Amidst a creak, the door was slowly pushed open once more. Several people squeezed into the already cramped, dilapidated room. Besides Zhang Yuniang—the mother of Li Menglan who had just left not long ago (from now on, the female lead will be the little girl Li Menglan)—there was also an elderly man and woman who walked in supporting each other, dressed in attire similar to Zhang Yuniang's. If Li Menglan remembered correctly, these two elderly people should be her current grandfather and grandmother.
As for the other youth—a teenage boy in thin blue garments patched all over—uh... he had a similarly small, frail frame. Thick eyebrows and large eyes; although there wasn't an ounce of flesh on his face, he was an extremely spirited boy. Hmm... this should be her second brother, Li Zhihao. But? Why hadn't she seen her father Li Dazhu and eldest brother Li Zhiming? Li Menglan looked around in confusion.
"Lan girl, your father and eldest brother went to the mountain." Zhang Yuniang noticed her daughter's puzzlement, gently walked to Li Menglan's side, and softly said, "There's nothing at home to nourish your body and your grandfather's. Your father and eldest brother plan to try their luck on the mountain; perhaps they can catch a pheasant, hare, or something, so they can help you recuperate, Lan girl."
After Zhang Yuniang married Li Dazhu, she gave birth to two sons and one daughter. Especially Li Menglan... as the Li family's only girl, every member of the Li family doted on her dearly. Though the Li family were farmers, they were extremely attentive to this daughter. Even the two brothers, Li Zhiming and Li Zhihao—whenever they obtained anything good, the first thing they thought of was always their precious little sister, Li Menglan.
Li Fujin's gaunt, old face was full of heartache. This granddaughter of his had always been a well-behaved and sensible child. It was all because of these old bones of his—how could he have suddenly contracted such a strange illness when everything was perfectly fine? Not only had it impoverished a family that was originally fairly well-off, but it nearly killed his well-behaved, sensible granddaughter. Bean-sized teardrops streamed down from Li Fujin's turbid eyes, falling to the ground one by one.
"Old man, Lan girl has finally woken up; you should be happy. What's with the crying? It's terribly inauspicious." Li Menglan's grandmother, Lin Sanniang, also smiling through her tears, shot Li Fujin a reproachful glance.
"Grandfather, I'm fine. In a few days I'll be lively and bouncing around again." Li Menglan comforted her grandfather in a hoarse voice.
"Good, good, good..." Li Fujin repeatedly assented. "Yes, when the time comes, Grandpa will accompany our Lan girl to fish by the river again."
"Okay." Li Menglan readily agreed.
"Little sister, little sister, and Second Brother too! When the time comes, Second Brother will definitely find lots of delicious wild fruits for you!" Li Zhihao hurriedly jumped up and down and shouted loudly, afraid that his sister would ignore him.
"Mm..." A faint smile appeared on Li Menglan's small face. "I knew Second Brother dotes on me the most." Children needed coaxing and praise. The soul inhabiting Li Menglan's body was already over twenty years old; naturally, she knew how to deal with children.
Sure enough... Li Zhihao puffed out his little chest and said proudly, "That's right, I'm her older brother! Protecting my sister and loving my sister is an older brother's responsibility." Looking at Li Zhihao's appearance as a young little man, everyone in the room—young and old alike—laughed.
Hehe... Even Li Menglan, lying on the bed, revealed a joyful smile. How wonderful! Even without money, having so many relatives who loved her so dearly—at this moment, Li Menglan felt incredibly happy. As for money, once her body recovered, she could think of ways to earn it. It wasn't as if a living person would be suffocated to death by urine, right?
Li Menglan simply refused to believe it. A proper top student of Peking University, possessing over a thousand years more knowledge—would she actually starve to death in this ancient era? As for the future—Li Menglan believed it would certainly be filled with boundless light and promise.
When the sky was nearly dark, Li Dazhu and his son Li Zhiming finally returned from the mountain. The moment they stepped into the dilapidated courtyard where their family currently lived, Li Zhiming couldn't help but call out at the top of his lungs, face full of smiles, to Zhang Yuniang who was squatting in the courtyard: "Mother, Father and I are back."
"Back means back. Why are you shouting at the top of your lungs?" Zhang Yuniang glared at Li Zhiming unhappily. "Lan girl just took her medicine and fell asleep. Be careful not to wake her."
"Mother, little sister finally woke up?" Upon hearing Zhang Yuniang's words, Li Zhiming quickly lowered his voice and asked in pleasant surprise.
Li Dazhu, who had just entered the courtyard, also heard the conversation between his wife and eldest son. He hurriedly quickened his pace to stand before Zhang Yuniang and said, "Wife, Lan girl woke up today." Li Dazhu's dark, weather-beaten face carried a hint of joy, and his tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
"Mn." Zhang Yuniang stood up and received the things from her husband's hands, gently saying, "Indeed. Lan girl finally woke up at noon today. Child's father, with Lan girl waking up like this, this heart of mine that's been suspended can finally be put to rest."
Zhang Yuniang and Li Dazhu were clearly no more than thirty-odd years old, yet because of the family's affairs these past two years, the two of them looked a full dozen years older.
Li Dazhu's gaze toward Zhang Yuniang was filled with guilt. Ah... it was all because he was useless, dragging his wife into suffering alongside him. "Wife, it's all because your husband is useless, making you and the children suffer with me." Li Dazhu spoke with a choked voice.
"Pah." Zhang Yuniang spat lightly and said, "What nonsense are you speaking? Isn't Father-in-law also my father? Now that Lan girl has woken up too, our family has finally seen the sun after the rain. Our days will slowly get better from now on." Zhang Yuniang was still quite satisfied with this man of hers. Although the family was somewhat poor, fatherly kindness, filial piety, and family harmony were better than anything.
"Mm... In the future, I'll definitely work even harder to let you women and children live a good life." Li Dazhu tightly gripped Zhang Yuniang's hand and promised.
"Mother, Father and I had pretty good luck in the mountains today." Li Zhiming also interjected with a grin. "Not only did we pick some mushrooms, but we also caught two pheasants and a hare. Perfect for stewing soup to help sister and Grandfather recuperate."
"Good. I'll stew a pheasant soup in a moment. When your sister wakes up, she'll be able to drink it right away." Zhang Yuniang looked at her eldest son with a face full of relief. Clearly, Li Zhiming was already fifteen years old this year, yet his frame was much frailer compared to others his age. A flash of heartache flickered in Zhang Yuniang's eyes. Ah... when all was said and done, it was because she, as a mother, was useless.
If only... But where were there so many ifs? At this moment, Zhang Yuniang was grateful to the Heavens. At least her family could remain together and care for one another. This was already very good, wasn't it? Compared to those whose families were torn apart, she was already very fortunate.