Huangsha Village had about a hundred households, and to defend against desert wolves, every house was built close to the others.
Most villagers were poor, their homes consisting of shacks of various sizes. Only a small portion, those with slightly better conditions, lived in stone-walled houses.
After leaving the village, Bai Sheng quickly headed in the direction of the town. The original owner had arrived at the Lu family's second branch a month ago and had been to the town once, so she remembered the way.
Looking around, the ground was covered in dry yellow sand. Scattered along the roadside were desert red willows, adding a splash of vibrant color to the bleak and desolate landscape, much like a dirty beggar daubing rouge on her cheeks, creating an indescribable strangeness.
In the distance, sparse sea buckthorn shrubs were dotted about, resembling the patchy baldness of a middle-aged, greasy uncle.
The sun was still fierce, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the road, nor any shelters. If Lu Ye and Lu Hua appeared, they would be spotted at a glance.
Halfway, Bai Sheng's worn straw shoes fell apart, becoming completely unwearable.
Her bare feet on the scorching sand felt like her soles were about to be roasted to a crisp.
However, the original owner's feet were very rough and resilient, likely due to the severe wear and tear from being a slave. Thus, she was accustomed to it.
Bai Sheng scanned her spatial dimension with her consciousness, and the voice of the big black pig immediately sounded in her mind, "Oink… Master… oink… want to come into the space to cool off?"
Bai Sheng glanced around. Although there were few people on the road, it didn't mean there were none. If a person were to suddenly disappear or appear, it would be too strange.
She didn't want to be captured as a monster.
So, she decided against it.
However, she could take this opportunity to understand more about the space.
"Big black pig, tell me, besides the spiritual spring, what other functions does my space have?" Bai Sheng asked the big black pig in her consciousness.
"Good air, oink… fertile land, crops mature in a week, and stored items don't spoil, oink…"
"That's it?" Bai Sheng curled her lips. This was too basic. But beggars couldn't be choosers, and one shouldn't be too greedy.
"Oink… it's not just that," the big black pig said proudly, "There's also me!"
"You?" Bai Sheng chuckled. "You're a big fat pig, all you do is eat and sleep. What can you do? Kill you for meat?"
The big black pig trembled for a second, feeling extremely wronged. "Master, oink… you underestimate me too much. As the manager of the master's space, I know many things. I can plow fields, cut grass, and harvest wheat… I am omnipotent! Oink…"
"You plow fields? Cut grass and harvest wheat?" Bai Sheng suddenly pictured a scene in her mind: a big black pig biting a shovel with its snout, digging with effort; or biting a sickle, cutting wheat stalk by stalk…
The scene was as bizarre as it could get.
"Of course, Master, you'll know my immense usefulness in the future! Oink…" The big black pig proudly lifted its snout.
"Alright, alright, big black pig, you are invincible and amazing!" Bai Sheng said perfunctorily.
"Oink… Master, I want to discuss something with you."
"What is it?" Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow.
"From now on, can you please not always call me 'big black pig, big black pig'? It sounds a bit… damaging to my image. Oink…"
Bai Sheng was shocked. "Are you not a big black pig?! Do pigs also care about their image?!"
"Oink… I am indeed a big black pig, but I also want a cute and adorable name. I beg Master to bestow one!"
Bai Sheng held her forehead. She really wanted to say: Big black pig, you are very robust in appearance. Is "cute and adorable" really suitable?
However, since the big black pig was going to help her manage the space in the future, if it wanted a cute name, she would oblige.
Bai Sheng thought for a moment and said, "Big black pig, from now on, you'll be called Heng Heng!"
"Yay, Heng Heng is so cute and adorable! I'll be called Heng Heng from now on!" The pig in question happily rolled around in the space.
"Heng Heng, if you have nothing to do, hurry up and clear the land in the space. In a couple of days, I'll go to town to buy seeds to plant," Bai Sheng instructed. Heng Heng, you said yourself that you can clear land and plant, it's not me bullying a pig!
"Okay, Master!"
"Heng Heng, don't clear randomly. Plan out the residential area, entertainment area, farming area, and storage area," Bai Sheng added. She didn't want the big black pig to ruin such a good space.
"Master, please don't worry. Heng Heng is a capable, tasteful, diligent, intelligent, and very clean pig!"
Bai Sheng was speechless.
Ahead, a small, swaying black dot finally appeared.
Bai Sheng cupped her hand over her eyes, looking closely, and indeed it was Lu Ye!
Lu Hua seemed to have fainted, slumping limply on Lu Ye's back.
"Lu Ye!" Bai Sheng waved at him from a distance and ran over shouting.
At this moment, Lu Ye's face was pale, his lips were chapped, and he seemed to be desperately holding on to his last breath. Even so, his natural handsomeness could not be concealed.
He stopped and looked at the black-faced girl running towards him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
She… wasn't she already… lifeless? He had clearly checked her breathing, and she had no breath at all.
Did he check incorrectly?
Bai Sheng ran up to Lu Ye, her small face flushed black and red, her forehead hair damp with sweat, sticking to her skin.
Without wiping the sweat from her eyes and brows, she immediately handed the water skin to Lu Ye, panting, "Quick, drink some water!"
Lu Ye's chapped lips moved, but he didn't immediately take the water skin. His gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade, and he freed a hand, grabbing Bai Sheng's wrist tightly. He said in a deep voice, "Where did the water come from?!"
Those vicious women had sold their sister for water at noon. Could this little slave have sold her two younger brothers—
Lu Ye dared not imagine. His heart jolted, and he suddenly felt dizzy, stumbling backward uncontrollably. He brought Lu Hua down with him, falling to the ground.
Bai Sheng, rubbing her wrist, didn't expect her cheap husband to be so wary of her. She recalled the relationship between the original owner and Lu Ye.
Ever since the original owner's in-laws brought her home, Lu Ye had always been very indifferent to her. The original owner herself was also very defensive of this family, rarely initiating contact with them, acting like an invisible person in the house.
Seeing Lu Ye's extreme weakness, Bai Sheng quickly brought the water skin to his lips. "If you want to live, drink water quickly. When we get home, I'll naturally tell you where this water came from!"
"My… two… brothers…" Lu Ye moved his Adam's apple with difficulty.
Bai Sheng looked directly into Lu Ye's eyes and told the truth, "They were almost dying of thirst. I gave them water, and now they are fine and waiting for you at home. I was afraid you and Lu Hua would die of thirst outside, so I came to find you immediately!"
Lu Ye's gaze searched Bai Sheng's eyes, then he frowned and lowered his head, taking the water skin from her.
However, it wasn't for himself. With trembling hands, he first went to feed his sister Lu Hua.
To make it easier to refill later, Bai Sheng said, "Let me feed her. You're shaking badly and will spill the water."
Lu Ye did not object, handing the water skin to Bai Sheng. He slumped to the ground, placing his arms on his raised knees, his head hanging down powerlessly.
Bai Sheng fed Lu Hua an entire bag of water, then added more than half a bag and handed it to Lu Ye.
Lu Ye tilted his neck and gulped down the water greedily, his handsome Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
Bai Sheng looked at him, somewhat stunned, feeling that Lu Ye resembled someone, someone who had been in her heart for a long time.
The moment Lu Ye took the first sip, he felt that this water was extraordinary. It was sweet and clear, and it instantly gave his body abundant strength.
As he handed the water skin back to Bai Sheng, he gave her a deep look.
This little slave had suddenly changed, like a different person. In the past, she would never have cared about them so much… Moreover, where exactly had she gotten this water?
"Lu Ye, I know you have many questions. I said I would tell you when we get home, and I will. You two rest for a while, and we'll go home together later," Bai Sheng said, as if she could read his mind, chuckling softly.
Lu Ye nodded, his gaze falling on her bare feet. "Where are your shoes?"