C160 (1/2)

Little Pei pointed to Xiaowan's figure and happily said to her father. ”Daddy, let Aunt buy me a candied fruit.”

But Ling Chaofeng just stared at him sternly. ”What did I tell you before we left, not to run around, have you forgotten everything?”

Little Pei lowered his head timidly and carried on his shoulder. The little guy accidentally dropped half a stick of candied fruits on the ground. He shouted that he wanted to pick up the candied flakes, but Ling Chaofeng ignored him, and even patted his bottom a few times, warning him to be quiet.

Returning to the tavern, Little Pei cried bitterly after getting beaten up. After getting beaten up, he sat on the doorstep alone and sobbed, unable to be coaxed by anyone.

Ling Chaofeng was a little impatient, he came downstairs to reprimand his child, but was stopped by Aunt Zhang at the foot of the stairs and said: ”He is only three years old, if he is not naughty now, can he wait until he grows up? If you don't like him, why did you pick him up? If you don't send him away, then find him a mother, and in the future, you won't have to worry. ”

Ling Chaofeng listened silently.

Aunt Zhang said: ”Don't hit him anymore, you are such a young child, you can do it yourself.”

Ling Chaofeng hurriedly explained: ”I didn't use my strongest skill, and only lightly patted a few times.”

Aunt Zhang said, ”Then you've scared him too.”

Although Aunt Zhang was only a shop assistant, Ling Chaofeng always treated her as an elder and did not dare to talk back. After she finished muttering her thoughts, she walked over to the door and sat beside Little Pei.

The little guy looked at him, wincing and wincing, and cowered at the corner of the door.

Ling Chaofeng reached out and pulled his son into his embrace, rubbing his little fart, he roared: ”Does it really hurt? You purposely cried so loudly to make Grandma hurt you, right? ”

Little Pei laid on his shoulder and whimpered lightly. He was extremely wronged that Ling Chaofeng had lost the fight, he consoled him, ”I won't hit you anymore, I promise.”

Ling Chaofeng kissed him. ”Alright, stop crying, you're a boy, you can't cry easily.”

Little Pei looked at his father foolishly and said, ”I want the candied fruits.”

Ling Chaofeng nodded: ”Daddy will buy it for you in a while.”

Little Pei shook his head: ”I want to buy from my aunt.”

Ling Chaofeng thought about how when he came out, other people would buy him candied flakes for no reason. The next time he had the chance, he would have to thank that lady.

He said, ”You have to call me elder sister.”

However, Little Pei said loudly, ”It's not big sister.”

At this moment, Xiaowan had already returned home. Although it was delayed for a few hours, her luck was good today. His father's good friend, the blacksmith shop's Uncle Zhou, had brought his wife and children to pay respects to him.

Xiaowan was smart too. When the guests left at night, she took the initiative to hand over the New Year's money that Uncle Zhou had given her.

Before going to bed, Xiaowan went back to the cold wooden house and burned another batch of firewood for the house. She curled up into a ball on the bed and took out the red paper packet given by the doctor from her chest pocket.

The money was gone, but she still had the red paper.

Xiaowan loved red the most, she knew that one day she would be able to get married in bright red clothes, and she wouldn't have to suffer the mistreatment of her stepmother anymore.

What kind of person would her husband be? Xiaowan thought dumbly.

As long as he didn't hit anyone and didn't gamble, even if he was missing an arm or a leg, it didn't matter. No matter who he married, she would live a good life with him.

If she had a child, a big fat kid or a fat girl like the little guy she met today, she would definitely cherish them and love them dearly, not letting them suffer even a little bit.

Xiaowan laughed mischievously, not feeling embarrassed at herself. She turned his body around and curled his body even tighter.

On the second day of the new year, his father brought his stepmother, younger brother, and sister to visit the stepmother's home, carrying large and small bags of things.

The stepmother then warned the Xiaowan, ”Chop some firewood for me at home and fill the water vat. If you don't finish doing these things when you get back, I'll chop you apart.”

Xiaowan agreed and sent them out of the house. She rolled up her sleeves and started working, splitting firewood and fetching water was a common occurrence for her, she would finish doing it before noon.

For the next half day, when it was rare that there was no one at home, she took some clothes that needed mending and sat in the sun, warming herself in the sun while she did her needlework.

From time to time, a villager would pass outside the fence. She would stand up to congratulate him. She was very polite.

After they had walked a distance, one of them said, ”Whose lady is this? Even if it's the new year, with such a beautiful appearance, why is it that her body is covered with patches and she doesn't wear any good clothes.”

She was from a foreign land, so she naturally did not know. The village people explained to her that the Xiaowan did not have a mother, and the stepmother had treated her very badly, causing everyone in the village to know about it, and they all laughed bitterly: ”All year round, there is no time where people don't get beaten up. This child's body, if it was my girl, she would have already been beaten to death.”

”Why didn't you say anything?” The woman said.

The woman from the village clicked her tongue, ”How could you say that, her stepmother is a famous shrewd character in our village.”

The woman said, ”You look sixteen or seventeen years old. Why aren't you getting married? Stay at home and be her stepmother's servant? ”

Only now did he know that because Xiaowan's life was too tough, she had exterminated everyone in the family at birth, leaving her father with nothing.

People in the village didn't dare to marry a daughter-in-law like that. They would go out as a matchmaker, but when they heard that someone with a tough life was going to marry her, they refused to take it.

The women had already left long ago, so Xiaowan quickly finished her needlework. Although it was just some mending, she also cherished it and kept it away, afraid that the Queen would suddenly barge in and make things difficult for her.

But today she was not unlucky either. The stepmother was drunk at her mother's house, brought back by her father. How could a drunk person have the energy to torment her?