too chilly.

The temple grew quiet. The family across started setting up their beds, perhaps seeing Ye Qing awake, and left one person to keep watch.

Ye Qing didn’t care. She sat wrapped in a quilt, adding branches to the fire. The temple stayed quiet.

She glanced at the sleeping pair behind her, smiling when she saw the little one fast asleep.

To stay alert, Ye Qing stood and moved around when sleepy, then sat back by the fire.

The man across kept sneaking glances, but with Ye Qing and her knife, he didn’t dare act.

At 2 a.m., the system alerted Ye Qing. “Dear, it’s 2 a.m. You should rest.” Its mechanical voice rang in her head.

Ye Qing rubbed her eyes. Time to sleep.

She leaned over and patted Jiang Jinhuang, who was deep asleep. Startled awake, she took a moment to remember they were fleeing.

Seeing Ye Qing by the fire, she said, “Go rest. I’ll watch the second half.”

Ye Qing didn’t argue. Lack of sleep could break a person. She nodded. “If you get sleepy, move around. It helps.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang said, standing to let Ye Qing take her spot.

Ye Qing brushed off dirt and lay in the warm quilt. Exhausted, she fell asleep quickly.

Jiang Jinhuang sat by the fire, wrapped in Ye Qing’s quilt, adding wood occasionally.

The man keeping watch across saw Ye Qing asleep and soon lay down too. Only the fire’s crackling filled the temple.

Ye Qing slept deeply, woken by the sound of the family cooking.

She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and sat up. The soreness from pushing the cart was gone. Beside her, the little one was still fast asleep.

Ye Qing got up and looked at Jiang Jinhuang. “I’ll make breakfast. Go sleep. We’ve got a long day, and you won’t hold up otherwise.”

Jiang Jinhuang didn’t argue. A bit more rest would help.

She switched places with Ye Qing, lying in the warm quilt Ye Qing left. It carried Ye Qing’s scent, which she thought she’d hate but found oddly comforting.

With Ye Qing around, she could close her eyes safely. The thought startled her. She reminded herself Ye Qing wasn’t good—she’d been awful to her and Yangyang before. She couldn’t let her guard down.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing heated yesterday’s porridge. Thinking it over, she pretended to grab three eggs from the cart, taking them from her space. With no vegetables and daily travel, they needed nutrition.

She took out the eggs. After this, only one egg remained from her last exchange. Sighing, she glanced at Jiang Jinhuang. If only her favorability would rise. Ye Qing shook her head.

She cooked the porridge, added the eggs, and soon its aroma spread. The little one woke, rubbing her eyes.

Realizing they weren’t at Ye Qing’s home, she looked around, saw her sister asleep, and quietly got up.

Sitting in the quilt, her eyes locked on the fragrant pot. Ye Qing must have made something good.

The little one touched her belly, staring eagerly at the pot.

Ye Qing, amused, grabbed a water gourd and coarse salt, then picked up the little one.

The little one squirmed but stopped, whispering, “Ye Qing, what’re you doing?”

“Brushing your teeth, then breakfast,” Ye Qing said, moving her away. She had her rinse with water and spit it out.

Ye Qing washed her hands, put some salt on them, and said, “Open your mouth.”

The little one, still scared of Ye Qing, obeyed. Ye Qing used her salted finger to clean the little one’s teeth, then had her rinse again. “Drink some water, rinse, and spit.”

The little one did as told. Ye Qing, amused, hadn’t expected to care for a child in this world.

After brushing her teeth, Ye Qing sat the little one back in the quilt. “Stay put. I’ll get food soon.”

“Okay,” the little one smiled sweetly.

Ye Qing brushed her own teeth with salt, washed her face, and wet a cloth to wipe the little one’s face before pulling her out of the quilt.

She served a small bowl of porridge, sat the little one in her lap, blew on a spoonful, and fed it to her.

The little one looked at Ye Qing curiously. Ye Qing used to dislike her and wouldn’t feed her. She didn’t understand why Ye Qing was suddenly kind, but kids don’t overthink. Hungry, she ate, smiling sweetly at Ye Qing.

Ye Qing, charmed by the cute little one, pinched her cheek and kept feeding her, occasionally glancing at Jiang Jinhuang. Keeping watch was draining, but for safety, they had to. Splitting sleep let them each get six or seven hours, which was enough.

The little one, seeing Ye Qing wasn’t mad, happily ate each spoonful.

After feeding her, Ye Qing set her down gently. “Yangyang, wake your sister. We need to leave soon.”

“Okay,” the little one said, full and happy. She crawled to Jiang Jinhuang, shaking her arm. “Sister, wake up!”

Jiang Jinhuang opened her eyes to see the little one. Still groggy, she sat up.

She’d only meant to rest her eyes but fell asleep. Seeing Ye Qing had made breakfast, she felt annoyed. “Come, I’ll take you to wash.”

The little one buried her face in Jiang Jinhuang’s arms. “No need, sister. Ye Qing washed me and fed me breakfast.”

Her eyes sparkled as she chattered.

Jiang Jinhuang froze, stunned. The old Ye Qing found kids troublesome. Why would she feed Yangyang?

She looked at Ye Qing, probing. Ye Qing met her gaze and smiled faintly. “Wash up and eat.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded, wrapped the little one in the quilt, and went to wash. When she returned, Ye Qing had served her porridge.

Ye Qing handed her the bowl. “Eat. We need to keep moving.”

“Thanks,” Jiang Jinhuang said, taking it uneasily. She distrusted and disliked Ye Qing, yet relied on her these days, which felt awful.

She felt useless, even with Ye Qing caring for her sister. Her heart was heavy.

She ate the porridge dully. The little one played nearby, occasionally sneaking glances at Ye Qing. Ye Qing had washed and fed her, so she wasn’t as scared, but her sister said Ye Qing was bad, so she didn’t dare play with her.

Ye Qing started folding the quilts, ready to pack the pot and bowls for departure.

Jiang Jinhuang ate by the fire, her manners refined despite the rough setting, though she ate quickly.

Ye Qing noticed. “Eat slowly. No rush. We’ll eat lunch later to cover more ground.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang nodded but didn’t slow down.

The family across, though packed, didn’t leave, as if waiting for them.

Ye Qing ignored them. After Jiang Jinhuang finished, Ye Qing rinsed the pot and bowls, then packed.

She’d tied the quilts and stored the pot and bowls in a bundle, pulling a quilt back for the little one’s comfort.

Ye Qing pushed the cart toward the temple door. Jiang Jinhuang helped pull it, and together they got it outside.

As they left, Jiang Jinhuang went to get the little one. She felt the family’s stares but glared back coldly, carrying the little one out.

Ye Qing saw her. “Put Yangyang up here.”

“No, I’ll carry her. The cart’s too heavy,” Jiang Jinhuang said.

“It’s not much. She’s only as heavy as a sack of rice,” Ye Qing said, taking the little one and settling her on the cart.

“Jinhuang, hold Yangyang. Let’s go,” Ye Qing said.

Jiang Jinhuang felt she couldn’t read Ye Qing. Was Ye Qing really being kind? How could she, after how she’d treated them before?

Unable to figure it out, Jiang Jinhuang replied, “Coming.”

She steadied the little one, and Ye Qing pushed the cart forward. They didn’t need to navigate—many were fleeing south, and the five from the temple trailed behind.

They walked over two hours until 2 p.m. Ye Qing stopped by a river to cook and rest.

She parked the cart by a tree, her face and body sweaty. They hadn’t covered much ground. A donkey would help, she thought, sighing.

Jiang Jinhuang lifted the little one down, grabbed the broom from the cart, swept a spot, and laid a quilt on the ground.

Ye Qing didn’t compete to work this time. She was tired.

Jiang Jinhuang saw Ye Qing’s sweat and, after a moment, offered her a cloth. “Here, wipe off.”

“Thanks,” Ye Qing said, accepting it. Her clothes were dusty, and she didn’t want to use her sleeve. She wiped her face and neck with Jiang Jinhuang’s clean, faintly scented cloth. “I’ll wash it and return it.”

Jiang Jinhuang glanced at her. “No need. I have another. Keep it.”

The cloth was personal, and she wouldn’t have given it if they didn’t depend on Ye Qing.

She looked at the cart. “Lunch is porridge again? Where’s the rice? I’ll cook.”

“No, rest first. I’ll do it,” Ye Qing said, sitting on the quilt. The little one sat beside her, listless.

Jiang Jinhuang grabbed two more quilts, one for her and the little one, one for Ye Qing.

After resting, Ye Qing felt better. She went to the cart, pretended to take half a bowl of rice and an egg from a sack, rinsed the rice, added water, and prepared to cook porridge.

Jiang Jinhuang gathered branches and lit a fire with the flint and striker.

Ye Qing set up stones to hold the pot and placed it to cook. She’d add the egg when the porridge was nearly done.

As Ye Qing finished cooking, she noticed the family from the temple resting nearby. The two male Qianyuan kept glancing over.

Ye Qing frowned. She disliked being watched but couldn’t act since they hadn’t done anything. She stayed alert.

Jiang Jinhuang noticed too, uncomfortable with the men’s stares.

Ye Qing saw her unease, stood in front of her to block their view, and stared back at the men from afar.

The man, caught, looked away and muttered with another man.

Seeing they stopped looking, Ye Qing sat beside Jiang Jinhuang, wrapping herself in the quilt.

The porridge’s aroma soon spread. Ye Qing used a rag to lift the lid, cracked the egg, and poured it evenly into the pot so all three could have some.

It was her last egg, but for nutrition, she used it.

The porridge was ready. Ye Qing served it, and they ate quickly. Winter nights came early, and if they didn’t find shelter, they’d sleep in the woods.

Across from them, the family was eating too. The younger man glanced over and said, “Big brother, when do we act?”

“Later. That female Qianyuan has a knife and is vigilant. Last night, she and the Kunze took turns watching. It’s hard to move,” the older man said, frowning.

The younger one asked, “What if they keep watch tonight?”

The older man’s face hardened. “What else? We act tonight. We outnumber them. They’ve only got one Qianyuan and a kid. They can’t beat us.”

“Daniu, you sure about this?” the gray-haired old man asked.