Chapter 63: Just Scared, That’s All
Wen Yao sat up and leaned against the old lady’s shoulder, acting spoiled. “Grandma, it’s fine. It’s just a few blisters. They’ll be better in a couple of days.” As she spoke, she reached down to put on her socks.
Luo shi slapped her hand away. “Hold on.” She stood up and went to the cabinet to fetch a needle. Then, grabbing Wen Yao’s foot, she prepared to pierce the blisters.
Wen Yao flinched in fright.
“What are you dodging for? If I don’t pop them, they’ll hurt even worse tomorrow.”
Under Luo shi’s firm hold, all the little blisters on Wen Yao’s feet were pierced. Somehow, whatever she used to wipe them afterward didn’t sting at all.
Wen Yao was curious and sat cross-legged, inspecting her foot.
Luo shi gave her another slap. “Can’t you sit properly? If your mother were still around and saw you sitting like this, she’d break your legs.”
Wen Yao chuckled and obediently lowered her foot. Luo shi looked at her shoes with a frown. Making a new pair of shoes in time was out of the question. There was still tomorrow to get through—what should they do?
After thinking it over, the old lady went out again and came back holding a pair of shoes.
“They’re Wendi’s. Try them on.” Wendi worked in the fields a lot, so her feet should be a bit bigger than Wen Yao’s.
Wen Yao didn’t care whether they were old or not. She slipped them on, and they fit just right. Much more comfortable than her own pair that had been rubbing her feet raw.
Luo shi let out a sigh of relief. “Just wear those for tomorrow. When we’re back, I’ll make you a new pair.”
Wen Yao looked up. “But what about her?”
Luo shi rolled her eyes. “You think everyone only owns one pair of shoes like you?”
Wen Yao pouted. It wasn’t her fault. She used to have more shoes, but they were made by the original Wen Yao. Ever since she’d come into this body, she hadn’t made any herself. With the improved diet lately, she’d grown fast and her feet had gotten bigger. What could she do?
But from now on, she’d have a grandma who doted on her.
“Grandma, Dr. Jin looked at Da Tou today.” Knowing full well what was on the old lady’s mind, Wen Yao decided to cheer her up.
Sure enough, Luo shi’s eyes lit up when she heard this. “What did Dr. Jin say? Can Da Tou’s illness be cured?”
Wen Yao sat cross-legged again and said, “Dr. Jin said Da Tou isn’t sick at all. He just doesn’t want to speak.”
“What? He doesn’t want to… Why wouldn’t he want to talk?” Luo shi was baffled.
Wen Yao had thought about that too.
“Why else? With the way Dad used to be, and Mom always wallowing in self-pity, ignoring us and ignoring Da Tou, every time Dad came home they’d fight. Yelling, smashing dishes… It scared him.”
“And then when Mom left without even looking back, do you think Da Tou could handle that? Of course he stopped talking.”
Da Tou had psychological issues. Honestly, the fact that he hadn’t developed full-blown autism was already lucky. Now, as long as he was happy again, he’d naturally start talking. Thinking about it, maybe in the original story, when Liu shi took Da Tou in later on, it gave him hope—made him believe she hadn’t abandoned him. That was probably why he started speaking again.
But he had no idea that was only the beginning of his miserable fate.
Luo shi fell silent.
After a long while, she finally spoke slowly. “Your mother never liked your father… or our family. But back then, marriages were arranged. She had no say. And then your dad… well, you know. Her heart was never in this home. No one could stop her from leaving.”
“If she had even the slightest care for you three kids, she wouldn’t have left with that Meng guy without looking back, not even taking one of you with her.”
“Wen Yao and Wen Jun were older, maybe. But Da Tou? He was so small. Why couldn’t she take him?”
“But she didn’t. And ever since, there’s been no word from her.”
Luo shi looked over at Wen Yao. Seeing no expression on her face, she continued, “Still, you shouldn’t blame your mother. People have their own ambitions. If she found a better place to go, well, that’s just how it is. At least your father has turned things around now. He’s making it up to you three.”
Thinking about how Liu shi had come back later to take Da Tou, Wen Yao’s eyes shifted. Suddenly she said, “Grandma, what if—just what if—Mom comes back and tries to take Da Tou again?”
The moment Luo shi heard that, she sat up straight. “She dares. When we divorced, she said herself she didn’t want any of the kids. Da Tou is part of our Wen family. What gives her the right to come take him now? If she wants to take Da Tou, she’ll have to walk over my dead body first.”
Wen Yao was genuinely touched. This old lady truly cared about the three siblings from the bottom of her heart.
“Yeah, Grandma, even if she comes back, we’re not going with her,” Wen Yao said, united in spirit.
Luo shi was amused by her and chuckled. “Still, she’s your mother. If she really does come back to see you, you have to at least meet her. Don’t let people say you’re unfilial.”
If they got labeled unfilial, it could ruin their reputation.
Wen Yao mumbled a vague reply. She had no intention of dealing with Liu shi, but as long as the old lady was happy, she’d play along.
After they finished talking, Luo shi went out again. The next morning, before the sky even lit up, Wen Yao looked out the door and saw an ox cart parked at the gate. Wen Xiuzhu was feeding hay to the ox.
Wen Yao ran out and circled the cart. “Second Uncle, did we buy a cow?”
Oxen were crazy expensive at this time. They’d considered getting one for transport before, but when they checked the livestock market, just one ox cost sixteen or seventeen taels of silver. Her dream of getting a ‘car’ had died before it even began.
Wen Xiuzhu grinned. “Buy? Nah. We rented it from the village chief’s family. Thirty wen for the day. Your grandma told me to go get it yesterday. She said you kids would have a hard time walking so far so early, so she figured we’d rent a cart. Gotta return it tonight though.”
“….”
Something tugged at Wen Yao’s heart.
The shoes on her feet fit just right, but the popped blisters still stung faintly. She looked up at the old lady standing in the courtyard, hands on hips, barking orders at everyone. Then she ran over and hugged her around the waist, resting her head on the old lady’s back.
“Ahhh! What cursed little brat is this?” Luo shi was startled and almost fell over from the sudden hug. She turned to see Wen Yao leaning against her, looking like she was about to cry.
Luo shi frowned. “Hold it in.”
Wen Yao: “…” You can just tell someone to hold back their tears like that?
But with that interruption, she really did manage to stop herself from crying.
She slipped her arm through the old lady’s and said, “Grandma, I’ll earn money for you in the future. I’ll buy you a big carriage and hire a driver, so all the other old ladies in the village will be jealous of you.”
Wen Yao really loved this old lady now.
Luo shi rolled her eyes, even reached up to feel her forehead. “No fever… What nonsense are you spouting now? Hurry up and grab your things. If we don’t leave now, the wedding parade will leave before we even get there. You think your Auntie’s not going to scold you?”
