Chapter 193 The Story of Mancang

Mancang's shoes are old and worn out, so it would be better to find him a comfortable pair of slippers.

Unfortunately, most of my shoes are my own size. I picked out a pair that looked small for Mancang, but when they were on his small feet, they looked like two little boats.

I scratched my head and said, "Well, just wear these for now, I'll make you a new pair in a few days."

But Mancang seemed to like it very much, shaking her injured foot and looking at the brand new cotton slippers on her feet: "No need to make new ones, these are clean, new, and very soft. I like them so much, Aunt Cheng."

The child seemed to come from a slum; everything from the bed sheets and blankets to the shoes was incredibly precious to him.

"Hurry up and go to the toilet, I'll take you there."

I helped Mancang walk towards the east side of the house. I remembered that he had blisters on the soles of his feet yesterday, so he was walking with a limp. We walked very slowly.

This was the first time he had seen the scene outside the east room while fully conscious.

Slowly, they helped him to the bathroom door, and Mancang went in alone.

I waited outside the door for about half a minute before Mancang pushed the door open and came out again.

"Aunt Cheng, how do I use this?"

Mancang's face turned bright red, and she asked me shyly.

Afraid of making him even more embarrassed, I casually pointed to the toilet and said, "Just lift the lid and you can use it. If you need to poop, just sit on it, wipe your bottom with the toilet paper next to you after you're done, and then press this button on the back to flush. The toilet will be clean. If you're okay with it, I'll go tidy up in the east room first."

Fearing that I would make him even more nervous outside the door, he patiently explained how to use the toilet before turning around and going back to the east room.

That makes sense. He's only 9 years old, and he was only about 4 years old before the apocalypse. He probably doesn't have much of an impression of the world before the apocalypse. No wonder he's so cautious and seems so curious about everything.

Back in the east room, after folding his bedding and setting it aside, he swept the floor and heard Mancang open the door and walk out.

I helped him to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked softly, "Are you used to this toilet? There are outhouses outside. If you're not used to it, you can go to the outhouse when you're a little better. It's just that it's too cold. I don't know if you can stand it."

Mancang said in a soft, childlike voice, "This toilet is really special. I've never seen one like it before, but I'll get used to it!"

"No rush, take your time. You lie down and rest, Aunt Cheng will go cook."

Mancang hesitated to get on the kang (heated brick bed), but when I looked at him with a questioning gaze, he finally spoke up: "Aunt Cheng, let me help you with something. Only lazy people lie around all the time."

It seems that Mancang's words have accidentally hurt me badly. If I were to lie down normally, I would lie down from morning till night, and I wouldn't move an inch unless I was eating or going to the toilet. That would definitely prove that I'm a lazy person.

"Your hands and feet are covered in blisters, how can you work? We'll just tell you to lie down."

Seeing that my tone was a little firm, Mancang stopped insisting.

The little figure huffed and puffed as it climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), lay down, and completely wrapped itself in the quilt, its dark eyes staring at me.

Looking at the thin and short Mancang, who was obedient and cautious, I felt a pang of pity. Without saying anything, I turned around and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.

I decided to have porridge again this morning. I rinsed the rice, cut some cured meat, and poured them into the clay pot.

Light the stove in the east room and put the clay pot on the stove to cook.

Once the water in the iron pot is heated, mix the pig feed into the feeding bucket and take it outside to feed the livestock.

It was a bit windy outside today, and some light snow was falling. As soon as I went out, the exposed part of my cheeks felt a little sore from the cold.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief when I returned inside, covered in snow and wind.

It was so cold outside today. I was lucky to run into Mancang; otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have survived last night.

Change back into light cotton clothes for home, add a bowl of flour to a porcelain bowl, crack in two eggs, then pluck a few bright green scallion leaves from a vegetable basin, chop them up and throw them in, add some oil, salt and seasonings, and stir into a paste.

This amount of firewood is enough for the kang (heated brick bed). Block the stove door with iron sheets and press bricks on the outside to reduce heat from escaping from the chimney. This will keep the kang warm for most of the day.

Although there is enough firewood, it is extremely cold, so we should be mindful of conserving firewood.

Carrying a small bowl of batter back to the east room, I first placed the batter on the coffee table next to it.

Mancang was still awake at this time, so he lay obediently in bed.

"Won't it be a little boring?"

He's lying there so stiffly, he must be getting a little bored.

Mancang didn't answer my question. Instead, he gave an irrelevant answer and said something else: "Aunt Cheng, I feel like I'm in heaven."

"Don't talk nonsense, it's bad luck."

This silly kid really says everything.

Mancang turned her head and looked at me seriously, saying, "Really, I really mean it, Aunt Cheng, your house is like heaven. I have never stayed in such a warm house in winter."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I like spring and autumn the most. Although there is a lot of work to do, my hands and feet won't get cold or painful, and I won't get dizzy from the heat."

I know he has suffered a lot, and now that he is willing to talk about it, I am happy to listen quietly.

"No matter what season it is, I have never been like this before. I can wake up in the morning and not have to get up to do any work. I can just lie in bed and do nothing. What's more, it's winter now. The bed is warm and cozy, just like when my mother held me in her arms when I was a child."

As he spoke, his eyes became a little moist. Was he about to cry? I have no experience in comforting children.

He quickly changed the subject: "It's okay, kid. You just happened to run into me. If you like lying in bed, then lie there a little longer."

"Aunt Cheng, I thought I was going to die yesterday, but I never expected that you would save me."

I was actually very curious about this 9-year-old boy's story. His way of speaking and doing things were more mature than his peers. I tentatively asked, "Then, would you like to tell me?"

He didn't seem to understand what I meant: "Say, say what?"

"It's about where you live and who you live with. If you don't want to say, that's fine too."

Mancang shook his head and said, "Aunt Cheng, you are the best person to me besides my mother and grandfather. I am willing to tell you everything."

I smiled, and Mancang continued, "I don't know what the place I live in is called. Nobody told me. I've been living with my third uncle and aunt since I was old enough to remember. Maybe because I was young, it was always very cold in the past. We were never full. Even when we were sick, we had to go up the mountain to chop firewood. If we didn't chop enough firewood, we wouldn't have any food to eat."

"Later, the weather suddenly warmed up, so I started to learn how to farm. If I didn't farm well, my third uncle would hit me with a pickaxe. I still didn't have enough to eat, but I would secretly pick crabapples and wild vegetables to eat, so I could have enough to eat in the summer."

He grinned as he said this.