77 Chapter 77: The Rules of Survival

“If I’m giving it to you, just take it! Work hard in the future!” She said with an encouraging look.

Liu Erniu’s face was flushed bright red.

“Yes! Thank you, Mrs. Song!” He finally accepted it.

Qin Xiaoyao laughed.

!!

Only then did she say, “Alright. Go back now!”

“Okay! Goodbye, Mrs. Song, Aunt song!” Only then did Liu Erniu bow to Qin Xiaoyao and Madam Liu before running away happily.

Looking at the back of the youngster running away happily, the mother and daughter-in-law looked at each other and laughed.

The people who came to sell the mountain products in the courtyard had already found out from Madam Liu that the Song family had hired Liu Erniu to do some work.

When they discovered that he would be paid 30 copper coins just for delivering goods to town, their eyes were filled with envy.

They thought to themselves that the poverty-stricken Song family was finally going to make a comeback this time.

As for themselves, they could also make some money by relying on the Song family.

In the future, they would have to interact more with the Song family.

It was not just selling goods. It would be even better if they could get work from the Song family, just like Liu Erniu.

At the thought of this, one of the sellers went forward and chatted some more with Qin Xiaoyao.

Unfortunately, Qin Xiaoyao wasn’t familiar with this person. After exchanging a few words, she found an excuse to leave.

The seller then left.

After the sellers left, Qin Xiaoyao returned to Madam Liu’s side and helped her pack up the new goods.

Suddenly, Madam Liu said, “Oh, yes. That girl from the Wang family came over today,”

Qin Xiaoyao was very surprised.

“Wang Xiaomei?” she asked.

“Yes,” Madam Liu responded and looked at her daughter-in-law.

“She brought some mushrooms and wanted to sell them to us.”

At that time, the girl had been dawdling outside their courtyard for a long time, and she had only entered after Madam Liu discovered her.

Only then did she find out that the girl was here to sell mushrooms.

“Then you…” Qin Xiaoyao frowned.

In truth, she had a good impression of the two children of the Wang family, whether it was Wang Dashan or Wang Xiaomei.

It was a pity that these two children had a mother like Aunt Wang.

Since she had already made it clear yesterday that she would not accept the Wang family’s goods, she would not change her mind just because of Wang Xiaomei.

“I did not accept,” Madam Liu frowned, her eyes filled with pity.

“But that child… sigh, is so pitiful,” she continued.

Qin Xiaoyao was stunned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I only heard it from the person who bought the straw sandals later. In order to gather a betrothal gift for his son, Wang Dashan, Wang Laoshuan and his wife actually betrothed their daughter to the retarded son of Zhang Mazi’s family from Brook Rise Village!”

Qin Xiaoyao got quite a shock.

“Wang Xioamei, that girl… She’s not of marriageable age yet, right?” she asked.

She knew that in ancient times, women got married early, but they still had to wait until they were of marriageable age. This… wasn’t this a little too early?

“No, she still has two years to go.” Madam Liu looked at Qin Xiaoyao.

“It was said that Wang Laoshuan and his wife were greedy for money and had taken a fancy to the ten taels of silver that Zhang Mazi gave as a betrothal gift!”

“Although they said they were getting Wang Xiaomei betrothed, in reality, they were actually selling her. When the time comes, the money will be collected, the marriage contract will be signed, and the Zhang family will come to pick her up.”

“Pushing their own daughter into the fire pit… That couple is really devoid of conscience!” After speaking, Madam Liu couldn’t help but curse at them.

Qin Xiaoyao turned to look at her mother-in-law.

This was the first time she realized that her mother-in-law could also scold people.

“That girl is indeed pitiful,” Qin Xiaoyao replied.

Seeing her mother-in-law looking at her, she then said, “But her pitiful state wasn’t caused by us.”

As she spoke, Qin Xiaoyao patted Madam Liu’s arm.

“So, Mother, you don’t have to be concerned over this matter.”

As she spoke, Qin Xiaoyao smiled again.

“Besides, the Wang family is greedy for that ten taels of silver as a betrothal gift. Even if we take Wang Xiaomei’s mushrooms, we can only give her a few copper coins. To her, this is not much help.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t have any sympathy, but she had seen too many people suffer and was already numb to it.

In order to survive in the apocalypse, she only believed in one thing: no one would help her except her family and friends.

In order to get out of any predicament, she had to save herself.

In her opinion, with Wang Xiaomei’s situation, it might be a good thing for her to leave the Wang family.

With such parents, even if she could avoid being sold this time, what about the next time?

At least this time, she was only going to the Zhang family, and the marriage would have to wait two years. Things could still change during this period.

...

What if the next time someone offered a higher price, and the place she was going would be even worse?

One couldn’t blame Qin Xiaoyao for having such thoughts. She had seen too many human trafficking cases during the apocalypse.

Parents sold their children, and husbands sold their wives… In order to survive, what value was humanity?

Madam Liu was shocked by Qin Xiaoyao’s smile.

Then, she nodded.

She tossed out some of the negative speculative thoughts in her heart.

Her daughter-in-law was trying to comfort her.

Also, her daughter-in-law was more open-minded than her…

After a while, Big Girl Li came back.

Only then did Qin Xiaoyao say goodbye to Madam Liu and go into the mountains with Big Girl Li.

In the end, Big Girl Li also mentioned Wang Xiaomei’s situation to her.

...

After she finished recounting the news she had heard, Big Girl Li said with some anger, “That girl is too pitiful. How did she end up with such parents?”

Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Big Girl Li but didn’t reply.

Some things were destined, such as reincarnation. Why should one question it?

Seeing Qin Xiaoyao’s lack of reaction, Big Girl Li continued, “Sister Sanya, don’t you have any opinion on this?”

Qin Xiaoyao looked at Big Girl Li again.

“I have my opinion, but it’s not important. After all, I can’t help her.”

Big Girl Li was stunned.

She felt that Qin Xiaoyao was right, but she wasn’t used to her cold attitude.

Qin Xiaoyao understood Big Girl Li’s expression and continued, “Since I can’t help her, and I don’t want to help, why should I think so much?”

“That’s true, but…” Big Girl Li subconsciously wanted to refute.

Qin Xiaoyao chuckled.

“I only have this much energy. Just focus on the important people around you.” This was also one of the rules of survival she had followed during the apocalypse.

Big Girl Li was stunned again.

A sense of panic suddenly flashed through her heart.

“Then I…” she subconsciously asked.

Qin Xiaoyao looked at Big Girl Li and smiled when she saw her nervous expression.

“You’re my little sister, so of course, I care about you,” she said.

If it were in the past, indeed, she wouldn’t have cared.

However, now, Big Girl Li was already a subordinate that she acknowledged, or even a friend. Naturally, she was worthy of Qin Xiaoyao’s care and concern.

Big Girl Li suddenly smiled, and the uneasiness in her heart disappeared.

She no longer minded that Qin Xiaoyao’s attitude toward Wang Xiaomei was different from hers.

It felt really good! In Sister Sanya’s heart, she was someone worth caring about!

When they arrived, the two of them went up the mountain and continued their search.

Today was the last day. According to their plan, they would complete searching the entire Treasure Mountain.

Of course, their current location was already far from the original plot of Chinese yams. The probability of finding a new plot of Chinese yams was actually not high.

Sure enough, after nearly two hours, the two of them didn’t even find a single Chinese yam vine.

They only harvested some edible fungi and bamboo shoots.

The environment at the back of the mountain was more damp, and there were many edible fungi growing on the fallen dead trees.

The two of them spent most of the morning picking edible fungi.