Every ti Hua Xiaomai ca over for the holidays, the two elders were always very happy, partly because of her good cooking skills, which enabled them to enjoy a feast of delicious flavors, and partly because they were indeed lonely in their everyday lives, with their children not around. Hua Xiaomai’s presence added so liveliness to the house, making the als taste better.
The relentless rain outside made the house damp and hot. Hua Xiaomai, having busied herself in the kitchen for half the day, was drenched in sweat, and felt uncomfortable even just sitting. While Grandma and Grandpa spoke to her, she was sowhat distracted.
"What’s on your mind, child, that you’re so restless?" Grandpa reached out and waved his hand in front of her while pushing the plate of Eel closer to her, "Eat while it’s hot. Your second sister and brother-in-law can’t be with you every holiday; it must be hard on you, right?"
"Hm?" Hua Xiaomai snapped back to her senses and smiled, "It’s not really like that. Holidays are just another day, aren’t they? My second sister and brother-in-law usually live on their own, and naturally, they should co back to the ancestral house for holidays; I can’t always follow them. After all, we’re together every day, so being apart for this short period isn’t really important."
Grandpa nodded and said sentintally, "Exactly, there’s no helping it. Think about my son, he used to not co ho for most of the year, sotis not even for New Year’s. I couldn’t do anything about it. He works so hard to earn money, and besides providing for his wife and son, he’s been quite generous to us as well, and I can’t really complain. But now that he’s working with you, he’s able to co back every month, and it’s comforting for us old folks to see him often—if only he could bring my two grandsons with him more often, that’d be even better!"
"If you miss Big Tiger and Little Tiger so much, why don’t you tell Uncle Ping’an honestly?" Hua Xiaomai pursed her lips and said, "Just tell him to bring your grandsons with him every ti he cos back, wouldn’t that solve it?"
"No, no," Grandpa waved his hands repeatedly, "He cos back for official business; it would be too troubleso to bring those two little ones along. He works hard to make money in the Provincial City, and I can’t help much, so let’s not cause him any trouble!"
His tone sounded sowhat sad, indicating that the couple indeed felt lonely. Hua Xiaomai didn’t know what to say and silently took a bite of fish.
After finishing the dishes on the table and peeling the zongzi, the sky gradually darkened.
It was now sumrti, and had it not been for this endless rain, there would have been many people outside enjoying the cool breeze. By the riverside, the refreshing air would have made their stall’s business flourish... Alas!
Thinking of this, Hua Xiaomai sighed again, helped Grandma collect the dishes into the kitchen, washed them, and bid her leave to head ho.
Soaked in sweat, she had to boil the Mugwort first, and take a bath before anything else.
A strong wind had risen outside, and the rain poured down, as if soone was endlessly dumping water from mid-air. The paths through the village had ford deep puddles, and a careless step could soak the lower half of one’s pants completely.
Grandma and Grandpa held an umbrella as they escorted Hua Xiaomai to the door, reminding her to lock the door imdiately once she’s ho and to call out to them if sothing happens. Suddenly, Grandma’s expression changed and she exclaid, "What’s that noise?"
Her eyesight wasn’t good, which perhaps was why her hearing was exceptionally keen. Hua Xiaomai glanced at her, saw her staring in the direction of her house, and quickly turned to look that way herself.
Nothing was visible through the rain, but if one listened carefully, there seed to be a faint creaking noise, like a wooden structure constructed and now swaying precariously, ready to collapse at any mont.
Hua Xiaomai’s heart skipped a beat, and she pricked up her ears again, but this ti, she only heard the whistling of the wind.
"Don’t be afraid, Xiaomai," Grandpa said, patting her shoulder and speaking kindly, "Both our houses were repaired before the new year, and your brother-in-law even helped fix my roof! The wind is strong, but our houses are sturdy, no need to worry too much. Just hurry back..."
Before he finished speaking, another louder "creak" sound ca, this ti much more intense.
Hua Xiaomai furrowed her brow tightly, biting her lower lip, not daring to move as she stared in that direction.
No... Could it be? Why was there a foreboding feeling?
"Go ho quickly, hurry back inside," Grandpa urged, pushing her slightly, "Once you’re inside, lock the door and don’t wander around the yard. Watch out for falling objects."
Hua Xiaomai responded and ran towards her ho.
However, before she could even open her yard’s gate, there was a loud crash; sothing seed to have collapsed and fell to the ground from mid-air.
The sound... ca from behind the house!
Hua Xiaomai felt as if her head would split open; she quickly opened the door and rushed to the back.
On top of the vegetable patch behind the house, the shed Jing Taihe had built just the other day seed to have snapped in half because it wasn’t securely tied, and it now lay across the vegetable garden. The fallen tarp had covered all the plants underneath, concealing what had happened below.
"My peppers!" Hua Xiaomai cried out, forgetting everything else as she rushed over, frantically tearing at the tarp and clumsily lifting the wooden fra to take a closer look. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to co to Qidian (qidian) and cast your recomndation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian to read.)
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