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Old Lady Jiang, forcing back the urge to strike her, shouted, “Eat, eat, all you do is eat! Eating won’t kill you!”
Widow Xu, filled with rage, kicked the coal fire on the ground.
The coal flew straight at Old Lady Jiang’s back, burning her and causing her to cry out in pain. Before she could think, she quickened her pace and rushed out the door.
Due to her frailty, once she reached the doorway, she couldn’t hold it any longer and gasped for breath.
At that moment, the Jiang Family’s Eldest Son returned and helped her up, saying, “Mother, why didn’t you rest properly at home? Why did you rush out?”
Old Lady Jiang, ignoring the burn on her back, grabbed his arm and trembled, “Go, go, let’s go to Old Tan’s house.”
The Jiang Family’s Eldest Son looked confused. “What do we need to go to Old Tan’s house for?”
Old Lady Jiang, gritting her teeth, slapped his head. “To bring your wife back!”
the Jiang Family’s Eldest Son lowered his head, saying, “No, I won’t go. The people in Fengping Village are gossiping, saying it’s not that woman who can’t bear children, but that I can’t. I can’t show my face there again.”
“How can you believe such nonsense!” Old Lady Jiang scolded as she pointed at his forehead.
The Jiang Family’s Eldest Son helplessly responded, “I don’t believe it, but others do. I have no way to explain it!”
“You useless thing!” Old Lady Jiang slapped his hand away and, wobbling, began heading toward Fengping Village. “If you won’t go, I will!”
The Jiang Family’s Eldest Son couldn’t argue with her, so he borrowed a cart from next door and, pulling his mother along, headed for Old Tan’s house in Fengping Village.
Meanwhile, at Old Tan’s house, they were overjoyed because Little Qiyue had just learned to crawl.
Tan Xiaomei stood by the bed, clapping her hands and smiling. “Come here, Little Qiyue, come to Auntie.”
Little Qiyue had just learned to crawl, so her movements were clumsy and unsteady.
Tan Yiliang, afraid she might fall, crouched down and reached out his arms to follow her closely.
Tan Sanyuan was also nervously watching from the side.
Wan Chunmei wiped her hands and walked over, laughing, “Look at you two. Little Qiyue is crawling on the bed; she won’t get hurt.”
Tan Yiliang and Tan Sanyuan didn’t believe it and insisted on staying close to watch.
“Little Qiyue, come on, go slowly, don’t fall.”
One brother squinted and smiled, chattering more than anyone else.
The other remained calm, watching quietly, not daring to blink.
As everyone was laughing and chatting, suddenly the door was knocked on.
Knock knock, knock.
It was a polite, three-knock pattern.
“Excuse me, is this Old Tan’s house?”
Wan Chunmei quickly responded, “Yes, this is Old Tan’s house. May I ask who you are?”
The voice from outside replied, “I am Liu Zhoucheng from Yonghe Village.”
The voice was clearly that of a young man.
The people inside froze, especially Tan Xiaomei, who immediately remembered Aunt Yu’s words: “Liu Shiye, Liu Shiye. Could Liu Shiye be this Liu Zhoucheng from Yonghe Village?!”
She suddenly startled, turned around, and grabbed Wan Chunmei’s hand, saying, “Sister-in-law, this person must be Liu Shiye.”
Wan Chunmei immediately beamed with joy, laughing, “That’s perfect!”
She quickly stepped forward and opened the door, greeting, “You must be the cousin of Aunt Yu’s family, Liu Shiye?”
As the door swung open, a young man stood at the entrance. He was slender, with delicate features, and his green robes made him appear elegant and poised. His presence made the yard, with all its yellow mud, seem refined and cultured.
The people inside the house were all stunned.
However, Liu Zhoucheng showed no airs at all. He bowed to them with a smile and said, “Indeed, I am Liu Shiye.”
As he spoke, his gaze met the clear and gentle eyes of the people inside, and he couldn’t help but smile.
That smile was like the warm sun of spring, gently illuminating everything.