Chapter 48

The old lady, leaning on her cane, went downstairs and sat in the courtyard, watching her frail granddaughter draw water from the well, then went upstairs to clean the old house, her mind unable to settle.

Thinking about the future of the two of them, her heart was filled with anxiety, and her wrinkled hand rubbed the cane handle, constantly thinking of ways out. Should she grow vegetables? She was too old for that. Raise chicks? She didn't have the energy. Seek help from the village? She wasn't the only elderly person in need.

Not to mention daily life, just thinking about her granddaughter's beautiful face, which resembled her mother's, made the old lady feel that she should be grateful if she could keep her safe. When her daughter-in-law first married into the family, didn't it attract some idle men to loiter around the house? If it weren't for the fierce dog they later raised, who knows what might have happened.

Right, she should get a dog... But, with people almost starving, how could she afford to keep a dog?

As she thought, the old lady's eyes suddenly brightened. After some careful consideration, she decided that this might be a solution. She resolved to put aside her pride and ask for help. Her niece was always enthusiastic and had worked abroad, so her family was well-off. Out of family ties, she might agree to help.

With this thought, the old lady's mind eased somewhat, and she sat comfortably in the wicker chair, letting out a long breath.

After finishing breakfast, Wang Bai saw his mother tidying things up and asked, "Mom, are you going to see Uncle Si again?"

Wang's mother was packing some pastries and a basket of fresh eggs. "The detention center doesn't allow food, but this is for your great-aunt. I have the day off, so I'm going to visit her. She'll be living alone from now on, and it's a bit pitiful."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Wang Bai asked, "It looks like you have a lot of stuff."

"No need, stay home and do your homework. You have a competition this afternoon, don't fall behind," Wang's mother said, quickly picking up several bags and the basket of eggs and heading out.

A few minutes later, Wang's mother arrived near the Lu family's house. After some inquiries, she found the entrance. Seeing no one in the courtyard and the front door of the ground floor open, she called out, "Great-aunt, are you home? Maotou is here to see you." Wang's mother was the youngest among her peers, and as a child, her elders gave her the nickname Maotou, which stuck.

Lu Grandma was helping her granddaughter make the bed. Hearing the call, she immediately responded, "Yes, I'm coming." She excitedly called to her granddaughter, "Lu Lu, come down and meet your aunt."

Lu Lu, who knew nothing about the Lu family's relatives, thought her aunt was a close relative and quickly perked up. "Oh, okay."

The grandmother and granddaughter came downstairs, and Lu Grandma warmly welcomed her niece, "Maotou, it's not easy for you to come, and you brought so many things, that's too much." The pastries were nothing, but the eggs were a real gift, and the old lady was genuinely happy, her eyes shining.

"Where are you from? It's rare for me to come, how could I come empty-handed?" Wang's mother put down the things and looked at Lu Lu, finding her familiar. "This is..."

"This is my granddaughter, Lu Lu. Her uncle brought her back this morning."

"Ah?" Wang's mother was surprised, "Her uncle isn't taking care of her? How can that be!"

Seeing her indignation, the grandmother and granddaughter felt a bit awkward. Lu Lu said, "I came back on my own. I was worried about Grandma being alone."

Wang's mother, moved, hugged her, "Oh, what a good child! Auntie will look at you, yes, you're so beautiful, just like your mother when she was young! Great-aunt, isn't that right, she looks just like your sister-in-law."

"Who says not," Lu Grandma thought, I'm worried about this. These days, being beautiful can be a curse, "She's so fair and lovely."

The two of them chatted, making Lu Lu blush. She rubbed her ears and said, "Aunt, sit down, chat with Grandma, I'll get you some tea."

She ran into the back room to the kitchen to get tea. When she returned with the teacup, she saw Lu Grandma throw her cane aside and was about to kneel before her aunt!

Wang's mother wouldn't let her great-aunt kneel and quickly pulled her up, "Oh! What are you doing, get up, we can talk, we're family, no need for this! If you have any difficulties, just say it!"

Lu Lu quickly put down the teacup and also helped the old lady, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

Lu Grandma, her lips trembling and tears streaming, said, "I'm an old woman, I can't take care of this granddaughter anymore. My husband died early, and the Lu family never treated me as one of their own... I've held this family together as a widow, but I can't do it anymore... Oh... Maotou, I've never begged anyone in my life, I don't know how to say it, I can only kneel to you!"

As she spoke, she tried to kneel again, but Wang's mother held her back, "Talk about it! There's nothing you can't say, if you do this again, I won't come!"

Lu Grandma then looked at her granddaughter, "You see this child, she's a good child... I can't let her suffer and starve with me, and I'm so old, with no dog to guard the house, if anything happens to her, how can I face her dead parents!... Maotou, I beg you, take her away, I'll be a cow or a horse in my next life to repay you! Oh..."

Hearing this, Lu Lu's face turned pale. She murmured, "Grandma, I won't go..." and tears streamed down her face.

"Foolish child," Lu Grandma stroked her head, "I'm not disowning you, I'm really worried about you. If you don't go, you'll be the one to kill me..."

Wang's mother, always soft-hearted, seeing the two of them crying, covered her mouth and said, "Oh... Great-aunt, don't worry... I will, I will take good care of the child, you can trust me! If a hair is missing, I'll kneel and apologize! Oh..."

Then she persuaded Lu Lu, "Child, go with Auntie, come home with me. Only then can your grandma be at ease, and your brother can focus on his reform. When he gets out, you can reunite as a family."

"But, but Grandma..." Lu Lu was moved. She had to consider her future and prospects. This house was in such a state, even poorer than her uncle's. She was afraid she wouldn't be able to finish high school here, but she was still worried about Grandma being alone.

"Don't worry, Auntie has a plan," Wang's mother wiped away her tears, "Great-aunt, there's a good nursing home in Guanglin. The environment is much better than a nursing home. If you don't mind, I'll take you there. Don't worry about the cost, I'll arrange it. Only then will this child be willing to go with me."

This decision wasn't made on the spot but was planned before she came. It was a decision she made after promising to take care of Great-aunt in the detention center.

"Is this, is this appropriate..." Lu Grandma had heard of that nursing home. The conditions were indeed good, with dedicated caregivers, but the monthly cost was thousands, which was beyond the means of an average family.

"What's appropriate or not," Wang's mother said, "You can rest assured and live there without paying a cent. Consider it my filial duty. If you feel bad, just tell your two grandchildren to repay me when I'm old!"

Lu Grandma was moved and repeatedly agreed. After marrying, she had cut ties with her natal family and considered herself a Lu. But after her husband's death, she had suffered a lot from her in-laws. If she hadn't refused to remarry, she might not have kept the old house. Who knew that in her old age, she would still receive help from her natal family, which made her tearful.

With Grandma's future settled, Lu Lu's worries were gone. However, she still had a doubt. From Grandma's words, it was clear that the Lu family's relatives didn't take good care of them. So, this aunt wasn't her father's full sister. Who was she, then?

Great-aunt, Great-aunt... Lu Lu suddenly realized that this aunt must be Grandma's niece. That made sense. After Grandma married, she cut ties with her natal family, but this aunt was enthusiastic and willing to pay for Grandma's nursing home, indicating that her family was well-off. She hoped that staying with her wouldn't cause too much trouble...

She didn't know what her uncle was like, but people of the same kind tend to be similar. If Auntie was kind, Uncle must be too. She wondered how old their children were. If they were younger, it would be nice to have a sister to share a room with, so she wouldn't have to stay in a dorm.

Lu Lu had to stay in a dorm because her cousin's family couldn't provide a bed for her. As a child, she shared a room with her cousin, but later, she had to sleep on a sofa bed in her uncle and aunt's room.

She had never had her own room, so having a sister to share a room with would be enough for her.

But in fact, the situation was more complicated than she imagined. Her aunt's child was not only a boy and her age, but it was Wang Bai.

Lu Lu's clothes were already packed, and she was on the move again, this time from the Lu family to the Wang family. Lu Grandma still had to pack, and entering the nursing home wasn't immediate, so Wang's mother noted down Great-aunt's information and planned to register her at the nursing home first, then come back to pick her up.

Lu Lu had to go to tutoring in the afternoon, so she went back to Guanglin with Wang's mother. The aunt and niece said goodbye to Lu Grandma and walked out of the village, stopping a car on the main road. Wang's mother talked to her about her childhood, feeling more and more sorry for her, wanting to hug her and comfort her.

After hailing a taxi, Lu Lu heard her aunt say they were going to Shuiqiao Jingyuan, and her heart skipped a beat. She thought, "So, I'll be neighbors with Wang Bai."

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