"Okay, I understand."
On the way back, Xia Anyan remained relatively silent.
She was thinking to herself about how to communicate with the two children and how to communicate with Sun Xiuzhi.
I was fully prepared and just waiting to meet that family.
Even so, when she actually saw the two children, she couldn't help but be shocked.
These two children...it's so tragic.
They were so thin, skin and bones, with sparse, yellowish hair, sunken cheeks, and new clothes that looked brand new, yet they clung to them loosely, like children wearing adults' clothes.
But Xia Anyan personally accompanied Sun Xiuzhi to prepare these clothes. At the time, Sun Xiuzhi said that the two children were tall and the size was just right.
And now? Not at all!
The two children kept their heads down, as if they had been frightened.
Upon hearing the noise and seeing Gu Shen, they all trembled with fear.
Xia Anyan quickly waved her hand, signaling Gu Shen to leave and not follow her in.
She didn't immediately go to the two children, but stood there and gently comforted them: "Don't be afraid, Auntie won't hurt you."
Sun Xiuzhi's eyes were swollen from crying. When she saw Xia Anyan arrive, she comforted the two children, saying, "Don't be afraid. This is Aunt Xia, whom I mentioned to you on the way. She is a good person and knows a lot. She was the one who told me to go and bring you back."
The two girls seemed to have made ample preparations, and looked up at Xia Anyan.
Even in just a moment, Xia Anyan saw their eyes clearly—pure, yet so weary.
They don't know what they went through, but it must have been very painful.
Xia Anyan's eyes welled up with tears, her nose stung, and she couldn't help but shed a tear.
That's terrible, really terrible.
"Don't be afraid, Auntie brought you some delicious food. Come on, have a taste." Xia Anyan waved the oil paper package in her hand. She bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county town after learning about the two children's situation.
Although it wasn't anything fancy, these two children couldn't get their hands on such a thing in the countryside.
Moreover, this was already the best pastry Xia Anyan could find at the supply and marketing cooperative here, so she bought some to give to her two children.
Seeing that they didn't reject her, Xia Anyan quietly approached. Just before she touched them, she took the initiative to place the pastries on the table and then walked to the side.
She didn't want to upset her two children.
Especially since the two children haven't truly accepted her from the bottom of their hearts, she didn't want to force them.
Sun Xiuzhi pulled Xia Anyan to sit next to her. She opened the oil paper package that Xia Anyan had brought, and after seeing what was inside, she couldn't help but burst into tears.
These things aren't cheap. Xia Anyan is really good to these two children and truly considers them her friends.
"Girl, why did you buy something so expensive?"
Xia Anyan smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, if someone likes to eat it, then it's not expensive. If no one likes to eat it, even if it's cheap and given away for free, no one will want it."
"Besides, I think these two kids deserve to eat this kind of food. Anything cheaper is not worth me bringing to them."
Xia Anyan is a good talker; she praised the two children in another way, telling them not to underestimate themselves.
The two children were indeed frightened and now doubt themselves, wondering whether they should continue to live in this world and whether they should stay with their parents and embarrass them.
The beautiful aunt's sudden words made them feel relaxed and deeply moved.
Sun Xiuzhi was also very touched and pushed the pastries in front of the two children: "Since your Aunt Xia has said so, hurry up and eat them."
"Is there anything you'd like to eat for lunch today? Mom will cook it for you."
Xia Anyan has been here for over a month, but she still doesn't quite get used to their use of the word "mother".
She had always called them "Dad" and "Mom," but since coming here, she often hears other children calling them "Dad" and "Mom."
In fact, many people in the countryside still call their parents "father" and "mother," and teach their children to call them "father" and "mother."
Things only started to change slowly in the 1980s and 1990s.
She is a true 90s generation. At that time, she had already stopped calling her parents "father" and "mother," but her parents' generation would continue to do so.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore.
Xia Anyan stayed with the two children the whole time, talking to them occasionally.
She speaks gently and is beautiful, which makes her very pleasant to be around. The two children went from being somewhat resistant at first to gradually accepting her and eventually being able to exchange a few words with her, all in a very short time.
Compared to how Sun Xiuzhi and her husband used to live with their two children, this is so much better.
Sun Xiuzhi was really happy, and she was also glad that she had gone to find Gu Shen and asked him to bring Xia Anyan back.
"Hey sis, I'm going to the kitchen to cook. Can you stay with the kids for me?"
Sun Xiuzhi's eyes were full of pleading.
She was really worried about leaving the two children alone here, which is why she wanted Xia Anyan to help.
Xia Anyan, of course, wouldn't refuse and nodded in agreement.
After Sun Xiuzhi left, she sat down in front of the two children.
"What are your names? Can you tell me?"
The two little girls spoke in very soft, low voices.
Although they have accepted Xia Anyan, they still cannot communicate with others as openly and naturally as normal people.
Xia Anyan listened intently for a long time before finally hearing their names.
One was called Mengdi, and the other was called Laidi.
Upon hearing these two names, Xia Anyan immediately frowned.
She really dislikes people giving girls names like that nowadays.
Whether or not a man can have a son depends on his genes. If he is destined to have a son, he will have one sooner or later. If he is not destined to have one, even if he has ten daughters and names them all as "Pan Di" (盼弟), "Meng Di" (梦弟), "Lai Di" (来弟), "Zhao Di" (招弟), etc., it will not help.
Seeing that Xia Anyan's expression was not good, the two thought that she was angry with them, and they immediately curled up and trembled.
Xia Anyan noticed that her emotions seemed to be affecting the two of them, so she quickly took a deep breath and gently comforted them, "Don't be afraid, Auntie isn't angry with you, I just think your names don't sound nice."
"Have your names been registered in the household registration system? Would you like to change your names?"
The two remained silent for a long time before finally looking up at Xia Anyan.
This was the first time they had ever looked Xia Anyan in the eye so openly and honestly. For the first time, they felt no fear or dread, only anticipation and hope in their eyes.
Although they didn't say a word, that one look was enough.
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