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Liu Ting's pupils contracted slightly, and her eyes widened involuntarily, as if she couldn't believe those words had come from the mouth of the little girl in front of her. Before she could answer, she heard the door open softly.
Liu Ting panicked. The thatched shed was just under the eaves, only a few steps away. What was she going to do with the little girl? Tang Yue rushed out and hid outside the thatched shed the moment she heard the door open.
Ke Yuxue looked around suspiciously like a thief before walking to the door of the thatched shed. She stood there without intending to go in. She broke the already small steamed bun in her hand down to only a quarter and handed it to Liu Ting.
"Grandma, these are the steamed buns I saved from dinner because I didn't eat enough. Please eat them. I know you didn't have enough to eat."
Ke Yuxue was 13 years old, tall and graceful, with big, bright eyes that were full of calculation. She always spoke with a pitiful expression. Liu Ting, who was so old, could easily see through the little girl's scheming. But this was also the only warmth she had here.
"Xue'er, take it back and eat it yourself. You're still growing. You can't go without eating enough."
Ke Yuxue's eyes were full of disgust. What a nuisance! Every time, she had to persuade her for a long time before she would take it. Didn't she know that she was pitying her? She was almost starving to death, and she didn't know what she was being so dramatic about.
Liu Ting saw it clearly, and her heart was in turmoil. She hadn't expected the little girl to not even bother to pretend in front of her. "Xue'er, do you know where your grandfather was sent to?"
"How would I know? I'm still so young." Realizing she had misspoke, she quickly tried to correct herself. "Grandma, what I meant was, I definitely wouldn't know. If I did, I would have told you."
Liu Ting gave a sad smile. "Xue'er, your grandfather also had political enemies before. Now that he's fallen, those people won't let him go. They'll either send him to the Northeast to freeze or to the Northwest to eat sand."
Also, he's getting old, and I don't know if he'll be able to endure those conditions, so he might not be able to come back.
Ke Yuxue grew even more impatient. If it weren't for a sliver of hope, she would have crushed the steamed bun in her hand and thrown it away. "Grandma, eat your steamed bun. Why are you saying all that?"
Liu Ting shook her head and continued, "Xue'er, what I mean by all this is that your grandfather might die there and never come back. There won't be a day when he's exonerated, and you won't be able to benefit from my influence anymore."
After speaking, Liu Ting stared intently at Ke Yuxue. Ke Yuxue blushed slightly upon hearing Liu Ting's words, followed by boundless anger. However, she quickly concealed it, forcing a fake smile onto her face.
"Grandma, what are you saying? You are my grandma, and I'm saving my food rations for you because I want to, I have no ulterior motives. How can you think so badly of me?"
Even though my grandfather is dead, you're still my grandmother, aren't you? It's my duty to be filial to you.
Liu Ting just stared at Ke Yuxue, whose small piece of steamed bun was getting hotter and hotter. Finally, in a fit of anger, Ke Yuxue threw the bun at the gate of the courtyard. "Good intentions are wasted. If you don't want to eat it, then don't. Who cares about serving you?"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Liu Ting didn't even let out a soft sigh. This girl had long been spoiled rotten by the eldest son and his wife; her heart and eyes were full of scheming. It must be because the eldest son and his wife couldn't find what she had hidden that they went to such lengths to cause her all this trouble.
Tang Yue walked back, and Liu Ting smiled at her. "Child, I'm sorry you had to see this."
Tang Yue shook her head and added, "She just broke off a piece of steamed bun from the kitchen."
Liu Ting paused for a moment, then shook her head and smiled helplessly.
Tang Yue felt that this old woman was truly pitiful. How could her son treat his elderly mother like this? What kind of upbringing did he have?
Liu Ting looked up at Tang Yue again, "Child, you just said you could send all the hungry wolves for re-education?"
Tang Yue raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Okay, do you want them to go?"
Liu Ting nodded vigorously, "Go, they need it. If they aren't reformed soon, they won't even be considered human anymore."
Tang Yue asked her again, "Can you really harden your heart?"
Liu Ting gave a sad smile. "Child, you're too young to understand. But I don't want them to disturb Lao Ke's peaceful life. I don't know where Lao Ke is. Where should we send them for re-education?"
Tang Yue refrained from revealing Old Master Ke's location; she needed to gauge the old man's resolve. "Are the other two considered hungry wolves?"
Liu Ting was stunned for a moment. Were they all going to be sent away? Her gaze was unfocused as she stared at the doorway. Scenes from the past were still vivid in her mind. Was it really true that just because they neglected her, they should lose everything and be sent to a farm for re-education?
Liu Ting still couldn't bring herself to do it; after all, they were her sons.
"them......"
Tang Yue chuckled, her laughter laced with sarcasm. "How about I take you to see how they treat you with respect?"
She hadn't seen her son for several months, and she still missed him terribly. But she couldn't even leave her own home, let alone go to her son's house.
"Really? Can we really go and take a look?"
Tang Yue nodded, "Okay, tell me the place, and I'll take you there."
Liu Ting took a deep breath and slowly got up. She really wanted to go and see. She said slowly, "My second son is named Ke Qiangbang. He and his wife live in an apartment allocated by their work unit, in that tenement building next to Dashizha."
Every word seemed to carry the weight of years of memories, uttered heavily from her lips. Before, when she had free time, she would often go to visit, sometimes to see the children, sometimes to bring them food. Looking back now, Liu Ting found it all very ironic.
Tang Yue gently took Liu Ting's hand. "I'll take you there. Let's go take a look." With that, Tang Yue pulled Liu Ting along, easily pried open the lock on the door, and led the old lady onto the street.
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