Chapter 21: Dreaming
Zhang Zhan originally wanted to come out to take a look at the situation, but he did not expect to find someone that was breathing weakly. He thought that someone was being buried under the snow. He rushed over and saw that it was a few villagers holding someone captive. When he heard them say that they were going to use this person to threaten Hu Village, he saved him.
When Village Chief Hu saw Zhang Zhan, he was first shocked before he realized that this person should be the one they had saved. He immediately felt relieved.
He thought that today's matter should be resolved.
On the other side, everyone helped Doctor Hu into the cave.
When Hu Xiaotong saw his father's listless appearance, he quickly went to take care of him.
Ah Yu was helping an old woman put beans into a bag. The old woman grabbed a handful of beans from her pocket and said with a smile, "Ah Yu, thank you. This is for you. It's very delicious."
She took a bean and bit it.
Her mouth twitched. When she saw the granny looking at her, she tried her best to swallow her saliva.
It was not delicious, but bitter.
The granny laughed loudly. "These are raw beans. Take them back to your mother and let her cook them for you."
So she could only eat it when it was cooked.
Little Ah Yu nodded obediently and remembered it.
Her bag was not big to begin with. It contained all kinds of things that everyone had given her and was already filled up.
When Little Ah Yu placed the item into the space, Meatball cried out.
[This is the sacred Myriad Spirit Space! Don't put things in randomly!]
Little Ah Yu: "Alright."
Then, she put all the beans in.
[Ahhh, take it out!]
Little Ah Yu: "Alright."
She took the beans from the ground and placed them beside the pond.
Meatball could only watch dully as the vitality in the raw beans quickly changed.
[…]
At this moment, everyone carried Doctor Hu into the cave and craned their necks to take a look.
When Hu Xiaotong saw his father's miserable state, he could not hold back his tears.
"Father!" He suddenly pounced forward.
"Damn brat, do you want to crush your father to death? Move aside!" Hu Xiaotong's mother pulled him to the side and pried open Doctor Hu's eyes to take a look. Then, she leaned down and listened to his chest sounds.
Hu Xiaotong's mother did not have any medical skills, but she had been influenced by him for a long time and could still judge a person's condition.
"Alright, he's just hungry. Isn't there still some snake soup in the kitchen? Bring him a bowl and let him drink it."
Everyone went to care for Doctor Hu. Little Ah Yu also leaned over and saw Doctor Hu lying on the stone bed. She was a little worried.
She asked Wang Wulang beside her, "Fifth Brother, if we get sick, we can look for a doctor. But when a doctor falls sick, who should we look for?"
Wang Wulang was stumped.
"Erm, we might not have to look for a doctor." Wang Wulang scratched his head and said, "For example, when I'm sick sometimes, my grandmother will say, 'What doctor? Look for his mom'! So, if a doctor is sick, we can look for the doctor's mother."
Little Ah Yu pondered.
When she was sick a few days ago, it was Mother who accompanied her.
Mother was definitely more powerful than a doctor!
As everyone was gathered in the cave, there were no secrets. The news of Doctor Hu's rescue quickly spread among the villagers.
Later on, they heard that the people from Shanyang Village had already left. Hu Family Village only lent them 50 catties of coarse grain.
Although it was supposed to be "lending", it was probably impossible to get it back.
Everyone did not care about that anymore. The people of Shanyang Village were also pressed into a corner. Moreover, there was still the daughter of their Hu Family Village who had married over. It was not good to completely become enemies with them.
From the eve of the new year to the third day of the new year, it was originally the most festive time.
But everyone was not in the mood to celebrate the new year. They just made do and gathered around to talk and sing a country tune.
The children gathered together and were very happy. They could not understand the sadness hidden in the adults' eyes.
Little Ah Yu's eyes widened all night. She vaguely remembered that it was not so lively during the new year in the past.
There was clearly nothing to eat, and it was not particularly warm, but everyone looked very satisfied. Other than worrying about the houses and land, they were mostly smiling.
"Elf, I like this place so much."
The rule in Hu Family Village was that one had to stay awake for three consecutive days, from New Year's Eve to the second day of the new year.
On the second night of the new year, as soon as midnight passed, everyone went to sleep. Little Ah Yu also curled up in Liu Shi's arms, unwilling to close her eyes.
Meatball was originally not very satisfied with this place, but in the past few days, seeing that everyone was very concerned about Little Ah Yu, it gradually relaxed.
[Yes, as long as you like it.]
Meatball looked at the little green seedlings that appeared in the spatial pocket and wanted to let Ah Yu in to take a look.
Those were the beans she had thrown into the space earlier. They had already taken root and were growing happily.
Meatball originally despised the beans greatly, but now, it felt that they were rather cute.
However, before it could cry out, it saw that Ah Yu had already fallen asleep. Her little head was tilted on Liu Shi's arm, and her two little hands were cupped under her chin as she gently grabbed Liu Shi's collar.
[Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a better day.]
Little Ah Yu dreamed again. Her dream was very messy. She could only vaguely feel that she was in a place with many people.
A group of children walked towards her. She welcomed them happily. "Sister, Brother…"
A foot reached out from somewhere and kicked her fiercely to the side, causing blood to flow down her arm.
"Bastard… Get lost!"
"… Bad luck!"
"Tell Daddy to… chase her away!"
They were all saying something and looking at her with unfriendly gazes.
She did not quite understand. After they left, she stumbled up and ran to a small courtyard.
The small courtyard was very dilapidated. The wooden door was cracked in a few pieces. She pushed open a small hole with great effort and entered.
There were many vegetables planted in the courtyard. They were green and not neat, but they all looked good.
Someone sat on the threshold of the door, the handkerchief in her hand pressed to her mouth, coughing.
Little Ah Yu ran over and wiped her face with her hand, wanting to make herself cleaner. She grinned. "Mother!"
The woman on the threshold took out another handkerchief and gently wiped the mud off her face. She said softly, "Don't go out. You have to grow up well… They're not your sisters, nor are they your brothers…"
She did not understand and only asked, "Mother, why are you crying?"
Her mother did not answer. She brought over a bowl of black water for Little Ah Yu to drink.
Little Ah Yu did not want to drink it and frowned. "It's bitter."
Big Sister always made her drink bitter water, saying that it was medicine that could make her smarter.
If she became smarter, she could grow up earlier and earn money for her mother and treat her illness.
However, even after she drank it, she still did not grow up or become smarter.
"Mother can't accompany you anymore." Her mother didn't force her, but her eyes were filled with tears.
Later, she saw her mother vomiting blood. She went to beg her father and knelt in the snow.
Her father did not want to see her, and her brother came to kick her. Her sister let her crawl on the ground and bark like a dog.
After she did it, they would give her mother money to treat her illness.
Has Mother been cured later?
Little Ah Yu only remembered her mother's words. "…Ah Yu, you're a good child. Remember, don't take revenge for me and live well."
The voice was getting further and further away, as if it was about to disappear.
"Mother!!!" A huge sorrow enveloped Little Ah Yu, and she woke up crying.
Liu Shi was shocked. She touched her face and saw that Little Ah Yu's face was filled with tears. She was so flustered that she kept asking, "Ah Yu, Mother is here, Mother is here. What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Ah Yu touched her mother and buried her head even more tightly in her arms, but she felt that it was not enough.
"Mother, don't go…"
Meatball sighed in the spatial pocket.
The next morning, Little Ah Yu had long forgotten the dream she had last night.
She got out of bed herself and dressed herself in a small shirt, pants, and shoes. She carried the small bag and painstakingly folded the blanket. She even went to pull the blanket up for her second uncle.
Finally, she reached out and touched the small buns on the top of her head.
Ah, it was a little messy.
She didn't know how to comb her hair yet.
[Child, come in and take a look.]
She was still hesitating about how to not trouble her mother and tidy her little bag when Meatball suddenly called out to her.
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