"Brother Da, what's wrong? What are you thinking about?"
"Wife, I'm thinking about Xiu'er. Why hasn't she come back to pay New Year's greetings this year? In previous years, she would come at the latest on the morning of the third day of the New Year, just like Zhiqing and the others. But today, Zhiqing and the others went home after lunch and she still hasn't come. My eyelids are twitching and I feel uneasy. I'll go ask my second brother, or I'll take Mingzheng and the kids to see her tomorrow."
"I wanted to tell you this too. Xiu'er usually comes back early to pay New Year's greetings. Besides, the pregnancy should be stable after such a long time."
Liu Xiu, Liu's father's younger sister, was 31 years old. She married Li Ziqiang, the only son of Li Dadan, a resident of Orange Village, a month before Liu's father returned from military service. Seven or eight years ago, after the commune established an orange canning factory, Li Dadan had been employed there, which had helped keep the Li family relatively well-off.
Liu Xiu's father raised his younger siblings, and the three siblings have always had a close relationship. After returning home, Liu Xiu even went to Orange Village to give her thirty yuan as a dowry. Orange Village is only 12 miles from Wangjia Village. Normally, Liu Xiu would visit her parents' home seven or eight times a year, including during Chinese New Year and other festivals. However, she returned once last year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and hasn't returned since. Later, her brother-in-law came to say that her pregnancy was unstable and she would return after the Chinese New Year when it stabilized. When Liu Xiu's mother learned she was pregnant, she brought eggs and brown sugar to Orange Village with her sister-in-law, Wang Shuihua, to visit her. She looked healthy and in good spirits.
Before Liu Xiu married Li Ziqiang, she had two daughters, Li Dahua and Li Xiaohua. Therefore, her life in her husband's family was not easy for the first few years. It was not until she gave birth to a boy at the end of 1957 that her life improved. However, the boy died in the natural disaster a few years ago. Therefore, Liu Xiu attached great importance to this child and took great care of him since she became pregnant.
"I'd better go to Orange Village tomorrow to feel at ease. I'll go talk to my second brother first."
As soon as Father Liu walked out of his house, he saw two children walking towards the village entrance. He thought that these two children looked like Dahua and Xiaohua from his younger sister's family. Father Liu walked towards the village entrance in two directions, and the two children also noticed him.
"Uncle, uncle."
Father Liu heard the children calling him and quickly answered. As he approached, he saw the children wearing old cotton-padded jackets, covered in stains and a mix of wet and dry mud. Their faces were stained with burns, their hair uncombed, and the eldest child's feet, with their large, flowery feet, were bare and red.
Father Liu didn't know why the two children became like this after not seeing them for a few months. The little sister Xiu'er was usually a clean person and kept the two children clean. Father Liu wanted to ask what happened, but she didn't get a word out.
Dahua said hurriedly, "Uncle, go and save mom. Mom was beaten by dad and she is bleeding a lot. Dad ran away last night. Mom and grandpa and grandma didn't allow us to go out to call for help and locked us up. My sister and I just ran out when grandpa and grandma weren't paying attention. Uncle, go and save mom." After that, the two children burst into tears.
When Father Liu heard this, his vision began to darken. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, and he could only keep repeating, "Calm down, calm down!" After more than a minute, his vision returned to normal. He then picked up Dahua and said, "Xiaohua, follow your uncle." Then he ran home.
"Li Niang, Li Niang, come out for a moment."
"What's wrong?"
Father Liu handed the big flower to Mother Liu and said, "Xiu'er is in trouble. I need to go and call my second brother to help save Xiu'er. You take care of the two little ones. Give me another hundred yuan."
Before Liu's mother could react, Liu's father had already taken a few pieces of Ganoderma lucidum and money from home and ran out.
Mother Liu was also surprised to see how much the two sisters, Dahua and Xiaohua, had changed after not seeing them for a few months.
On the other side, Liu's father went to the village to call his second brother, and then called his uncle's three sons. Together with Mingzheng, they borrowed an ox from the village and drove a horse-drawn carriage to Orange Village.
At home, Liu's mother brought the two children into the main room and put them in the firebox. Xuemei and her four siblings were also in the firebox. Xuemei was teaching Qingya to do her homework, while Ruirui and Feifei were learning to write big characters.
"Xuemei, Qingya, quickly go get a set of clothes each from the box, including your cotton-padded jackets. Ruirui and Feifei, go to the kitchen and help me light the fire. Remember to boil some water in the big iron pot."
When Liu's mother was holding the two children, she found that their clothes were all wet. They must have fallen into the mud pit on the way here. Liu's mother wiped the tears from the two children's faces and said, "Don't cry, your uncle and second uncle are going to rescue your mother, don't worry."
"Mom, here are the clothes." Xuemei handed the clothes to Liu's mother.
"Mom, I brought it too. What happened to Sister Dahua and Sister Xiaohua?" Qingya asked as she handed the clothes to Liu's mother. Xuemei was also curious about what happened, but now was obviously not a good time to ask this.
"Little kids, don't meddle in other people's business. Xuemei, take Qingya to the kitchen and make a bowl of porridge and boil two eggs. Don't come out unless I tell you to. Stay in the kitchen with your brothers and sisters, watching the fire and warming yourself. I need to ask your two sisters something."
Mother Liu took the cotton-padded jackets of Xuemei and her sister and gave them to Dahua and Xiaohua to change into. She then comforted the two sisters for a long time before Dahua and Xiaohua stopped crying.
Liu's mother then asked Dahua what happened at home. Dahua then told Liu's mother in detail what happened to Liu Xiu. Liu's mother was also very surprised after hearing it. At the same time, she felt sorry for her sister-in-law, knowing that her sister-in-law's child was very likely to be lost. However, Liu's mother did not show it in front of the two children, and comforted them: "Dahua, Xiaohua, it's okay. You can stay at your uncle and aunt's house for the next two days. Your mother will be fine. Your uncle and second uncle can take your mother to the hospital.
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