Chapter 124: Family Difficulties
Honest people always speak the truth. Guan Xiong meant to leave Qihang in the care of the Guan family. But how could Bai Yangfan bear to do that? He had lived two lifetimes and only had this one brother. Even if they were not related by blood, he had raised him since he was a child.
She didn't say anything, but Lu Jingheng spoke up: "We will take Qihang away. My family is in Kyoto, so I have no problem taking care of a child. I'm married to Yangfan, so Qihang should live with us."
Guan Xiong did not insist and made his attitude clear: "I won't force you. If you can take care of the child, you can take him with you. If you can't, send him back. Our family is poor, but we can't let the child suffer. We don't have any good food or drink, and the simple food can barely fill our stomachs.
Don't think that your mother's arrival in Guanjiazhuang means the mother-son bond is gone. We're rough folks, and we don't care about those things. Your mother has suffered a lot following me. Our family isn't well off, and the two elders need to take medicine regularly. She has to take care of everything, inside and outside the house.
To be honest, I was able to trick your mother into marrying me because of my good deeds in my previous life. This is what she owed me in her previous life. I also mentioned a woman before. She was about to get married. My father's leg was injured by a homemade cannon and he was admitted to the hospital.
Seeing that our family was in dire straits, she refused to marry me. I was so disheartened that I just wanted to live with my parents. I never expected to meet your mother, and we, two people with such a difficult fate, ended up together.
Our family is in a bit of a difficult situation right now, but everything will be fine in a few years. My dad's legs are much better now, and he doesn't need to go to the hospital often; once in a while is enough."
Telling Bai Yangfan about his family situation was to reassure him that Guan Xiong would not be so poor all his life. He had two hands and would definitely work hard.
There are currently six people in the family, two elderly people and two children. The four of them cannot work, so they rely on the couple. In addition, the foreign debt they owed to treat their father's legs a few years ago makes life difficult.
But he believed that it would not always be like this, and things would eventually get better.
Ling Hua went to the kitchen to help her mother-in-law with the cooking. Dabao looked at the cakes that Bai Yangfan had brought. His little mouth moved, and he must have wanted to eat them. But he didn't cry, he just looked at them quietly.
Bai Yangfan looked at the child and felt that Ling Hua was quite good at educating children. She had taught the original owner when he was very young that he should not ask for other people's things casually or eat other people's things casually.
I guess she educated her eldest child in the same way!
"Set sail! Go get something for Dabao to eat and give him a few of your favorite candies."
Seeing that the younger brother was always unhappy, I knew that the little guy must be jealous and felt that Dabao had taken his mother away. It was a good opportunity for the two little brothers to talk together.
After this departure, I will have to wait until he grows up before I can come back. By then, Qihang will probably have already forgotten what Dabao looks like now.
Qihang still listened to his sister's words, pursed his lips, looked at Dabao, climbed down the stool reluctantly, and walked to Dabao.
She took out a handful of candy from her pocket and handed it to him: "This is for you, eat it!"
Dabao moved his lips, raised his head and looked at Qihang cautiously, but did not reach out to take it: "No, you eat it yourself, my mother will buy it for you."
Hearing his slurred speech, Qihang smiled, peeled off the candy wrapper, and stuffed it into Dabao's mouth: "It's delicious and sweet. My sister bought it for me. I give it all to you."
Dabao's mouth was stuffed with candy, and his mouth was drooling. He squinted his eyes and smiled: "Sweet! Good, good."
Then she quickly went to the kitchen to find Ling Hua. Bai Qihang followed behind, wanting to see how his mother loved Dabao.
"Mom! Sweet! You deserve it." Dabao took out a candy from his mouth and stuffed it into the mouth of Ling Hua, who was squatting and picking vegetables. "That one my brother gave me, it's very sweet, you deserve it."
Ling Hua dodged lovingly and warned her son, "That's your eldest brother, and he's also my own child. Just take what he gives you. If I don't want you to eat it, you can eat it yourself."
The blind old woman who was lighting the fire nearby sighed, "Ahua! Is it okay to take such a young child to Kyoto? Or why not leave him at our house? A young girl, how can she handle studying and taking care of her younger brother?"
Ling Hua's eyes reddened as she shook her head, "Mom! It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare. Qihang is the Bai family's only child, the hope for the future. How much can he achieve by following us in the countryside? He must follow Yangfan to Kyoto. If he succeeds in the future, he will be worthy of his grandmother.
It's not easy for Yang Fan to take her brother to Kyoto, but doesn't she have her husband to help her? No matter how reluctant I am, I have to let him go. I don't have the right to leave the child behind. I feel guilty towards his father. "
Bai Qihang stood aside and listened to this. Although he didn't understand, he still felt his mother's difficulties. He held a few candies in his hand, went into the kitchen, and handed the candies to her without calling anyone.
"My sister said she wouldn't leave me alone. I'm going to Kyoto with her and will come back to see you when I grow up."
Quickly wiping the tears from her face, Ling Hua accepted the candy from her son's hand and nodded, "Mom knows. Qihang is going to Kyoto to study. Study hard and get into a good university like your sister."
Qihang stared at his mother, wanting to shout, but feeling awkward and unable to do so. He glanced at Dabao beside him, took his hand, and led him out of the kitchen.
Holding the candy in her hand, Ling Hua's vision blurred again. Now that her son was gone, he probably wouldn't even remember her when he grew up. After all, the child was too young, only five years old. How much memory could he possibly have?
The blind grandmother sighed again: "Ahua! Don't be sad. This child seems to be thoughtful and sentimental. If you have the chance, you can take the third child to Kyoto to see him."
Coming back to his senses, Ling Hua put the candy in his pocket and said "eh" in a hoarse voice to indicate that he had heard it.
The lunch was sumptuous. Ling Hua had done her best to prepare a meal that could only be enjoyed during Chinese New Year. But in the eyes of Bai Yangfan and Qihang, it was nothing.
The food in their home has always been very good. Qihang didn't seem to like the food much and wasn't as happy as Dabao. Ling Hua knew that the food might not suit the child's appetite.
But she had tried her best and there was nothing better she could do.
Bai Yangfan was fine. She could eat anything, good or bad. She wasn't picky at all.
Seeing that his younger brother didn’t eat much, Bai Yangfan didn’t force him and let him eat as he pleased.
Ling Hua, however, felt bad and asked Qi Hang, "What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you."
Qihang shook his head and whispered, "I ate too much this morning and can't eat lunch. Can I skip it?"
Why do you ask?
It is a rule that when you are a guest at someone's home, you cannot leave any food in your bowl. If you do, it means you are dissatisfied with the host's hospitality.
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