Chapter 7 How could I accept him and find Sister Yao scary?
The night wind is as cool as water.
Fang Zhiyue had been guarding outside the door, and his legs had already become numb without him noticing.
He swayed from side to side.
After just two movements, the door of the main house creaked.
Si Yao walked out with a cold expression, his dark pupils falling on him: "Grandfather has something to tell you."
Fang Zhiyue was obviously stunned when he heard this.
Then he quickly walked into the house.
He entered the warm and bright house and called out hesitantly, "Dad..."
The old man of the Si family lay on the bed, raised his cloudy eyes, and said in a rough voice: "Come here."
Calming words.
Fang Zhiyue couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement in his heart.
He squeezed his palms and then walked over.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he approached, the old man of the Si family suddenly grabbed his arm and held it tightly: "Fang, I want you to promise me that after I die, you will take good care of Yao'er until she gets married and has a daughter."
The old man of the Si family had a strong grip on his hands, and he pinched Fang Zhiyue's little arm so hard that it hurt.
He endured it without making a sound, "Don't worry, Dad. I will take good care of Sister Yao and treat her as my own child."
Fang Zhiyue promised seriously.
The old man of the Si family still stared at him intently, as if he was not at ease. "I want you to swear to your dead mother and father. If you break your oath, they will never have peace."
"I, I swear..."
Fang Zhiyue raised three fingers and swore to the sky.
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man of the Si family suddenly lost his strength and let go of his hand.
He lay on the bed and gasped for a few times, his breathing becoming more and more rapid.
Fang Zhiyue was startled and quickly shouted outside: "Yao, Sister Yao!"
Si Yao immediately went into the house after hearing his call.
Before she reached the bedside, she saw the old man of the Si family staring at her as she came in, and slowly died.
He seemed unwilling to die like this, and didn't even close his eyes.
"father……"
Fang Zhiyue called out again with trembling lips.
The old man of the Si family lying on the bed did not give any response.
His body softened and he knelt on the ground.
*
The sky is very gloomy today, just like the Si family at this moment.
"Oh, what a pitiful thing! The eldest son of the Si family has been gone for less than a month, and I didn't expect that the grandfather of the Si family would also follow him. This sister Yao really has a miserable life."
After the funeral procession, several elderly Taoist priests gathered together, their eyes full of sympathy and pity.
"Alas, this Si family is truly plagued by many disasters. How will Sister Yao survive alone from now on?"
"Doesn't the Si family have a new son-in-law now?"
Someone's eyes fell on Fang Zhiyue in the team, pointing and saying, "Come to think of it, the eldest brother of the Si family and the grandfather of the Si family both died after he came. Don't you think he was the one who brought them down?"
This is really vicious.
The other people couldn't help but look at him.
The man curled his lips and continued, "And don't you think there's something wrong with that girl Yao Jie'er? This Grandpa Si was her grandfather, and she depended on him for everything. He didn't even shed a tear when she lost him. I've noticed that this girl has been weird since she was a child. Her black eyes are so scary when she stares at people. Do you think this girl has any—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Aunt Zhang, who happened to be walking by, immediately glared at him and said, "Mr. Song, your daughter isn't as knowledgeable as Miss Yao, but you can't just spread rumors. Everyone in this village knows that Miss Yao is filial. She's afraid that Grandpa Si will be too tired, so she has to copy books for the bookstore every month. Your daughter Song Ling is two years older than Miss Yao, but has she ever earned a penny for the family?"
Aunt Zhang sneered with disdain.
The Song family husband was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
Pointing at him, he was speechless.
Looking at the gazes coming from all around, he pursed his lips in disappointment and turned away.
Si Yao and Fang Zhiyue were currently unaware of the villagers' gossip.
The two men dragged their heavy bodies back home from the back mountain.
Fang Zhiyue looked at Si Yao, whose face was becoming increasingly bleak, and awkwardly offered a few words of comfort: "...Sister Yao, don't worry. Even though Dad is gone, you still have me. I will take good care of you."
He said with a serious look on his face.
Si Yao raised his eyes and said nothing.
When Fang Zhiyue thought she would ignore him.
She suddenly pulled something out of her bosom and handed it to him: "This is your indenture. I can go with you to the government office to have it cancelled. Your grandfather is dead, and you and your mother haven't even been married yet. If you want to leave, I won't stop you."
"Sister Yao, what do you mean?"
Fang Zhiyue looked at her in disbelief and did not take the deed from her hand.
He was a little panicked, "I, I promised my father that I would take care of you for him, I will not leave the Si family."
Si Yao's expression remained unchanged. "You don't have to take grandfather's words to heart. You are still young and don't need to stay in the Si family and waste your time."
She felt that after she said this, Fang Zhiyue would probably accept the contract quickly.
After all, they have no relatives or friends, so there is no need for him to stay here.
"I won't leave."
Fang Zhiyue was very determined and bit his lip lightly: "Ever since I came to the Si family, I have considered myself a member of the Si family. Even if Dad didn't say those words, I would still take good care of you. Sister Yao, I will not leave the Si family."
He emphasized it again.
After Si Yao finished speaking, his eyes deepened.
His eyes fixed on Fang Zhiyue, and after a long moment he replied, "Okay..."
Although the dark pupils were as calm as ever, Fang Zhiyue felt that there was something terrible lurking beneath that calm surface.
He suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
I couldn't help but take two steps back.
"What's wrong?"
Si Yao put away the contract in his hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, and his clear and calm eyes fell on him.
"No, it's okay..."
Fang Zhiyue quickly shook his head, thinking that he must have been overthinking it.
How could he feel that Yao Jie'er, a twelve-year-old girl, was a little scary?
Putting these absurd thoughts aside, Fang Zhiyue quickly said, "You must be hungry. I'll go cook now."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the stove.
Si Yao stood there staring at his thin figure.
The corners of his lips tightened unconsciously, making him look even more cold and ruthless.
Her young stepfather was quite perceptive and seemed to have noticed something.
It seems she needs to be more careful in the future.
After lunch, Si Yao returned to his room.
This time, just like last time, she asked the teacher for ten days' leave.
Fang Zhiyue didn't disturb her and went back to the house.
Now that he didn't have Father Si watching over him and urging him to work, he felt a little uncomfortable.
Fang Zhiyue sat on the small bamboo couch and sighed. He took out his small bag and started carving the peach pit.
The whole afternoon passed by unnoticed.
In the evening, Fang Zhiyue prepared dinner and called Si Yao out.
One of them is aloof and the other is tongue-tied, and neither of them is a talkative person.
After finishing their meal quietly, they went back to their rooms.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for Si Yao to return to Yunlu Academy.
Early in the morning, Fang Zhiyue got up and baked a dozen pancakes for Si Yao to take away.
He walked her to the door and awkwardly gave her a few words of advice: "Sister Yao, if you need anything at the academy, just tell me. Don't make yourself suffer."
Si Yao took the bag from his hand.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly pulled out half a string of money from his pocket, about three or four hundred coins.
"I got this from copying books in a bookstore. I was going to give it to my grandfather. Keep it for yourself."
"How can this be possible..."
It was the first time Fang Zhiyue had seen so many copper coins. He was in a panic. "And, Dad also said that you are not allowed to copy books for the bookstore anymore. The most important thing for you now is to focus on your studies. I will make money."
"Here."
Si Yao did not allow him to refuse and forced the copper coins into his arms.
His tone was calm, "Copying books doesn't make me tired, and it won't affect my studies. It also helps me remember, so it's beneficial and not harmful."
She hadn't told the old man of the Si family before because she knew that the old man was stubborn and it would be useless to say more.
"Can……"
Fang Zhiyue was still a little hesitant.
After Si Yao stuffed the money into his hand, he turned around and got on the ox cart.
She actually had no shortage of money, and she had saved a few taels of silver by copying books for the bookstore over the past six months.
She is a person who doesn't care about material things. She just needs enough food to fill her stomach and clothes to cover her body. She doesn't have much expenses on a daily basis.
Occasionally she would contribute to the family income, but she had to do it secretly so that the old man of the Si family would not find out, otherwise he would hug her and cry bitterly, saying something sorry to her.
Si Yao's departure still had some impact on Fang Zhiyue.
Although she only stayed in the house and didn't talk much, Fang Zhiyue still felt that the house became quieter after she left.
He sat on the stool in a daze for a while.
Then he patted his cheeks and cleaned the house carefully from top to bottom.
After finishing the cleaning, seeing that it was not yet noon, he carried the dirty clothes out of the Si family and walked towards the river.
Although Si Yao gave him half a bunch of money, he couldn't give up the job of washing clothes. He couldn't let her do the money-making work alone.
Fang Zhiyue came to the river carrying a large basin of clothes.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Chen was there too. When he saw him, his eyes lit up instantly.
"Brother Fang, why haven't I seen you these past few days? I thought you no longer came to the river to wash clothes."
Fang Zhiyue felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw him suddenly.
After all, it was he who deliberately avoided the Chen family's husband, so the two of them did not meet.
"By the way, I've heard about what happened to Grandpa Si. I've been away from the village these past two days, having returned to my parents' home, and that's why I just found out about this. I... accept my condolences."
Mr. Chen comforted her casually.
Fang Zhiyue shook his head and smiled gratefully: "Thank you for your concern, Brother Liu. I'm fine. Dad has worked hard all his life, and it's time for him to take a good rest."
Mr. Chen could see that the smile on his face was forced.
Looking at his thin body and thinking of the harsh words from the villagers, I felt even more sorry for the little boy in front of me.
He said enthusiastically, "We are neighbors. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to come to the Chen family to find me. My wife is usually not at home, so it's just me and my younger brother at home, and we just need someone to talk to."
Fang Zhiyue could naturally feel the sincerity of Chen's words.
He nodded involuntarily, "Brother Liu, just don't think I'm troublesome."
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