Chapter 344
Wang Mei, who overheard the villagers' discussion, carefully examined Granny Liu; she could see the same things Rong Rong could see.
She didn't stop Rong Rong; it seemed that Granny Liu was indeed more reliable than Cripple Li.
There were many people around who liked Rongrong, and several children even clamored to take Rongrong home as their little sister, but unfortunately they didn't have any money and had no choice but to leave.
Finally, Granny Liu was persuaded by Rong Rong, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Alright!"
Rongrong followed Granny Liu home. Granny Liu lived in the deepest part of the village, a very remote place.
The villagers were indeed very afraid of Granny Liu, and they would avoid Granny Liu and Rong Rong whenever they saw them.
Rong Rong didn't sense any danger from Granny Liu. She was just a bit quiet and aloof, and always kept her head down.
When they arrived at Granny Liu's house, Rongrong was even more grateful that she had followed the right person.
Granny Liu's courtyard looks ordinary and dilapidated on the outside, but it has a hidden world inside.
The courtyard is filled with flowers and plants, with a wooden trellis covered in wisteria blossoms, and tea-making tools placed on a unique stone table and benches.
Not far away, in the sunlight, there was a rattan chair with a half-open book on it, and a clean and cute little yellow dog wagging its tail and running towards Rong Rong.
What a cozy little courtyard, a small paradise in a muddy mountain village.
Needless to say, the house is fully equipped with all the necessary appliances, and the various solid wood furniture pieces combine to create a Song Dynasty aesthetic, making the entire room both elegant and comfortable.
Now Rongrong seems to understand why Old Lady Liu is seen that way.
Aloofness, gloom, and eccentricity are the protective colors of Granny Liu.
Back in the courtyard, Granny Liu was noticeably gentler, exuding a serene and unhurried elegance.
Fortunately, Granny Liu's yard was very large, large enough to enclose the entire house within it.
This not only gave Granny Liu more space to plant her favorite flowers and plants and arrange her favorite flower stands, but also protected her from the prying eyes of outsiders.
So, to this day, no one has realized how beautiful Granny Liu's house is.
As for the strange taste the villagers mentioned.
Rong Rong could tell as soon as she entered that it wasn't a horror story or that she had any pets.
Those all smell like herbs.
Old Mrs. Liu not only grows flowers in her yard, but also vegetables and herbs.
Rongrong had studied herbal medicine, so she could recognize it just by its smell.
And so Rongrong settled down.
She was indeed as she had said: obedient, quiet, and never disturbing Grandma Liu while she was reading.
Grandma Liu loves reading. She has a study filled with books, which are yellowed and old, but she always takes them out and reads them repeatedly.
Sometimes, on a whim, she would bring Rongrong to her side and teach her to write.
Then she was surprised to find that Rongrong was very intelligent and could learn things very quickly.
She grew increasingly fond of Rong Rong. She had liked Rong Rong ever since they first met; otherwise, she, who was known for her aloofness, would not have bought a child so easily.
She couldn't bear to see Rong Rong fall into Li the Cripple's hands; she knew Li the Cripple's character very well.
Now, as they spend more time together, she likes Rong Rong more and more.
This can be seen from the change in her attitude towards Rong Rong.
She became increasingly gentle and caring towards Rongrong, and talked to her more and more, unlike at the beginning when she was only immersed in her own world.
After the two became acquainted, Rongrong volunteered to help Grandma Liu manage the herb garden.
Rongrong's skills in tending flowers and plants were very professional and skillful, which pleased Grandma Liu, so she let Rongrong do as she pleased.
The two lived a warm and loving life together, just like a real grandmother and granddaughter.
A year later, the small mountain village had a new face again, and yet another child was sold into the village.
Rong Rong was awakened by a series of beatings and scoldings.
At that time, she was sitting under the flower stand reading a book, while Grandma Liu was lying on the rattan chair sleeping.
"You brat! I'll teach you to run! I'll teach you to run!"
Damn it! I spent a fortune to buy you, so you'd better behave yourself and be my son!
"If you run again, I'll break your legs!"
The sound of belts cutting through the air and the cracking sounds of belts hitting people were constant, but Rong Rong never heard anyone scream or cry in pain.
Rong Rong suddenly remembered that in the original world, there seemed to be a mention of a little boy who had been sold to this village.
But the other party always tries to escape, and they are always caught and beaten up after a short time.
No matter how badly he was beaten, the little boy never gave up trying to escape. He seemed untamed and still had memories of home.
Chained and starving, they still refused to yield.
Until the last time, he tried to escape again but was caught and brought back. The person who bought him was furious and beat him severely, but accidentally killed him.
He was only 10 years old when he died.
In the original world, it was Rong Ying who mentioned this boy to her parents, in order to express her fear and suffering, and to show how lucky she was to have survived and returned alive.
In fact, she was very lucky. Children who were abducted in small mountain villages either died from abuse or were trapped there for life.
Rong Rong was annoyed that she had only just remembered this. She guessed that the boy being beaten outside must be that boy.
Rong Rong quietly ran to the door and peeked out through a crack. Sure enough, she saw a fierce man whipping a boy on the ground with a belt.
A number of people were watching, and some looked on with pity, criticizing the man's behavior.
But the man was blinded by rage, and no one dared to step forward to stop him.
The man stopped hitting the boy after a while, then suddenly grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him away.
As the two passed by Rong Rong's courtyard, Rong Rong unintentionally made eye contact with the boy.
The other person's eyes shone with an astonishing light, as if they were burning with fire, and within them lay an indomitable spirit.
Rong Rong's heart skipped a beat; she rarely saw such a look in a child's eyes.
Rong Rong never wanted to see the other party die a tragic death, and now this thought had reached its peak.
She turned and ran towards Grandma Liu, went to the recliner, grabbed the armrest, and asked softly.
"Grandma, can you save the little boy?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, and coupled with her cautious tone, it was simply heartwarming.
"Why?" Grandma Liu opened her eyes, her voice calm.
Grandma Liu is not a soft-hearted or meddlesome person, as can be seen from the fact that she has not appeared in either of the two world background information.
For an elderly person living alone in this small mountain village, the best way to survive is to protect themselves and stay away from people.
Just like Grandma Liu has always done, she leaves people with a strange and eccentric impression, making them afraid and causing them to consciously avoid her.
Rongrong knew that her request might be a bit too much for Grandma Liu.
Although Grandma Liu had enough money to buy the boy.
“The young man was very stubborn and kept running away. I didn’t want to see him get beaten up; it was too pitiful,” Rong Rong explained.
"I know Grandma wants to grow Polygonum multiflorum, and I can grow it well, but it's tiring for me to do it alone. I want my older brother to be my helper!"
If we can't talk about feelings, we have to talk about interests.
Rongrong pretended to be naive and negotiated with her grandmother.
She had long noticed that Grandma Liu valued the Polygonum multiflorum in the herb garden, but the environment there was not suitable for its growth.
Grandma Liu didn't have a better planting method, so she never succeeded in growing it.
As a child, Rong Rong didn't want to appear too strange, and since the two weren't familiar with each other at first, she didn't do much.
But things are different now; Rongrong really wants to save that boy.
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