Chapter 10: A Green Ghost

Why did she act like she had committed a heinous crime?

“Eating candy at night causes cavities. If your teeth are ruined, you won’t be able to eat good things anymore. Eat candy and biscuits during the day. You can take them whenever you want, but don’t eat too much at once.”

Su Luoluo knew the children were afraid of her, so she explained.

Xiao Lei still glared at her fiercely.

The original owner had a spotty past, so it was understandable that the children didn’t trust her.

Su Luoluo turned and left to bathe Niuniu.

“I, I want, a new dress.”

Niuniu sat in the wooden basin, her small hand touching the foam on her chest.

“No.”

Su Luoluo refused.

Niuniu lowered her head, her face full of disappointment.

“New clothes need to be washed before wearing.”

Su Luoluo pinched Niuniu’s little face.

“Wait, wait until it’s dry, then I, I can wear it.”

Hearing this, the disappointment on Niuniu’s face disappeared, and she immediately raised a big smile, saying happily.

“That’s right.”

Su Luoluo washed the foam off Niuniu’s body, hugged her, and went back to the room to dress her.

“Fragrant.”

Su Luoluo smelled Niuniu’s chubby little arm.

“Fragrant, Niuniu is fragrant.”

Xiao Niuniu kicked her short legs and giggled.

“Niuniu is so fragrant, let me take a bite.”

Su Luoluo touched her bulging little belly and teased her.

Niuniu first looked at her own little arm, then at Su Luoluo. Thinking of how kind her mother had been to her recently—giving her meat to eat, bathing her, letting her sleep on the bed, and buying her new clothes—

“A gentle bite, just one bite, Niuniu will be hurt.”

Her little face was clearly scared, yet she still extended her little arm.

Su Luoluo looked at the chubby little arm of the baby. She lowered her head, her lips against her arm, and blew hard, making a “pop” sound.

“Niuniu farted, stinky.”

Niuniu foolishly reached out to cover her little bottom, seemingly not understanding why she had let out a stinky fart.

After a while, she reacted.

“Not stinky.”

Niuniu looked at her little arm.

Su Luoluo was amused by her bewildered expression.

Zhu Yanhua, carrying Jingjing, passed by. Hearing Su Luoluo’s laughter, she felt puzzled. The previous Su Luoluo’s face was full of rage; she was either cursing or throwing tantrums. When did she ever laugh like this?

Xiao Niuniu, dressed, came out with a large Da Bai Tu milk candy.

Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan pulled Niuniu aside.

“Don’t get so close to the bad woman.”

Xiao Lei said seriously.

Xiao Fan nodded in agreement with his brother.

“Why?”

Niuniu pouted unhappily.

She thought her mother was very good now. She bought them meat to eat, new clothes to wear, and didn’t scold or beat them anymore.

She liked her current mother.

“You silly girl, she’ll sell you, and you’ll still count the money for her.”

Xiao Lei poked Niuniu’s little head angrily.

“Humph, I, I’m not silly.”

The little silly Niuniu turned her head angrily and walked towards the house with her short legs.

Then…

Two minutes later.

“Ah…”

Niuniu ran out of the room with a terrified face.

Xiao Lei, originally annoyed that his sister was disobedient, quickly ran over when he heard his sister’s scream.

“Ghost, ghost, inside, there’s a green ghost… woo woo…”

Niuniu pointed to the inside of the room with her little finger, her little face full of fear.

“Ghost?”

Xiao Lei looked inside the room with a bewildered expression.

“There is, a green ghost!”

Niuniu kept clinging to her brother’s leg, terrified.

Zhu Yanhua, hearing the noise, also came out and looked into the room where Su Luoluo was.

Suddenly, a green face emerged. Under the dim kerosene lamplight, the green face looked even more terrifying and frightening.

“Ah…”

Niuniu screamed again, clinging to Xiao Lei and hiding behind him.

Zhu Yanhua also widened her eyes in astonishment.

“Don’t be afraid, it’s me.”

Su Luoluo, seeing that she had scared them, said awkwardly.

Xiao Lei frowned. What was the bad woman doing with her face painted green?

Hearing her mother’s voice, Niuniu poked her little head out from behind her brother, cautiously looking at Su Luoluo.

“This is ointment, specifically for treating the face.”

Su Luoluo pointed to her face and explained.

Zhu Yanhua glanced at Su Luoluo’s face, said nothing, and took the children to bathe.

Xiao Fan turned around and went to play.

That night, Xiao Lei still dragged out the worn straw mat, sleeping on the floor, refusing to sleep on the bed.

Su Luoluo didn’t force him, adding an extra quilt for them.

Xiao Lei gripped a corner of the quilt tightly, glanced at Su Luoluo, and didn’t refuse.

Xiao Fan had a quilt to cover himself, so he wouldn’t freeze. He looked happily at Xiao Lei.

Xiao Lei’s face didn’t show much joy, but rather a gloomy look, his gaze towards Su Luoluo filled with strong vigilance.

The happiness on Xiao Fan’s face also disappeared, and he lowered his head.

Su Luoluo, however, seemed not to see the emotions in the two children’s eyes. She hugged the dazed Niuniu and fell fast asleep.

Niuniu looked up at Su Luoluo. This was the first time her mother had hugged her; she was finally being hugged by her mother.

Before, she envied her neighbor, Zhenzhen. Zhenzhen’s mother always hugged Zhenzhen.

Seeing that the bad woman was asleep, Xiao Lei came to the bedside and saw his sister looking at the bad woman with affection and joy.

He said, “We are not her children; she will leave soon.”

Grandma pursed her lips, her eyes filled with tears. She wiped away her tears, her head drooping in disappointment, unable to be happy anymore.

The next day, early in the morning.

The rooster crowed in the village, one after another, followed by various birdsong.

The three children sat side-by-side on small stools, touching their rumbling empty stomachs.

Although there were biscuits and candy at home, and Su Luoluo had told them to take whatever they wanted, they were too scared to touch them, preferring to go hungry.

Jingjing followed Zhu Yanhua. Zhu Yanhua got up early in the morning, not only to fetch water from the village, take care of her daughter’s washing, take care of her mother-in-law’s washing, but also to wash clothes by the river. She had a lot to do, so breakfast wasn’t ready yet.

When Su Luoluo woke up, she saw the three children sitting side-by-side on small stools. “Hungry?”

“Hungry, tummy’s rumbling.”

Niuniu touched her flat little belly and said pitifully.

“Brush your teeth first, then eat.”

Su Luoluo took out the enamel cups and toothbrushes she had bought for them.

Xiao Lei’s eyes lit up when he saw the toothbrush. He had his own toothbrush now, no longer needing to use twigs.

Xiao Fan was also happy.

Su Luoluo squeezed toothpaste for them, hugged Niuniu, and taught her to brush her teeth. “Brush up and down, don’t swallow, spit it out.”

The two older ones imitated her.

After washing Niuniu’s face, Su Luoluo rinsed their cups and went to make milk powder.

She took out the can of milk powder and opened the lid.

The milky scent wafted out.

The three children had never eaten milk powder before, but smelling the fragrance, they swallowed their saliva, their eyes wide.

Su Luoluo picked up the kettle and made milk powder for them.

She had bought this kettle yesterday. In rural villages, people usually drank raw water when thirsty and rarely boiled it, so they didn’t have a kettle before.

“Let it cool down before drinking, don’t scald yourselves.”

Su Luoluo went into the kitchen again, took out a bowl, and made a bowl.

Niuniu nodded obediently.

Xiao Fan stared at the milk in the cup, constantly swallowing saliva.

Su Luoluo said, “This bowl is for Jingjing. Remember to take it to her later.”

Xiao Lei agreed.

Su Luoluo had just made the milk powder when Zhu Yanhua returned from outside, carrying a bucket full of clothes, with Jingjing following like a little tail.

“Jingjing, come quickly, there’s something delicious.”

Niuniu waved her hand vigorously at Jingjing and shouted loudly.

Hearing that there was something delicious, Jingjing ran towards Niuniu with her short legs.

“Wait for mother, then you can eat it. It’ll be hot, very hot, very painful.”

Niuniu said in a milky voice to Jingjing.

“Okay.”

Jingjing nodded seriously.

Zhu Yanhua came over after hanging the clothes. Seeing that it was milk powder, she hurriedly placed the bowl of milk in front of Su Luoluo and refused, “Sister-in-law, such an expensive thing, our Jingjing can’t have it. You should keep it for yourself.”

Even though Zhu Yanhua hadn’t eaten milk powder before, she had heard that it was very expensive, more than one hundred yuan a can, much more expensive than malted milk. Such things were almost unheard of in rural areas, and many city people couldn’t afford it.

Jingjing lowered her head sadly, clutching her little clothes, but didn’t cry.

“It’s just a bowl of milk. Why can’t a family have it? Look how thin Jingjing is, she needs to be nourished. This milk powder is for children. What would I drink it for? I can’t grow taller anymore. Besides, these three children have been taken care of by you, sister-in-law. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Su Luoluo put the bowl of milk back in front of Jingjing, speaking earnestly.

Seeing the bowl of milk reappear, Jingjing’s eyes lit up.

Zhu Yanhua looked at her daughter, who was as thin as a bean sprout. She softened her heart and didn’t refuse anymore.

“Sister-in-law, thank you. If you need anything, just call me, and I’ll do it.”

Zhu Yanhua was a simple and honest person. Su Luoluo had given her daughter such an expensive treat, and she immediately wanted to do something for Su Luoluo in return.

Su Luoluo looked at Zhu Yanhua, whose cheeks were sunken, complexion sallow, and blood deficient. She looked overworked and malnourished. If this continued, it would damage her health and affect her lifespan.