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After being subjected to a vicious tirade of curses by her eldest daughter-in-law, Ke Dazhi's wife, Liu Ting, was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. Those sharp and cutting words were like blades, leaving her riddled with wounds.
She knew she was superfluous in this family, and every word her eldest daughter-in-law said was like a heavy hammer, striking her heart hard.
"Get out! Don't get in my way, just looking at you annoys me!" The eldest daughter-in-law shoved Liu Ting viciously, the force almost causing the already weak Liu Ting to fall to the ground. Liu Ting staggered and was helplessly driven out of the house, heading towards the low thatched hut in the yard.
The thatched hut was built specifically for Liu Ting. Although there were other empty rooms inside, they still wouldn't let Liu Ting move in.
The thatched hut was dilapidated, and the cold wind blew in through the cracks, as if mercilessly mocking her current situation. A thin layer of musty-smelling straw covered the ground, which was her only shelter.
Liu Ting slowly sat down, wrapping her thin body tightly in the patched, worn-out quilt, but it still couldn't ward off the biting cold.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, and her teeth began to chatter. Every gust of cold wind seemed to steal away her last bit of life.
On this long and cold winter night, Liu Ting was filled with despair. Countless times, suicidal thoughts surged into her mind like a tide. She felt that her life had fallen into endless darkness, and there seemed to be no hope left.
However, at times like these, she would think of her husband and her daughter who had not yet been found.
To protect her from being implicated, her husband divorced her. But she knew that Old Ke was probably in an even worse situation than she was. This was alright, at least it was a cowshed. How much better could it be than her straw hut?
Moreover, he left without taking anything with him. He had no money on him and didn't know where he was taken. How is he going to survive?
No, she can't die. Old Ke must still be thinking of her, and she hopes to reunite with him someday.
Thinking of this, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Liu Ting's eyes. She gritted her teeth and vowed to persevere. For Lao Ke, she had to live for Lao Ke. If Lao Ke were gone one day, she would have no hope left. It would be good to go down and reunite with Lao Ke.
But she couldn't let Lao Ke hear bad news during his most difficult time; Lao Ke wouldn't be able to hold on.
At this moment, Tang Yue stood outside the thatched hut, quietly observing Liu Ting through the crack. The dim moonlight shone on Liu Ting's face, outlining her weathered features.
A strange sense of familiarity welled up in Tang Yue's heart. She carefully observed Liu Ting's face and found that, apart from her eyes, Lin Cuicui had many similarities with Liu Ting.
The similar face shape, the slightly upturned corners of the mouth, and the resolute yet gentle expression all made Tang Yue even more convinced that this was her maternal grandmother.
Tang Yue quietly slipped into the thatched hut, trying not to make a sound. Liu Ting was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice anyone coming in. Tang Yue walked to Liu Ting's side, holding two loaves of bread and a carton of milk that she had just warmed with her spiritual energy.
Liu Ting was startled by the sudden appearance of this person. She looked up in alarm and saw a strange little girl standing in front of her.
Liu Ting's eyes were filled with wariness. She subconsciously took a step back, but then, remembering that this was just a child, she looked her up and down with concern, "Little girl, where did you come from?"
As she spoke, she peered out through the gaps in the thatched shed and gently nudged Tang Yue, "Little girl, this isn't a place for you. Hurry up and leave."
Her voice was hoarse, clearly she had just been crying and hadn't recovered yet. Tang Yue handed the things in her hands forward again.
"Are you hungry? Eat up." Liu Ting didn't take Tang Yue's food, even though her stomach was growling in protest when she saw the bread, she was adamant.
"Child, get out of here quickly. If they find you, they'll take you to the police station. They might even demand money from your family. Child, hurry up and go."
Liu Ting never expected that she would have such a bunch of children. The second and third sons kept saying that their eldest brother was the pillar of the family and that their mother should live with him. Besides, only their eldest brother's house was something their parents had bought for them before, and it was spacious enough for them to live in.
They were all assigned dormitories by their work units, and the family was living in cramped conditions; there simply wasn't enough room. They would often come to visit her.
But after she was handed over to the eldest son, those two families vanished as if they had disappeared into thin air, and there was no news of them ever again. Even when she mentioned to the eldest son that she wanted to stay at the second and third sons' houses, the eldest son's wife always gave her a mocking look.
"You old codger, you really think they want you? If they really wanted you, why haven't they come to see you even once in so long? They dumped you on us like trash, do you understand?"
"You really think someone cares about you? Dream on! Let me tell you, I'm going to find them now, but they're all avoiding me. I can't find them at all. They promised to give you 10 yuan a month if you stayed at my house."
"Haha, not a single hair has been seen yet. A whole family of ingrates. So you think I'll take good care of you? Dream on."
Liu Ting closed her eyes briefly, then looked at the child in front of her with his big, watery eyes, and laughed self-deprecatingly. She was such a failure. How had she raised these ungrateful children?
Liu Ting had no idea that they were like this. Before, when the old man was around, they would all come over every day. No matter how busy they were, they would come over after get off work to say hello and ask about their health. Sometimes, even if the old man didn't want to see them, they would still shamelessly come every day.
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