Hua Li looked left and right, and seeing that Li didn't seem to be angry, he continued.
"Second brother, he usually comes back at this time."
It's almost dark now, and my second brother hasn't come back yet. Something must have happened.
Hua Xiao also looked up at the door, lowered his eyes, and frowned slightly.
Mrs. Li didn't care whether Hua Yu came back or not. Her expression didn't change after Hua Li mentioned it.
The dinner table was silent, with only the sound of dishes and chopsticks colliding. Hua Li bit her lip. After thinking for so long, she only dared to say, "Second brother hasn't come back yet." She didn't dare to suggest going out to look for someone, let alone asking to save some food for her second brother.
Mrs. Li would not agree, so even if Hua Li brought it up, it would be useless. She might even get scolded by Mrs. Li...
Even after dinner, Hua Yu still hadn't appeared. Outside the low-walled house, there was no sound of anyone...
The night was dark, and only the big black dog next door was barking non-stop.
Li lit the coal lamp, illuminating the dark yard with a dim yellow light.
Hua Li and Hua Xiao sat at the doorstep, blocking the courtyard entrance. From time to time, they stretched their heads and looked eagerly at the dark village road.
The worry on the little face was very obvious.
Mrs. Li was boiling water in the kitchen. Tonight should be her day for a bath. After boiling the water, she drew several basins of well water and closed the kitchen door. The sound of running water could be heard from inside.
Hua Shi sat on a small bench under the eaves, listening to the sound of water coming from the kitchen, while waiting for Hua Yu who had not returned home yet.
Mrs. Li would take a bath once a week and change into clean clothes every two days.
The Hua family courtyard is neither big nor small.
There are two courtyards, four rooms, a living room and a kitchen. The front and back yards are as big as two rooms. Li and Grandpa Hua, who rarely appears, live in one room. Hua's father lives in one room by himself. Hua Yu lives in one room with his three younger siblings. Hua Shi lives in one room by himself.
The hall faced the courtyard gate, with houses on either side. The hall contained the seats for the Hua family's ancestors, and nothing else. The kitchen was in the east corner, right next to the Li family's house.
Li would boil water and take a bath every week or so. Since there was no shower room, she could only take a bath in the house. For convenience, Li would take a bath in the kitchen.
Finding a place to take a shower is easy to solve, but what Hua Shi has always found difficult to adapt to is going to the toilet.
The Hua family had dug a pit in their backyard, its outer shell made of planks and firewood, a crude structure. It was a square pit, wide and deep, stinking and full of mosquitoes. They had to squat beside it to use the toilet.
Every time she went to the toilet, Huashi's buttocks, calves and arms were covered with mosquito bites, which were itchy and red.
That would be fine, because the edge of the pit is made of mud, which has been softened by manure and is easy to collapse if stepped on. If you are not careful, you can easily fall in.
Every time I go to satisfy my physiological needs, I go in with a look of despair and come out with a look of pain and numbness...
Hua Shi was lost in thought for a long time when he heard a few sporadic noises coming from the kitchen. After a while, Li finished washing up, holding the dirty clothes, and pushed open the door to come out.
Hua Yu hasn't come back yet.
Li looked at the children still gathered in the yard, her brows immediately furrowed, and she began to urge them to go in and sleep.
Hua Xiao and Hua Li squatted at the gate of the yard, not moving, and Hua Ying also huddled in the corner, not moving at all.
"...Can't you hear me? You can't move your arms anymore, are your wings stiff?"
Seeing that Li was about to get angry again, he flew into a rage.
Hua Li stood up and huddled behind the door frame, saying anxiously, "Second brother, something must have happened to him. He hasn't come back yet so late... Grandma, let's go look for him."
Hua Li's eyes were red with anxiety. She hid her hands behind her back, entwined them helplessly, and pinched herself anxiously.
Hua Xiao also stood up, her eyes also red, looking at Li eagerly.
Mrs. Li waved her hand impatiently. "That's enough. It's not like he doesn't have legs. He won't come back on his own. Why are you worrying so much? He's already grown up, what could possibly happen to him?"
As Li spoke, she threw her dirty clothes into the basin and asked Hua Xiao to wash them for her before going to sleep.
Then, he walked over in three or two steps, raised his hand and pinched Hua Li's ear, and with such great strength, he pulled Hua Li into the yard.
Hua Li was pulled so hard that tears streamed down her face and she sobbed softly.
Li ignored her completely and grabbed Huaying, who was hiding in the corner, by the back of her collar, picked her up and stuffed her into the house.
Under the dim coal lamp, Hua Xiao followed into the yard with a pale face.
"Bang!"
Li closed the courtyard gate directly, fastened the bolt and locked it.
Li cursed a few more times, but the little girl didn't dare to say a word. She walked over silently to wash the dirty clothes that Li had changed.
Hua Shi had stood up early, but before she could say anything, Li glared at her fiercely. Her fierce and harsh look didn't allow her to say a single good word.
Li urged her to go to bed and not to meddle in other people's business.
Under Li's aggressive gaze, Hua Shi could only turn around, go into the house and close the door.
From the house next door, the sound of Hua Li sobbing could be faintly heard. Because she didn't dare to scream loudly, she just covered her mouth and sobbed softly.
After a while, the sound of the door closing was heard from Li's room, and the faint light from the coal lamp was blocked inside the door along with the light from the door.
Outside the courtyard, silence returned in an instant...
Hua Shi pricked up his ears and listened carefully. After making sure that there was no sound coming from Li's room, he quietly pushed open the door and looked into the yard.
The moonlight and frost shone into the courtyard. The branches of the olive tree outside the low wall swayed, and its shadow slanted in...
Two small figures were huddled under the eaves, their faces pale, looking anxiously towards the gate.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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