Chapter 19

Gu Qinghuan fed Xu Huai’an with one hand, while holding a pancake in the other and began eating it herself.

To be honest, the pancakes made with the spiritual spring water were incredibly fragrant.

Normally, she would only eat one pancake at a time, but today she ate two.

Xu Huai’an, on the other hand, was even more extraordinary.

She had originally given him eight pancakes, and after finishing them, he was still a little unsatisfied.

Gu Qinghuan then brought in the leftover pancakes that the children had not finished and fed them to him.

His stomach seemed like a bottomless pit.

It wasn’t until all the pancakes were gone that he stopped eating. Well, she wouldn’t need to clean up leftover food at noon.

After feeding him the pancakes, Gu Qinghuan asked him to lift his head slightly and poured the spiritual spring water directly into his mouth.

He gulped it down in a few swallows.

The water was sweet, and Xu Huai’an didn’t suspect anything.

Although it was medicine for his own good, it wasn’t from this time period, and it was better that he didn’t know about it.

It was always better to avoid unnecessary complications.

Just as she was about to leave, Xu Huai’an suddenly called out to her.

“Comrade Gu, please wait a moment.”

“Is there something else?”

“When I retired, the higher-ups helped me secure a disability allowance. I can receive fifteen yuan in pension every month. I haven’t claimed it in the past two years. I’d appreciate it if you could go to the county government when you have the time and collect it for me. I’m not in a clear state of mind, so please keep the money for the family’s expenses.”

Xu Huai’an had always been a filial person. Most of the monthly allowance was sent home to support his family.

After returning from the army, the over one thousand yuan he had saved up was also taken by Liu Guifang under various pretenses.

In the first few months after his return, when he was still able to move around, he thought he could live on his own and didn’t want to trouble the organization, so he hadn’t gone to collect the money.

Later, when he lost his freedom and was abandoned by his family, he understood even more clearly that he couldn’t let Liu Guifang know about this money.

Human greed was endless, and even if she got the money, she would never use it for him or the two children.

The two children were still young and couldn’t help with collecting it from the county, so the matter had been left unresolved.

Fortunately, his former leader had insisted on helping him secure the pension, which had now solved his immediate financial worries.

Comrade Gu had married him in order to exchange money for her mother’s medical treatment.

She had already been kind enough, and he couldn’t ask her to continue spending money and effort to take care of him and the two children.

With this money as a foundation, and the additional fifteen yuan he could receive each month, at least they wouldn’t have to worry about their livelihood.

Gu Qinghuan was a decent person, and with money involved, she would likely treat the two children well.

Gu Qinghuan hadn’t expected such a fortunate turn of events.

She had been troubled about how to explain the sudden appearance of things at home and the overly detailed meals.

Just when she was feeling hopeless, here was a solution.

The two years’ worth of pension added up to 360 yuan, enough for her to use for some time.

It seemed that this money was kept hidden from Liu Guifang and Xu Mingshan, so at least he still had some sense.

“Also, I know it’s been hard on you taking care of the three of us. When I get better, I’ll set you free and dissolve the marriage. In case… something happens to me, I ask you to look after the two children.”

Hearing his heavy tone, as if he were making arrangements for his death, Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but feel unsettled.

In the book, he had indeed died, with Liu Guifang having someone carry his body to the mountains and leaving it there to rot in the wilderness.

“Spit, spit, spit! You’re jinxing it! You’ll be fine, you said it yourself, once you’re better, we’ll get a divorce. Look at you, so thin, you look like a skeleton. It’s awful.”

She spoke lightheartedly, trying to cheer him up, but her words made Xu Huai’an’s mood shift away from the sorrowful thoughts.

He stared at his own leg, looking at it again and again.

Was he ugly?

He remembered that many girls from the arts troupe liked him before. How come it was different with Gu Qinghuan?

It was probably because he hadn’t looked in a mirror for so long, otherwise, he would have been shocked by his own appearance.

His long hair, thick beard, and skeletal body…

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say he looked terrible.

When Gu Qinghuan went outside, she found that Da Bao had already washed all the bowls and chopsticks, leaving only the one in her hand unwashed.

Bei Bei was holding some unknown broken broom and sweeping the weeds in the courtyard.

During the time she had been cooking breakfast, the two children had already pulled up all the weeds in the courtyard.

These two children were so helpful and thoughtful.

“Da Bao, stop for now. Take your little sister to talk with Dad. He’s rarely awake for a while.”

“Dad’s awake?” Da Bao stood up, wiped his hands, and asked excitedly.

“Yes, remember to tell him some happy things. It will help his recovery.”

“Got it, I understand.”

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“Dad, you’re awake?” Da Bao walked over to the bed, hia eyes reddened.

“Da Bao, thank you for taking care of Dad during this time. In the future, listen to… listen to your mom, and take good care of your little sister and yourself, okay?”

Xu Huai’an had originally intended to say “Aunt Gu.” but at the last moment, he changed to calling her “Mom.”

Women were often more emotional, and he hoped that by saying “Mom.” Gu Qinghuan would feel more empathy and take better care of the two children.

“Dad, I understand. Mom takes really good care of my little sister and me. Don’t worry.”

With Gu Qinghuan not around, Da Bao could easily say the word “Mom.”

In truth, he had already accepted Gu Qinghuan in his heart, but in front of her, he still couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.

Bei Bei climbed onto the bed and sat next to Xu Huai’an, chattering away: “Dad, I really like this new mom. She’s so gentle and makes so much delicious food. No one has ever treated us this well. I really wish she was my real mom.”

Xu Huai’an’s expression grew complicated, and a sense of helplessness rose within him.

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Gu Qinghuan finished washing the remaining pots and bowls, then walked around the house, thinking about what else they needed. To her surprise, she discovered a cellar.

It could be used to store vegetables during the winter—quite convenient.

Right now, the biggest shortages at home were firewood for the winter and warm clothes and quilts.

As for food, the supplies in the villa were enough for a while. Once they ran out, they could buy more, so she wasn’t worried about that.

Speaking of clothes, she remembered that she had bought new clothes and shoes for the two children yesterday but hadn’t had the chance to change them yet. She had been so busy and tired last night after moving in, she hadn’t had time to give them the new things.

She planned to give them a nice bath tonight and dress them in their new clothes and shoes.

With the farmwork in October winding down, many people were preparing for the winter—gathering firewood and drying various mountain goods.

Gu Qinghuan wasn’t lacking in food, and as for earning work points, she planned to fish for three days, dry the nets for two, and occasionally do some odd jobs to earn some basic food for the family.

If it weren’t for the worry that people might label her as a capitalist enjoying luxury, she would’ve preferred not to work at all.

Today, she didn’t need to go to the hospital, and Grandpa’s situation had already been arranged, so she decided to start preparing firewood for the house.

She got straight to it. Without hesitation, she went to the vending machine and bought an axe, planning to head up the mountain to chop wood.

Speaking of the axe, it was a bit of a coincidence. Someone was selling a second-hand axe, claiming it had been passed down through generations—his grandfather’s grandfather’s axe.

A new axe would have stood out too much, so Gu Qinghuan preferred this old one, the kind with a handle that had been polished smooth from years of use.

The seller even helped her sharpen the axe, making it perfect for chopping.

“Da Bao, Bei Bei, watch the house. I’ll go get some firewood and be back by noon to cook.” Gu Qinghuan slung the axe over her shoulder, ready to leave.

“Mom, I want to help too!” Bei Bei quickly spoke up.

“I want to go too.” Da Bao followed suit.

“Did you forget what I asked you to do? It’s more important to spend time with your Dad. You’re too small to help with chopping wood, but there will be other tasks for you to do. Be good, okay?”

The real reason was that if they went, it would delay her plans to use the space to her advantage.

Gu Qinghuan understood that the two children were still in a somewhat unreal state, desperately wanting to do more work to prove their worth.

They were worried and afraid that Gu Qinghuan wouldn’t like them or would abandon them.

She knew what it felt like to be in that position—living under someone else’s roof, uncertain of your place. A happy childhood could heal a lifetime, but her own childhood needed an entire lifetime to heal.

Before she reached adulthood, she had been the classic people-pleasing type.

She had been afraid of making others unhappy, unconsciously trying to please them, and was always worried about causing trouble. She cared too much about others’ opinions, never dared to refuse anyone, never spoke up for her own needs or thoughts, and, above all, never wanted to owe anyone a favor.

It had taken her many years to break free from the negative influence of her upbringing and become a bit more confident.

The two children’s current situation was likely even worse than hers had been as a child, which explained why they might grow up to be stubborn, with sharp and ruthless personalities.

Thinking of this, she squatted down to comfort them: “I promised your Dad I would take care of you and never leave.”

“And he gave me a lot of money, enough for you to use for a long time. So, don’t feel burdened.”

Gu Qinghuan thought back to when she was young, at her grandparents’ house. The other cousins’ parents would send living expenses on time every month, but her own parents would be lucky to give her money once a year.

Although her grandparents never treated her differently, the invisible hurt of being treated that way was more painful than anything else. The sadness in her heart wasn’t any less.

That was why she made sure to emphasize that Xu Huai’an had given her money.

Hopefully, it would make the children feel a little better, and they wouldn’t think of themselves as freeloaders, always wanting to work to make up for it.

Sure enough, the two children visibly relaxed, no longer insisting on going up the mountain.

“Then Mom, you need to come back early, okay?” Bei Bei waved her hand obediently.