Liu Xiulan sighed helplessly when the topic of the stone came up.
“This child is pitiful. His biological mother passed away before the New Year, and Stone’s father remarried. That woman was a widow in the village and happened to have no children. That’s how they ended up as a family.”
Zhang Hongxia glanced around, moved her stool closer to Shu Ying, and lowered her voice.
"That widow's name is Lü Jie. She originally lived in the countryside. Now she's remarried and moved to the military compound with the army. But this child isn't her own. People say that having a stepmother means having a stepfather. Besides, Shi Tou's father, Xiao Xueyi, goes out from time to time. How can two people with no blood relation get along?"
After she finished speaking, she glanced at the little stone on the playground that hadn't left yet, and shook her head with heartache.
"It's just that we can't say these things too clearly. We feel sorry for the child, but we can't say too much. You can't bring the child to your own home. If you rashly stand up for him, he will be the one who gets hurt in the end."
Ultimately, this child still has to make a living under Lü Jie's care. Every family has its own troubles, but this child has been forced to learn so much at such a young age, which is heartbreaking to think about.
Shu Ying felt a mix of emotions. No wonder that child acted like a little adult at such a young age. He clearly wanted to come and play, but he had to hold back.
"What about Stone's father? Does he know about the child's situation? If she didn't want to in the first place, she could have refused to marry him, but since they're married, she should treat his child well."
Liu Xiulan carefully put away the prescription Shu Ying gave her and took out the pancakes she had made at noon.
"Not everyone has a conscience. Some people say that being a stepmother is difficult. If it were you or me, we might not do any better than her. We can only watch and not say anything more."
Although she was saying something insignificant, she still waved towards the direction of the playground.
"Stone, come here quickly."
Hearing someone call him, Shi Tou threw away the branch he was holding and ran over.
Liu Xiulan smiled gently, "Go and wash your hands quickly, Auntie has some good food for you."
Stone looked at the pie in her hand, swallowed hard, but quickly shook his head.
"Thank you, Auntie. I've already eaten at home, I'm not hungry."
Liu Xiulan felt even more distressed. "Auntie made too much at noon and shared it with the neighbors. This is the only one left. It has some minced meat in it. These things don't keep well in the summer. If we don't eat it now, it will go bad. Everyone has some of this stuff. It's not like Auntie gave it to you alone. If you don't believe me, go ask her."
Shi Tou swallowed hard and glanced in the direction of his home. He knew he would be scolded by his stepmother, but he was just too hungry.
He hadn't had a proper meal in three days, let alone a pancake with meat inside, thin and crispy, that smelled delicious.
The little boy couldn't resist the temptation of the meat pie after all, and he nodded, "Thank you, Auntie."
Liu Xiulan led him into the courtyard, and Shu Ying got up to help him wash his hands, taking the opportunity to see the scars on the little guy's arm.
There were no obvious scars, only hive-like marks from being hit with a vine.
There were already several spots on his arms alone, not to mention other places. Shu Ying could also see some through his collar.
Considering the child's self-esteem, Shu Ying didn't ask too many questions, but simply prepared an excuse for him in advance.
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