[The Orphan's Love Affair with a Beauty's Rivalry] (Volume 2, Chapter 91)

Chapter 91 True Feelings Exist in the World

Early morning, a thin mist hung in the air. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the earth was shrouded in a vast, bluish-gray shadow, obscuring visibility

. In the distance, the burned-down mountain village lay a dark, indistinct expanse, still wisps of smoke rising.

The elderly couple had gotten up early and stood outside the courtyard gate, gazing towards the village for a while.

They shook their heads and sighed, then went into the kitchen to cook by the dim light of an oil lamp. It was early spring; it was time to loosen the soil and sow the seeds. No matter

what had happened outside, planting couldn't be delayed, otherwise, what would they eat next year? The

kitchen's yellowish-gray earthen walls were covered with twisted, white marks, likely patched with lime after years of neglect and cracks. The stone and mud stove was weathered and simple, but it was spotless and tidy. There was no oil or grime on the surface. A large iron pot sat on it, wisps of white smoke rising from the cracks in the wooden lid. Beside the pot were a salt jar and a bowl of flour. Beside the stove stood a large water vat, several rough, yellowish-brown earthenware pots, and a large bamboo basket piled high with cabbages. 　　The white-haired old woman added firewood to the stove while stirring sweet potatoes in the fire with a fire hook— these were for guests. Water was boiling in a pot, preparing to cook Nanbangguo porridge. The family wasn't poor; they had leased dozens of acres of land in Yinxiao Mountain Villa, owned a donkey for pulling a millstone, an ox for plowing, raised over ten fat pigs, and had several chickens and ducks. 　　However, she still had to be frugal. Her son was getting married; there were dowries, a wedding banquet, and a new many expenses. She was nearly forty when she gave birth to this son, whom she cherished dearly. But what did he do? He showed no gratitude for his parents' hard work. Almost twenty years old, instead of learning farming from his father, he spent his days fighting cocks and chasing dogs, acting as if the family had an inexhaustible supply of food and money! 　　Sure enough, she went to play cards at Li's house early yesterday morning again. How could her family compare to Li's? He's at least the housekeeper in charge of collecting rent at Yinxiao Manor. 　　The white-haired old man wasn't idle either, preparing livestock feed while listening to his wife's nagging. His expression was somewhat impatient. After listening for a long time, he finally couldn't help but say, "Wife, our family is in this state because you spoiled us. What's the use of telling me all this?" 　　The old woman retorted angrily, "Every time you say it's because I spoiled them! Fine, I'm stupid! I can't teach the child! Then what have you been doing, you old hag? Why don't you teach our son properly?" 　　Seeing his wife's anger, the old man quickly picked up the feed and went out. He felt sorry for his wife; she did almost all the housework , scrimping and saving on food and clothing. During the busy farming season, besides cooking and delivering meals, she still worked in the fields without complaint. He knew she did all this for their son. 　　He also felt wronged; didn't he want to teach their child well? Every time he forced his son to work in the fields or scolded him , his wife would immediately jump up and yell at him like a tigress! "How can you treat our son like this? Isn't he your son?" 　　Good heavens! Women really have a talent for making a big deal out of things, sigh! He shook his head, looking at the dozen or so pigs that were getting fatter and fatter, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. The harvest from dozens of acres of land each year, after paying rent, was more than enough to eat. His wife was so frugal, and with these fat pigs, selling them would be more than enough to marry off their son to a good wife and build a decent new house. 　　He and his wife were old, and they should be content with what they could do for their son. As for what would happen to their son in the future, when the old couple closed their eyes, they would know nothing and wouldn't care! 　　After finishing all this, he returned to the kitchen, where his wife had already put breakfast on the table, steaming hot, and was attentively handing him chopsticks and pickles. Her face had brightened, and she was calling him "old man" quite affectionately. The old lady's temper flared up quickly but subsided just as fast; she was always like that. Afterwards, she was always very kind to him. 　　Instead of eating right away, she placed several roasted sweet potatoes in a bowl and carefully peeled off the charred skin. Smelling the aroma, the old man couldn't help but sniff. "Wife," he said, "the child hasn't gotten up yet. Why are you peeling them now? They'll cool down too quickly." 　　The old lady frowned, somewhat worried, and said, "Father, go check on the child. He traveled such ; don't let him catch a cold." 　　"Do you think every child is as delicate as our Ben'er? Heh!" 　　the old lady glared at him sharply! 　　The old man suddenly realized he had made another mistake. He couldn't criticize his son in front of her; only she could say it. So he quickly changed the subject, "He rushed to visit his sister in the dead of night because she was sick. What a good boy ! If only..." 　　The old woman smiled kindly, "Indeed! I liked this child from the bottom of my heart the moment I saw him. He's polite , sensible, and hardworking. He's always helping out at our house. But he doesn't seem like the type to sleep in late. You should go and see him, old man. It's pitiful for him to be out all alone!" 　　The old man got up and went to the side room door, gently knocking. "Child, are you up?" 　　The boy inside replied, "Grandpa, not yet. I'm feeling a little unwell. Please come in!" The wooden door creaked open. 　　The old man carefully examined the boy's face and saw that it was indeed flushed. He asked with concern, "Child, did you catch a cold last night forehead; it was indeed a little hot. 　　He hurriedly helped the boy back to the kang (a heated brick bed) and lay him down. "Child, rest well. I'll go to Liyang Town nearby to get you some medicine right away." 　　Wuyue was actually faking illness. He needed to stay at the old man's house for another day before he could move around easily after nightfall. However, he had clearly said last night that he was in a hurry to visit his sister, but now he was staying behind for no reason. How could he explain himself like that? Seeing the old man's kindness in offering to get him medicine, he felt very guilty and quickly said, "Grandpa, I'm fine. I'll just warm myself up with the blanket. You don't need to get any medicine!" 　　"How can that be? You children never take care of your health. You'll only realize how serious it is when you reach my age ." With that, he hurriedly left. 　　When the old lady found out, she didn't even finish her meal. She quickly went to the henhouse, grabbed an old hen, took out three eggs, boiled water again, made poached eggs, and brought them to Wuyue's bedside, feeding him bite by bite. 　　He never expected that his feigned illness would cause the two elderly people to worry about him so much and take such good care of him. Looking at the old lady's white hair and her eyes full of concern and love, he felt both guilty and moved!

No matter what he said, the old lady insisted on killing the hen and making chicken soup for him to nourish

his body . If he knew that the two elderly people had never

eaten any of the chickens and ducks they raised, including their eggs, what would he think?

At noon, the old lady fed him chicken soup spoonful by spoonful. When he ate the chicken, tears welled up in his eyes.

He urged her to eat some too, but she refused. So he grabbed the chopsticks, forced a large piece of chicken into her

mouth , and then held the bowl, forcing her to drink a few more mouthfuls before he felt a little relieved.

Watching the old lady's slightly hunched back as she left, he was filled with emotion. He realized that deep family affection

was hidden in these seemingly ordinary families. There were many people who cared for and loved him, but he

knew that they all had their reasons—either for personal gain or out of love. But he and the two elderly people were complete strangers;

such care made it all the more precious!

Thinking of the mercenary manager, the vulgar proprietress, and the treacherous thugs who betrayed

them he couldn't help but sigh at the myriad aspects of life—all kinds of people exist.

The old man didn't hurry back until the afternoon. The mountain path was difficult, and being old, he dared not ride his donkey for fear

of falling down the slope. The round trip had exhausted him, and he had even missed loosening the soil in the fields. But seeing his wife's approving

gaze, he felt it was all worth it.

When the old woman fed him his medicine, the liquid was very bitter, but he had to force himself to drink it, not only because he was feigning illness,

but also because he couldn't betray her kindness. After drinking a bowl, the aftertaste was sweet.

From the incredibly tacit understanding in the eyes of the two old people, he felt a

deep, profound love after a lifetime of companionship. Though not as passionate as the entanglements of lovers, it was richer, more mellow, and intoxicating like wine. The image of the greyhound working flashed through

his mind . Years later, would she also become so talkative, yet

always showing her love for her husband and children? Would the way she looked at her grandson be

as kind and gentle as the way the old lady looked at him now?

Lingti's image grew clearer, and he felt an urge to be close to her. He tried to change her black hair

to silver, add the wrinkles of an old lady to her face, and transform her graceful figure into a stooped posture

… The images of the old lady and Lingti alternated in his mind like shadow puppets, yet Lingti was still Lingti,

and the old lady was still the old lady.

However, no matter what she looked like years later, he would always cherish the peaceful and serene feeling of being with her,

just like this loving old couple. Xiaohong's words replayed in his mind, but he and Lingti weren't very familiar with each other.

How could this be?

These past years in the mansion had been filled with bustling activity; he rarely had time to calmly reflect on things.

He took everything around him, good or bad, for granted.

Perhaps distance makes the heart grow fonder? He tried to think of his closest relatives, and Uncle Sai and

Aunt Lixiang, always smiling, popped into his mind—what wonderful parents they were! His eldest sister, always ready to stand up for him,

and his quiet, playful sister, Beifeng, who always held his hand—both treated him like a precious jewel. Could there be any better sisters than them? And then there was the innocent

and adorable Li'er, such a lovely little sister! Xiao Jin, with his prematurely mature appearance, was quite comical; he was the youngest

brother. This was a hazy outline of his family.

Nearly ten years at Tianchi, spending so much time with his eldest sister, so close that even with his eyes closed, he could barely

recall what she looked like. The little girl with pigtails, the bouncy little girl, the graceful

, slightly shy young woman, the mature, more lively young woman—he couldn't tell which one resembled

his eldest sister more, or perhaps none at all?

Her rich and varied expressions and the meaning behind her every gesture, the blue birthmark on her back,

the , all the things she liked or disliked… he knew all of this so

clearly, so intimately, that he felt his older sister had nothing to hide from him. He liked to rummage through her

room, taking whatever he liked for himself—a habit his sister had instilled in him; what was hers

was his.

So when he once found a bloodstained cloth strip in her bed and curiously asked her

what , only to be scolded, he was both bewildered and aggrieved, not understanding why his sister was angry, why she was so heartbroken. Now 　　　,

of course, he understood: even siblings have their privacy.

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[The Orphan's Love Affair with a Beauty's Rivalry] (Volume 2, Chapter 91)

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