Chapter 28: The Strange Pear Wood

The onlookers, seeing the situation, dared not say more and gradually dispersed.

Mrs. Zhou pounded on the main door. “Lihua, open up. We left early and didn’t have breakfast. Your little brother is still hungry.”

Lihua Jiang, annoyed by the noise, opened the door just a crack. Before she could close it, Mrs. Zhou and the others rushed inside.

“Aunt Zhang, go prepare some porridge for them,” one of them said.

The group looked around the courtyard, glancing here and there.

“Finish your breakfast quickly and leave,” Lihua said impatiently.

Mrs. Zhou frowned. “Lihua, your father passed two years ago, and I’ve been raising your older brother, sister, and little brother on my own. The house is falling apart and there’s no money to fix it. You’re grown now; we’ll just stay here with you.”

Lihua scoffed. “What does that have to do with me? You didn’t raise me.”

“How can you say that? I’m your mother,” Mrs. Zhou retorted.

“Sorry, I have no memory of that.”

“Lihua, are you blaming us for not redeeming you? We really don’t have money.”

“How old was I when I was sold?”

“Four and a half.”

“How old is your little brother now?”

“Five.”

A bitter smile crossed Lihua’s lips. She was ten now, sold at four and a half. Her brother was five. Could it be they sold her because she was pregnant?

“Eat and leave. You’re not welcome here.”

Jiang Feixiang had reached his limit with Lihua. Clenching his fists, he stepped forward, ready to strike her.

Just then, Jiang Limu, who often came to ask Lihua for the ginseng candies he loved, happened to arrive. Seeing Feixiang’s clenched fists aimed at Lihua, his eyes suddenly reddened. In a flash, he dashed forward and knocked Feixiang flying.

Feixiang crashed into the courtyard wall with a loud bang, causing it to collapse.

Everyone in the yard was stunned by the scene.

Lihua was the first to react. She noticed Limu was acting strangely, his eyes red as if possessed. She hurriedly embraced him, gently patting his back, then took out his favorite ginseng candy and stuffed it into his mouth.

After a moment, Limu calmed down.

Mrs. Zhou rushed over to Feixiang’s side, crying loudly, “Son, son!”

Uncle Jiang, hearing the commotion, hurried over from the workshop.

“Miss, what happened?”

Lihua was about to speak when Limu tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to remain silent.

She patted his small hand, acknowledging his request.

“It’s nothing. Uncle Jiang, you go back to work. I can handle this.”

Seeing that the group posed no real threat, Uncle Jiang turned and left.

“Lihua, how can you be so heartless? He’s your brother,” Mrs. Zhou shouted at her, looking at the unconscious Feixiang.

“When he was hitting me, why didn’t you stop him?” Lihua retorted.

Mrs. Zhou replied matter-of-factly, “He’s your brother. It’s only right he disciplines you.”

Lihua turned to Jiang Lanhua and Jiang Feichen. “What do you think?”

Jiang Lanhua said, “Brother hitting you is justified. We came all this way, and you treat us like this—you deserve it.”

Lihua then looked at Feichen. The boy nervously fiddled with his fingers and whispered, “Brother has a bad temper. He hits people for no reason.”

Rarely was there one who hadn’t been spoiled.

Lanhua ruffled Feichen’s head. “You traitor.”

Feichen shrank back fearfully.

Lihua approached and gave him a candy. Upon tasting the sweetness, he lifted his little head and smiled at her.

Lihua asked, “If I’m an outsider, why do you keep coming back to us?”

Lanhua snorted, “Hmph, I’m not going to waste words with you.”

Mrs. Zhou’s irritating yelling started up again.

“Lihua, you stubborn girl! Hurry and get the doctor. If anything happens to your brother, I won’t let you off.”

A burly man, one bump won’t kill him.

Lihua ignored her, realizing they wouldn’t leave anytime soon.

She took Limu and Feichen into the main room for breakfast.

Lanhua stood in the courtyard while Mrs. Zhou stayed with the fallen Feixiang, cursing.

The smell of white rice porridge made Lanhua’s stomach growl.

Boldly, she entered the main room, grabbed a bowl, and started eating.

Lihua shot her a glance. “What? You’re still coming to eat an outsider’s food? Aren’t you afraid of being poisoned?”

“Dare you!” Lanhua snapped back, ignoring the warning. She piled her chopsticks with side dishes and ate heartily, grumbling, “Making so many dishes for breakfast—what a waste.”

Jiang Limu glared at her coldly, and Lanhua dared not speak further. She hadn’t forgotten how he had just slammed her brother away like a rag doll.

She didn’t understand why such a pretty child had such a terrifying gaze, like a demon.

Mrs. Zhou yelled insults for a long time alone, but no one paid her any attention. Looking back, everyone was sitting in the main room eating breakfast.

This provoked her into another round of shouting, this time including Lanhua.

“Lihua, Lanhua, you heartless sisters! Your brother is like this, and you still have the nerve to eat breakfast?”

Feixiang on the ground slowly regained consciousness. “Mother, what are you shouting about?”

Seeing her son awake, Mrs. Zhou immediately embraced him, sobbing, “My son, you’re finally awake.”