Filled with hope for the future, the family of three rushed to an unfamiliar city without hesitation.
The platform outside the window slowly receded, and unfamiliar steps came into view. Although Zhao Yuxiang was very reluctant to leave the Wan family, which could barely be called stable, being able to live with her child was more important.
In today's situation, there's no way out.
Whether he can survive a beating if he stays behind is uncertain.
The mother and her two children were all in poor health, and that family had suffered a great loss. Given their temperament, how could they possibly let them go?
She didn't want to die, not because she was afraid of death, but because if she died, her children would have a very difficult time even if they survived.
Thinking of this, the last bit of lingering affection in Zhao Yuxiang's heart vanished. She hugged her daughter tightly, the timidity in her eyes disappeared, and what remained was longing and hope for the future.
Wherever they go, they'll live better than with these people, so the farther the better, their family will always be together!
When the Wan family awoke from their excruciating pain, they faced not only physical agony but also enormous financial losses.
When the ropes binding Diao Lanhua were untied, her first reaction was to rush back to the room. The mess on the floor made her legs weak. Clinging to a sliver of hope, she shakily approached the cabinet. When she saw the familiar bundle wrapping, it was empty. Instantly, her eyes turned bloodshot, and she made a gurgling sound in her throat. Her eyes closed, and her body fell straight backward, unconscious.
Wan Tiezhu, after waking up, walked out of his room and, like a fool, squatted on the wooden threshold, which was about the height of a small stool, staring blankly at the pear tree in the yard.
The yard is still his own yard; the wooden sticks and bamboo strips are still there, but the person is gone.
I just can't understand how he lost his wife, his money, and even his newly bought motorcycle in just half a day. He clearly had that woman firmly under his control, working tirelessly for his son and daughter, and wouldn't leave no matter how much he was beaten, right?
What Wan Tiezhu didn't understand was that a woman could give up everything for love, but she could also risk everything for her child to live a good life.
Besides, remarrying was her way of making a living for her children! If she lost that way to make a living, why would she stay?
On the train, the family of three slept soundly due to extreme fear and exhaustion from the journey. When they woke up again, it was already the morning of the next day.
When Zhao Yuxiang opened her eyes, she saw her son's big, round eyes and her daughter's sleeping face.
"Piggy, you're awake~ Are you hungry?" Zhao Yuxiang shifted the position of the body in her arms, shook her numb arms, and asked softly.
Yuan Zhu nodded. "I'm hungry. Why isn't Sister awake yet? Even Piggy hasn't gone to sleep."
"Shh, your sister is tired. Let her rest a bit more. Drag the package out; there are steamed buns inside." Zhao Yuxiang stopped her son from continuing and pointed to the ground.
The little one in her arms was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly. Zhao Yuxiang couldn't bear to wake her. Her girl hadn't recovered from her injury last time and should have rested for a few more days before getting out of bed. She hadn't expected what happened yesterday, so she was definitely tired. She would let her rest for now and wake her up later to eat something.
Yang Ailan had been observing this family of three for a long time. When she got into the car and sat down, she saw the mother and her three children sleeping soundly together, having slept all night. When she woke up, they were still asleep. If it weren't for their even breathing, she might have thought they had been unconscious for a long time. How tired must they be to sleep for so long? Looking at their clothes, there wasn't a single place that wasn't tattered. Their clothes were almost patched on top of each other, and their cloth shoes had their toes sticking out. In this era when people are relatively well-off and their lives are stable, it's hard to imagine that they can live such a difficult life. This was the first time she had ever seen such a hard-working family outside of television.
"Mom, why are you looking at other people again? It's so impolite!" A soft, sweet female voice came close to Yang Ailan's ear, bringing her back to her senses. She smiled awkwardly and patted her daughter's head.
When I came to my senses, and turned around again, I met a pair of soft, delicate eyes. Their gaze was timid, but there was no panic or fear in them.
A woman who is so thin that she is practically skin and bones will naturally not be very beautiful, but her features are not ugly either; at the very least, she is still presentable.
Yang Ailan smiled gently, and the other person politely returned a soft smile.
"Young lady, where are you going? Why are you so tired? Where is your husband?" Before Yang Ailan could speak, the older woman next to her had already asked the question that had been on her mind. Clearly, she wasn't the only one who thought this family of three was strange, nor was she the only one who was paying attention to them.
Zhao Yuxiang was somewhat embarrassed by the kind-faced old lady's question. She subconsciously hugged the little body in her arms tighter, and then looked at her son. Her unease was evident. It was clear at a glance that this was her first time traveling far from home, and she was very wary.
"Grandma, my dad works in Jibei. Let's go find him. He's waiting for us there." The child's voice relieved Zhao Yuxiang's predicament. She quickly nodded in agreement, not at all surprised that her youngest son could lie so fluently.
"Oh, that's good. It's best for a family to stay together, hehehe..." The old lady's doubts were cleared up, so she lost interest in asking any further questions. Poor people, no matter how they talk, are always full of bitterness and there's not much to talk about. So she started chatting with the old lady next to her.
Yuan Zhu turned around, muttered something under her breath, but no one could hear her. She pulled out a bundle, rummaged through it, and found some golden corn buns (made by the old lady that morning for lunch). She picked up two and put them in Zhao Yuxiang's hand. Then, she bent over and rummaged through the large stainless steel water cup (it belonged to Wan Tiezhu, but Zhao Yuxiang thought it was nice, so she put it away). "Mom, I'm going to get some hot water. You and your sister rest first," the little girl said sensibly. Then, without waiting for Zhao Yuxiang to speak, she ran off.
"Don't burn yourself!"
"Okay~"
Yang Ailan was amused by the interaction between the mother and son, saying, "Girl, your son is so sensible, you're so lucky!"
Zhao Yuxiang smiled gently again, stroking her daughter's dry, yellow hair. "Yes, they are both very sensible. They are my blessing."
Seeing her mother chatting with the person sitting opposite her, Xu Yu smiled as well. Both mother and daughter had a good temperament and exuded a peaceful aura that was not off-putting. Just by smiling, they were very approachable.
After pouring over some hot water, Yuan Zhu and her mother ate their fill.
To save water, the little one drank quite a bit, until his tummy was bloated, before putting down the cup. He glanced longingly at the package underneath, then quietly stuffed it back in. "Mommy, let's eat when my sister gets up."
"Okay, let's wait for your sister." Patting her son's head, Zhao Yuxiang's gentle expression was undisguised.
After lunch, Yuan Zhu had a good sleep and didn't plan to sleep anymore. After saying goodbye to Zhao Yuxiang, she started looking around the carriage, but of course, she didn't go far, staying within Zhao Yuxiang's sight.
Even though it's in a car, safety cannot be guaranteed 100%.
Through their intermittent conversations, Yang Ailan discovered that although Zhao Yuxiang appeared simple and honest, she was extremely wary.
When it came to matters concerning their family, the conversation was almost always smoothly diverted to other topics, without feeling too abrupt.
This seemed somewhat different from her impression of mountain people; they were unexpectedly intelligent.
"Has the girl been to school?" This was Yang Ailan's biggest question.
Zhao Yuxiang was taken aback by the question, her expression somewhat strange, as if she was troubled or conflicted, and she did not give a response for a long time.
Unexpectedly, her casual question put the other person in a difficult position. Yang Ailan felt a little embarrassed and wanted to apologize, but Zhao Yuxiang spoke up herself, "No, I was raised by my father. He was a teacher, but he passed away several years ago." Because he couldn't survive the hardships of those years, he passed away in pain and with regret.
"Ah~ I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your sad story." Yang Ailan hadn't expected this outcome and was also taken aback by Zhao Yuxiang's answer.
It's clear that the old gentleman has raised his daughter very well—it's just that their life seems a little unsatisfactory.
This is evident not only from her clothing but also from the bruises on her neck that she tried so hard to conceal but couldn't completely hide.
Until 6 p.m., Yuan Zhuan still showed no signs of waking up. If it weren't for his even breathing and the fact that he was in a deep, relaxed sleep, Yang Ailan might have wondered what was wrong with the child.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Zhao Yuxiang became a little worried and began to try to shake Yuan Zhuan's body. "Zhuan Zhuan, it's time to wake up. You've been sleeping for a long time, Zhuan Zhuan..." The gentle shaking did not make the sleeping child open his eyes, and it also made Zhao Yuxiang feel a little panicked.
"Zhuanzhuan..." Her voice trembled as she spoke again.
Yuan Zhu looked at her older sister with a pale face, then at her mother whose eyes were red with tears. Her little hands clutched at the hem of her clothes, and she asked helplessly, "Mom, what's wrong with my sister?"
"Zhuanzhuan, what's wrong, Zhuanzhuan?" Zhao Yuxiang's movements became more and more exaggerated, but no matter how much she shook the little girl, she didn't react.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com