**Note: To avoid confusion, "Li Xiangli" will be used instead of "Chen Xi" on the succeeding chapters**
Xiaozhu sniffled, then choked out, "Mother has been sleeping for so many days. Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat."
Li Xiangli ruffled his hair gently. "Mother's feeling better now. Xiaozhu doesn't need to cook. From now on, Mother will take good care of you and Le'er. Even without relying on others, I'll raise you both strong and healthy, so no one dares to bully us!" Her tone was firm and resolute.
The two children couldn't help but notice something different about their mother. She had never spoken like this before. Strangely enough, when she made such promises, they felt an unshakable sense of trust.
Their moods lightened, and they both nodded earnestly.
Li Xiangli smiled. "Such good children."
As she spoke, she pushed herself out of bed.
Fortunately, her body didn't feel too unwell. Perhaps because the original owner had already passed, the physical pain and injuries seemed less severe. Li Xiangli quietly sighed in relief—if she were still bedridden with sickness, there wasn't even money to call a doctor.
She rummaged through the cabinet to see if there was anything edible. Feeding the children was her priority, but all she found were some fresh wild vegetables, likely dug up by the children recently.
Li Xiangli frowned. Wild vegetables alone were hardly nutritious.
As she mulled over the situation, a familiar voice came from the door.
"Xiaozhu, Le'er, are you home?"
Turning around, Li Xiangli saw an elderly woman with a kind demeanor walking in with a basket. Wasn't this Aunt Chen?
Aunt Chen hadn't expected to see Li Xiangli awake and standing. She froze in surprise. "Xiangli? You... you're awake?"
Li Xiangli, resigned to accepting this identity, hurried to greet her. "Aunt Chen, what brings you here? I've just woken up."
Aunt Chen quickly ushered Li Xiangli back into the house, looked around cautiously, and shut the door before speaking.
Grasping her hands, Aunt Chen said emotionally, "It's good you're awake. I heard your mother-in-law beat you so badly you were barely alive. I thought…"
Li Xiangli knew Aunt Chen meant well. The original owner had indeed died, or she wouldn't be here now. But she wouldn't say that. Instead, she forced a smile. "I was lucky enough to pull through."
Aunt Chen sighed, her face filled with indignation. "Your mother-in-law is truly heartless! How could she treat you like that? She vented her anger, beat you to such a state, and left you lying there without even calling a doctor."
Thinking of her mother-in-law's vicious face, Li Xiangli sneered inwardly. This beating would be repaid one day.
Aunt Chen suddenly handed the basket to her. "I came by because I figured the little ones might be starving. It's just some cornmeal and a bit of rice—not much, as this old lady doesn't have much to spare…"
Li Xiangli's heart swelled with gratitude, and she quickly thanked her. "Aunt Chen, please don't say that. You're the only one willing to check on us in these times. Even if you came empty-handed, I'd still be grateful."
Aunt Chen patted Xiaozhu and Le'er's heads lovingly. "These two are such good kids, just like you. It's not easy caring for them. Don't do anything foolish again. Your mother-in-law is a hard woman. No matter what happens to your reputation, she won't spare you. For these children's sake, take care of yourself."
Li Xiangli understood Aunt Chen's implication. When Old Madam Guo had dragged Li Xiangli into the village to beat her, she had loudly accused her of being unfaithful with Feng An, claiming they'd been caught in the act and threatening to drown her in a pigsty.
But the truth was, Feng An had sweet-talked Li Xiangli into agreeing to marry him. The two had been innocent, and Feng An had even tried to formally propose. Yet when he approached Old Madam Guo, she flew into a rage, dragged Li Xiangli out, and beat her mercilessly, all the while shouting that she was a shameless woman.
Li Xiangli had thought her mother-in-law would be glad to see her leave, given how the family treated her like a burden. But the result was unexpected.
Thanks to Old Madam Guo's antics, the entire village now believed Li Xiangli had been caught in an illicit affair. Even though she hadn't died, her reputation was utterly ruined. That's why Li Xiangli was so touched Aunt Chen still came to visit her.
Li Xiangli wanted to explain but stopped when she heard noises outside. The Guo family had just returned from the fields.
Aunt Chen hurriedly said, "I'd better go. If your mother-in-law finds out I came, she'll be even harder on you."
Old Madam Guo was the kind of person who couldn't bear to see her daughter-in-law live well. If she had her way, she'd have everyone struggling miserably.
Li Xiangli couldn't argue and saw Aunt Chen off. She'd have opportunities to explain later. For now, she simply felt grateful for Aunt Chen's kindness.
As soon as Aunt Chen left, Le'er's eyes were already glued to the basket. Swallowing her saliva, she asked, "Mother, can we have corn porridge tonight?"
Xiaozhu, ever the practical one, frowned. "Cornmeal is so precious. What if we finish it all at once? We should sell it to buy more steamed buns. That'll last us for days."
His maturity tugged at Li Xiangli's heartstrings. Le'er clearly longed for the porridge but didn't argue, only lowering her head in disappointment.
Li Xiangli patted her head gently. "Le'er, we'll have corn porridge tonight. And from now on, Mother will buy you even more white rice to eat."
Le'er's face lit up as she hugged Li Xiangli tightly. "Mother, you're the best!"
Li Xiangli embraced both children. "We'll have better days ahead, so there's no need to save too much now. Mother promised to raise you both strong and healthy."
Xiaozhu, inspired by his mother's determination, grinned for the first time. His dimples showed as he smiled brightly.
Just then, Old Madam Guo's shrill voice echoed from outside. "Go see if that little wretch is dead yet! Don't let her stink up the house and dirty my place!"
Disclaimer:
I am not the original author of this work. This is a translated version of the original text, shared for reading and reference purposes only. All rights to the original content belong to the original author. I do not claim ownership of the original work or its characters. This translation is intended solely for informational and entertainment purposes.