Chapter 231 – Oldest Paternal Aunt
The refugees in the ‘refugee camp’ saw a rich-looking man stride towards them in an agitated manner, while being chased by a pretty little girl. The refugees were afraid of offending the nobles, so they all moved away. After the father-daughter pair passed by, they whispered about what had happened.
Hearing his younger daughter’s voice, Yu Hai halted his steps with difficulty, turned around, and held the hand of his younger daughter, who was chasing after him. After that, he continued to walk towards that familiar figure.
“Father? Who did you see? Is it my oldest aunt?” Since the beginning of winter, her father had been worried about her oldest paternal aunt, who lived in the northeast disaster area. They didn’t know her oldest aunt’s situation. There had long been refugees coming to Tanggu Town, yet they hadn’t received any news from her oldest aunt.
Holding onto his younger daughter’s small hand, Yu Hai felt very anxious, but he still slowed down to match his daughter’s pace. As they got closer to that thin figure, Xiaocao felt her father’s hand slightly trembling.
“Husband, drink some congee. The congee at Tanggu Town is much thicker than that of other places. There’s quite a lot of rice inside!” With a smile full of warmth, Yu Caifeng gently lifted the man lying on the straws, who was so thin that he barely looked like a human.
The man coughed violently, and his haggard face was completely flushed as if he would stop breathing at any time. The refugees around them were afraid that he was suffering from tuberculosis, so they all moved away.
The man finally calmed down slightly. He worked hard to inhale a few times, and then weakly said, “I’m not hungry. You and the children should drink it!”
Yu Caifeng shook her head resolutely and said in a soft voice, “The children are waiting in line to get congee! Since we have arrived in Tanggu Town, we are considered home already. After you drink this congee and recover some strength in your body, we will go to Dongshan Village tomorrow.”
The man moistened his dry lips, which were cracked and bleeding, with his tongue. He sighed and said, “I’m being a burden to you and the children. If it wasn’t for my treatment, you wouldn’t have to suffer with me. I reckon that I won’t be able to survive this illness. It would be a waste for me to eat this congee, so it is better for you to eat it! The children are still young, so you can’t fall sick…”
“What are you saying! You just have a cold, and you haven’t recovered due to the poor conditions on the road. When we get back to Dongshan Village, I’ll borrow some money from my father and get a doctor from Tongren Medicine Hall to treat your illness… Doctor Sun of Tongren Medicine Hall in town has excellent medical skills. Everyone says that if he’s willing, he can certainly be an imperial physician with his skills. He will definitely be able to cure you! Hurry up and drink the congee!!” With tears brimming in her eyes, Yu Caifeng pretended to be fierce.
The man was several years older than her, and he was also a widower. When she first married him, she had a strong temperament and regarded him with contempt for a long time. However, the man had a good temper. He tolerated her little temper and pampered her as a young maiden. Although she wasn’t satisfied with this marriage at first, she was moved by the man’s sincerity and lived with him wholeheartedly. After depending on each other for fifteen years, it had already become a habit for her to rely on him and trust in him. Now, she seriously couldn’t imagine how she would continue living without him…
Looking at his wife’s helpless and indecisive eyes, the man felt a sharp pain in his heart that was even more unbearable than his illness. He forced out a smile and said, “Okay! I’ll drink this congee! I have already persevered all the way to here, so no matter what, I must hold on! I’m really still very worried about you and our three children…”
