Mu Wan'er trotted home with her worries in mind.
When she saw the familiar hut again, she suddenly slowed down again. She felt that her feet were starting to become heavier and heavier, as if they were filled with lead, and she could only move forward slowly.
Passing through the fence and courtyard gate simply made of tree branches, I walked past the small vegetable patch that I had been tending myself in recent days. She swallowed lightly, her throat feeling as dry as if it was on fire.
The candlelight in the house showed a swaying posture through the thin window paper, constantly changing its appearance on the window lattice, and the figures moving around from time to time told her that Granny Chen and Shen Zui were both in the house.
Finally, Mu Wan'er adjusted her mood, knocked on the door, and then gently opened the door of the old house, "Grandma Chen, Shenzui, I'm back."
Although the tone is relaxed, it is quite different from usual.
Grandma Chen was mending clothes on the kang. When she saw Wan'er, she smiled and nodded, "Hurry up and warm yourself up in the house."
Chenzui's eyes told Mu Wan'er straightforwardly that he knew something was different about her today, he could hear it.
Mu Wan'er put down her belongings, came to the kang, and took the clothes to be patched from Granny Chen's hand.
It is a coat that has been washed and turned white. It should have been made of red material, but now only a faint color can be seen. Most places are still discolored and thin due to repeated starching.
"Girl Wan, why were you out for so long today?"
Granny Chen moved the candle on the low table on the kang to where the girl was.
"I...I went out to find a house for Shenzui."
While speaking, Mu Wan'er did not dare to stop the needlework in her hands. I was afraid that if I stopped, I would have to face Granny Chen's eyes.
Granny Chen turned around curiously and looked at the people around her, "Why are you looking for a house? Isn't it good to live here?"
Mu Wan'er quickly raised her head and waved her hands, "No, mother-in-law, don't think too much about it. It's... it's Shenzui. During this season, her body has old illnesses. She needs to rest for a few days while taking medicine, and she can't see the wind at all."
"Why have I never heard you and Mr. Shen talk about it?" Granny Chen didn't believe it at all, but she frowned, obviously very worried.
At this point, Mu Wan'er could only make it up. She tried hard to persuade herself in her heart that this was just a white lie and was not meant to deceive her mother-in-law.
When she was about to reply, Shenzui took over.
"Mother-in-law, it's my problem. My body is weak and I always have chest tightness and asthma during this season. If you need to take medicine to sweat, you can't see the wind at all. It will be like what the doctor said, wind evil Enter the body.”
Sure enough, Shen Zui knew more about this aspect. If Wan'er were to talk about it, she really didn't know how to speak rationally.
Granny Chen nodded, her eyes full of worry. She stretched out her dry and rough fingers to greet Shen Zui.
"Master Shen, don't think too much. This person will get sick if he eats whole grains. As long as you take good care of yourself, you will be fine."
Shen Zui also sat on the kang obediently.
The one in the innermost position is Granny Chen, and those sitting on the edge of the Kang are Wan'er and Shen Zui, sitting opposite each other.
Mu Wan'er finally plucked up the courage. She turned to Granny Chen and said, "Mother-in-law, I went around the village today and wanted to rent a nice house for Shen Zui to recuperate, but it didn't work. Sister-in-law Xu Shan said She can lend us her house for a few days and she can come live with us. You see..."
Although Grandma Chen is older and her thinking is not as flexible as when she was young, she has been observing the world for many years and has been immersed in the world, and she can understand the truth and inappropriateness in it in a short time.
She raised her head and looked at the two children opposite, "Is Mr. Shen's condition a bit serious?"
Shenzui was about to speak, but was stopped by Mu Wan'er.
At this time, Shen Zui, who reported good news but not bad news, could not reply, otherwise he might not even be able to live in Xu Shan's sister-in-law's house.
She nodded vigorously, put down the patched clothes in her hands, and stepped forward to hold Granny Chen's hands. "Grandma, Chen Zui's health is really not good. He coughed up blood the day before yesterday. If he doesn't take a good rest, it will be really dangerous."
"So serious?" Granny Chen looked at Shen Zui in disbelief, "I saw him working pretty well a few days ago."
Wan'er shook her head, "It was all because of him. He was afraid that we would worry so he kept silent. If I hadn't been awake that night and heard him coughing up blood, he wouldn't have told me."
Granny Chen sighed softly, tapped Shen Zui with her finger, and then patted the back of Wan'er's hand, "Mr. Shen, this physical matter cannot be delayed for even a moment. If you can't treat a minor illness, it will be difficult to treat a serious illness."
At this time, Granny Chen paused, and she continued to say to the two of them: "Since you have asked people in the village, and only Xu Shan is willing to lend the house to you, then you can make arrangements. Old lady, I don't have anything to do. I’m just afraid that the people in the village will bite your tongue.”
Mu Wan'er said decisively and with a firm gaze: "We are not afraid of this. After all, nothing is more important than Shen Zui's life."
"Okay, then it's settled. You can talk to Sister-in-law Xu tomorrow, and tell your mother-in-law if you need to prepare anything. Although the old woman can't do any heavy work, she can still do small things within her ability."
"Thank you, mother-in-law." Shen and Mu said in unison.
"How can I thank you? If you two hadn't come, mother-in-law, I don't know what I would have expected from this day."
Granny Chen faced Wan'er and said softly: "Girl Wan, go and look in the wooden box that I gave as a dowry. There is a wooden box at the bottom. Bring it."
Mu Wan'er knew that the dowry box was a mahogany box with octagonal corners covered with copper. Although it looked old, it must have been expensive at the time.
The box was placed on the open space next to the cupboard, with a clean blue cloth spread on it and some odds and ends placed on it.
Wan'er obediently got off the kang, took another oil lamp from the wooden table where she was eating, and placed it next to it, so that the area around the cupboard was finally a little brighter.
When she placed all the scattered items on the table, she saw that the box was not locked, but simply fastened with a copper buckle.
She pulled up the buckle and slowly opened the wooden box. The box is made of wood and cannot be opened all year round. So when I opened it, the hinge made an intermittent squeaking sound.
Along with it, there was a stale smell and an indescribable smell that seemed to be that of herbs.
Wan'er took the oil lamp and looked carefully. Most of it contained clothes and a few small items.
She reached out and groped inside, and finally found a wooden box on the bottom floor. She put down the oil lamp in her hand, opened the clothes on it with both hands, and took out the wooden box.
