After all, she only had breakfast in the morning and had been through a great ordeal the whole day. Judging by the darkening sky and the torch in the woman’s hand, Nell knew that it was already nightfall.
Naturally, she was starving.
So, she licked her lips bashfully and patted her rumbling tummy. “Is that alright with you?”
“Of course it’s alright! There’s already food available, come! If you can get out of bed on your own, I’ll take you outside to eat.”
Nell nodded. Despite the aches in her whole body, she forced herself to get up.
She slowly followed the lady outside. She discovered that the exterior was actually a hall. The hall was pitch black, save for a kerosene lamp on the table that illuminated its surroundings.
The woman led her to the table to sit down. “Hang on, I’ll get you some food.”
Next, she headed to another room.
Nell sat there and scanned the area with the limited light that was offered.
The house was not big and the ground was not flat, nor was it made of cement. The table was made of wood and a dark layer of paint-like substance covered its surface. The red paint on most surfaces of the table had been stripped away.
There was a large shelf beside the table and it seemed ancient, too. Using the faint light, she could make out the random assortment of items and daily objects inside the shelf.
She had not the faintest idea where she had landed, but based on the current circumstances, she was probably in a remote and underdeveloped village.
Kerosene lamps were used by the villagers as well. Perhaps there was no electricity supply here?
Her heart sank when she realized this.
Soon, the woman came out with two bowls.
One bowl contained brown rice while the other was filled with vegetables and a few slices of meat.
She grinned. “These are leftovers from last night. Hope you won’t mind and eat it.”
Nell smiled and accepted the chopsticks. “Nope, it’s good enough.”
Obviously, at this rate, she could not be too fussy. She had never had brown rice in her life and the dish did not boost her appetite.
Still, Nell understood that it was crucial for her to eat in order to regain her strength, especially in challenging environments like this.
Moreover, it was a kind gesture from the woman.
The woman was relieved when Nell began to eat. She sat down on a nearby stool, got out two long needles and a spool of thread, and began to knit a sweater.
Nell regarded her hesitantly. Finally, she asked her, “Elder Sister, what place is this?”
The woman looked at her and smiled. “This is Tres Village and it’s rather remote. You’ve probably not heard of it.”
Nell pondered. Indeed, she had not heard of this village before.
She asked again, “Is this Country T?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, but we are located in the southernmost region, bordering Africa. Lots of wars going on further south, so the people there are in the midst of hardship and suffer greatly.”
Nell frowned.
Bordering Africa? That meant their flight route back to China was incorrect!
Then again, she understood it all.
Someone must have done something on the plane and changed the flight route. The passengers just did not notice it.
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