Chapter 33 - 033 Suffering Cousin

Tian Sisi decided to bring Jianguo and his two brothers back home and let them recuperate properly, to avoid any long-term illnesses. As for the aunt, she dared not take them back, fearing it would upset the Old Man too much and make him ill. It would be better to gradually convince the Old Man later. Besides, with the three children gone, the food should be enough for the aunt for a month or so, and with Shou Yaowu’s assurance, her days in Huangkeng Village should not be too hard. After deciding, Tian Sisi went out and fetched Tian Xinhua to come in and check the kitchen, and also to feel Jianguo and the others’ clothes. Tian Xinhua looked upset, as he really hadn’t expected the aunt’s days to be so tough, even tougher than the poorest families in Yuequan Village. He agreed immediately to Tian Sisi’s suggestion to first bring Jianguo and his brothers back and face the great-grandpa’s scolding if necessary. Tian Sisi quietly added about ten kilograms of rice to the rice container, half a bowl of salt to the salt bowl, and half a jug of oil to the oil jug, being cautious not to take too much, as Tian Manlan wouldn’t suspect, thinking it was Granny Zhao who asked her and Tian Xinhua to bring these. Tian Xinhua had already agreed with the aunt to take Jianguo and his brothers back home for a while. Tian Manlan originally wanted to refuse, as their father had never allowed them into the house before. She worried that this time would be no different. However, seeing the hopeful look on Jianguo and his brothers’ faces, she couldn’t bring herself to reject them. Perhaps with Ah Nan and Xinhua here, the father wouldn’t shut out the children completely? The sun hung at mid-mountain, around three or four o’clock. Tian Xinhua didn’t say much, telling Jianguo and the others not to pack, just to leave directly. However, how they would get back became a problem; with only one bicycle, it was impossible to transport four people. After hesitating for a moment, Tian Manlan said, "Maybe we shouldn’t go today, how about another time?" "No, we must go today; their clothes are too thin and it will strain their health," insisted Tian Sisi, her words making Tian Manlan blush. Hesitant at first, Tian Xinhua also firmed up, realizing how cold the mountain was. He couldn’t just walk away knowing this. "Let’s do it this way. Brother Xin Hua, you take Weiguo and Baoguo back first. I and Jianguo will follow slowly on foot. Once you get home, ask the father to come pick us up." "Can you manage to walk?" Tian Xinhua looked at Tian Sisi skeptically. Ah Nan detested walking and having her cover dozens of miles might make her ill. He preferred Ah Nan and Baoguo take the bike and let Jianguo and Weiguo follow on foot until they could come back to pick up the two brothers. "Sisi, let me and the big brother walk. You and the little brother can go ahead," Weiguo, a somewhat sensitive child, saw he was taking his cousin’s spot and felt uneasy, thus he volunteered not to take the bike. "No need, I’m the big sister. How can I let you walk? You take the bike, I’ll walk with our big brother. We’ll rest intermittently, and it won’t be too tiring," reassured Tian Sisi, patting her chest. Despite truly hating walking, she couldn’t imagine making a six-year-old child walk dozens of miles. Tian Xinhua did not push any further, accepting Ah Nan’s arrangements as the best course, although it meant Ah Nan would endure hardship. Resigned, he pedaled fast, intending to have his uncle come pick up Ah Nan and Jianguo promptly. He placed the youngest, Baoguo, in the basket, and let Weiguo sit on the front bar. Seeing their thin clothes, Tian Sisi quickly took off her cotton-padded jacket and put it on Baoguo in the basket, as riding the bike generated a lot of wind and she didn’t want Little Baoguo to catch a cold. "Ah Nan, put it back on quickly. Baoguo is used to the cold; he’ll be fine," urged Tian Manlan as she helped Tian Sisi into her cotton jacket. Her niece’s health wasn’t very good; catching a cold could lead to serious problems. "It’s fine, I’ll get warmer as I walk. Besides, the sun is still quite strong now, it’s not cold." Tian Xinhua also took off his cotton jacket and put it on Weiguo, intending for Tian Sisi and Jianguo to follow behind slowly while he went ahead to get his uncle. Tian Sisi waved him off, urging him not to waste time chatting, they could have covered a mile already. Annoyed, Tian Xinhua muttered "ungrateful!" and rode off quickly. Tian Manlan escorted Tian Sisi and Shou Jianguo to the village entrance, giving Jianguo some advice before watching them leave. Tian Sisi, holding Jianguo’s hand, took some biscuits from her pocket and gave them to him. Gratefully, Jianguo thanked Sisi and started eating voraciously; he was indeed hungry. Lunch had been just rice soup; he gave most of the rice grains to his two younger brothers and only drank two bowls of water himself, leaving his stomach shamefully empty. Sisi looked at the cotton shoes on her feet, grateful she hadn’t worn those leather shoes. Otherwise, her tender feet would have suffered even more. She really did have foresight, Sisi couldn’t help feeling proud, humming a tune while picking some unknown wild grass on the roadside to weave into crowns, quite joyfully. Jianguo, influenced by her happiness, also showed the innocence appropriate for his age. However, Sisi’s good spirits lasted only for about ten minutes. Her feet, never having walked such a long distance, protested. Having walked only two or three miles, Sisi felt her legs were as heavy as if filled with lead, impossible to lift. On the other hand, little Jianguo walked briskly. Sisi gritted her teeth; she couldn’t let herself be outdone by a nine-year-old kid, could she? Thus, propelled by a determination not to lose to a little brat, Sisi managed to cover half the distance. They had descended the mountain and reached the main road, but by then it had grown dark, and the moon slowly rose, casting a foggy light on the path, which had no street lamps or villages nearby, leaving them to rely solely on the dim moonlight for guidance. "Jianguo, is there someone ahead?" "No, that’s just a shadow of a tree." "Jianguo, is there a snake lying there?" Sisi’s voice trembled, as she was extremely afraid of snakes. "Sisi, the snakes haven’t even come out of their holes yet. That’s also a tree shadow," Jianguo rolled his eyes. Throughout the journey, Sisi’s concerns never stopped, always imagining people, dogs, or snakes, thanks to her rich imagination turning these shadows into so many things. Sisi knew she was getting overly excited, but those shadows of the trees really looked terrifying, bizarrely shaped, especially in this dark night. As it got darker, Sisi tightly grasped Jianguo’s hand, her palms sweating, and a gust of chilly wind made her shiver. Xinhua desperately wanted to ride faster, but the descent was steep, and he dared not accelerate, only managing to go downhill slowly. Although anxious, he knew that haste could lead to accidents, so he forced himself to be patient. Finally, after a difficult descent, Xinhua sped up, continuously pedaling, his breath fogging up his eyebrows. He finally reached home, where Man Yin was at the entrance of the village, looking out. Seeing Xinhua, he rushed up with a smile, but seeing only the nephews with him, his expression changed, "Xinhua, where is Ah Nan? Did something happen?" "Nothing’s wrong, Uncle, you better ride fast to pick up Ah Nan and Jianguo. They are still walking back there. I rode ahead with Weiguo and Baoguo," said Xinhua, breathlessly finishing his explanation. Hearing that his precious daughter had walked dozens of miles through the mountains, Man Yin’s heart clenched with pain, but he also realized he couldn’t blame Xinhua. The two younger boys needed more care on the bike, and Ah Nan was making it easier for her younger brothers. Both distressed and proud of his daughter, Man Yin quickly took off the cotton coats from Weiguo and Baoguo, put them in the basket, and sent Xinhua to lead them home while he himself rode off quickly. It was getting dark, and Ah Nan was especially afraid of the dark; who knew how scared she might be! Sisi finally couldn’t walk any further and sat down abruptly on the ground. Her legs were so sore they felt numb, as if they were wood, and she worried whether she might have permanently damaged them. Sisi carefully recalled, but couldn’t remember ever hearing about someone walking their legs into such a state, which reassured her. She whispered to Jianguo, "Jianguo, let’s wait here for my dad. I really can’t walk anymore." Jianguo was also tired, but being used to farm work from a young age, he could endure a bit longer. He immediately pulled Sisi up, "Sisi, I’ll help you walk. You just sweated, you can’t rest now, or you might catch a cold." PS: Really need to thank many dear readers here, like Fat Girl 0915, Humble Me, mimoca, and others. Thank you for your support, Old Yang is brimming with confidence!