Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space

"Big brother, what is this?" Gouzi couldn't take his eyes off the millet, trembling as he asked.

"You're in luck. Today, I'm in a good mood and decided to do a good deed. These are for you. You can't just rely on medicine; you need a strong body to withstand it. Hurry and make some porridge," Hua Jin said indifferently.

"Really... for us?" Gouzi felt as if he were dreaming, and it wasn't until he pinched himself hard, the sharp pain reminding him this wasn't a dream.

But... are there truly such kind-hearted people in this world?

After all, they were just little beggars stricken by the plague and barely skin and bones. What was worth remembering about them? Wouldn't it be a waste of food?

Despite the tumult in his heart, Gouzi still looked expectantly at the big brother in front of him. Even if it meant his life, if they could keep this food, he would be willing.

They desperately needed this food. Even if the plague didn't kill them, they and their brothers and sisters would starve to death soon enough.

Afflicted by a dire illness, they couldn't go far and couldn't compete with adults. Even if they found wild vegetables, they could bring back very little, and no matter how much they tried to conserve, it was never enough to go around.

"Of course," Hua Jin said proudly.

"Go cook, or you'll waste the medicine I've given you."

"By the way, add two eggs to the porridge," Hua Jin said, handing a cloth bag containing eggs to Gouzi, whose eyes were already full of tears, which finally fell.

"There are also these medicines, meant to treat the plague. I'm not sure if they'll work, but it's better than nothing. Brew a few doses after meals and share them amongst yourselves."

Trembling, Gouzi received the cloth bag without saying a word, and then kneeled on the ground and kowtowed. Seeing this, Grassroots, Hua'er, and Wan'er quickly followed suit.

They didn't know why Gouzi was doing this, but remembering the medicine they had taken before, they knew they ought to bow, and despite the dizziness, they kowtowed heavily.

Watching the children, Hua Jin felt compassionate but still allowed them to kowtow. Perhaps it would make the children feel better.

"Alright, it was destiny you met me today, hurry and make the porridge," said Hua Jin, who felt sorry as the child on the straw mat couldn't even lift his head.

"Thank you, thank you, big brother. If I survive, I will surely repay your kindness," Gouzi said before bowing deeply again, lifting his dirty little face solemnly.

"And us too, we will also repay big brother," said Grassroots, Hua'er, and Wan'er together.

Hua Jin waved his hand, saying nothing further. Regardless of the outcome, it was good that they had the intention of gratitude. At least it made her efforts feel worthwhile.

Seeing this, Gouzi gratefully glanced at the big brother, quickly climbing up from the ground. Without pouring out the wild vegetable porridge from the clay pot, he added a handful of millet. Seeing his thin younger siblings, he thought for a moment and added another half handful. Just as he was about to add water, Hua Jin stopped him.

"Use my water."

Without bothering with Gouzi, Hua Jin took out a large water bag from her backpack, which seemed able to hold about ten liters of water, as the children stared at her backpack.

They were very curious about how such a small cloth bag could hold so many things.

The water in the bag was from a stream in the space. To be honest, Hua Jin hadn't genuinely experimented, but after the grains and animals in the space were watered with it, there was a clear difference compared to tap water. They grew faster and healthier.

It made Hua Jin think more about it. Perhaps it couldn't achieve the miraculous abilities of spiritual water in novels, but it was certainly better than regular drinking water; the crops and livestock from the fields were proof, at least enhancing physical health simply was a possibility.

Though uncertain, it definitely did no harm, so it was just right for these children to try it, like using a dead horse as a living one.

"Big brother, is this clean?" Gouzi asked gratefully, looking at the big brother opposite, thinking that he had already helped them a lot and didn't want to use his water anymore.

"Just use mine. The water in the water bag has been filled for several days; I was planning to replace it anyway. It's a waste to not use it, so use it for cooking."

With that, she poured the water from the water bag into the clay pot, glancing into the pot as the water filled it, then decisively poured the remaining water into a wooden basin nearby.

Though it was called clean, in her view, it was far from it, covered with speckled dust.

Then she poured the remaining water from the water bag into the water container, found a piece of wood, knocked it clean, and covered the water pot.

"This water is clean; use it for cooking," Hua Jin instructed, fearing the children might not use it.

Since it was already poured, Gouzi nodded quickly. Indeed, this water was much cleaner than what was in their water pot, and he took another look at the wooden board.

"The water for drinking must be clean and should be boiled longer," Hua Jin decided to give more instructions, as they were just kids.

"Mm mm, thank you, big brother," Gouzi said earnestly, realizing the big brother truly meant well for them, seriously nodding, just as the doctor had said.

Meanwhile, Big Liu, whether due to the medicine's effects or his previous violent coughing exhausting all his strength, fell asleep after seeing the visitor had no malice.

Hua Jin here finished adding the water, and Hua'er, along with another spirited little girl, kept watch over the clay pot. Watching the millet boil inside, their eyes were full of excitement, constantly swallowing their saliva.

Gouzi couldn't bear to return the cloth bag to the big brother. Having a proper meal of grain like this brought him and his siblings much satisfaction. Grain was now so precious that even selling all of them wouldn't exchange for it, so Gouzi finally decided to return it to their kind big brother.

"This is for you; no need to return it to me," Hua Jin didn't accept.

"But... it's too precious."

"Then cherish it, nurture your health and your siblings', strive to overcome the illness and recover, and let the grain not go to waste."

With that, she gave him everything she had taken out in one go.

"Hide it well, be careful not to let anyone find out."

Indeed, as the children said, grain was extremely precious and coveted by all. Without the ability to safeguard it, it could become a death sentence.

"Mm mm," Gouzi tightly held onto the cloth bags, understanding the meaning behind the words.

With a moment's hesitation, having done all she could, and remembering the purpose that brought her here, Hua Jin prepared to leave.

"Live well," Hua Jin said, looking at the children inside the tent. As she turned to leave, her gaze swept over the children lying on the ground, and after a brief pause, she reached into her satchel.

She took out antipyretic medicine, anti-inflammatory medicine, and pills for vomiting and dysentery from the space, each wrapped in taken-out grease-proof paper.

Although the medicine she had brought covered these treatments, western medicine was ultimately faster.

"Take this, and hide it well," Hua Jin handed the grease-proof paper-wrapped packages to Gouzi.

"Medicine?"

"Yes, it's medicine. These are extremely precious. If, after taking these soups, fever and other symptoms don't improve, take the pills from the grease-proof paper according to my instructions after an hour..."