A Heavenly Little Cutie at Home: We Thrive Through the Famine

The Qi family finally has a girl! If she says it won’t rain, it won’t rain. If she says the wind won’t blow, it won’t blow. It’s as if her words have magic. Manbao: “Grandpa, the ants are moving house. It’s going to rain!” Old Master Qi: “Manbao, be good. We’re harvesting the autumn crops! It absolutely can’t rain!” Manbao pouted. “All right, then! I’ll go talk to Grandpa Jade Emperor.” Sure enough, on the day of the harvest, dark clouds gathered and thunder and lightning crashed, but not a single drop of rain fell. When it was time to sell the grain, Manbao said, “Grandma, we can’t sell it. We’ll need it to eat on the road.” The Qi family asked, “What road?” Manbao tilted her head. “The road, of course! Lots of people are traveling together. Their clothes are all ragged, and every one of them is as thin as a stick.” What? Wasn’t that a refugee flight? The Qi family was stunned. How could they suddenly be fleeing when life had been going so well? Fleeing from famine was terrifying! But when they really did flee, the Qi family discovered that life on the road could actually be pretty comfortable! Villager A: “Oh my, why is the Qi family braising meat again today? It smells delicious!” Villager B: “You don’t know? I heard those rabbits charge straight into Manbao’s arms like they’re crazy. Oh, if only I had a Manbao of my own.” The Qi family: “You must be dreaming!” Manbao, munching on a rabbit leg with grease all over her face: “Hee hee hee! Grandpa Heavenly Way said Manbao is still little, so she has to eat her fill if she wants to grow tall.”