“Big Brother, take the money back for now. I’ll go home tomorrow and have a proper talk with you and our parents.” Yang Tiehua took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She was afraid that if she didn’t, she might lose control and hit someone.
What Yang Tiechu had said was truly infuriating.
Yang Tiechu listened to her without question. “Alright, I’ll head back first, but you have to keep this money.”
He firmly stuffed the money into her hands before turning and leaving.
Yang Tiehua looked at the thick stack of bills in her hand, her nose stinging.
It didn’t take long for her to steady herself. Carrying the pork into the kitchen, she saw two children covered in patches, fighting over a bowl and licking it.
“Brother, we agreed to split it evenly. Why did you lick more than your half?” The little girl looked like she was about to cry.
The little boy licked his lips. “I couldn’t help it and licked too much. I just saw that woman’s brother bring more meat again. After she finishes eating this time, I’ll let you lick more.”
The little girl carefully licked the bowl that had once held meat, treating it like a treasure. “Brother, it would be so nice if your sister-in-law could give us a piece of meat.”
“Shh, keep your voice down. If she hears you, she’ll hit us again. She’s a vicious woman. Big Brother is hurt so badly, yet she used all the money to buy new dresses and won’t even spend a little to take him to the clinic.”
Hearing this, Yang Tiehua’s heart clenched painfully once more, a numb ache spreading through her chest.
Just how awful had the original owner been?
She had forced herself on him and took no responsibility at all?
Demanding he fulfill marital duties every day was bad enough, but even with injuries this severe, she still refused to spend money to get Brother Ziheng treated?
Yang Tiehua wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and strode in, handing the meat to Fu Niannian, whose two uneven braids twisted messily.
“Niannian, go cook the meat. Make it taste good, and each of you will get a big piece.”
Fu Niannian’s bright eyes sparkled. “Sister-in-law, is that true? If we cook it well, we each get a piece?”
“Yes. Go cook.”
With that, Yang Tiehua turned and left.
As she reached the doorway, she could still hear the two little ones’ excited voices.
Taking a deep breath, she returned to the room. Fu Ziheng was still lying there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She sat beside the bed, and Fu Ziheng reflexively jolted upright, shrinking back.
Seeing the tension on his face, Yang Tiehua suppressed the discomfort in her heart and pressed the two hundred yuan into his hand. “Brother Ziheng, take this money and go to the clinic tomorrow to have your leg treated. You must get it properly healed.”
In her previous life, Fu Ziheng had ended up with uneven legs. It must have been because he didn’t receive treatment in time.
Fu Ziheng stared at the money in his hand in shock.
Only after she helped him rewrap his wound did he come back to his senses. Clutching the money tightly, he said gratefully, “Tiehua, when I recover, I’ll treat you well. No matter what you ask of me, I’ll satisfy you.”
He didn’t know why Yang Tiehua had suddenly changed, but if this meant he could treat his leg, he was willing to do anything.
Even if it meant fulfilling marital duties eight times a night, he would take medicine if he had to, just to manage it.
“Let’s talk after your leg heals. I’ll go check on Mother.”
The moment she said this, Fu Ziheng’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed her clothes. “Yang Tiehua, if you’re giving me this two hundred yuan just to marry my mother off to that widower from the neighboring village—the one whose five wives all died, then give up on that idea!”
As he spoke, he threw the money back at her.
Yang Tiehua’s pupils widened in shock.
Was the original owner a devil?
She wanted to marry her mother-in-law off to a man cursed with dead wives?
Was that something a human being would do?
Just as she was about to explain, the door was pushed open. A fair-skinned middle-aged woman wearing patched clothes walked in. Her hands were clenched nervously together, her voice trembling with emotion. “Xiaohua, if you’re really willing to pay for Ziheng’s leg treatment, I’m willing to marry that widower.”
“Mom! Do you even know what you’re saying? I will never agree!” Fu Ziheng roared.
“Ziheng, you’re still young. Your leg can’t be ruined like this. If I marry out, the family will save some grain. Once your leg is healed and you find work, you can give Tiehua a better life.”
Yang Tiehua pressed her fingers to her temple, wishing she could knock herself unconscious.
The original owner truly did nothing human!
“Mom, you don’t need to marry that widower. Just stay home and take care of An’an and Niannian. Once Brother Ziheng’s leg is healed, I’ll go to my eldest uncle and ask him to arrange a job for him.”
She recalled from her previous life that Niannian, the little chatterbox, had once mentioned that the original owner’s eldest uncle was the director of a sugar factory and doted on her greatly.
If she asked, he would probably help.
Hearing this, Mother Fu’s emotions surged. “Xiaohua, you… are you telling the truth?”
Yang Tiehua helped her sit down. “Mom, I was foolish before, selfish and only thinking of myself. But now I understand. From now on, I’ll treat all of you well, and I’ll never hit Ziheng again. Can you forgive me?”
Mother Fu was overwhelmed with surprise. Wiping her tears, she held Yang Tiehua’s hand, her voice trembling. “Xiaohua, Mom doesn’t blame you, truly. If there’s anyone to blame, it’s us for being incapable and becoming your burden.”
Yang Tiehua was utterly stunned.
Mother Fu didn’t even blame the original owner?
What a kind-hearted woman, like a living bodhisattva.
“Sister-in-law, the meat is ready!”
Niannian carried in a large basin of cooked meat, while An’an brought in a coarse porcelain plate and handed it to her. “Your bowl.”
Seeing the plate, which was bigger than her head, Yang Tiehua rubbed her forehead. “I usually eat with this?”
She seemed to recall that in the kitchen, the two children had been licking this exact plate…
The little chatterbox Niannian quickly added, “Sister-in-law, we licked—cough, washed it very clean. Don’t worry and eat.”
Looking at the two children who kept swallowing their saliva, their bodies so thin they were little more than skin and bones, Yang Tiehua felt her nose sting again.
“An’an, go bring four bowls,” she instructed.
An’an frowned. “We don’t have any bowls.”
“No bowls?” Yang Tiehua was shocked.
If there were no bowls, what did they use to eat?
Niannian lowered her head and said softly, “Sister-in-law, you said we weren’t worthy of using bowls, so you sold them all.”
Hearing this, Yang Tiehua took a deep breath and pressed the space between her nose and lips.
The original owner truly wasn’t human…
“What do you need bowls for? I’ll go buy them tomorrow.” After a long silence, Fu Ziheng finally spoke.
“Alright, then buy five bowls tomorrow,” Yang Tiehua said.
She had everyone sit around the square table, bringing out the bamboo tubes and chopsticks they usually used for eating.
Then she looked at them. “Niannian, An’an, each of you say one of my faults or something you want me to change. For every sentence, you get a piece of meat. Whoever says more gets more meat.”
She wanted to take this chance to understand just what terrible things the original owner had done.
But the moment Niannian started speaking, she regretted it…