Chapter 3: Family

Mrs. Wang supported Chen Feng’s right arm, her “Son” held her left hand, and “Little Brother” held Mrs. Wang’s other hand as they walked forward. Chen Feng walked clumsily, so they progressed slowly, often being overtaken by pedestrians behind them.

Chen Feng noticed that “Little Brother” was actually a little cripple, walking with limp feet.

She also observed that Mrs. Wang’s clothes had many patches, and though her own clothes had fewer, they still had a few patches. The clothes of the two boys not only had patches but also were small, appearing tightly wrapped around them.

Chen Feng inwardly remarked that life in this new family wouldn’t be easy.

Listening to the conversations, Chen Feng learned that her son was called Chen Dabao, her little brother Chen Lu, and they also have a father. They had come to the county town to sell the embroidered products made by Mrs. Wang and to fetch medicine for their father, who suffered from lung disease, and to get treatment and medicine for Chen Feng, who suffered from a mental disorder. Because a monk once said that Chen Feng’s ailment could be cured, her family had never given up on treating her, economizing and saving to come to the county town regularly for her treatment and medicine.

The street occasionally carried the aroma of food, with vendors selling and calling out their snacks, including noodles, wontons, steamed buns, and baked pastries.

Particularly, as they passed a noodle shop, the aroma was especially rich. Chen Feng’s stomach growled a few times, and she couldn’t help the saliva flowing from her mouth.

Mrs. Wang stopped and, seeing the saliva at the corner of her daughter’s mouth, said, “Today, we fetched medicine for you and your father and bought some special food for him, a piece of pig’s liver, spending a considerable amount of money…” Pausing for a moment, she added, “How about having a bowl of plain noodles? But, the noodle shop here is expensive. Even plain noodles cost ten wen per bowl. There’s a noodle stall on the outskirts of town that’s cheaper, where you can get a bowl for seven wen.”

Chen Feng blushed, noticing that the sun was already past noon.

After walking for over twenty minutes, they spotted the tall town gate in the distance. They turned into an alley, where villagers sold their wares while munching on their own bread.

They stopped in front of a noodle stall. The stall was run by a couple, with the husband cooking and serving the noodles, and the wife taking and washing the bowls and wiping the tables. The business was decent, with four small tables accommodating six or seven people.

Mrs. Wang said, “Big sister, cook a bowl of plain noodles.”

The noodle shop owner asked, “Sister, only one bowl for the four of you?”

Mrs. Wang smiled and made an awkward sound.

They sat down at a table, just fitting the four of them. Mrs. Wang took out a small package from her basket, which contained four corn cakes. She gave one to Chen Dabao and another to Chen Lu, took one for herself, and wrapped the remaining one, placing it back in the basket. She then said to Chen Feng, “A’Feng, wait a bit for the noodles.”

It appeared on Chen Feng that the bowl of noodles was only for her, while the others would eat the corn cakes they brought from home. Seeing the two boys, looking content while munching on the corn cakes, she couldn’t help but blush.

The noodle shop owner brought three bowls of boiled noodle water, saying, “The cakes are dry, have some water.”

Chen Dabao sweetly said, “Thank you, auntie.”

The noodle shop owner smiled and pinched his little dirty face.

As they nibbled on the cakes, Chen Feng carefully observed her new relatives in this life.

Mrs. Wang was probably in her thirties or close to forty, with a refined appearance. Although her clothes had many patches, they were clean and tidy, and she herself was nimble. She didn’t look like a rural woman, exuding an indescribable charm, especially in her delicate, fair hands, not the hands of someone accustomed to rough work.

Chen Dabao and Chen Lu, though their little faces were dirty, couldn’t hide their clear and handsome looks.

Particularly Chen Dabao, his features were exquisite, his eyes bright and deep, shining like stars. Someone with such eyes must be extremely intelligent and wise. This child’s appearance was truly outstanding.

Chen Lu was also good-looking, although not as bright as Chen Dabao, and with a limp; what a pity.

With a son as handsome as Chen Dabao, the mother wouldn’t be unattractive, indicating that she should also be beautiful. Just as she had this thought, Chen Feng shuddered. Chen Dabao, he and his mother shared the surname Chen, and the original owner was a mentally disabled fool. Could it be that the original owner was violated and gave birth to a son…?

Nervous, saliva again flowed from her mouth.

Thinking his mother was hungry, Chen Dabao hopped off his stool, went to Chen Feng, and, standing on tiptoe, used his sleeve to wipe her mouth, then broke off a piece of corn cake and stuffed it into her mouth. He said, “Mom, have some cake first. Noodles will be ready soon.”

Such a young child being so considerate made Chen Feng feel embarrassed and deeply moved at the same time.

Since she had come, she should accept it. In her previous life, she had no relatives, and in this life, she not only had relatives but they were also so good to her. No matter how bad the situation was, it was much better than facing being sold or starving to death, as depicted in some time-travel novels.

With this thought, she felt relieved.

The noodles were served, a full bowl in a large earthenware bowl, generously garnished with chopped scallions. The fragrance of the noodles and the scallions wafted over, and Chen Feng’s saliva couldn’t help but flow again, accompanied by a few swallowing sounds from Dabao and Lu. They felt embarrassed by their greedy appearance, their faces turning red, their eyes looking elsewhere.

Chen Feng smiled, then laboriously pushed the bowl toward Mrs. Wang’s side and used chopsticks to pick up some noodles for her.

Mrs. Wang was a bit stunned and asked, “A’Feng, what are you doing?”

Chen Feng struggled to utter two words, “Mom, eat.”

Alas, with an unclear mind, a stiff body, uncoordinated limbs, and difficulty with mouth and tongue control, the responses of this body were somewhat reminiscent of a cerebral palsy patient from the previous life. She would need to exercise diligently in the future to quickly regain the functionality of her body.

Then, she pushed the bowl toward Chen Lu and Chen Dabao, and proceeded to pick up noodles for each of them. Despite the slow movements, she succeeded.

Mrs. Wang, Chen Lu, and Chen Dabao looked at her in a combination of surprise and joy, staring at her in disbelief. Chen Dabao was nearly moved to tears, his lips trembling as he said, “My mommy is so clever, my mommy isn’t silly.”

Chen Lu nodded happily, saying, “Yes, Sister’s illness is cured, Sister isn’t silly anymore.”

Mrs. Wang was already in tears, holding her hands together and saying, “Amitabha, A’Feng’s mental illness has truly improved a lot.”

Chen Feng struggled to say, “Mom, A’Lu, Dabao, you eat the noodles.”

“Okay, we’ll eat,” the three of them happily said while eating the noodles and looking at Chen Feng.

Chen Feng began to eat the noodles, feeling absolutely famished. Since her arrival, eating was the only action she was proficient at, her hands and mouth coordinating well, at least not stuffing the noodles into her nose.

Proudly, Chen Dabao remarked, “Mommy is so smart, she didn’t put the noodles in her nose.”

Chen Feng paused. Did the original owner really put food up her nose?

Mrs. Wang smiled and handed the remaining piece of cake to Chen Feng, “You’ve given us so many noodles, have this piece of cake.”