Chapter 192 New Clothes

"Alright, lie down for a while longer."

I helped Mancang lie back down on the bed, and suddenly I felt that in this boring, extremely cold, apocalyptic life, it would be nice if a chattering child appeared.

The meal and conversation took quite a while, and fearing that Mancang's body couldn't take it, I helped him lie down again.

After Mancang lay down, his eyes were still darting around, completely different from his state before eating.

I don't know if it's because he's eaten and regained his strength, or if naming him made him too excited, but he looks much more energetic now.

"Don't you want to take a nap?"

I wanted him to sleep a little longer; the more rest a patient gets, the faster they recover.

"Aunt Cheng, your house is so warm, and it's so clean and beautiful inside."

Mancang looked around the room with great curiosity, his eyes filled with amazement.

Who doesn't like others praising their home? Seeing Mancang's praise, I felt a sense of joy as well.

"This quilt is new and thick, and so warm. I've never covered myself with such a soft quilt before."

Mancang's small hand, wrapped in gauze, gently touched the blanket, but unfortunately, his fingers couldn't feel the softness of the blanket yet.

Seeing how much Mancang cherished and loved these ordinary things, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. It wasn't hard to imagine how difficult his life must have been.

"Your home will become big and beautiful in the future, and you'll have soft bedding. You're still young, so you'll have all of that."

I gently comforted Mancang, who stared at me, slightly bewildered.

He moved his lips slightly: "No one has ever told me these things before..."

I gently stroked the messy hair in the warehouse to comfort him.

The mention of the new and thick quilt suddenly reminded me that Mancang was still wearing dirty and tattered clothes.

Dirty and tattered clothes are always out of place in the house, and since his chilblains have been in an unclean environment, they could get infected. I need to make him some clothes right away.

I found a brand new set of thermal underwear and altered it to be smaller using a sewing machine.

Don't alter it too small. Boys grow quickly, and if it's altered too small, they won't be able to wear it for long.

While I was altering the clothes, Mancang gradually fell asleep again, so I made sure to move as quietly as possible so as not to disturb him.

After altering the thermal underwear, I also altered two pairs of cotton-padded pants. I don't plan to alter the sweater and cotton-padded coat to be smaller; wearing the cotton-padded jacket a little bigger will actually keep me warmer, and I can just roll up the sleeves when I wear it.

Once everything was fixed, I stood up happily, and the chair slid back with a "sizzle" sound.

Mancang woke up soon after. Seeing that he was awake, I took the thermal underwear and walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed): "Perfect, let's try on the new clothes."

Mancang looked at the new clothes and hesitated, seemingly too embarrassed to wear them.

"Let me help you take off your coat first. You can change your clothes underneath yourself, but be careful not to touch the wound."

"No need, I'll just wear my own."

I'm still embarrassed to have a full position.

I pretended to be angry: "If you don't change your clothes, the dirty clothes inside will make the blankets dirty."

When Mancang heard what I said, his face turned red instantly, and he propped himself up on his arms to sit up.

I helped him up and carefully took off his tattered cotton-padded coat.

This cotton-padded coat has countless rips, and there's hardly any cotton left inside; it's so worn that even my dog ​​wouldn't want it.

That kid is really lucky; he survived being out in such a tattered outfit for so long without freezing to death.

The cotton-padded pants were in the same state; I simply rolled them up into a ball, ready to burn them later.

Next up is the sweater underneath. The sweater doesn't have as many holes as the cotton-padded jacket, but it still has quite a few.

I wanted to help him take it off, but Mancang resisted slightly: "I'll take this off myself."

After all, they are not related by blood, so even though they are almost 20 years apart, Mancang still felt embarrassed.

"Okay, take it easy, don't aggravate the wound."

After giving my instructions, I left the east room and threw the tattered cotton-padded jacket and trousers next to the kitchen stove.

"I'm all changed!"

A slightly louder sound came from the east room, so I quickly went in to check.

The gray thermal underwear was a little big, but it was new after all, and it looked much better than the previous sweater.

The kid's face is covered in chilblains and his hair is a mess, making him look like a beggar. Even if he changed his clothes, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

However, I nodded in satisfaction and gestured for him to continue lying down and resting.

Are the new clothes comfortable?

"It's very comfortable, soft and clean."

It's clear that Mancang really likes this outfit; when he lies down, he pulls the hem smooth out, afraid of making wrinkles.

I found some frostbite cream and applied it to the boy's face with a cotton swab.

I have a blister on my chin, but I don't dare to pop it. I can only apply some frostbite cream to the edges of the blister.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

As I applied the medicine, sweat beaded on the boy's forehead; I could tell he was enduring intense pain.

"I've taken the medicine, so it doesn't hurt."

Mancang gritted his teeth and spoke slowly and deliberately.

After finally applying the medicine to my face, I began the second treatment of the frostbite on the back of my hands.

When the gauze was removed, several blisters were swollen on the back of my hand, some of which were dark red inside. They looked particularly frightening, and I could even feel my facial features scrunching together.

I applied some frostbite cream around my arms and rolled up my sleeves. Apart from some frostbite on my wrists, my arms were mostly fine.

I scrunched up my face as I applied the medicine to his hands and feet, praying that the blisters would go down quickly, otherwise not only would Mancang suffer, but I would too.

"Isn't it scary?"

Mancang probably noticed my strange expression and asked me with a look of utter dismay.

This child clearly lacks love; he's incredibly sensitive and insecure. I should praise and encourage him more.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, I'll be fully recovered in a few days."

I patted his hair, which was covered in tangled weeds, and secretly vowed that the first thing I would do after he recovered was to shave his head completely.

I've had a tough day, and I'm starting to feel exhausted.

But Mancang and I aren't very familiar with each other. Even though there's a big age difference, we're still men and women, so it would be best if we lived separately.

In the middle of the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed), nail a nail to each of the two ceilings on either side, and hang a nicely patterned bed sheet on top.

"From now on, that's your room, and this is my room."

Seeing Mancang's puzzled expression, I gave a simple explanation.

We didn't talk much that night, and I fell asleep on the kang (heated brick bed) soon after lying down.

I slept soundly until dawn. When I woke up, Mancang had already woken up sometime earlier and was carefully moving towards the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"What are they trying to do?"

I quickly got up, not understanding what he was trying to do.

"Aunt Cheng, I need to use the restroom."

This time, Mancang didn't mince words and directly expressed his thoughts, indicating that he was really in a hurry.

"Wait a minute, I'll find you a pair of shoes."