Happy to be praised by his father, Shitou grinned and replied, "Grandpa is also teaching how to read and recognize dicinal herbs. In the future, I will beco a good doctor like Grandpa too!"
Hearing this, Li Sang realized it was indeed ti to send his son to school. After a mont of thought, he asked, "Ah Heng, do you want to go to school?"
Shitou thought for a mont, then asked, "Father, if I go to school, can I be like my sister?"
Thinking his son was referring to being smart and knowledgeable, Li Sang nodded and replied firmly, "Of course!"
At the sa ti, Shitou recalled the snacks his sister had brought ho from school and started to salivate. After swallowing, he nodded and said, "Father, I want to go to school!"
"Then Father will ask Grandpa Xie to help with your school registration. You can start after the new year," Li Sang said.
"Thank you, Father!"
When they arrived at the backyard, Li Shu had already finished washing the dirt off her hands. Seeing her father, she asked, "Father, have you eaten?"
Li Sang bent down to let his son down, then placed the things he had brought on the balcony before replying, "Father has eaten."
Li Shu nodded and went to the kitchen to get a bowl of fish soup. As she handed it to her father, she said, "Father, this fish was caught by Shitou yesterday. It's fresh and delicious—try it."
Accepting the bowl, Li Sang smiled and tasted the soup. Though it was only stew with mushrooms and ginger, it was indeed delicious.
After her father finished the soup and drank so tea, Li Shu finally asked, "Father, did you co today to discuss Grandmother's matter?"
Hearing his daughter's words, Li Sang was taken aback. After a mont of surprise, he smiled and said, "So you already know about it."
Li Shu nodded and replied, "When Grandmother was looking for soone to marry you, everyone in the village was talking about it. It was hard for or Shitou not to hear."
Li Sang let out a long sigh and said, "Father did co today to talk about your Grandmother, but not about marriage."
"Then what do you want to discuss, Father?" Li Shu asked.
"It's about your brother. I already rejected the matchmaking and sent your Grandmother to live with your eldest uncle in Wen Village," Li Sang explained.
After a pause, he continued, "Since I have to work and rarely co ho, I want to ask you to take care of your brother. Ah Shu, can you help Father?"
Li Shu thought for a mont before replying, "Father, I need to ask Grandpa for his opinion first. Before we get an answer, how about you stay with Shitou for now?"
Before Li Sang could respond, Shitou had already said, "Father, Sister, I don't want to stay here."
"Ah Heng, don't you like your sister the most? Why don't you want to stay with her now?" Li Sang asked with doubts.
Shitou hesitated for a mont before saying, "Father, Grandpa Xie is scary. A few hours is okay, but if I have to stay with him all the ti, I don't dare."
Hearing this, both Li Sang and Li Shu were amused. Rubbing her brother's head, Li Shu asked, "If you don't want to stay here, where do you want to stay?"
As if he had been waiting for this question, Shitou's eyes lit up and he said, "I want to stay with Aunt Jueyu!"
This ti, both father and daughter were stunned. While the two families were neighbors, Li Sang rarely interacted with Li Chenmo and his family. How could he trouble them with his family's affairs?
"Ah Heng, that's not appropriate," he said.
Pouting, Shitou lowered his head and said stubbornly, "Why not? Aunt Jueyu said she wanted to take as her foster son and that I could stay with her and her family."
Li Sang was dumbfounded when he heard his son's words. He looked at his son and frowned. "Ah Heng, your aunt was just joking. You can't take her words seriously," he said helplessly.
His father tried to persuade him, but Shitou refused to believe him. When his Aunt Jueyu said it, she had been serious—and he trusted her.
Seeing her brother's eyes begin to redden as if he might cry, Li Shu quickly said, "Father, how about we talk to Uncle Chenmo and Aunt Jueyu about it first?"
"If they really intend to take Shitou as their foster son, then living with them wouldn't be a bad thing. You could give them so money, ingredients, and coupons to cover his living expenses."
Li Sang weighed the pros and cons for a long mont before saying, "Then we will visit them tomorrow. Today, Shitou will stay with Father."
"Okay. Father and Shitou should join Grandpa and for dinner later," Li Shu said with a smile.
"Good."
As they waited for Doctor Xie to return, Li Sang helped his daughter repair parts of the house, chop firewood, and refill the water tank.
At the sa ti, at the entrance of the village, Father Wei and Mother Wei stepped out of a car, followed by a young man.
After unloading their luggage from the trunk, the young man said, "Comrade Wei, I still have tasks to handle and need to return to report to the brigade leaders."
He took out an envelope from his pocket, handed it to Father Wei, and said, "This is the recomndation letter written by the brigade secretary. You can show it to the team leader—he will arrange accommodations for you and your family."
Father Wei took the envelope and replied, "Thank you for bringing us here, Comrade Jiang."
"Comrade Wei, you are too polite. This is just my duty."
With that brief exchange, Comrade Jiang got back into the car and drove away.
Standing at the village entrance, Mother Wei covered her nose and mouth with a silk handkerchief and asked, "Husband, is this really Xie village?"
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