After her eldest brother left the room, Zhu Qing'an heard her mother and second brother talking, worrying about her illness.
" Mother, what should we do? Sob… Father hasn't returned from hunting since last night. Where can we find money to help Big Brother? Sob …."
" Oh, my dear, Ah Yang, don't cry. I'll get a warm towel to wipe your big sister down first. Ah Cheng just said that your big sister is conscious now. If she eats some hot rice porridge and wipes her body to reduce her fever, her condition should improve. You go help Ah Cheng feed your big sister first. I'll go prepare some hot water."
" Sob … please, Mother."
Zhu Qingyang wiped away the tears that were falling down before walking to her brother in the kitchen. Lin Ai looked at the back of her second son with tears in her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't care about her daughter, it was just that she couldn't do anything harsh to her mother-in-law. Her husband was too filial to the point that he didn't dare to speak to his own family. Even though she and her daughter had been bullied all along, he only comforted them and worked harder. They had never even touched the money that her husband had earned. They had always helped each other find food in the mountains and exchanged it with the villagers. He had pretended not to know until her daughter became seriously ill. This time, if her husband returned, Lin Ai wanted to talk to him and find out what to do next since her children were growing up every day. Right now, there was barely enough food for the five of them to survive.
Lin Ai sighed before walking out to find firewood that was collected behind the old straw-earthen house that her husband had built himself. She had never thought that after getting married, she would end up living in such a dilapidated place. Her mother-in-law, elder brother, and sister-in-law all slept in a large wooden house, and all the money came from her husband's hard work. The villagers had told her that her husband had been working since he could remember. He had never had any savings except when he wanted to propose to her. He had secretly saved his own money, which made Old Lady Zhu very angry. She was so upset that Zhu Changyu was of marriageable age. Old Lady Zhu could not take back the money as she wished. Even the person who asked for her hand in marriage was the village headman instead of her mother-in-law. If her family hadn't been in hardship back then, she definitely wouldn't have agreed to marry him.
While Lin Ai was gathering firewood to fuel the fire in the kitchen, Zhu Changyu just happened to return from hunting the night before. He rushed over to help his wife because he knew that her body was weak after giving birth to twin sons for him a few years ago.
" Wife, you don't have to carry these things. Let me handle them myself. Go wait in the kitchen."
" Sob … Brother, today I went to ask my mother for money to take Qing'an to see a doctor, but she didn't give it to me and beat me and my children until I was battered and bruised. Let me ask you, do you still love me and my children? Sob…"
Hearing his wife's cries and reproachful words, Zhu Changyu could not help but put down the firewood and hugged his wife. He did not expect his mother to be so cruel to his family. After hugging and comforting Lin Ai for a while, Zhu Changyu responded to his wife according to his feelings.
" Why wouldn't I love you? Don't cry anymore, my wife. I won't give money to your mother today. Okay ?" I will let you save money to take your child to see a doctor."
" Big brother , are you telling the truth ? "
" Of course, why would I lie to you? Come on, stop crying."
Lin Ai wiped away her tears before nodding in agreement with her husband. Seeing that she had stopped crying, Zhu Changyu quickly picked up the firewood again and led her into the kitchen. After putting the firewood in the stove for her, Zhu Changyu gave her the 100 e pae he had earned from selling wild animals to keep.
Lin Ai took the money and put it in her bosom carefully. Tomorrow, she would borrow a cart to take her daughter to the village doctor's house. Otherwise, she would not have the heart to go up the mountain to find forest products to exchange for food with the villagers. Zhu Changyu saw his wife keeping the money so well and could only sigh. He never thought that his mother would not give even a single cent of the money she earned to his family. It wasn't that he didn't know from the villagers that his wife and children had to go up the mountain to find forest products to exchange for food. It was just that he didn't know how to talk to his mother to ask for the money back. Ever since he could remember, he had worked to earn money to support his family. His eldest brother had never given his mother even a single cent, even though his eldest brother worked as a little er in a big inn in the county. His younger sister had always come back to steal his mother's food for many years. However, his mother would beat his wife and call her a thief instead. He didn't know what was happening until he came back from hunting. He didn't understand why his mother did this, even though he was her son, just like his eldest brother and younger sister. Now, he was beginning to doubt whether he was really her son or not, because his appearance and complexion were as different as heaven and earth.
As Zhu Changyu was pondering, a coughing sound in the room made him quickly come to his senses before he quickly walked over to check on his seriously ill daughter.
" Big Brother !!! Are you okay? Don't scare me."
" Cough, I … I'm fine. Just a snort ." Zhu Qing'an said breathlessly.
She had only eaten a few mouthfuls of rice porridge, which contained more water than rice grains, when her coughing from the fever flared up.
" Qing An ! How are you, my child? Come and let me see you first."
Zhu Qingcheng and Zhu Qingyang quickly made way for their father to go and check on their elder sister on the bed. When Zhu Changyu placed his hand on her forehead, he found that his daughter was so hot that her hands were almost burning. If he had come any later, his daughter would have definitely died.
" You guys go get your mother first. I'll take your sister to the doctor's house."
After he finished speaking, Zhu Changyu did not wait for his son's answer. He was afraid that if he delayed any longer, something bad might really happen to his daughter. Zhu Changyu carried the light-as-a-cotton Zhu Qing'an and ran out of the dilapidated cottage quickly. Along the way, he kept calling out to Zhu Qing'an not to fall asleep again before reaching the doctor, because he was afraid that if his daughter fell asleep, she would not wake up to see him and everyone again.
Before Zhu Changyu could take Zhu Qing'an to the old doctor's house, Old Madam Zhu, who was gossiping with the villagers and the old ladies from other houses, happened to see him. She quickly picked up her cane and walked in front of him, cursing loudly.
" You crazy kid !!! Where are you taking this loser? Why didn't you bring me the money after you came back from hunting? Give me the money you got from selling wild animals right now ! "
" Mother, I'm taking my son to see a doctor. I don't have any hunting money. Mother, please don't get in the way !"
This time, Zhu Changyu didn't give in to his mother anymore. Since Zhu Qing'an's condition required immediate medical attention,
" How dare you ! I am your mother. Do you dare to disobey my orders ? I will beat you and this loser to death. Here, here! "
Smack ! Bang !
Zhu Changyu could only use his tall body to block his daughter. Before Lin Ai and his son arrived, he told his wife to go and tell the doctor first. He would bring his son along later.
" Hey ! Do you guys think I'm a piece of cake? I told you not to take him to the doctor. Are you deaf ? "
" Mother !!! You're going too far. My daughter is so sick. Why didn't you give all the money I earned to my wife to take our daughter to the doctor? What if I didn't make it in time and something happened to my daughter?"
" Hey ! You dare to raise your voice at me ? What if your daughter is sick and dies ? She's just a loss for the family. What's the point in taking care of her? "
" Why are you so cruel, Mother ? I don't have time to argue with you right now. If you don't back down, I'll have to take advantage of you ."
Zhu Changyu quickly dodged Old Lady Zhu's cane and ran past her towards the doctor's house without looking back. Only Old Lady Zhu's cursing could be heard floating behind him.