When the three of them returned home, both Yao's mother and Xiao Yan felt that the atmosphere between Yao Tongjia and Xiao Gengwu was strange.
During lunch, only Yao Tongxu kept chattering away. It was his first time going up the mountain, his first time cutting pig feed, and his first time working with so many people...
There were so many firsts that he couldn't help but share with others. He had been confined at home for far too long, so long that he thought his life consisted of nothing but a kang (a heated brick bed).
Happiness came so quickly that he was overjoyed and excited to be working with so many people all at once! He felt like he could fly!
Compared to Yao Tongxu's excitement, Yao Tongjia was unusually quiet. She used to be rather reserved, but after helping out at the infirmary, she became much more talkative.
Yao's mother put some meat in her daughter's bowl and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
These words drew everyone's attention to Yao Tongjia, who gripped her chopsticks so tightly they almost dug into her flesh.
She felt uneasy, as if she were a thief, a thief who had stolen someone else's life.
She really wanted to ignore everything and tell them what had happened. If they welcomed her to stay, she would stay; if not, she could leave.
But when she met Yao's mother's concerned eyes, saw Yao Tongxu's nervous gaze, and saw her master's earnest concern, she was overwhelmed.
Her heart was clenched tightly. These were all things she had longed for but could never have. She couldn't bear to part with everything here!
She spent the last five years of her life in the modern world feeling incredibly lonely and miserable! After her scumbag father turned against her, he never cared about her again and instead lived outside with his mistress.
When they occasionally met, the father and daughter were always at odds. She longed for maternal love and the atmosphere of an ordinary family. After coming here, despite the vastly different material conditions, she was eager to be with her father.
Her heart never truly found peace, simply because she had been too lonely for those five years!
Just as Yao Tongjia was about to speak, Xiao Gengwu put some meat on her plate: "Would you like to go for a walk with me later?"
These words seemed to freeze Yao Ma and Xiao Yan in place, and they both looked at Xiao Gengwu in surprise, for the sentence was indeed too long.
They had never heard Xiao Gengwu speak so long before, and Yao Tongxu immediately stepped in to speak for him: "Brother Xiao, this is the first time I've ever heard you speak so long!"
After saying that, Yao Tongxu remembered that Xiao Ge had said something similar on the mountain earlier today: "No, you told me that on the mountain earlier today!"
Everyone: "......" You brat, you know you shouldn't say anything even if you see through something, don't you?
Xiao Yan said happily, "After you finish eating, go for a walk. Eat quickly!"
Yao's mother felt a little jealous: "I want to go for a walk too!"
These words were spoken to Yao Tongjia. Xiao Yan quickly grabbed her best friend: "Pack your things, I'll go for a walk with you. But you've been working all morning, aren't you tired?"
Yao's mother was speechless. Of course she was tired. How could she not be tired? She worked under the sun every day. Even if she did nothing, she would still be exhausted!
Seeing Yao Ma's head bowed, Xiao Yan knew her good friend was very tired: "I'll wash the dishes in a bit, you go take a nap, I'll give you a massage, I guarantee you'll feel great!"
This distracted Yao's mother: "Really? What kind of massage should we do at noon? How about a massage tonight? That way I can go straight to sleep!"
Xiao Yan was really going all out to create an opportunity for her son: "Okay, I'll give you a massage tonight, until you fall asleep!"
Aunt Yao nodded vigorously: "That's great! Swallow!"
Xiao Yan thought to herself: Son, you must seize the opportunity that Mom has created for you!
As soon as they finished lunch, Xiao Yan pushed Yao Tongjia and Xiao Gengwu out the door. They were at the end of the village, and there were several big trees behind the house, which made it very cool.
Now that the two young people have gone over, everyone is either having lunch or taking a nap, it's quiet and no one's around, which is perfect for my son to do whatever he wants—no, wrong! It's for them to build a relationship!
Unexpectedly, Yao Tongxu said something surprising: "Sister, Brother Xiao, I'm going with you too!"
Without Xiao Yan having to lift a finger, Yao Ma pulled her simple-minded son back to reality: "You've been gathering pig feed all morning, you must be tired, right? Go and rest for a bit, and keep trying this afternoon, let's see if we can earn enough for your food rations!"
Yao Tongxu was indeed tired: "Then you guys go ahead, I'm going to take a nap, I'll gather pig feed this afternoon!"
Xiao Gengwu led Yao Tongjia to the big tree behind the house. A gentle breeze soothed Yao Tongjia's restless heart.
She sat on a tree stump and realized she had acted impulsively!
Xiao Gengwu squeezed onto the tree stump with Yao Tongjia. Neither of them spoke, and they just sat quietly, feeling the caress of the cool breeze!
After a long silence, Xiao Gengwu spoke up: "You acted impulsively. Aunt Yao is a very delicate person. She has no opinions of her own when things happen. If it weren't for my mother, I wouldn't know where she would have gone with her two children!"
“She values her two children more than her own life. Now you’re telling her you’re not her daughter, that her daughter is gone? Aren’t you trying to kill her?”
Yao Tongjia: "I feel like a thief!"
"No, you're saving Aunt Yao. Aunt Yao is only strong on the surface. Besides, maybe she's gone to your world and taken your place!"
Yao Tongjia recalled that she was on a plane: "Before I came here, I was inside a crashing plane!"
Xiao Gengwu: "..."
Undeterred, Xiao Gengwu persisted: "Maybe she's lucky she didn't die! Maybe your family took her back and spoiled her!"
"My mother has been dead for five years, and my scumbag father treats me like an enemy!"
Xiao Gengwu: "..."
Xiao Gengwu was speechless, but he quickly realized, "Do you have other relatives over there who care about you?"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com