Chapter 66 A Visit to Express Gratitude
When Ji Hefeng returned home, he found the atmosphere at home somewhat quiet.
“What happened?” he asked.
Molly then recounted how she had saved someone that morning.
Ji Hefeng and Mo An fell silent after hearing this, and even the youngest, Lu Lu, had a tense expression.
"The girl's clothes were all patched. Given the Yu family's circumstances, that shouldn't be the case, right?" Molly didn't quite understand.
Ji Hefeng couldn't understand it before, but after seeing so much over the years, he's gotten used to it.
"That child has two older sisters, and she seems to always wear her sisters' hand-me-downs. The clothes her eldest sister wore were given to her second sister, and only the clothes her second sister wore would be given to her. Usually, when there was fabric, it was given to their younger brother first. Because of this, their third daughter has made quite a fuss."
"How do you know so much?" Molly asked in surprise.
“I’ve run into them twice, and it’s been circulating a lot in the barracks, so naturally I know. Battalion Commander Yu’s third daughter and their youngest son are less than a year apart in age, but their treatment is worlds apart. It’s understandable that she feels resentful. Over time, the child has probably accumulated enough disappointment.” Ji Hefeng sighed. He vowed that when he had children in the future, he would treat them all equally and never show favoritism.
While Molly was having breakfast, things across the street became lively.
"I asked you to take care of the child, and how did you do it? The child actually went to jump into the river first thing in the morning!" Yu Jin'an was furious.
The woman looked completely innocent. "I didn't hit her last night. I just said a few words to her. What, am I wrong to say a few words to her just because I'm her mother?"
"Mom, you didn't hit my little sister yesterday, but you took most of the meat from her lunchbox and gave it to my brother. There was plenty in his bowl too, so why did you do that?" The second daughter, Yu Duoduo, asked with red eyes. It wasn't just her younger sister; her mother also took most of the meat from her and her eldest sister's bowls, saying she would save it for the next day.
But why? Why shouldn't Mom and Dad's share be taken? Why is it not enough for the younger brother to eat his own share, but he also has to eat his third sister's share?
"It's just a little bit of meat, is it worth getting so angry that she actually jumped into the river?" the woman said dismissively.
"Since it's just a little bit of meat, why did you take all of our three sisters' flesh?" Yu Duoduo cried in anger.
"You three are girls, why are you eating so much?" The woman still didn't think she had done anything wrong.
After hearing this, the girl fell silent.
The entire Yu family fell silent.
Even through the wall, Molly could sense the girl's deep sense of powerlessness. The child's silence wasn't due to being persuaded by her mother, but rather to her profound disappointment in her mother, to the point that she had lost all desire to talk.
"I never expected that the trigger would be the wild boar meat I hunted yesterday." This surprised Ji Hefeng. Had he done something wrong?
Molly shook her head. "It was just a coincidence. It wasn't wild boar meat, or something else that they would consider 'trivial.' I just hope that after this experience, the child will be able to take things more in stride in the future."
Ji Hefeng also said, "I hope so."
Mo An: "When you have a daughter in the future, I will definitely take good care of her."
Lu Lu also said, "I love my sister."
Molly: "...You guys are really thinking ahead."
Ji Hefeng gazed intently at Molly, his gaze so focused and intense that it was impossible for her to ignore him. She turned to him, looking at him with confusion, "You have feelings for me too?"
"I wouldn't dare," Ji Hefeng replied politely.
Molly blinked. What do you mean he wouldn't dare?
The story of Yu San San jumping into the river and Monika nearly drowning while trying to save her, but Molly ultimately saved them both, spread throughout the family area within a morning.
Molly was unaware of this; she was busy planting crops with Mo An and Lu Lu, and the three of them didn't return until noon.
Ji Hefeng had already packed his food back from the cafeteria; he'd run out of meat coupons, so the vegetables he brought back were all vegetarian. He'd soaked some wood ear mushrooms at home, cut half a cabbage, and prepared a plate of pork belly, which he was now about to put into the pot.
"I consulted Uncle Wang, so you can try my cooking today," Ji Hefeng said confidently.
The pork belly sizzled in the pot. Molly and her two children were washing their hands when Ji Hefeng asked, "Should we put in the wood ear mushrooms first or the cabbage?"
Molly paused for a moment, then said, "How about we put them all together?"
"Okay, put them all in." Ji Hefeng immediately poured the cabbage and white fungus in, stir-fried them a few times, and then asked, "Is that much salt enough?"
Molly: "Pretty much."
Ji Hefeng cooked for the first time and didn't mess it up. The food even tasted pretty good, and the whole plate was eaten up.
In the afternoon, Molly was at home making clothes for herself and her two children. As for Ji Hefeng, she didn't consider him since she didn't have enough fabric and he didn't need any clothes.
While Molly was making clothes, Mo An and Lu Lu were reading and practicing calligraphy on the side.
"Sister, Xiao Lu knows quite a lot of characters," Mo An said happily.
"That's great. What grade do you think Lu Lu will be in when school starts?" Molly saw that Lu Lu was adapting well these days and planned to send him to school this semester, otherwise he would be bored at home alone.
Mo An thought about it carefully, "Xiao Lu can recognize words, does arithmetic, and seems to know a little multiplication and division. She should be fine for second grade."
He was in fifth grade, and Lu Lu was in second grade, so they could go to school together.
“Then enroll him in second grade. You’ll be in middle school next year, so you can spend a year with him in elementary school.” Molly had said this to Mo An quite a few times, not that she wanted to push Lu Lu onto Mo An, but that she felt Mo An needed such a ‘burden’ to help him grow.
It's simply a win-win situation.
That evening, Molly had an unexpected guest at her house.
Monika was carrying a basket filled with bright red apples, which looked to weigh more than ten pounds.
"What are you doing here?" Molly had no intention of inviting anyone in.
Monica handed over the basket she was carrying. "You saved me this morning, so I came to thank you."
Molly raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She had saved people in Xiaonan Village before, but she rarely received any 'thank you gifts'. Now, receiving a thank you gift for the first time was truly unexpected.
"What, you think it's not enough?" Monica glared and said irritably, "My life is certainly not worth a basket of apples. But I can't find a suitable gift right now. How about this, I'll owe you one. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can come to me for help. Of course, the premise is that I can help."
Molly took the basket. "Thank you."
Monika snorted, "You're welcome."
Molly had eaten wild fruits from the mountains before; the fruits were small, with large cores, and tasted sour and astringent—not very tasty at all. The apples in the basket were large, brightly colored, and looked very appetizing. Molly washed three, eating one herself, and giving one each to Mo An and Lu Lu.
This fruit is quite delicious; it's juicy, has a rich aroma, and is very sweet.
I wonder if other fruits besides apples taste good.
Molly thought she might need to save up some money so she could try other fruits later. But fruit supplies were limited, and even with a ration coupon, she might not be able to buy any.
If all else fails, just plant a few yourself.
Molly suddenly felt the yard was empty and that she should plant some fruit trees. Once this season's corn was harvested, she would find some fruit trees to plant. But before planting any fruit trees, she would taste the other fruits first before deciding what to plant.
Monika had brought fruit to express her gratitude, but there was no response from the neighboring house, which was separated by only a wall.
When Ji Hefeng returned and saw the apple, he was somewhat surprised to learn that it was sent by Monika.
“Monijia used to be my neighbor. My mother and her mother had a good relationship, but since the incident in my family, the two families have lost contact,” Ji Hefeng explained.
Molly suddenly realized that they were childhood sweethearts.
Ji Hefeng could tell from Molly's expression that she had misunderstood, so he quickly said, "We're not childhood sweethearts, we have nothing to do with each other. I was busy with my studies and training before I was fifteen, and I entered university before I was fifteen. I completed my studies in two years and then joined the army. I've only met her a few times."
Molly looked at his anxious expression and didn't say whether she believed him or not.
Another day passed, and the results of Ji Hefeng's selection were announced, shocking the entire military region. He won first place in every competition he participated in.
“Starting tomorrow, I will be leaving for a while,” Ji Hefeng said.
Molly wasn't surprised. "How long will it take?"
"It will take anywhere from half a month to a month. Xiao An and Xiao Lü have already submitted their enrollment materials. Jian An will take them to register when the time comes," Ji Hefeng said.
Molly hadn't expected that he had already submitted the materials to Mo An and Lu Lu. "When is the on-site registration?"
Ji Hefeng: "March 20th."
Molly wrote down the date.
The next morning, before dawn, Ji Hefeng left.
Molly got up and saw the clothes that hadn't been washed yesterday, and for a moment she felt a little uncomfortable.
She cooked breakfast, ate breakfast, and then took her two children to wash clothes by the well. Each child washed their own clothes, with a clear division of labor.
Suddenly, a knocking sound rang out on the door.
"I'll go open the door." Mo An got up and ran towards the door with a scurry gait.
Lu Lu also wanted to go.
"Be a good boy and wash the clothes clean," Molly instructed him.
She had barely finished speaking when Mo An called out, "Sister, there's a strange child outside."
Before Molly could speak, a clear and familiar voice said, "Not unfamiliar, I live next door."
Mo An turned to look at her sister, silently asking with her eyes whether they should invite the person in.
“Open the door and let her in,” Molly said.
Yu San San had to muster up all her courage to knock on Molly's door.
Last night, her parents argued again. Her father asked her mother to take some eggs to the neighbors as a token of gratitude, saying that after all, the neighbors had saved their daughter's life, and that the neighbors had suffered a lot jumping into the river to save her in the freezing cold, so they shouldn't let the rescue go unrewarded. Her mother disagreed, saying that she had already spent a lot of money in the hospital for two days, and the eggs at home were for her son to nourish his body; if they gave the eggs away, her son wouldn't have any eggs to eat.
Her parents argued in hushed tones for a long time, and in the end, her father gave in.
Yu San San hid under the covers, crying her heart out. It turned out that in her mother's heart, her life was worth less than a few eggs.
Yu San San faced reality and decided that she would no longer attempt suicide. She would live well; if no one loved her, she would love herself. The Yu family would have nothing to do with her anymore. When she grew up and her parents grew old, she would support them, but only what she was obligated to do. Aside from giving them money and gifts, she would not give them anything else, nor would she care about them anymore.
Yu San San secretly vowed that she would work hard to support herself and take good care of herself. The first thing she would do after supporting herself was to go next door to thank them. They had saved her life, and she wanted to repay their kindness like an adult.
But she had nothing.
"I can do all the housework for you for a month," Yu Sansan said earnestly, trying her best to act like an adult.
The little girl's eyes were full of stubbornness and perseverance.
Molly swallowed the "no need" that was on the tip of her tongue, and nodded instead, "Okay."
Yu San San breathed a sigh of relief; she had passed the first hurdle, and the beautiful aunt had agreed.
"What can I do now?" Yu Sansan asked.
Molly: "We're going to water the vegetables, you can come with us."
That day, Yu San San followed behind Molly, watering the vegetables and feeding the chickens and rabbits. Most of the work that originally belonged to Mo An and Lu Lu was taken over by Yu San San.
When it was time for lunch and dinner, Yu San San declined Molly's invitations to stay and ran off in a flash.
A woman's voice came from next door, yelling and cursing at Yu San San for being too wild, always running around outside. She was also scolding her for not eating out, saying that coming home was just a waste of food.
No matter how much the woman scolded him, Yu San San never talked back and remained silent the whole time.
Molly and the other two listened quietly. Mo An didn't ask any questions, and neither did Lu Lu.
At first, Yu San San was a little afraid of Lu Lu and would deliberately stay away from him in everything she did, but after a few days, she dared to talk to Lu Lu and he would answer her.
When Yu San San learned that Lu Lu would also be starting second grade, she was overjoyed. "I'm also in second grade. There's only one class in second grade, and we'll be in the same class."
The school was located not far from the military region, and it only admitted children from the military region and nearby government compounds, so the number of students was small. From first grade to fifth grade, there was one class for each grade, with about forty to fifty students per class.
On the day of school registration, Yu San San went with Molly and a few others.
"Yu San San, why are you with that madman?" A boy stood not far away, frowning and looking at Yu San San with a puzzled expression.
"Who I'm with is none of your business. Besides, Lu Lu is a good person, he's not crazy." Yu San San said, taking Lu Lu's hand and smiling at him. "Lu Lu, don't listen to them."
Lu Lu was already used to being held by someone's hand, so he didn't struggle and obediently let Yu San San hold his hand.
Molly looked at the little boy; he had a chubby face and a cute appearance, not unpleasant to look at, but his way of speaking wasn't very pleasing. Seemingly sensing Molly's gaze, the little boy shrank back and hid behind one of the adults in the family.
This child is actually afraid of me.
"I'm sorry, the child is being unreasonable," the adult apologized.
Molly shook her head. "I don't interfere in children's business."
The official looked at Lu Lu, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
“Lu Lu no longer attacks people,” Molly said.
"Can you guarantee that?" the adult asked, still uneasy.
“Yes, I promise.” Molly was extremely serious.
"What if he hit someone?" the adult persisted.
Without thinking, Molly blurted out, "Go to their home and apologize, and pay for their medical expenses."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
