Farming Family's Pocket Dimension: A Charmed Little Lady Comes to Farm

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Starving to Death

Lan Zhi didn’t actually dislike Gu Erlang.

It was just that the ideal husband she had once envisioned wasn’t a farmer like Gu Erlang.

She wanted a gentle, refined young master. The two of them would live in perfect harmony, sharing romantic moments under the moon and among the flowers, deeply in love.

If the Marquis Mansion hadn’t fallen, her dream very well could have come true.

But now, she was of the lowest status, and all those former dreams had vanished without a trace.

Lan Zhi stole a glance at Mrs. Chen, who didn’t seem to be paying any attention to them.

Her heart grew anxious. ’I’m just a servant girl Gu Fei bought. Am I even worthy of Gu Erlang?’

’I know Little Fei wouldn’t mind, but what about her parents? Would they not care?’

Lan Zhi’s expression darkened. Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Bao’er cry out, "Mama, I don’t want a wife! A wife will steal my food!"

The crowd laughed even harder.

Ms. Qian gave him a light smack. "What nonsense are you talking!"

She turned to the woman. "Forget it. We don’t have enough grain as it is. We can’t afford to feed another person."

Despair filled the woman’s eyes.

If she sold Lian’er for a peck of rice, Lian’er would have a chance to survive, and she and her son could live for a few more days.

If she couldn’t sell Lian’er, the entire family wouldn’t make it.

The woman suddenly grabbed Lian’er’s hair and started beating her. "You useless girl! You can’t even fetch a peck of rice! What’s the point of raising you? You’d be better off dead! If you died, it would be a clean break for everyone!"

Lian’er sobbed pitifully but didn’t dare to fight back.

After a few blows, the woman ran out of strength and collapsed onto the ground, crying.

The boy cried too, and the family devolved into a heap of tears.

In the midst of the crying, the woman fainted. Lian’er and her younger brother grabbed their mother and shook her frantically. "Mother! Mother, wake up—"

The village chief’s wife, Aunt Liu, sighed. She got up, walked over to the woman, and knelt down. She pinched the pressure point on the woman’s upper lip. A soft sound escaped the woman’s throat as she slowly regained consciousness.

Aunt Liu shook her head and stood up to return to her spot. "It’s the hunger."

Lian’er suddenly began kowtowing frantically to the crowd. "Uncles, aunts, big brothers and sisters! I’m begging you, please spare a mouthful of food! Please save my mother! If she doesn’t eat something soon, she’ll starve to death!"

Gu Fei watched, stunned. She saw that Lian’er’s forehead was soon scraped raw from the kowtowing, and blood began to seep from the wound.

Mrs. Chen said in a low voice, "Sigh, what times we live in... That girl is a filial child, though. Go get two steamed cornbread buns for her."

Gu Fei stood up, hurried to the mule cart to grab two of the steamed cornbread buns her mother had made, and walked over to the woman, holding them out.

Upon seeing the food, the woman snatched the buns and was about to shove them into her own mouth.

But she suddenly stopped. She handed one bun to her son, then broke the remaining one in half, giving a piece to Lian’er and keeping the other for herself.

Ms. Qian, who was standing nearby, snorted derisively. She looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue.

Lian’er held the half of a bun without eating it, simply staring into space as tears streamed down her face.

She suddenly stood up, walked over to Gu Fei, and knelt before her. "Miss, you have a good heart. Please, buy me. I’ll be your servant. I’ll work like an ox, I’ll do anything you ask."

"If you buy me, I can survive. My mother and brother can survive, too. I’m begging you. I’ll be fine with just one steamed cornbread bun a day."

Gu Fei stood with her mouth half-open, speechless. After a long moment, she gave Lian’er a bitter smile. "Please, get up. I’m no ’Miss.’ I used to be a servant girl myself. My family isn’t wealthy either. I’m sorry, I really can’t help you."

Mrs. Chen sighed from the side, looking at Lian’er. "Child, in times like these, no one has any extra grain to spare. You should eat. Eat now, and you’ll live another day."