Zhao Zhitong paused, stunned. Pointing at the man stumbling as he ran, she asked, "Is that Uncle?"
Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu nodded in unison. "Yes, that’s Uncle. Why is he in such a hurry?"
The three children exchanged puzzled glances.
Although their relationship with Uncle was decent, he had moved in with their step-grandmother after the family separation, so they rarely saw him. Because of this, the three children didn’t dwell on it and continued to hurry ho.
Once ho, Zhao Zhitong imdiately started packing her things to visit her maternal grandmother. The issue with the house design blueprints was resolved, so Landlord Qin wouldn’t be bothering them about their house anymore. After clearing the debris from the previous vandalism, Zhang Jinbao had the workers rush to start, determined to finish construction before winter.
At this ti, Zhao Dong was already at the construction site supervising the workers, while Sun i was preparing dinner for them. Therefore, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu were tasked with accompanying Zhao Zhitong to her maternal grandmother’s house. Besides, the journey from Zhao Village to Sun Village wasn’t far, so they weren’t too worried. They just reminded the children not to return too late, as traveling at night wasn’t safe.
Zhao Zhitong stuffed items into her small wicker basket, and once it was full, she slung it onto her back and called out, "I know, Mother!"
Then she trotted out the door.
Seeing this, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu quickly followed. Once they caught up, Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu flanked Zhao Zhitong, each holding one of her small hands as they headed towards Sun Village together.
However, before they reached Sun Village, they encountered Uncle on the path, rushing frantically. Following close behind him was Sun Kang, carrying a dicine chest and also walking quickly.
"Grandfather! Uncle!"
Seeing the two, Zhao Zhitong waved her small hand excitedly and ran to hug her grandfather’s leg, coaxing playfully, "Grandfather, did you know Tongtong was coming and ca out to et ?"
Sun Kang replied, "You little imp, off to see your maternal grandmother, are you? You and your brothers go on ahead. Grandfather needs to go with your Uncle to examine your Aunt."
Uncle’s face was etched with anxiety. Zhao Zhitong imdiately let go of Sun Kang’s leg, urging her grandfather to go with Uncle, as treating the patient was urgent.
"Grandfather, hurry, hurry! I’ll wait for you at ho."
Only after Grandfather and Uncle had rushed off and their figures disappeared did the three children continue towards Sun Village.
Zhao Zhitong stopped skipping and jumping, instead pondering what illness Aunt could have that made Uncle so anxious. Lost in thought, Zhao Zhitong asked, "Big Brother, Xiao Ge, do you think Aunt is about to have her baby?"
That must be why Uncle is so anxious. Giving birth is supposed to be a major event.
Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu shook their heads.
Zhao Yu replied, "I don’t think so. I heard babies need to stay in their mother’s belly for ten full months before they’re born."
Zhao Cheng nodded in agreent. "Yes, Aunt shouldn’t be about to give birth."
After a mont’s thought, Zhao Zhitong began to count on her little fingers. Aunt had found out she was pregnant in June, so by now... "Four months!"
Zhao Zhitong blinked. Aunt’s baby is only four months old. So it can’t be childbirth. Then what’s wrong with Aunt?
She grew a little worried; Aunt had always been very kind to her. She recalled Grandpa Bai saying that this world was different from their previous one. Here, dicine wasn’t advanced. For a woman, childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell, with a very high chance of premature birth, difficult labor, hemorrhaging, or even both mother and child dying.
Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu both shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know either.
Zhao Zhitong then suggested, "Why don’t we go take a look?"
Zhao Yu hesitated, then said, "But aren’t you going to visit our maternal grandmother?"
It wasn’t that he was heartless and didn’t want to visit Aunt; he was truly terrified of his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Wang. Before the family separated, Mrs. Wang had particularly disliked him, often hitting him without reason. It wasn’t the kind of token punishnt for a disobedient child; it was real, hard beatings. She even used to whip his back with willow branches as thick as his little finger. The re mory still made his back burn with phantom pain.
"Hmm, that’s true." Zhao Zhitong tapped her small chin thoughtfully. "Then let’s visit our maternal grandmother first, and then we can go see Aunt."
"Alright."
"Okay."
And so, the three children ca to an agreent, quite pleased with their decision.
「However, before they could visit Aunt, a commotion erupted at the Zhao Family Old House.」
Uncle Zhao Qiu had a massive argunt with his step-grandmother, Mrs. Wang. In a fit of anger, he took his wife, Mrs. Sun, and moved out of the Zhao Family Old House, heading to Zhao Dong’s ho.
At that mont, Zhao Qiu was clutching Zhao Dong, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed, "Second Brother, I’m in such agony! How could Mother do this? How could she be so heartless? Sun Jin is pregnant! That’s my child! How could she bring herself to harm her? I can’t stay in that house a day longer! I want to separate the families! I absolutely must separate!"
When Zhao Zhitong and her two older brothers returned ho, this was the scene that greeted them.
Aunt lay on a flatbed cart, her face as pale as a sheet, covered with thick quilts. Sun i was by her side, feeding her dicine. Uncle was clinging to Zhao Dong, crying like a child.
Zhao Dong sighed helplessly. How could Zhao Qiu truly break away from Mrs. Wang? She is his biological mother, after all. He probably wouldn’t have the heart to sever ties completely. Still, if they could live apart temporarily, at least until the baby is born, Zhao Qiu’s wife would endure less hardship.
Zhao Dong comforted him for a good while before the distraught Zhao Qiu gradually cald down.
Considering Mrs. Wang was currently in a ’frenzied’ state, it was best for Fifth Sister-in-law not to return to the old house. So Zhao Dong said, "Fifth Brother, how about this: for now, take Fifth Sister-in-law to stay in our Eldest Brother’s courtyard. Zhao Cheng and Zhao Yu don’t live there, so it’s vacant. I’ll have your sister-in-law go over later to help you tidy up. You can stay there for a few days."
Zhao Qiu found this agreeable and nodded, wiping his tears. "Yes, yes, that’s what I was thinking too. But there’s no need to trouble Sister-in-law. Your family is busy building the house. I can manage the tidying myself."
After Sun Jin finished her dicine, Zhao Qiu pushed the cart to their Eldest Brother’s courtyard next door.
After Sun i finished cooking, she still felt uneasy, so she brought them so food and went to help tidy their room. Aunt is so weak right now, unable to even get out of bed. With only Zhao Qiu, a grown man, he definitely wouldn’t manage to clean up properly.
Zhao Zhitong grabbed a small broom and trotted out after Sun i, calling, "Mother, I’ll help you clean Aunt’s room! I’m very good at sweeping!"
From the conversation between Zhao Dong and Sun i she’d just overheard, Zhao Zhitong now understood the whole story.
It turned out that her step-grandmother, Mrs. Wang, had been in a foul mood ever since she received those twenty strokes with the plank. Previously, Third Aunt Xiao Wang, who had been taking care of her, had used the excuse of going to the market to flee and never returned. That left only Aunt Sun Jin at ho to look after Mrs. Wang. Things were sowhat better when Uncle Zhao Qiu was ho. He could share so of Aunt Sun Jin’s burden and protect her. Other than Mrs. Wang muttering sarcastic curses, she wouldn’t do much else.
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