Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Heart-to-Heart Talk
“Since you were eliminated by in the first round, staying here isn’t impossible. However, why should I keep soone like you?”
Since she had abandoned him, why would she want him to stay? What was so special about him?
“This humble one…”
The young man’s cheeks flushed red as he stood amid the surrounding pairs of mocking eyes, forcing himself to stand tall.
“This humble one might not be skilled in other areas, but I can clean, do laundry, cook, and I know how to read. I have also taken care of children; I raised my younger brothers and sisters back at ho!”
The aning in his words made the people around him whisper among themselves, with laughter breaking out from ti to ti.
...
Even amidst the sounds of mockery, he remained defiant, standing straight and looking at her with hopeful eyes.
Liu Sisi thought for a mont and suddenly laughed!
“You can enter the manor, but your younger sister must also sign a dead contract. However, I will only pay for one person’s work. If you agree, go and bring your sister here. If you don’t agree, let’s pretend this never happened.”
After speaking, Liu Sisi stood up and left the small courtyard directly.
The young man quickly chased after her for a few steps, but was stopped by a pageboy behind Liu Sisi.
He hurriedly shouted: “Madam, rest assured, He Yun will imdiately bring my younger sister to pay respects to you upon my return. Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given He Yun, thank you, Madam!”
The shouting behind her didn’t make Liu Sisi stop her steps; she continued at a calm pace.
After a while, she sighed softly and turned back to look at Niuniu who was following beside her: “Do you know why mom agreed to that young man?”
“Because mom is very kind, Niuniu knows you wouldn’t stand by and let soone die.”
Niuniu’s childlike words made Liu Sisi unable to hold back her laughter.
“One’s kindness never runs out, but do you think he’s pitiable?”
Niuniu nodded seriously: “Yes, he has no parents and also a severely ill younger sister, of course, he is pitiable.”
“But in that crowd, there are many people whose parents and siblings are dead, leaving them alone. Aren’t they even more pitiable?”
“They are pitiable.”
Niuniu nodded again.
“You think he’s pitiable as an orphan, but there are others who are orphaned and disfigured. Aren’t they more pitiable?”
“There are also those who aren’t orphans but were abandoned by their parents and are missing limbs. Aren’t they pitiable?”
“And there are those who were abandoned by their parents, missing limbs, yet they specifically deceive people for money, causing countless hos to be ruined. Do you still find them pitiable?”
Liu Sisi’s questions ca one after another, leaving Niuniu completely unsure how to respond.
“Mom, but how do I know if he’s trying to deceive ?”
Liu Sisi smiled softly, patting Niuniu’s head: “Our Niuniu is really smart, asking the right question. Actually, what mom wanted to tell YingEr is that we can’t judge things by their appearance. The young man just now dared to struggle and fight; that’s both his strength and his weakness…”
Liu Sisi carefully explained to Niuniu, but in her heart, she had made a decision. This young man might only be suited for the barracks. She could throw him there to temper his character, and then it would be fine for him to co back and follow any child.
The manor suddenly beca much busier with the addition of several dozen people; it felt lively all at once. Although these hands had gone through so rudintary training, they still had a long way to go before they could be truly useful.
In the afternoon, the first snow that had been falling for nearly two days finally stopped, leaving the sky still gray and overcast, making it feel hard to open one’s eyes.
Di Yelei returned just as dusk fell, only to find Liu Sisi prostrate on the warm kang, clutching her small stomach and covered under a thick blanket.
“What’s wrong? Sisi, are you not feeling well?”
Di Yelei fumbled within the blanket before finally touching the small body of Liu Sisi buried underneath.
“Don’t touch …”
Liu Sisi gritted her teeth, struggling to speak.
When Di Yelei reached out to touch her, he imdiately felt the cold sweat on Liu Sisi’s back, which startled him!
“Why are you in so much pain? Don’t move, I’ll call the doctor.”
“Don’t go! Ye Lei, I just… I just…” Liu Sisi stuttered for a long ti before whispering in his ear, “I have severe stomach pain.”
Realizing the situation instantly, Di Yelei hurried out of the room, only to return a mont later with two hot water bags in hand.
“I’ve already sent for the doctor. Here are two hot water bags; place them on your body to warm up. You’ll feel a bit better soon.”
“It’s okay, it’s just the sa old problem—it cos and goes, there’s no need to worry.”
Liu Sisi’s face was pale, but she forced a smile at him.
Di Yelei furrowed his brows, “How can you say it’s okay when you’re in such pain? Since you’re ill, you should see a doctor. How can you just tough it out?”
“Really, it’s nothing. It’s just nstrual pain; it usually happens when I suddenly get cold. Usually, there’s no problem.”
Perhaps the hot water bags were effective, or perhaps Di Yelei’s concern ward her heart, Liu Sisi felt her stomach easing considerably.
“I recall you didn’t have such issues before, right? When did this start?”
“It started during those years in the countryside when it was cold… and with the chaos of war … and I didn’t notice exactly when it began…”
Liu Sisi spoke softly, a gentle smile on her face when recalling the past, “Actually, although those days were tough, having three children with , and with Eldest Uncle and Cheng’er helping out, plus waking up every day hoping for good news from you—I really didn’t find the days hard to endure.”
“You… my silly girl.”
Di Yelei, both heartbroken and filled with tenderness, said, “You describe those hard tis as if they were so blessed. Sisi, when I see you like this, it truly disturbs . But, during my days in the border city, I also thought of you all the ti. Often, we would fall asleep as soon as we lay down, and I was kept so busy spinning like a top every day that I had no ti to think of you, nor did I dare to, for fear that thinking of you would make flee back ho to your side…”
This was the first ti Di Yelei had spoken in detail about his days in the border city in front of her. Liu Sisi quietly leaned against him, silently listening to his stories about those tis.
“Before I left, didn’t you ask to write letters to you?”
Di Yelei chuckled softly, “I had a thousand words to write, but when it ca to actually picking up the pen, I didn’t know what to write. Often I would sit for an entire evening, only to realize that not a single word had been written on the paper in front of . Back then, the only thing that made grit my teeth and keep going was the drive to stay alive.”
There was too much suffering, too many tears he could not speak of to Sisi. It was like he said: when it ca ti to actually write or speak, he found his language inadequate, his vocabulary lacking, and he couldn’t express what was truly in his heart.
“Enough, truly, it’s enough because I understand everything you’re trying to say!”
They were of one mind; how could she not understand!
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