Jiang Yu had just taken the hot water from Shen Suisui and hadn't even taken a sip when she saw a small figure rushing down the stairs. Without a moment's hesitation, the figure pushed open the door and ran outside, all under everyone's watchful eyes.
Just as the three were confused, Shen Niannian chased after them from behind and stopped in the living room.
At first, everyone thought Shen An'an had gone to the toilet and didn't pay much attention, but when they saw that the second brother looked guilty, they started to speculate.
"What's up?"
Shen Ying, unlike his usual kind father, had a serious expression. It wasn't because he no longer loved his son after his younger brother was born, but because he knew his son too well and knew he must have done something wrong to be acting this way.
“I…I had a little argument with An’an, and then he said he didn’t like Mommy, so I told him to leave the house. He also said…he also said he would never play with him again.”
After describing the whole incident, Shen Niannian looked at Shen Ying timidly, afraid that he would get angry and hit her.
"Isn't this a bit too much, Shen Niannian?"
Shen Ying couldn't help but raise her voice, startling Shen Suisui, who was sitting on the sofa, to stand up. This was partly because Shen An'an was young and likely had suffered some inhuman torture in Shicun, which was why she was so sensitive to the term "mother."
On the other hand, he felt guilty about the fact that his child had been abducted at birth and had not lived a good life.
But then he thought about it again and realized that Shen Niannian was right to protect her mother, so he felt a sense of powerlessness, unable to express his anger.
"Now is not the time to argue about who is at fault. Let's find the child quickly. It's getting late, and if we don't go soon, An'an will be traumatized again."
Jiang Yu quickly changed the subject, telling Shen Ying to go do what she needed to do and not focus on this. After saying that, she got up to go out and chase after the child. But she stumbled and accidentally aggravated her wound, the pain forcing her to sit back down.
“Niannian, you stay here and take care of Mom. My sister and I will go out and look for our brother.”
Shen Ying gave his son some instructions and then took Shen Suisui out the door.
In his view, the child was still young and unfamiliar with Shenjiazhuang. After getting angry, she must have run to the door or hidden in a nearby corner. He searched the area thoroughly, following the route Shen Suisui had described as the place where she often played with her two younger brothers.
Inside the room, Shen Niannian ran to Jiang Yu's side, lay on the woman's lap, and sobbed softly:
"Mom, I hate my little brother. He said he doesn't like you, so I don't like him either."
Shen Niannian spoke earnestly, sounding aggrieved. He used to quite like having a little follower behind him, but he didn't like it when she mentioned "Mom."
Jiang Yu gently stroked his little head, and after a long while, she slowly said:
“My younger brother said he doesn’t like me. It must be because the woman he used to call his mother hurt him. That’s why he’s so resistant to me. My dad said that when An’an came home, he looked like a little filthy thing. His clothes were tattered and he didn’t even have a decent pair of shoes.”
"But he can't just talk about other people like that."
Shen Niannian raised her head, her scarlet eyes looking at her with extreme reluctance.
“Niannian is the older brother. Before we understand some things, let’s forgive him for now, okay? When we find him, let’s ask him why he said that and hear his answer, okay?”
Also, when Mom was in the hospital, you all played well at home, didn't you? Grandma said that when An'an drank her formula, she even let you have some too. The neighbor's auntie gave you candy, and you brought it home to eat.
Jiang Yu gently told Shen Niannian what she had heard, hoping to stir up the family bond between the children through these events.
Shen Niannian thought for a long time and realized that this made sense. She wiped away her tears and said to the woman:
"Mommy, my brother and I both made mistakes. After we find him, let's admit our mistakes and make up, okay?"
Seeing her son's magnanimity, Jiang Yu smiled with relief.
Another cup of tea's time passed, and seeing that the father and daughter hadn't returned, Jiang Yu had a bad feeling. Feeling that she was feeling mostly alright, she decided to go out and check on them.
Shen Niannian remembered her father's words and followed behind her. The two went out, but there was no trace of them outside. They began to search along the village paths. They called out the child's name as they searched, hoping that Shen An'an, who was holding her, would hear them coming from some corner.
As darkness fell, Jiang Yu's heart pounded. Before she knew it, she had brought Shen Niannian to the reservoir at the village entrance.
This place isn't far from where the original owner jumped into the river, but for some reason, the closer I get, the more uneasy I feel.
"Mommy, be careful."
Shen Niannian had been afraid of water since childhood. Seeing Jiang Yu walking towards the river, he hesitated, not daring to go forward. He was about to say that he would go home and ask his father to look for her when suddenly, a familiar voice came from not far away.
"Help! Help!"
At that moment, Jiang Yu also heard the shouts. The two exchanged a glance, confirming that the voice they heard was Shen An'an's.
Jiang Yu frantically rummaged through the dried-up reeds from last year, trying to move as fast as possible, and urged Chen Niannian to go home and find her father.
Shen Niannian dared not relax at all, and before leaving, she did not forget to tell her mother to be careful.
The moon had risen high in the sky, and the spring river water was still a bit chilly. Jiang Yu saw a small figure not far away clinging tightly to a reed, but the river water seemed to have already reached his neck.
"An'an, hold on tight, Mommy's coming to save you."
While comforting the child, she rolled up her trousers and plunged into the water. Because the river was muddy, she wasn't sure if she would sink. With a heavy heart, she waded through the water and, with all her might, pulled him out of the mud.
Ignoring the pain in her wound, she carried the child on her back and struggled to get ashore. Perhaps the ground was too slippery, because just as she approached the bank, Jiang Yu fell into the water with a splash. After choking on a couple of mouthfuls of water, she stood up awkwardly, instinctively supporting the body on her back, her face filled with anxiety:
"An'an, are you alright? Did you choke?"
Shen An'an shook his head, tightening his grip on the woman's neck, but remained silent. He knew that if this woman, who claimed she didn't like him, hadn't come, he might be dead.
A gust of wind blew by, making her feel a little cold. Jiang Yu struggled for a long time, but she didn't have the strength to get ashore. She was stuck in the mud and could only pray that Shen Niannian could find a man to rescue them.
Of course, at this moment, she was also trying her best not to collapse, even if it was for the sake of her child.
"An'an, why don't you like being called 'Mom'?"
The cold water under her feet, combined with the occasional breeze, made Jiang Yu shiver. To muster the willpower to maintain this posture, she asked a question that was very sensitive to Shen An'an.
"That woman always hit me and warned me not to call anyone else 'Mom.' She said that even if I left, if I called someone else 'Mom,' she would come and hit me from somewhere else."
I like you very much, but An'an is scared.
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