He Qunfang gently tugged at Liu Changqing's sleeve and whispered, "Changqing, look at what good food we have at home. You cook lunch! I'll boil water so the children can take a hot bath and change their clothes. Look how thinly Feng'er is dressed."
“Okay, let me see if we have anything at home. If not, I’ll borrow some from my child’s uncle’s house. We’ll cook something nice for lunch,” Liu Changqing said after a moment of silence.
"Mom, I'll go boil some water. You find some clothes for my second brother!" Liu Yue said sensibly, and then went to the kitchen. She needed to wash the iron pot again before boiling the water so that there wouldn't be any oil stains.
Currently, very few families in the village use coal stoves; most burn firewood. They have to be careful with their firewood, and once it's used up, they have to collect firewood from the mountains.
A moment later, He Qunfang came out of the room carrying a stack of new clothes, including shirts, sweaters, cotton-padded jackets, and cotton-padded trousers...
He took them out one by one and gestured in front of Liu Feng.
"Feng'er, if you hadn't come back soon, you wouldn't be able to fit into these clothes anymore. I didn't expect you to grow so tall, you're almost as tall as your sister!" He Qunfang said gently.
Liu Feng stood up, his hair bun touching He Qunfang's forehead. He turned it from side to side, letting He Qunfang play with it.
"This cotton-padded jacket was made for you by your maternal grandmother, using new cotton as a talisman. This sweater was knitted for you by your aunt. Look how nice the design is, with a big red heart on it."
Liu Fei watched from the side, filled with envy, occasionally touching the sweater with her little hand and saying, "This sweater is so beautiful!"
Looking at these clothes I prepared for myself.
Looking at his parents and siblings, who were still wearing patched clothes, Liu Feng felt a pang of sadness. "Mom, the clothes I'm wearing are perfectly fine. Leave them for my brother!"
“Oh, Feng’er, how come you’re still so sensible? When you were just one or two years old, you knew to give way to your older sister Liu Yue and never competed with her for things. And now you’re giving way to your younger brother…” He Qunfang’s eyes reddened.
“No, listen to your mother. You should wear the clothes she made for you.” He Qunfang said.
"Brother, you wear it. When you grow up and can't wear it anymore, I'll wear it!" Liu Fei said innocently, but hearing this, Liu Feng felt a pang of heartache for his family.
"Feng'er, you can't wear this Taoist robe anymore once you get home. Mom will wash it and put it away for you," He Qunfang asked tentatively, frowning.
"Your hair is too long. After your bath, Mom will give you a haircut," He Qunfang said, touching Liu Feng's shiny black hair and looking him up and down.
If you go to the barbershop for a haircut, it costs one yuan. To save money, He Qunfang cuts the hair of Liu Fei and Liu Yue at home, and she does it quite well.
"Mm!" Liu Feng nodded silently.
After taking a hot shower, Liu Feng changed into a new set of clothes; the thick cotton-padded coat was very warm.
Then, He Qunfang gave Liu Feng a "student haircut," looking at it from left to right, trimming and tidying it up, and it took a long time to satisfy He Qunfang. Of course, it couldn't compare to a professional hair salon.
However, after his rebirth, Liu Feng no longer cared about these things. Even if the haircut looked like it had been chewed by a dog, Liu Feng would accept it gladly, as long as it was done by his parents.
When Liu Feng stood before everyone with a completely new look, Liu Changqing had already prepared lunch.
He looked at Liu Feng again, and a wave of emotion welled up in his heart. His son was truly handsome! He couldn't tell at all from the way he looked when he was born, with a large head and underdeveloped limbs.
Seeing Liu Changqing's stunned expression, He Qunfang couldn't help but laugh triumphantly, "How about it? Did I dress my son up nicely? I'll take him out tomorrow and let those people who used to talk bad about my son have a good look and blind them with my brilliance!"
Her tone was full of pride and joy, and she still vividly remembered those who used to say that her son was disabled.
"This afternoon, let his grandparents take a good look at him too!" He Qunfang added.
Her thoughts drifted back to the past, to the time when she was under immense pressure from her in-laws, who repeatedly demanded that Liu Feng be abandoned, as if Liu Feng's birth was a mistake.
That memory, like a thorn, is deeply embedded in He Qunfang's heart, and even now, recalling it still brings her a pang of sorrow.
However, the dark clouds finally dispersed.
Now, He Qunfang can finally stand tall and proud.
The child she gave birth to was not the freak they called him, nor was he disabled; rather, he was a healthy, intelligent, and handsome son.
The family of five was finally reunited and sat around a table for a meal.
On the table was a plate of scrambled eggs with garlic, a small plate of dried tofu, and a bowl of pickled vegetables. The dried tofu was borrowed from my uncle's house.
The family ate with great relish, filled with laughter and joy.
He Qunfang was in exceptionally good spirits, frequently placing a piece of egg or tofu into Liu Feng's bowl, her eyes filled with a motherly love.
"Feng'er, how did you get back?" He Qunfang couldn't help but ask at the dinner table.
"It was my nephew Tongmiao who saw me off at the train station. When I got off the train in Yiyang, I ran into Aunt Huang, who had someone drive me to the entrance of Liucun..."
Liu Feng selected some details that could be mentioned and recounted them in detail.
“Tongmiao, I saw him when I took Liu Feng to Qingfeng Temple,” Liu Changqing said suddenly.
"I have a very good relationship with my junior apprentice, Tongmiao!" Liu Feng said nostalgically.
"I forgot to ask you, how is your master, Master Zhang, doing these days? Your father and I really need to thank your master. He not only cured your hidden illness but also raised you to adulthood!" He Qunfang said gratefully.
"Mom, my master has passed away!" Liu Feng said sadly.
...
After the meal, He Qunfang pulled Liu Feng aside and comforted him, saying, "Your master lived to be 120 years old, which is considered a happy death. You don't need to be too sad."
"Who is your Aunt Huang? She's such a kind person! If she hadn't arranged for someone to bring you back, what would your mother have done if you had gotten lost in this remote mountain area?"
“Mom, you really underestimate your son! My master passed on all his skills to me, so I can go anywhere in the world!” Liu Feng said.
Liu Yue, the older sister standing to the side, burst out laughing, "Second brother, I didn't expect you to be such a braggart!"
"How can you talk about your second brother like that?" He Qunfang only had eyes for Liu Feng, and gave Liu Yue a displeased sideways glance.
"Mom, do you believe what my second brother said? How can an eleven-year-old child distinguish between north and south?" Liu Yue explained, unconvinced.
Seeing that He Qunfang ignored her, Liu Yue turned to Liu Changqing and asked, "Dad, do you believe what my second brother said? I'm so old, I don't even know if I can find my way home if I go to the county town by myself, let alone my second brother?"
Liu Changqing was torn between favoring his daughter and his son.
He Qunfang chimed in, "Your second brother, you can't even joke with me!"
She then asked Liu Feng affectionately, "Feng'er, you haven't told Mom who that Aunt Huang is yet?"
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