Chapter 53 Using Water to Fill the Hunger
Taoshan and the Yan family were not affected by the addition of Jiang Chengli during the New Year. They ate, played, and soaked in hot springs as usual.
Feng Yu always subtly creates physical contact with Yan Songyu, their eyes sparkling with a tacit understanding.
Jiang Chengli was always seething with hatred, but he could only pretend not to see it. He wouldn't let those two adulterers get their way, at least not until he had the ability to confront them and obtain evidence.
On New Year's Eve, Feifei wore a very festive red Chinese-style padded jacket and a white fluffy hair accessory. She was even cuter than a New Year picture doll. With her running around, even though there were only five people in the yard, it felt very lively.
Yan Binghua beckoned to Feifei and took out a thick red envelope. "Feifei, here, Grandpa gave you this New Year's money. Make sure you keep it safe."
Feifei smiled so broadly her eyes disappeared, and she bowed to Yan Binghua, showing off her little white teeth. "Thank you, Grandpa! Happy New Year! May you have good health and a great appetite in the new year!"
"Okay, Grandpa will definitely take Feifei's good wishes to heart. I want to watch our lovely Feifei grow up!"
Then came Yan Songyu's large red envelope, and she even asked Feifei, "Do you know how to handle the New Year's money?"
Feifei, being quite mischievous, tilted her head back and nodded vigorously. "Yes, I know. I put it under my pillow. I do it every year. I remember it perfectly!"
Feng Yu smiled and took out a red envelope from his pocket, but before he could speak, Jiang Chengli snatched it away, saying, "Feifei, this is your New Year's money from Dad. I hope our Feifei grows up healthy and strong in the new year and is happy every day!"
Although the distance between Feifei and Jiang Chengli hadn't completely disappeared after spending these past few days together, the awkwardness had lessened. "Thank you, Dad! I also wish you lots of good fortune and all the best!"
Feng Yu noticed Jiang Chengli's subtle provocation, but didn't care. He handed over his red envelope, and Feifei's smile was much more sincere and friendly than when she was with Jiang Chengli.
"Alright, come and eat your New Year's Eve dinner. The chef from Taoshan is a descendant of the imperial chef whom I personally hired. I paid him six times his usual wage to prepare this New Year's Eve dinner." Yan Songyu invited everyone to sit down.
The atmosphere at the table was harmonious, while outside the window, shrouded in a thin mist, snowflakes began to fall.
Under the dim streetlights, a six-petaled snowflake, carried by the wind, twirled and landed on the windowsill, turning into a damp spot.
A gust of cold wind blew in, waking Zhou Mu, who was lying by the bed. She shivered and then noticed that the window was not closed properly.
Zhou Mu tucked the blanket around Zhou Yue on the hospital bed before tiptoeing to the window, where the drifting snowflakes had turned into a heavy snowfall.
"It's snowing..." Zhou Mu murmured softly, reaching out to catch a few snowflakes. They melted in her palm in an instant, but the few glistening snowflakes on her sleeve allowed her to clearly see their shapes. "It really is just like the book says..."
"Achoo!" Another gust of cold wind swept in, and Zhou Mu couldn't help but sneeze. She quickly closed the window and sat back down on the bed.
Zhou Yue and Zhou Chenglong in the next bed were sleeping soundly, but Zhou Mu couldn't sleep at all. Besides being cold, he was also hungry.
The family's money was all stolen, and even after reporting it to the police, they couldn't get it back. The Xia family paid for Zhou Yue and Zhou Chenglong's surgery and hospitalization fees. Now, the Xia family is heavily in debt. Zhou Mu has been eating only the leftovers from Zhou Yue and barely has enough to eat.
Coo coo coo—
Accompanying the growling sound of his stomach was a familiar cramping pain. Zhou Mu clutched his stomach, his face pale, feeling hunger.
Zhou Mu supported herself as she walked to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and leaned over the sink to gulp down cold water. The icy water flowed down her throat and into her stomach, making her shiver, but she drank even harder.
But how can water possibly fill a stomach?
Coo coo coo—
The nurse on duty who came to use the restroom happened to see this scene. "Hey, little one, you can't drink this water! The hot water room is right next door, and all the drinking water is there."
Just as Zhou Mu was about to speak, his stomach growled again, rumbling loudly.
She blushed and nodded. "Thank you, sister. I understand."
She always knew where the drinking water was; she had fetched water for her mother and uncle many times. But she was so hungry that she could only drink a few mouthfuls of water nearby to stave off hunger.
"Are you hungry?" The nurse knew Zhou Mu's situation. This little 7-year-old child was so sensible in taking care of two patients, which was especially heartbreaking.
Zhou Mu quickly shook her head, "No, sister, I'm not hungry, I'm just thirsty."
But her stomach was particularly uncooperative, making a series of incessant gurgling sounds that seemed to go on forever.
Zhou Mu was too embarrassed to look up, but the nurse acted as if she hadn't heard her and patted Zhou Mu's head. "My sister's family brought me some dumplings, but I can't finish them all by myself. It's such a waste. Can you help me finish some?"
Zhou Mu knew the nurse was sympathizing with her and was about to refuse when the nurse shoved the phone into Zhou Mu's arms without saying a word, "Help me hold this phone, I'm afraid it will fall into the toilet, wait for me."
The young nurse came out quickly and led Zhou Mu to the duty room, pressing her down to sit in a chair. "Help me open all the lunchboxes. We'll wait for another nurse; she's gone for rounds and will be back soon."
Zhou Mu hesitated for a moment, but eventually obeyed and opened all the insulated containers. They were supposed to be dumplings, but there were also several other dishes: eggplant fritters, stir-fried beef with onions, garlic chicken wings, stir-fried mixed vegetables, and corn and pork rib soup. The aroma of the food wafted into her nose, making her stomach growl even louder.
The nurse took out a small bowl and ladled a bowl of corn and pork rib soup for Zhou Mu, saying, "Drink some soup first to warm your stomach."
Just then, another nurse returned. "Xiaoling, I'm back. My husband and son brought me food, so I was a little late."
This nurse has a small round face and two cute dimples when she smiles.
"Sister Zhao, may I invite a child to join us?"
"Of course! This is the first time I haven't spent Chinese New Year at home. It's not lively enough with just the two of us. I'd love for more people to come."
The round-faced nurse opened the thermos containers one by one, revealing braised fish, sweet and sour pork, lemon shredded chicken, stir-fried bok choy, braised prawns, and pickled radish and old duck soup.
Xiaoling exclaimed happily, "Our New Year's Eve dinner is so sumptuous! It's perfect! May we all be healthy, happy, and have a perfect year ahead!"
Throughout the meal, Xiaoling and Sister Zhao took good care of Zhou Mu, constantly piling food onto her plate to keep her from feeling shy. Zhou Mu's bowl was overflowing with food. "Thank you, Sister Xiaoling, thank you, Sister Zhao..."
Zhou Mu ate with her head down, and her nose suddenly felt sore. This was the most sumptuous and delicious meal she had ever had in her life!
Zhou Mu's tears fell in large drops into the bowl; she always seemed to encounter kind people when she was on the verge of despair...
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