“Severed ties?”
Grandma Lu’s cane struck the muddy ground with a dull thud.
When Lu Qingshan explained how Old Madam Ye had driven Ye Mengyi out of the house and how she had ended up agreeing to marry him, the entire room fell into stunned silence, as if everyone had been frozen in place.
Lu Dahe’s hand trembled slightly against the doorframe. Looking at Ye Mengyi’s pale face on the bed, his lame leg unconsciously dragged half a step forward.
“How could Old Madam Ye treat a child like that…”
Lu Erhe smacked his lips, his dark face full of disbelief.
“That old woman’s heart is too cruel. A girl’s still a human life.”
Xu Ru nodded repeatedly beside him, still clutching the books she had just carried in from the wheelbarrow. Her fingers brushed over the rough pages as though mourning the pitiful fate of the girl who owned them.
She sighed heavily, her elderly voice hoarse with emotion.
“This child truly has a bitter life.”
“Yes, she’s too pitiful,” Sun Yanfen softly agreed from behind Grandma Lu.
Lu Dahe coughed twice and turned his gaze toward Lu Qingshan, his tone solemn.
“Qingshan, you did the right thing. Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda. Since you already gave your word, you must treat her well.”
Standing at the foot of the bed, Lu Qingshan’s back remained straight as a spear. Hearing his father’s words, his throat tightened slightly.
“Dad, I know.”
A faint crease appeared between his brows, as if he were silently weighing the burden newly added to his shoulders, but it disappeared just as quickly.
“Since I agreed to it, I won’t let her suffer.”
“That’s the proper attitude!” Lu Erhe slapped his thigh. “Since Miss Ye is willing to enter our Lu family, she’s one of our own now. We may be poor, but we can’t let people point fingers at us behind our backs.”
Xu Ru also chimed in:
“That’s right. From now on, we’re family. We should care for her properly.”
Grandma Lu waved her hand, cutting everyone off.
“Right now, the child’s injuries come first. Qingshan, fetch some clean water and two clean cloths.”
“I’ll get the cloth!” Lu Qingyu chirped brightly before darting out like a little sparrow toward the storage room.
She remembered that her mother had washed several old cloths recently. Though patched many times over, at least they were clean.
“I’ll fetch water!” Lu Qinghai grabbed the wooden bucket by the wall and ran toward the well outside.
“I’ll boil some water and make the girl a poached egg,” Xu Ru said while rolling up her sleeves.
Sun Yanfen nodded.
“I’ll clean that pheasant and make soup. It’ll help nourish her.”
In the kitchen, Xu Ru carefully took out two eggs from a clay jar.
The family had been saving those eggs for half a month, planning to gather enough to sell in town for salt and sewing thread.
But with Ye Mengyi injured, none of that mattered anymore.
She also scooped out half a spoonful of brown sugar from a small hidden jar. It had been stored away for years, something no one in the family normally dared touch.
Meanwhile, Sun Yanfen squatted on the ground plucking the pheasant feathers.
Lu Qingshan had intended to sell it in town for money, but right now nourishing Ye Mengyi was more important.
As she worked quickly, she thought to herself:
This poor girl suffered so much. She really needs proper nourishment.
Soon, the faint aroma of eggs drifted into the room.
Lu Qingshan returned carrying warm water, while Lu Qinghai and Lu Qingyu brought cloths and a clean ceramic bowl.
The warm water in the basin rippled gently as Lu Qingshan wrung out a cloth and carefully lifted the hair at the back of Ye Mengyi’s head.
Squatting before her, he gently parted her hair to reveal the wound still seeping blood.
“It might hurt a little. Bear with it.”
His voice was incredibly soft as he carefully cleaned the dried blood around the wound with the damp cloth.
The bloodied hair had tangled together, and he didn’t dare use force. He could only move little by little, as carefully as if brushing dust from a fragile spider web.
“Hiss—”
Ye Mengyi sucked in a sharp breath of pain, her brows knotting tightly. The moment the wound was touched, it felt as though needles were stabbing into it—numb, swollen, and aching all at once.
Lu Qingshan’s hand paused.
“Did I hurt you?”
His voice softened even more, and the pressure of the cloth became lighter still. Occasionally, his fingers brushed against her scalp, and he could feel her slight trembling.
Grandma Lu sat on a small stool beside the bed, holding the blue floral cloth Lu Qingyu had found.
Watching her grandson’s clumsy yet careful actions, warmth slowly filled her cloudy eyes.
Lu Dahe stood nearby, handing over clean cloths from time to time while muttering:
“Slower. Even slower. You can’t be careless with a wound like this.”
After cleaning the injury, Lu Qingshan pulled a small oil-paper packet from his clothes.
Inside was the ointment Doctor Sun had given them.
He rubbed a small amount between his fingertips before carefully applying it to the wound. The warmth of his fingers seeped through the medicine, and somehow Ye Mengyi found that it hurt a little less.
“There.”
Lu Qingshan straightened up, sweat once again forming on his forehead.
He picked up the blue floral cloth, intending to bandage her wound, but clearly had no idea where to begin.
In the end, Grandma Lu took the cloth from him and skillfully wrapped it around Ye Mengyi’s head several times before tying a firm knot.
Just after the bandaging was finished, Xu Ru entered carrying a steaming bowl of brown sugar poached eggs.
Sweet fragrance instantly filled the room.
“Child, eat while it’s hot. Nourish your body.”
The poached eggs sat plump and round in the sweet brown sugar broth.
Looking at the bowl, Ye Mengyi’s eyes grew hot.
In all the original owner’s life, she had never eaten something this precious.
“Go on, eat. It won’t taste good once it cools,” Grandma Lu urged as she placed the bowl into her hands.
Ye Mengyi accepted it. The warmth of the bowl spread through her fingertips and into her heart.
Lowering her head, she ate slowly, bite by bite.
The soft egg mixed with the sweetness of brown sugar melted across her tongue, warming her all the way to her chest.
Lu Qingshan stood nearby watching her.
Only when he saw a little color finally returning to her face did the tightness in his brows ease slightly.
As Ye Mengyi sipped the sweet soup in small mouthfuls, she caught sight of two tiny figures standing near the doorway.
Lu Qinglian and Lu Qingsong stood on tiptoe, their little noses twitching as their dark eyes stared fixedly at the bowl in her hands. Their lips smacked unconsciously—they were clearly craving it.
The twin siblings had just turned six, an age when children were especially greedy for treats.
A wave of bitterness rose in Ye Mengyi’s heart.
She knew exactly what a bowl of brown sugar poached eggs meant to the Lu family.
It was something they might not even bring out during holidays.
She gently scooped up the egg and cut it into two halves before beckoning to the children.
“Qinglian, Qingsong, come here.”
The two little ones shuffled over timidly, though their eyes remained glued to the bowl.
“Big Sister, what did you call us for?” Lu Qinglian asked softly.
“Big Sister wants you to help taste it.”
Just as Ye Mengyi was about to hand them the spoon, Lu Qingshan stopped her.
“No need to give it to them.”
Then Lu Dahe spoke firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument:
“You’re weak and injured. Hurry and eat it yourself to recover.”