Chapter 3: The “Tragic Incident” Caused by Meat Buns

Seeing that Luo Lao San had quieted down, Luo Qi Qi reached out and tore the black cloth from his mouth, then disdainfully tossed it aside.

“Are those two people inside your doing? Think carefully before answering,” she said coldly.

Luo Lao San opened his mouth to deny it, but just as the words were about to slip out, he closed his mouth, swallowed his words, and said, “Yes, but… I—”

Luo Qi Qi didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. “They’ve already confessed. I know exactly what you’re thinking.”

Without waiting for him to speak, she continued, “I’m not here to listen to your nonsense. Answer my questions honestly, or I won’t hesitate to make things… uncomfortable for you.”

Just then, Luo Qi Qi sensed a sudden fluctuation of spatial energy. Could it be that the space has arrived too? The thought sent a surge of excitement through her, and she suppressed her internal joy.

She immediately urged, “What is the current dynasty? Why is everyone heading east?”

Luo Lao San, seeing that the question was something he could answer, secretly sighed in relief. He replied, “It’s the Dongyuan Kingdom. From what I’ve heard, the old emperor is incompetent, and the northern barbarians, along with the western frontier, are attacking. The army has been retreating, and it seems like they’re about to reach here. After discussing it, everyone decided to head east, toward the capital.”

Listening to Luo Lao San’s words, Luo Qi Qi fell into deep thought.

If what Luo Lao San said was true, then this place was no longer safe.

She didn’t bother with him any longer and turned to enter the house.

When Luo Lao San realized she wasn’t going to untie him, he shouted anxiously, “Niece! Don’t leave! You forgot to untie me!”

Luo Qi Qi stopped in her tracks and looked back. “If it weren’t for the fact that you’re still of some use, you’d already be facing Yama. Keep yelling, and I won’t hesitate to send you on your way.”

After hearing that, Luo Lao San went silent.

How could he forget? This wasn’t the same Luo Qi Qi who was meek and submissive.

Luo Qi Qi walked into the room, noticing the two big men lying there in her way. She grabbed them by the arms, effortlessly dragged them out, and tossed them aside with a loud bang.

The two men landed right on top of Luo Lao San.

Luo Qi Qi glanced at the scene, and in her heart, she thought, If you don’t seek death, you won’t encounter it!

Luo Lao San, now in a daze, was too angry to speak. Even if he had something to say, he couldn’t form words.

Luo Shi Tou, ever perceptive, quickly shoved the black cloth back into Luo Lao San’s mouth as soon as his sister had finished asking her questions.

Luo Lao San could only make incoherent sounds.

By this point, he was rolling his eyes from the pain, and the two men who had fallen on him hadn’t woken up.

Perhaps because their bodies were cushioned by the “meat mattresses” beneath them, they didn’t feel much pain from the fall.

Luo Shi Tou, watching his sister’s swift and decisive actions, was once again in awe.

She’s so cool! He thought to himself.

After tossing the two men outside, Luo Qi Qi closed the door behind her.

Just as she was about to enter the space, she noticed Luo Shi Tou lingering by the door, fidgeting.

She opened the door, only to see Luo Shi Tou holding two cornmeal flatbreads in his hands.

When Luo Shi Tou saw his sister come out, his face brightened. “Sis, here, these are for you. Dad left them for us this morning.”

Looking at his sparkling eyes, Luo Qi Qi instinctively took the flatbreads from him.

But as she held them in her hand, she didn’t have any intention of eating them.

Confused, Luo Shi Tou asked, “Sis, why aren’t you eating? They smell so good!”

With that, he took a big bite out of one.

Luo Qi Qi also took a bite, only to immediately wince. It’s so hard!

Luo Shi Tou, however, seemed to be enjoying it.

His teeth are really something!

“Wait here,” Luo Qi Qi said, turning around and going back inside. When she came out again, she was holding two large meat buns in her hands.

“Wow, it’s meat buns!” Luo Shi Tou’s eyes widened in amazement.

Luo Qi Qi smirked, watching her brother’s reaction. “Do you think I’d let you eat dry cornmeal flatbreads when we have meat buns?”

Luo Shi Tou’s eyes practically sparkled with joy as he took one of the buns.

Luo Qi Qi watched him closely, her mind still preoccupied with everything she had just learned about the situation. Her fingers gently squeezed the warm bun in her hand, and a fleeting thought crossed her mind—she would have to plan her next moves carefully. There was so much to consider. But for now, meat buns were a rare treat in this harsh world. And at least for a moment, they could enjoy something sweet in a life that had been filled with too much hardship.

Seeing the meat buns in Luo Qi Qi’s hands, Luo Shi Tou’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

Luo Qi Qi handed one of the buns to him. “Here, eat. Your aunt left them for us this morning.”

Luo Shi Tou didn’t suspect anything and didn’t even notice that the buns were still steaming hot. He eagerly grabbed one and took a big bite.

“Ahh, so good!” He closed his eyes in sheer bliss.

“Hey, sis, you should eat too!”

Luo Shi Tou was so caught up in the deliciousness of the bun that he felt like he could swallow his own tongue. It was the best thing he’d eaten in a long time.

Luo Qi Qi gently ruffled his hair with the other hand, smiling softly. Hmm, his hair is clean, no lice or anything.

“Take your time eating, this one’s for you too. I still have more inside,” she added.

Luo Shi Tou felt as though his sister was being unusually gentle today. If only she could always be this kind…

At seven years old, Luo Shi Tou had already forgotten what his sister had been like before, only knowing that he liked this warm, kind version of her.

Suddenly, a series of “whining” noises interrupted their quiet moment.

Luo Shi Tou shot an annoyed glare at the source of the noise—Luo Lao San.

But Luo Lao San, oblivious to the disapproval, continued making the noise, “Wuuu… wuuu…”

Luo Qi Qi walked over, her voice cold. “You better have something important to say, or else you’re going to end up just like those two.”

Luo Shi Tou, who had been happily eating, stuffed the last piece of his meat bun into his mouth and then reached up to remove the cloth from Luo Lao San’s mouth.

As he ate the last bit of his bun, Luo Lao San’s eyes never left the remaining one that Luo Qi Qi was holding. His gaze was fixated on it like a hawk.

“Qi Qi, niece,” Luo Lao San called out, trying to sound polite, “I see that Shi Tou can’t finish his, so why don’t you leave that one for your Uncle? You know, I’ve been so hungry…”

Luo Qi Qi didn’t even spare him a glance, letting his words fall into nothingness.

Luo Shi Tou could no longer hold his disgust and retorted, “What? When you were withholding food from me and my sister, did you ever think of leaving something for us? All you ever do is steal food from us. What else do you do? Do you think you deserve it? Look at your face, it’s huge enough to eat it all yourself…”

Luo Shi Tou continued to chatter away, no longer afraid of his uncle. Every word he spoke seemed to irritate Luo Lao San even more, who was left huffing and puffing in anger.

Luo Shi Tou finished his tirade and looked up nervously at his sister. Oh no, is she going to think I’m a bad kid and stop liking me?

Luo Qi Qi noticed the worried look in Luo Shi Tou’s eyes and smiled to herself. I didn’t expect this kid to have such a sharp tongue. Not bad, not bad!

She gave him an encouraging smile.

Luo Shi Tou’s heart fluttered as he saw his sister’s approving expression. She likes me! She really does! His chest puffed up with pride. I’m a kid who my sister likes!

His joy was interrupted when Luo Lao San, unable to bear any more of it, passed out from frustration, cutting the tension short.

Luo Qi Qi watched the scene with a faint smile. With Luo Lao San knocked out, there was no need to gag him again.

Turning to Luo Shi Tou, she ordered, “Stay here and watch these three. I need to check on something quickly.”

Luo Qi Qi had only briefly used her mental energy to pull out the two buns earlier. But now, she needed to be sure: Did the space come with me from the previous life, or was this a new one?

She stuffed the buns into Luo Shi Tou’s hands before rushing back into the house.

Luo Shi Tou, still processing everything, was momentarily stunned as his sister practically flew back into the room. He barely registered that she had placed the bun in his hands.

After the door slammed shut behind her, Luo Shi Tou looked down at the bun, which now had a bite taken out of it from when he absentmindedly chomped on it. His face twisted with regret. This was supposed to be for sis…

He sighed, remembering that she had said she still had more. I’ll save this one for Dad when he comes back.

As he thought about his father, who had been momentarily forgotten in the whirlwind of events, Luo Shi Tou muttered under his breath, “Really… Dad’s lucky to have such a thoughtful son!”