Three Springs
Hearing the kid's words, Wen Ya's expression softened slightly. After a moment, she said, "I will help you."
The little brat was still young, and upon hearing this, joy welled up in his eyes and brows: "Thank you, big sister!"
Wen Ya still asked that question: "What is your unfinished business?"
Just as the little devil was about to speak, Yang Yanzhen, who had already tidied up inside, came out and asked, "Why don't you sit inside?"
Wen Ya held Si Mucheng's hand, and Si Mucheng patted her reassuringly. He smiled and looked at Yang Yanzhen, noticing that her eyes were red. They must have talked about something sad inside. He said calmly, "Come out for some fresh air. Are you feeling alright? Do you need to see a doctor?"
Yang Yanzhen waved her hand: "I'm not that delicate, I'm perfectly healthy, I'm just a little hungry right now." She smiled sheepishly.
When Si Mucheng pulled her out of the well, he could already feel the strength in her hands. Thinking about it, it was all thanks to her robust physique; otherwise, she wouldn't have survived two days trapped in the well, let alone escaped without a scratch and still be so energetic. Si Mucheng sighed, "I really need to eat well!"
He glanced at Wen Ya and thought to himself, "Xiao Ya is still a bit too thin. However, she spends a lot of time in the wild, so her muscle definition is still good, but she's just too thin."
Wen Ya noticed his gaze and felt puzzled, wondering what he was up to now, so she glared at him.
Si Mucheng was glared at innocently, his eyes wide with surprise, "Why are you glaring at me!"
Yang Yanzhen invited them to Uncle Desheng's house for lunch, but Wen Ya ignored her and continued walking. Si Mucheng followed behind her with slumped shoulders; despite his large stature, he looked like a scolded puppy.
At mealtime, besides Yang Yanzhen's family, there was Uncle Desheng's family, plus Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, making for a large table.
Perhaps it was a special way to thank Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, as the host's sincerity and hospitality were evident from the dishes served. There was no shortage of chicken, duck, fish, or meat, and the host and Yang Yanzhen kept urging them to eat more, making Si Mucheng feel a little embarrassed.
"Hey, don't be so polite, just treat us like family!" Si Mucheng put a chicken leg on Wen Ya's plate and gave the other leg to Xingda.
Seeing this, Yang Yanzhen quickly said, "Eat it yourself, don't give it to him, there are still chicken wings here!"
Si Mucheng laughed and said, "Xiao Xingda is growing a lot."
"Oh dear, this is really..."
When Uncle Desheng heard how Si Mucheng and Wen Ya had rescued Yang Yanzhen, he was relieved but also asked Yang Yanzhen with concern, "What were you doing up in the mountain? It's so remote there."
Si Mucheng noticed that Yang Yanzhen's expression was a little unnatural. She gave a dry laugh and said, "It's not that... Xingda had a cough a few days ago. I heard that there are some wild houttuynia cordata plants on the mountain. Boiling them into water can cure coughs, so... I didn't expect this to happen."
Uncle Desheng nodded and added, "Be careful in the future, you can't always run into Xiao Si and Xiao Wen."
"Yes, yes, yes. By the way," Yang Yanzhen changed the subject to Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, "Xiao Si, how did you end up on the mountain?"
Si Mucheng's hand holding the chopsticks paused almost imperceptibly. Wen Ya definitely wouldn't give up investigating Wen Yongjie. She had finally gotten a clue, and she would still go to that mountain to take a look. Moreover, that brat named Xingwang still needed to be dealt with. "His" obsession was probably related to Yang Yanzhen. If he could be kept alive, it would save a lot of trouble.
Simu explained earnestly, "We came to the mountains to collect folk art. We just arrived today and haven't finished collecting yet. Auntie, Uncle, are there any guesthouses in our village? We need to stay here for a few days and would like to find a place to stay."
Hearing him say that, Yang Yanzhen immediately said, "Why are you looking for a guesthouse? We don't have any of those here. Since you're already here, we can't let you stay outside. Stay at my house, we have rooms available, as long as you don't mind."
Si Mucheng gave a perfectly timed smile of surprise, while politely saying, "Oh, really, Auntie? Isn't that too much trouble for you?"
"How could it be troublesome!" Yang Yanzhen was eager to keep them here, and said urgently, "It's not troublesome at all. I happen to have an extra room at home, so you can stay here without any problem!"
Upon hearing this, Si Mucheng's focus shifted: "Us? Sharing a room?"
Yang Yanzhen said matter-of-factly, "Aren't you two a couple...?" But seeing Si Mucheng's increasingly awkward expression and Wen Ya's indifferent face, she hesitated, "Aren't you... a couple?"
"No," Wen Ya replied calmly.
Yang Yanzhen was now embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Auntie thought you... But it's okay! There are still rooms available, so don't worry, you can stay at my house."
Having achieved his goal, Si Mucheng dared not dwell on the matter any longer and asked, "Then we'll pay you the market price for the guesthouse."
"What money!" Yang Yanzhen said unhappily. "Giving money means you don't respect Auntie. You can't give money, Auntie will get angry."
Hearing her say that, Si Mucheng laughed: "Then I'll listen to Auntie. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"Hey!"
And that's how the matter was resolved.
The meal was enjoyed by everyone. Yang Yanzhen hadn't eaten for two days, and Uncle Desheng's wife thoughtfully cooked porridge for her, telling her not to eat oily or greasy food all at once, but to start with light, liquid foods and gradually increase the intake. After eating, Yang Yanzhen's condition visibly improved.
After lunch, Yang Yanzhen said goodbye to Uncle Desheng's family and returned home.
As soon as they entered the house, Yang Yanzhen busied herself tidying up the room for Si Mucheng and Wen Ya, with Si Mucheng lending a hand.
Like every other warm-hearted and capable auntie, Yang Yanzhen quickly made the bed while telling everyone not to be shy and to make themselves at home.
Wen Ya stood aside and looked around the room. The furniture in the room was very simple. There were some simple drawings on one wall, which were obviously the work of a child. However, it was normal for a five-year-old child in the family to scribble in the room.
Seeing that she was looking her over, Yang Yanzhen thought she was not very satisfied, and awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear: "This is a guest room. It's been a long time since we stayed here. Xiao Si will stay here, and Xiao Wen, you can sleep in my room. Xingda and I can just squeeze in."
Si Mucheng said, "Okay! It's fine, Auntie, I can sleep anywhere."
Yang Yanzhen followed Wen Ya's gaze and stared blankly at the simple drawing on the wall. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. She choked up for a moment, then hurriedly explained, "Xingwang drew this. He used to love playing in this room..." She immediately realized something, "You...you guys won't think it's bad luck, will you? Xingwang...he's never slept in this bed...he..."
"It's alright, Auntie," Si Mucheng reassured her repeatedly. "I'm not afraid of this."
Hearing him say he wasn't afraid, Wen Ya gave him a meaningful look.
Si Mucheng didn't even blush, and continued to probe: "Auntie, look at this wall, everyone in the family seems quite tolerant and prosperous, so how did the relationship deteriorate like this later?"
Perhaps it was the relaxation after the tension, or perhaps it was because she had been holding it in for too long, but when he brought up Xingwang, Yang Yanzhen's expression became confused, but her eyes were also filled with tears: "I... don't know either, Xingwang was really cute when he was little."
Most mothers have a bit of a romanticized view of their children. Even though outsiders might see Chen Xingwang as a mischievous and playful boy, Yang Yanzhen still sees him as a lively and interesting little boy. Of course, there are times when he's noisy, but raising children isn't always like that; it's a mix of joy and worry, but more often it's happy.
People who have had siblings are willing to give their children a companion, and Yang Yanzhen was no exception, so Xingda's arrival was quite natural. That year, Xingwang was ten years old.
At first, Xingwang had no objections to his younger brother's arrival and continued to run around like a mischievous monkey. The day he started acting strangely was when he came home from outside and, in his haste to get a drink of water, accidentally bumped into his mother. At that time, Yang Yanzhen was already eight months pregnant, and the bump made her stumble. This startled Yang Yanzhen's mother-in-law and Uncle Desheng, who had come to deliver vegetables. They quickly steadied Yang Yanzhen, and thankfully, she didn't fall.
This action was naturally criticized, and Xingwang was left somewhat bewildered by the barrage of scolding. Afterwards, whenever he went out to play, every adult he encountered would warn him that he was about to become a big brother, that it was time to grow up, that his father wasn't home, that he had to support the family, be a little man, take care of his mother, grandmother, and his soon-to-be-born younger brother, and that he needed to be more mature and never bump into his mother again.
Xingwang was very confused. He had only made a mistake, so why was he being called immature by the whole village? His mother used to say that boys should be more carefree and clever so they wouldn't be bullied. But why did he have to be more mature now that his younger brother was here? He was only ten years old, so why did he have to grow up so fast?
After that, Xingwang became much quieter. Yang Yanzhen and her grandmother thought he had really grown up, but he was just confused.
"Later, Xingwang asked me a question," Yang Yanzhen recalled, "He asked me why he was the older brother."
Yang Yanzhen laughed at him for being childish, but she couldn't understand his confusion.
Soon, Xingda was born. The child's father, Chen Dehong, rushed home to take care of him for a week before hurrying back to work. However, during his week at home, Chen Dehong didn't even have time to say a few words to Xingda.
Xingwang could only see his father during the Lunar New Year each year. He was overjoyed that his father was coming back this time, and he had so much to say to him. But his father kept saying, "Wait, wait," so he could only wait. And as he waited, his father left again.
Moreover, his father used to bring him the latest trendy toys, but this time his father brought back baby supplies, none of which were for him.
The week my younger brother was born, our house was filled with guests, but everyone was only looking at him.
At that time, Xingwang wondered if he had ever received all the attention.
As he fell into thought, his mother's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on him. Xingwang met his mother's eyes, and his eyes lit up. But his mother just smiled at him and said, "Xingwang, come and see your little brother. Look how alike you two brothers are."
In that instant, the light in Xingwang's eyes went out again.
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