Chapter 25 In Chapter 25, Ah Lang slightly toned down his fierceness in front of his sister…
Ah Lang slightly suppressed his fierceness in front of his sister and gently waved his hand, "I'm fine."
Ayu looked at it and, extremely disappointed, shouted at Hu Datian, "Father, you said Second Uncle and Second Aunt aren't outsiders, and yes, you've always treated them like family. But do you know what they've done? Second Uncle and Second Aunt treat us siblings like dirt, ordering us around however they want. I remember when Second Uncle came to our house at the beginning of this year, Afu, being the bossy person he is, monopolized the whole box of sesame candy, refusing to let us touch a single piece. Ahu really wanted some, and my sister felt sorry for him, so she secretly took a few pieces when Afu wasn't looking and gave them to us. But Afu found out, and without saying a word, he grabbed the box and smashed our heads, leaving us bleeding. We older ones can be forgiven, but what about Ahu? How old is he? He's only the same age as Afu. He was in so much pain that he had a high fever all night. You were indeed angry then, but when Second Uncle and Second Aunt apologized to you, you just said that Afu was still young and didn't know any better, and that he didn't know his own strength." We thought he'd just give us a half-hearted apology and call it a day, but you probably don't know, while you were away, my second aunt scolded us, saying we deserved it, that it was our own fault for stealing Afu's candy. Father, I want to ask you one last time, where did you get the idea that my second uncle considered us family?!
Hu Datian: "I..."
Ayu didn't let him speak: "Yes, even if you knew, you wouldn't care. You only remember what your grandfather said, and you only know that as the eldest brother, you should support your younger brother. But have you seen it now? Your second uncle and aunt made you marry your elder sister to the River God for their own son. Now, they want to kill your elder sister. Do you still think your second uncle and aunt have any kindness towards us siblings?"
Hu Datian was speechless. Ayu's words, full of grievances, were even more heart-wrenching than Alang's.
In an instant, his parents' admonitions from childhood echoed in his ears. Hu Datian felt a surge of anger, and with red eyes, he turned to Hu Dali and questioned him: "Dali, how could you do this to Azhu! Azhu is dead!"
Hu Dali squatted down, covering his head: "Brother, I didn't! I didn't want to harm Azhu! It was all Afu's mother's idea. I even tried to persuade her! Brother, you have to believe me. Even if I had the heart to do such a thing, I wouldn't have the guts!"
Hu Datian was slightly moved. Although Hu Dali was a bit eccentric, he was cowardly and had never dared to harm anyone himself.
Ah Lang asked, "Really? If Second Uncle didn't have it, why didn't he tell us?"
Hu Dali: "I, this..."
Ah Lang saw right through his thoughts: "Second Uncle certainly doesn't have the guts, but he's probably also afraid that Sister will come after you for revenge, right? But if Second Aunt does it, then it has nothing to do with you, right?"
Hu Dali was secretly taken aback.
"Father, I wonder if you saw it clearly?" Ah Lang said with a sarcastic look, "Second Uncle is much more cunning than Second Aunt."
Hu Datian was heartbroken and couldn't utter a single rebuttal. He just stared blankly at Hu Dali, his heart aching: "Tell me, where exactly did your sister-in-law take Azhu?"
"I don't really know either," Hu Dali said cautiously. Seeing that his elder brother, nephew, and niece all looked grim, he quickly explained, "She did it all herself. She really didn't tell me."
Ah Lang was furious. Hu Datian pressed Hu Dali for answers, and Hu Dali was sweating profusely as he desperately tried to explain that he really didn't know anything. Seeing that he was about to swear an oath, the others had no choice but to give up.
As they were talking, they suddenly heard voices calling "A-Fu" as if they were coming from the damp mist, and the voices suddenly drifted into their ears.
Ayu was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in surprise, "It's my older sister!"
Then, Wei Yin saw that Afu, who had gone back to his room to sleep, walked straight out after hearing the sound and was about to go outside. Everyone stared at him in astonishment. Hu Dali quickly stepped forward and pulled him: "Afu, where are you going?"
Afu ignored Hu Dali and stared blankly as he continued walking out.
It looks a lot like the day he went into the river and drowned himself.
“It’s A-Zhu calling him.” Wei Yin heard Lu Hun’s voice at that moment. “Follow him and we’ll find A-Zhu.”
Wei Yin hurriedly told Hu Datian and the others.
Upon hearing this, Hu Dali was so frightened that he took a large step back.
Upon hearing this, Ah Lang and Ah Yu were overjoyed and quickly followed.
Hu Datian was still somewhat confused by what A Lang and A Yu had said, so he quickly followed.
Hu Dali frowned and hesitated. Seeing that Afu was walking further and further away and everyone else had left, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and bravely follow.
Afu walked stiffly forward, not looking at the road like a living person, but holding her head high and moving forward horizontally without looking down. Her posture was strange and bizarre, like a walking corpse. Fortunately, it was already late at night, and the farmers went to bed early, so no one saw this strange scene. When Wei Yin followed behind Afu, she subconsciously looked up at the full moon in the sky. The moon was as big as a giant plate, so big that it was almost touching her face.
The moon tonight seems a bit off.
It seems like something big is about to happen.
On the riverbank, the stone house stood coldly under the huge moon. The full moon emitted a white and blue silver light, almost enveloping the entire stone house. In the bright moonlight, one could vaguely see a burly woman standing in front of the stone house, who was none other than Liu.
Liu didn't notice their arrival. She stood outside the stone house, cautiously looking around and occasionally glancing inside, appearing trembling.
The door to the stone house was closed, and faint sounds of incantations and ritual instruments could be heard coming from inside.
At this moment, Afu paused briefly, seemingly to determine his location. Then, he raised his head again and continued walking stiffly towards the stone house. Liu was anxiously watching the movements inside the stone house. When she saw Afu suddenly approaching, she was stunned for a moment and didn't notice the unusual expression on his face. She stopped him impatiently, saying, "My son, why are you here in the middle of the night? Where is Hu Dali? Is he fast asleep again? Doesn't he even keep an eye on you?"
Afu looked up and glanced blankly at Liu.
He stood there motionless.
Mrs. Liu asked in surprise, "My son, what's wrong with you?"
"Afu's mother!" Hu Dali exclaimed, "Afu has been bewitched by Azhu!"
Liu turned pale with fright. "How could this be? Ah Zhu was sealed in a bone urn, and she still dared to harm my Ah Fu! Master Chen, you must kill her right now!"
Ah Lang immediately went over and said, "Don't even think about hurting my sister!"
When Liu saw Ah Lang, she was quite surprised. She instinctively wanted to call Hu Dali to stop him, but when she noticed that Hu Datian had also come, she quickly changed her words guiltily: "Brother, you... why are you here?"
Seeing this scene before him, Hu Datian could no longer disbelieve it, and he was so angry that he trembled all over.
“If I hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have seen you trying to harm Ah Zhu, sister-in-law. If it weren’t for Ah Zhu, we would have all starved to death! How could you treat her like this…”
Upon hearing this, Liu immediately realized that everyone knew, and she panicked even more. If Ah Zhu found out, her whole family would be doomed! She decided to take the plunge.
"Brother, I know you're reluctant, but Ah Zhu isn't Ah Zhu anymore. She's become a vengeful ghost! She doesn't discriminate when she kills. If we don't let Master Chen destroy her now, we'll all be dead. I'm doing this for everyone's sake!"
"you!"
While Hu Datian was still talking to Liu, A Lang had already called A Yu to push the door, but the door was solid and locked from the inside, and the two teenagers couldn't push it open at all.
When Liu saw that Ah Lang and Ah Yu were going in to rescue Ah Zhu, she panicked, fearing that they would let Ah Zhu out. So, she gritted her teeth, picked up a large rock from the ground, and with great strength, pulled Ah Lang and Ah Yu away. Then, she stood guard at the door, glaring at everyone, "None of you are allowed to go in. If anyone dares to go in, I'll smash him to death!"
Seeing Hu Dali still standing there like a dazed chicken, staring blankly, she quickly shouted, "Hu Dali, you damn fool, what are you still standing there for? Be careful, when Azhu comes out, she'll be the first to take your life!"
Hu Dali was instantly terrified and quickly reached out to stop Hu Datian: "Brother, Afu's mother is right. Azhu probably knows that we hid it from her for Afu's sake. She won't let us off the hook. Brother, since Azhu is dead, don't worry about her. I'm your own brother. What did our parents tell you before they died? You can't just watch Afu and me die!"
Hu Datian's heart had turned to ice. He said bitterly, "How could you say such heartless things!"
Wei Yin ignored the brothers, her attention completely drawn to the stone house. A huge black mist had appeared on the roof of the stone house, vaguely resembling the ghostly aura on A Zhu's body, and it was growing larger and larger. Then, the black mist burst out from inside the stone house, almost obscuring the moonlight overhead. She felt the surroundings gradually becoming cold and gloomy. However, Hu Datian and the others were too busy arguing and stopping people to notice this.
Just then, Lu Hun, holding his bamboo umbrella with his face hidden beneath it, slowly walked over. Apart from Ah Lang and Ah Yu, Hu Datian and the others all looked at him in surprise. Lu Hun didn't even glance at them, but focused his gaze on the stone roof for a while before speaking to Liu Shi.
“I advise you to send Ah Zhu back to Pudu Temple immediately.”
With that Taoist priest Chen around, Liu sneered and started cursing, "Who are you? How dare you interfere in my business!"
Lu Hun remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard Liu's words, and walked towards the river again. He stood by the river, looked back at the stone house, and then raised his bone umbrella to look up at the moon, which was gradually being shrouded in black mist. Wei Yin saw him looking left and right and asked him, "What's wrong?"
Hearing her question, Lu Hun withdrew his gaze and said softly, "I sealed Azhu in the bone urn with Po Jun before, and she was absolutely unable to break through. But who knew that Liu would bring Azhu to the stone house? This stone house is where Azhu died that day. The river is directly opposite the stone house, which is a place where water evil gathers. And tonight is also a full moon, which aggravates the water evil yin energy. Not only can it not harm her, but it will also help her. No wonder Azhu was able to control Afu from a distance when I sealed her. In a short while, Azhu will take advantage of the situation to break through my seal. At that time, the ghost energy will be very strong and she will become a 'Nian'. Once she becomes a 'Nian', not to mention that Taoist priest, even Po Jun will have a hard time controlling her."
"What should we do then?" Wei Yin exclaimed in surprise. "Should we take the urn back to Pudu Temple now?"
Lu Hun shook his head: "It's too late. Ah Zhu has already absorbed enough water evil."
Everyone heard this, and Ah Lang and Ah Yu's worries turned to joy: "Is it true? Sister is alright?"
Liu refused to believe it: "Nonsense! Master Chen said he was going to perform a ritual to destroy her where she died, how could that be..."
Before she could finish speaking, a scream suddenly came from inside the stone house, emanating from the Taoist priest Chen.
Wearing his ceremonial robes and clutching a copper bell, Master Chen burst out of the stone house, shouting and screaming. His face was filled with terror, and his robes were burned in several places. Liu was startled and was about to go forward to ask what was going on when Master Chen suddenly stopped when he reached the threshold. He raised the long tip of the copper bell in his hand and plunged it into his chest.
Blood splattered.
Everyone was stunned into silence, and only then did Master Chen realize what he had done. In disbelief, he looked down at his chest, but he only had time to let out a wail before collapsing lifelessly. After Master Chen fell, Ah Zhu's youthful face, filled with ghostly energy, appeared before everyone's eyes.
“She…” Even standing at a distance, Wei Yin could clearly sense a powerful resentment unlike anything she had ever felt before: “Has she already transformed into a demon?”
“It’s alright,” Lu Hun said thoughtfully, gazing at A-Zhu’s expression. “She hasn’t transformed into a demon yet, but it will soon, it’s just…”
Wei Yin noticed his hesitation and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lu Hun didn't speak immediately, but looked at A Lang again. A Lang was holding A Yu's hand, deep in thought. When he noticed Lu Hun looking at him, he immediately turned his head away expressionlessly. Only then did Lu Hun turn his gaze back to Wei Yin's question.
"Have you noticed that Ah Zhu has always been somewhat confused, like a half-mad person? When she first became a ghost, she was indeed somewhat delirious, but Ah Zhu has always been in a state of half-awake and half-dazed. What happened before she died that made her like this?"
Azhu had no interest in Wei Yin and Lu Hun; she just craned her neck and stared blankly at the Hu family members.
Her gaze first fell on Ah Lang and Ah Yu, then turned to their father, Hu Datian, behind them. This was the first time Hu Datian had truly seen his dead daughter, and tears instantly streamed down his face. He couldn't help but call out "Ah Zhu," but Ah Zhu turned her head and stared at Liu Shi and Hu Dali.
When Liu witnessed Ah Zhu controlling the Taoist priest to kill her, her legs went completely weak with fear. Now, in her panic, she collapsed to the ground, crying out, "Ah... Ah Zhu..."
Ah Zhu opened her innocent eyes wide: "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, are you so guilty? I'm already dead, yet you still won't let me go? You even want to scatter my soul?"
Hu Dali was terrified and hurriedly pushed Liu Shi in front of him, blurting out in a panic, "Azhu! I'm your second uncle! I didn't mean to hurt you! This was all your second aunt's idea. She's the one who invited that Taoist priest Chen. She's the one who wanted to make you lose your soul. It has nothing to do with me!"
"Hu Dali, you coward—"
Liu's eyes widened, and she cursed angrily.
"This is all your own doing! You have only yourself to blame!" Hu Dali said righteously.
"Stop talking nonsense." Liu sneered.
Hu Dali glared at Liu Shi, but helpless, he could only turn to plead, "Big brother, you have to save us!"
Hu Datian looked dejected and didn't hear Hu Dali's words for a moment. His eyes were red as he stared blankly at Azhu. Hu Dali pleaded a few more times before Hu Datian slowly looked at his pockmarked face. This was his younger brother whom he had raised together since childhood, and Hu Datian couldn't bear it in the end.
"Ah Zhu, it's all your father's fault. Your father has ruined you. If you have any grievances, come and take your father's life."
Hu Datian knelt down with a thud, grabbed Azhu's hand, and pinned him to the neck.
Azhu instinctively tried to exert force, but upon seeing Hu Datian's haggard face, she froze, tears streaming down her face. She clutched her head, shaking it in anguish. Upon seeing this, Alang immediately rushed forward, tears welling in his eyes, and pushed Hu Datian away, saying, "Don't say such disgusting things to force my sister! Before she died, she was driven insane by people like you!"
Hu Datian looked up in astonishment.
Ayu, standing to the side, had tears streaming down her face.
Just as Ah Lang was about to go see Ah Zhu, the ghostly aura around Ah Zhu suddenly intensified, blasting Ah Lang away as well. She looked up at the sky and cried out in pain.
"ah--"
The black energy that kept emanating from her body crawled over like swarms of snakes, entangling everyone present. Except for Ah Lang and Ah Yu, everyone was plunged into darkness.
-
“Ah Zhu, your father is going to the River God Temple today. There’s still half a pot of vegetable dumplings in the stove. When Ah Hu and the others get up later, remember to give them some to eat.”
Hu Datian stood at the door with his chapped lips, which were covered in several layers of skin, and turned to give Wei Yin his instructions.
Why did Hu Datian call her Azhu? Wei Yin hadn't quite figured it out when she heard her own mouth answer first: "I know, Father, but it's too hot today. Take some water with you when you go out. Look how dry your mouth is."
"Never mind." Hu Datian swallowed hard, feeling like he was swallowing needles. He sighed, "There's not much water left at home. Let's save it for you to drink. Anyway, it's not far from the River God Temple, so Father won't be in any trouble."
Wei Yin saw that she had picked up a cloth bag containing what looked like incense or similar items. She handed the bag to Hu Datian, who reached out to touch her head. Wei Yin was startled and tried to dodge, but her body froze in place uncontrollably.
She had no choice but to let Hu Datian pat her head.
Wei Yin then heard himself say, "Father, you should hurry up. Today is the River God Temple Fair. Don't be late. When you get to the River God Temple, remember to offer a few more sticks of incense to the River God and ask him to bless our River Village so that it will rain soon."
"Okay, I got it."
After Hu Datian left, Wei Yin saw herself uncontrollably walking towards the kitchen outside the house. The kitchen was simple but quite spacious, with two large earthen stoves with pots on them. One pot was used to steam rice, and the other was used to cook vegetables. Behind the stoves, in the corner of the wall, there was a bundle of firewood.
Wei Yin walked to one of the stoves and lifted the lid.
What came into view was a small bowl of dumplings steamed with some kind of wild vegetable and mixed flour.
It's just cooked and still very hot.
She counted them and there were four in total, which should be one for each of the four siblings, Ah Zhu, Ah Lang, Ah Yu, and Ah Hu.
Wei Yin wasn't afraid of getting burned, and carried the cakes and bowls inside.
Ah Lang and the others in the inner room had already woken up. Ah Lang was the first to come out. This usually cold and mature twelve-year-old boy took the initiative to come over when he saw her: "Sister, let me take it. Don't burn your hands."
He looked around: "Hey, where's Father?"
"I went to the River God Temple to offer incense," Wei Yin heard herself say.
"Rain cannot be obtained by praying..."
"But what other options are there?"
Ah Lang thought for a moment and said solemnly, "Our desolate state is always so dry, what's the use of praying for rain? Sister, I've been secretly pondering the drought situation in the desolate state since I was a child. I think that the reason why the drought is so severe in our places is not only because there is indeed little rain, but also because of the terrain of the surrounding states. The layered effect makes it harder and harder for rainwater to fall here year after year. If the imperial court could spend a few years carefully surveying the terrain in each state, it should be able to discover the problem and then build water conservancy projects to divert water and store it. The drought would not be so severe."
"I don't understand what Ah Lang is saying. What does this have to do with other states? It's just that God won't send rain."
"Sister, there is a connection."
"Alright." Wei Yin heard herself interrupting him and gently coaxed him like a child: "A Lang often looks at those mountain maps and water conservancy maps and has misunderstood things. If our A Lang can figure it out, the people in the court would have figured it out long ago. Let's wait until A Lang grows up, studies and passes the imperial examinations before we think about these things properly."
Ah Lang paused for a moment, then said, "I understand, Sister."
"Go and wake Ayu and the others up for dinner."
Ah Lang went.
Wei Yin set out the bowls and chopsticks, picked up a broom and went to sweep outside the courtyard. She seemed to be used to it, her movements were quick and skillful, but she had never lifted a finger in her family home or after marrying He Wenqing. This would make her delicate hands calloused! She wanted to control herself and stop quickly, but this body was like it wasn't hers, still busy doing chores.
What exactly happened? Why would she do this?
"This is in Azhu's memory," Lu Hun's voice appeared in her ear.
"A-Zhu?"
Wei Yin could not see his figure around her, but could only hear his voice.
"Yes, Ah Zhu's ghostly aura has pulled all of you in. You are all now in her memories, and have become her."
"But I have a lucky charm..."
“Ah Zhu is about to become a ghost. She was just agitated by Hu Datian, and her ghostly power is extremely strong. The amulet cannot withstand it. So you will have to watch yourselves experience this most painful memory of her life until death before you can wake up.”
"What about Ah Lang and Ah Yu?"
"And what about you?"
"I……"
Before Lu Hun could finish speaking, he was suddenly pulled away by some force, his voice abruptly disappearing. No matter how much she called out to him, he did not respond.
At the doorway, Ayu, who had already gotten up, called out to her, "Sister, stop sweeping, come in and eat."
Wei Yin sighed inwardly, resigned to her fate and waiting for "A-Zhu" to die.
Young Ah Hu also got up with his older brothers and sisters and sat upright at the dining table. Ah Lang and Ah Yu sat on either side of him. Due to the drought and lack of water and food, the three children looked pale and thin, with cracked lips. They kept swallowing their saliva, trying to relieve the loss of moisture in their mouths. The children did not eat first, but waited obediently for Ah Zhu to come over. When they saw Wei Yin coming over, Ah Hu quickly and obediently called out to her, "Sister, eat, sit with Ah Hu."
Ah Yu deliberately snorted from the side, "So Ah Hu didn't want to sit with Third Sister after all!"
"No! No!" Ah Hu panicked immediately, so flustered that he stammered, "Ah, Ah Hu wants to sit with Third Sister too."
Ayu chuckled and pinched Ahu's cheek, "Alright, Third Sister is just teasing little Ahu."
Ayu made way for Wei Yin, who sat down next to her, patted Ahu's head, and then put a small pancake in each of everyone's bowls.
Of the four people, only Ah Hu, who was the smallest, had the biggest piece in his bowl.
Because of the lack of water, these dough-filled pancakes were made with very little water, steamed until extremely dry and hard, almost as if the dough and vegetables were just randomly kneaded together.
But the children still carefully and tenderly held up this hard-won food.
“Sister.” Ah Lang had just taken a bite when he suddenly remembered something and stopped. “Last night I saw Father take another small bag of flour from the granary to Second Uncle’s house. Now we only have two bags left in our house…”
Ayu frowned upon hearing this.
Wei Yin was silent for a while before she smiled bitterly: "It's okay, my sister and father will figure something out."
Ah Lang sneered: "Even if we manage to save up some food, it will still be given away by Father. Second Uncle and Second Aunt are doing very well. While other families are starving and thin, they are still very fat. As soon as the food runs out, they don't know to go out and do some work or think of a way. They just come to ask Father for more."
Wei Yin quickly stopped him: "A Lang, don't say anymore. Father doesn't like us talking about Second Uncle. He'll be unhappy if he hears it."
Ayu lowered her head and whispered, "Alang is right, Father is just confused."
“Ayu, Alang, after Mother left, Father raised the four of us all by himself. It wasn’t easy. He just treated Uncle’s family a little badly. Don’t talk about Father like that.”
Ayu quickly shut her mouth, and Alang didn't dare to say anything more.
They were more afraid of upsetting their older sister than their father.
Only Ah Hu kept his big eyes open, munching on a small piece of flatbread while listening intently to his older brothers and sisters talking, not quite understanding what they were saying.
"What are you eating? Let me have a taste!"
The sudden noise outside the door startled the four siblings of the Hu family.
The chubby, fair-skinned Afu appeared out of nowhere and jumped out when he saw the siblings eating breakfast.
Upon hearing his voice, the four siblings all furrowed their brows deeply.
Wei Yin saw herself get up, walk up to Afu, and say, "Afu, what brings you here?"
"It's none of your business!"
Without saying a word, Afu pushed her away. Wei Yin saw that the child was still like this and wanted to have someone pick him up and beat him, but Azhu was used to it and just smiled bitterly.
Ah Lang and Ah Yu glared coldly at Ah Fu, then immediately went to help Ah Zhu up.
Ah Fu didn't care about them; he was used to being lawless and only stared at Ah Hu, who was holding a doughnut.
He simply held out his hand: "Give it to me!"
Ah Hu stared at him blankly for a while, then looked at his own cake, feeling quite reluctant to part with it.
When Afu saw that he dared not give it to him, he simply reached out and grabbed it.
Although Ah Hu was about the same age as him, he was not as strong as Ah Fu, and he did not dare to use force against Ah Fu, so he was snatched away in an instant.
Afu grabbed the dough, took a big bite, chewed it a couple of times, and then spat it out with a look of disgust. "It's all wild vegetables! It's awful!"
The Hu family's flatbread, in an effort to save flour, contained a lot of wild vegetables; one bite and your mouth is filled with bitterness.
Ah Fu was so disgusted that he threw the pancake in his hand onto the ground.
They ran off again in a flash.
Ah Hu walked over with a pained expression, picked up the dough, and wiped the dust off the dough with his hands, his eyes red.
Ayu said angrily, "Afu is so awful! He's full but he still keeps trying to steal from us, and then he throws it away!"
Wei Yin could feel that A Zhu's heart was clenching and she was feeling very uncomfortable, as if all the grievances she had suffered in the past were surging up. However, A Zhu quickly suppressed her discomfort and picked up her cake and walked to A Hu: "Sister wants to try A Hu's cake. How about we switch?"
Although Ah Hu was young, he knew that his pancake was dirty and he couldn't give it to others, so he shook his head.
At this moment, Ah Lang reached out and snatched Ah Hu's pancake: "Ah Hu's pancake is the biggest, Second Brother will give you a change."
After saying that, he handed his to Ah Hu, then sat down at the table with his own pancake and slowly began to bite into it.
Wei Yin lowered her head, her hands clutching her chest in distress. This was because Azhu was grieving for her younger siblings. Azhu was feeling unwell and had no appetite. After eating a little something, she dejectedly returned to her inner room and sullenly stared blankly.
A short while later, Ah Lang, along with Ah Yu and Ah Hu, finished cleaning up the bowls and walked in alone.
"Sister, why are your eyes red?"
Wei Yin quickly wiped away her tears.
Ah Lang was very clever and saw through her thoughts at a glance. He just smiled indifferently and said, "I know you're upset for me, sister. Don't worry, I'm fine. I just got a little dusty. It's good enough that we can eat."
Wei Yin smiled bitterly: "Ah Lang, I'm really sorry to have wronged you, Ah Yu, and Ah Hu."
"Sister." Ah Lang's face hardened. "Don't worry about people like Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and Ah Fu. Don't worry, once I'm stronger, I'll go out and do some work. I'll never let you and Ah Yu and Ah Hu suffer again."
Wei Yin was amused. "What are you talking about? You still have to go to school. Your older sister has already told your father that once we've saved enough money this time, we'll send you to school and stop subsidizing your second uncle. Your father has agreed."
Ah Lang thought that Hu Datian would most likely be tricked out of his money by Hu Dali and Liu Shi in a few words, but he couldn't bear to see his sister disappointed, so he went along with her for the time being.
"I understand, I will definitely study hard."
Listening to the conversation between Ah Zhu and Ah Lang, Wei Yin sighed deeply for the children.
Especially Ah-Zhu.
Ah Zhu is Hu Datian's eldest child and the most filial and sensible. Ah Zhu has seen how hard it was for Hu Datian to raise his siblings, so she trusts him and is soft-hearted towards him.
However, just now outside, Liu was about to wipe Azhu out of thin air, but Hu Datian, although he felt sorry for Azhu, still cared most about his younger brother Hu Dali. No wonder Azhu suddenly had an emotional breakdown and pulled everyone into her memory.
I wonder if Hu Datian would still have the heart to say those things now?
There wasn't much food at home, so we only ate two meals a day, morning and evening, and didn't eat anything for lunch.
Hu Datian wasn't home today, so the children cooked dinner themselves. Wei Yin had entered Azhu's memory and couldn't do anything but do the things Azhu had done in life. Fortunately, the family was too poor, so Wei Yin didn't have to get her hands all greasy, otherwise she really couldn't accept it.
Dinner was not much different from breakfast; it was just a few hard, lumpy vegetable pancakes.
Everyone prepared the meal but didn't touch it, obediently waiting for Hu Datian to return before eating.
But even as dusk fell and darkness completely descended, Hu Datian still hadn't returned. Wei Yin sensed Azhu's unease. Suddenly, she remembered that Hu Datian had married Azhu to the River God after a visit to the River God Temple. Could it be that today was...?
She didn't have time to think further; she found herself already out of the Hu family's house and on the mountain path at the entrance of the village.
At the entrance to the mountain road, a hunched figure walked over, looking lost and dejected. It was Hu Datian, who had been away for a long time. When he left the Hu family, he looked somewhat famine-stricken, but he was still a strong middle-aged man. Now, however, he looked like a completely decayed old man.
Wei Yin immediately guessed Hu Datian's change, but Azhu was still completely unaware. When she saw her father like this, she was startled and nervously greeted him.
"Father, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Hearing his daughter's voice, Hu Datian seemed to regain his senses. Looking at his daughter's gentle and considerate nature, he was deeply moved. It took him a long time to suppress his complex emotions.
"Father...it's nothing, it's just that the road is long and I'm a little tired from walking."
Wei Yin breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that everything is alright. Father has been trying to feed us as much as possible these days, only eating a little bit himself. How can he stand it? I'm small and can't eat much. Starting tomorrow, Father, you can eat my half."
Hu Datian's mind was already in turmoil, and upon hearing her words, he became even more resentful: "No! You don't have much either, keep it for yourself! Don't worry about others! Your father will always find a way!"
Ah Zhu didn't understand why her father was suddenly so angry, but seeing how upset Hu Datian was, she didn't dare to say anything and just told him to go eat dinner.
Hu Datian's unusual behavior upon returning home today was noticed not only by A Lang and A Yu, but even by the youngest, A Hu. The dinner table was completely silent, and no one dared to utter a sound.
Just then, Hu Dali and his wife Liu sneaked over in the night. The couple had also become a little thinner during the drought, but they were still much meatier than the rest of the Hu family.
When Hu Datian saw them coming, he glared at them with a grim expression.
"What are you doing here again?"
Liu glanced at her eldest niece out of the corner of her eye, then quickly pulled Hu Dali aside, chuckling obsequiously, "Brother, we're eating, aren't we? Afu's father and I were just thinking that there are still some things we haven't explained clearly. Since we're eating, Afu's father and I will wait a little longer."
“Yes, yes, yes,” Hu Dali echoed.
Hu Datian continued to glare at them, then stood up after a moment: "No need to wait any longer. If you have something to say, I'll go outside and talk with you!"
Liu felt embarrassed and had no choice but to pull her husband out with her.
At first, Hu Datian was furious, with veins bulging on his forehead. He looked like he was about to punch Hu Dali and his wife in the face. But Hu Dali and his wife each grabbed one of Hu Datian's hands and almost knelt down to beg. Because they were facing away, their expressions were not visible. The three of them talked for about half an hour, and gradually they noticed that the anger on Hu Datian's face had lessened, leaving only a look of deep resentment. In the end, they were helpless.
With Hu Datian absent, the children all put down their pancakes and waited.
Ayu peeked outside and asked curiously, "Second Brother, what are Second Uncle and Second Aunt going to say to Father?"
Ah Lang was just a child after all, and couldn't think of such a thing. He just sneered twice without any interest: "What else can I say? He's just thinking that our family still has some food, and he wants to ask Father for some more."
"Second Uncle and Second Aunt are truly inhuman!" Ayu said angrily. "Father has helped them so much, and they are still not satisfied!"
Ah Lang scoffed: "Ultimately, it's because Father himself was willing to give it."
After he finished speaking, he subconsciously glanced at his older sister and found that she did not stop him from talking about his father as usual, but instead lowered her head and pondered. He couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.
Hu Dali and his wife left.
Hu Datian returned to the house like a walking corpse.
Hu Datian, who had returned to the dining table, had no appetite. He silently held the pancake and pondered, his face full of hesitation.
Wei Yin knew.
He had just received pleas from Hu Dali and his wife and didn't know what to do.
Even though Ah Zhu doesn't know her future fate, Wei Yin senses that Ah Zhu may have a feeling that something bad is about to happen, and she is feeling very uneasy.
At night, Wei Yin brought some flatbread and a small cup of water to the courtyard. Hu Datian sat with his back against the eaves, smoking a thick tobacco pipe. The smoke was so strong it stung his eyes; it was impossible to tell how much he had smoked. Thirsty and thirsty, he could only cough and hunch over, his back so bent it almost touched the ground.
"Father, have some water." Wei Yin stepped forward and patted his back: "Your health isn't good, you should smoke less."
When Hu Datian saw it was her, he paused for a moment, then suddenly asked hesitantly, "How much water is left in the house?"
Wei Yin froze, then quickly smiled and said, "It's enough for us to drink for a few days."
Hu Datian fell silent.
“Father, don’t worry,” Wei Yin said with a smile. “Maybe it will rain right after we finish drinking it.”
Hu Datian remained frowning, staring blankly at the dark sky in deep thought. No one knew when the rain would come. Perhaps leaving the desolate state would be their only chance of survival, but his family was penniless; they might die of thirst before even leaving the state. Even if they could escape, with so many children, where would they find shelter? How would they feed themselves? Besides, Afu was so ill…
No matter what, it all seems to boil down to death.
unless……
Good heavens! He might as well be dead!
Ah Zhu must have noticed that Hu Datian was acting strangely today. Wei Yin heard herself say, "Father, you don't look well today. Is something wrong? I'm all grown up now. Father, why don't you tell me? Maybe I can come up with a solution."
Hu Datian looked back at his eldest daughter with mixed feelings. She was thin and her delicate face was distorted by hunger and dehydration. The fourteen-year-old girl looked like an eleven or twelve-year-old child.
Faced with that face, Hu Datian couldn't bring himself to say those words.
"Father, just tell us what's wrong. There are so many of us, and Ah Lang and Ah Yu are so smart, they'll definitely come up with a solution. Don't keep it to yourself."
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