Insanely cruel, heartless and rotten.
That describes people like that carpenter! Beating an apprentice, fine, he's not their own child, no heartache. But this little girl is his own daughter! How could he bring himself to do it?
The wounds on her arms, many of them are old scars.
This little girl looks like she's only about six or seven years old.
How could that beast lay hands on her? People like this, the heavens must be blind to let him be a human.
He is undeserving!
The doctor put away his stern face and spoke kindly, "Don't worry, I'll go with you to check on your mother."
Ya'er was so happy tears welled up, she kept thanking him, "Thank you, doctor uncle, thank you, doctor uncle."
The doctor felt a bit embarrassed, "No need to thank me, this is my duty."
"Then, uncle, can I ask you something? The boy who came to the clinic earlier, is he going to be okay?" Ya'er asked nervously.
"The one apprenticing at your house?"
Ya'er nodded.
"His external injuries have been treated, no major issues, just needs to recuperate for a few days. However, because he's usually underfed, his body is quite damaged. It will take some time for a full recovery," said the doctor.
After speaking, he glanced at Ya'er, "Little girl, how old are you this year?"
The little girl was very frail, her hair was thin and yellow.
The doctor had a bad premonition.
Indeed—
"Doctor uncle, I'm ten years old this year," Ya'er replied.
Older than that little boy by a year, yet more frail than he is.
The doctor angrily cursed the carpenter all the way.
Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs!
·
After getting home, Meng Yao paid Uncle Niu more for the cart fee than agreed, Uncle Niu couldn't refuse and accepted, "Then don't have Dajiang cut grass."
"Thank you, Uncle Niu," Meng Yao said.
Uncle Niu waved his hand, "Alright, alright, you better get inside, Xiu'er and Xiaoshu will keep you busy."
Zhao Dahe carried Zhao Xiaoshu into the house but didn't know where to put him.
"Mom, mom." Zhao Dahe called out loudly to Meng Yao.
It was only then Meng Yao remembered, the original owner had turned Zhao Xiaoshu's room into a storage room. Since she hadn't thought of it earlier, naturally, she hadn't prepared it.
"Stop calling out like you're summoning spirits."
"Where does Xiaoshu sleep?" Zhao Dahe asked.
"Settle him in your room for now, after all, you usually live in the school house. From now on, your room will be Xiaoshu's, later I'll clear out Xiaoshu's old room for you to use occasionally," Meng Yao said calmly.
Zhao Dahe was not calm, "Mom, how can you do this?"
"What about it? Think Xiaoshu's room isn't good enough? Then you should definitely live there as his big brother! Respect your elders and care for the young, didn't I tell you that before? What? Want me to give up my room to you?" Meng Yao rolled her eyes.
"Then let Xiaohua share the room with mom, let Xiaoshu use Xiaohua's room first." Zhao Dahe's eyes rolled, since Xiaohua wasn't home now anyway.
"Second brother, how can you take over my room?" Zhao Xiaohua came out of the room with an unhappy face, "Mom already said, let you give up the room for little brother."
"Weren't you at Auntie's house? Why are you back?" Zhao Dahe asked with a drooping face.
"Of course, I missed mom." Zhao Xiaohua affectionately linked her arm through Meng Yao's.
The little girl was a head taller than Zhao Xiaoshu, her cheeks were chubby, her body was plump, and her skin was fair and tender.
If Meng Yao had to use a word to describe her, it would be a steamed bun, a very well leavened white steamed bun.
Fat, really fat.
She was raised so fat by the original person.
In her memory, the original owner loved watching Zhao Xiaohua eat, so whenever there was good food, she would feed it to Zhao Xiaohua. This feeding went on and on, resulting in her getting fatter and fatter.
Perhaps because some consciousness of the original person still lingered in her body, Meng Yao felt an inexplicable affection towards Zhao Xiaohua.
This is a feeling she does not have towards her other three sons.
"Xiaohua, would you like to sleep with mom?" Meng Yao asked her.
"Of course, I'd love to sleep with mom, but mom, I'll be ten by the end of the year, I'm a big girl now, it's inconvenient to not have my own room." Zhao Xiaohua whined, "If you want me by your side, mom, I'll often come to your room."
Her room was nicely kept with a pleasant fragrance, she couldn't bear to give it up.
It's not that she doesn't care for her little brother; there are many ways to show care without giving up her room.
Meng Yao turned her head to look at Zhao Dahe.
Zhao Dahe was sulking, but his mom wasn't wrong either; his room was mostly unoccupied.
Zhao Dahe carried Zhao Xiaoshu to his room and laid him on the bed, "Don't think you can just take over my room, once your room is cleaned out, you have to move back."
Zhao Xiaoshu glanced at Zhao Dahe, "Mom said, once my old room is ready, it will be for you to stay in. I'll listen to mom."
With that, he turned over, leaving the back of his head to Zhao Dahe.
So infuriating!
Zhao Dahe felt today was the most suffocating day in his fourteen years of life.
He was in urgent need of some chicken legs to soothe his wounded soul.
When he opened the pot, Zhao Dahe was dumbfounded, the chicken legs were all gone!
No need to guess, Song Xiu'er must have had one, and the other certainly ended up in Zhao Xiaohua's stomach.
Why does the whole family bully him!
Meng Yao also entered the kitchen, the chicken soup in the pot was still warm. She scooped a bowl of chicken soup and picked a few pieces of tender meat. Without even a glance at Zhao Dahe, she carried the bowl into Zhao Xiaoshu's room.
Zhao Xiaohua was wiping her tears.
Zhao Xiaoshu remained expressionless.
"Xiaoshu, come, drink the chicken soup." Meng Yao sat on the edge of the bed, holding the chicken soup in one hand, and reaching out to steady him with the other.
Probably resistant to Meng Yao's touch, Zhao Xiaoshu's body tensed up tightly, lips pursed, his little face even more stoic.
Meng Yao pretended not to notice, chattered softly, "It's just the right temperature now, neither hot nor cold, come, let mom feed you."
"I only served you two pieces of chicken, not because I don't want you to eat it, it's just because you've gone hungry for too long, you can't eat too much at once, you need to eat little but often."
"Later if you're hungry, mom will make porridge with chicken soup for you."
"If you like noodles, mom will make those too."
"And even stew."
This speech didn't move Zhao Xiaoshu, but it did move Zhao Xiaohua.
She had been crying just now, but at this moment her eyes were shining as she stared at Meng Yao, her constant swallowing indicating she very much looked forward to those foods Meng Yao talked about.
"Xiaohua, you just mentioned you're already a big girl," Meng Yao said gently, "And you've already eaten a chicken leg. It's almost night, if you eat too much, it won't digest well, it'll be uncomfortable when you sleep."
"Then why can Xiaoshu eat?" Zhao Xiaohua asked pitifully.
"Xiaoshu hasn't eaten for several days," Meng Yao replied, "If you, Xiaohua, hadn't eaten for several days, mom would definitely make lots of delicious food for you too."
Missing one meal already makes her very hungry.
Little brother hasn't eaten for days, that's just too pitiful.
As a sister, how could she have the heart to compete with her brother for food?
Zhao Xiaohua ran back to her room, quickly came back holding an oil paper package, "Xiaoshu, here, this is my favorite Cloud Cake, you have it."