Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Moving House, Quarrels

As they got closer to the house, even someone as mentally strong as Xu Huaizhi couldn’t help but change his expression, feeling ashamed as he looked at the family.

The old house was in such disrepair, yet their parents hadn’t bothered to fix it up at all—they just brought people over directly.

“Sister-in-law, maybe you should just move back to the other place. I’ll talk to Mom. This house is too rundown, it’s not fit for people to live in. What if something happens?”

No way—living under the same roof as you all would be like stepping into a den of wolves, just waiting to be pushed around.

Gu Qinghuan quickly waved her hand. “No need, big brother. I already talked to Dad this morning. We’ll move to Wang Laocai’s house at the edge of the village. Huai’an’s illness is pretty serious, so it’s better to be a bit farther from the village. I’ll just have to trouble you to help carry him over.”

Xu Huaizhi thought that sounded good too. Wang Laocai’s house wasn’t bad—it even had a tiled roof. He immediately rolled up his sleeves. “No need to find anyone else, I can do it myself.”

Without another word, Xu Huaizhi went inside and hoisted Xu Huaian onto his shoulder.

Xu Huaian was so thin now he looked like a stick, probably not even a hundred pounds. Xu Huaizhi could easily carry him.

Gu Qinghuan saw Xu Huaizhi getting ready to leave with Xu Huaian slung over his shoulder. Xu Huaian only had a towel wrapped around his waist, barely covering himself—he almost exposed his backside, his two long, skinny legs dangling over Xu Huaizhi’s shoulder.

In that instant, she seemed to see a complex mix of emotions in Xu Huaian’s eyes: shame, pain, embarrassment…

“Big brother, wait a second.”

Gu Qinghuan hurried inside, rummaged through her luggage, and pulled out an old bedsheet.

She didn’t know if Xu Huaizhi was doing it on purpose, or if he just thought his crazy brother had no dignity left, but he hadn’t even bothered to cover him up before carrying him out.

Gu Qinghuan carefully wrapped the old bedsheet around Xu Huaian’s waist, covering his entire lower body.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Xu Huaizhi scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “Women really are more thoughtful. I was too careless.”

He headed out first.

Gu Qinghuan bent down and waved the two children over.

Dabao took his little sister’s hand and came up to her.

He’d overheard their conversation and understood what was going on. Seeing Gu Qinghuan bring back so much food and supplies, he figured they wouldn’t be leaving after all, and felt relieved.

“Your uncle’s bicycle is carrying our food for the next while. You two stay here and watch it, okay? I’ll move some things over first, and then come back for you on the second trip. Is that alright?”

Gu Qinghuan explained as patiently as she could.

Both kids nodded hard.

“I’ll watch it carefully. I won’t let anyone take it,” Dabao said seriously.

Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but smile at his earnestness, patting him on the back. “Good job, little man. I’ll make you something tasty tonight.”

They hadn’t talked much, but it felt like a bond had started to form between them.

Gu Qinghuan pushed the bicycle and followed Xu Huaizhi to the house at the foot of the mountain.

There was a rusty lock on the gate. Xu Huaizhi just smashed it with a rock and broke it open.

Wang Laocai had only been gone a year, but the yard was already overgrown with weeds and needed a good cleaning.

The courtyard wasn’t big, but it had everything they needed—ten thousand times better than the old Xu house.

There was a main room for guests and meals, east and west rooms for sleeping (each with a heated brick bed), and a kitchen in the corner next to the main room.

What Gu Qinghuan liked most was that, in this era where hygiene wasn’t a priority, Wang Laocai’s house actually had a half-decent outhouse—not just a thatched shack with a pit like everyone else.

The house wasn’t filthy, just dusty—it needed a good cleaning.

Gu Qinghuan moved the things from the bicycle inside and checked the rooms. Xu Huaizhi had already settled Xu Huaian on the kang bed in the east room.

The two of them went back to the old house for the rest of the luggage.

On the way, Xu Huaizhi seemed like he wanted to say something several times.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t like this awkwardness, so she said directly, “Big brother, if you have something to say, just say it.”

“I know this isn’t really fair to you, but I still hope you can take good care of Huaian. Honestly, Mom and Dad love him a lot—they’ve worried themselves sick over him these past two years. But they’ll get old one day. Huaian will be your responsibility then. If you need any help, just let me know. I’ll do whatever I can.” Xu Huaizhi prided himself on being a good brother.

You and your wonderful wife staying far away from us and not using your so-called “Absorbing Star Technique” is help enough, Gu Qinghuan thought to herself.

Cherish life and stay away from the main characters, she reminded herself, but out loud she readily agreed, “Alright, big brother. If I need anything, I’ll definitely ask you.”

All that talk about love—she’d just listen, but she’d still use whatever she could.

From a distance, they could already hear shouting and the sound of children crying coming from the old house.

Gu Qinghuan quickly got on her bike and rushed over, just in time to see Liu Guifang bullying the two kids. The little girl had been pushed to the ground and was crying loudly, shouting, “This is ours, not yours!”

Giving away three hundred pounds of grain felt like cutting off her own flesh. Liu Guifang had counted the family’s grain again and again, but something didn’t add up—there seemed to be less.

Without thinking much, she’d come straight to the old house. Seeing Gu Qinghuan wasn’t there, she tried to take the two sacks of grain from Xu Huaizhi’s bike, figuring that once they were gone, there’d be no proof—after all, the grain had already been given away, and if it was lost, it’d be Gu Qinghuan’s problem.

But the two wild brats refused to let her take it. In the struggle, the little girl even bit her, so she pushed her down—just as Gu Qinghuan arrived and caught her in the act.

Xu Huaizhi, who came running after, frowned when he saw what was happening.

“Mom, what are you doing? Why are you picking on the kids?”

Gu Qinghuan frowned, set the bike aside, and quickly helped the little girl up, gently wiping away her tears and checking her over—thankfully, nothing serious.

“It’s okay now, sweetheart.”

Beibei wasn’t really hurt—she was crying out of grievance. Grandma had tried to take their food, and her stepmom had told her and her brother to watch over it. Without the food, they’d go hungry.

She knew what hunger felt like. If she didn’t do what her stepmom said, her stepmom wouldn’t like her and her brother anymore, and there’d be no more rice porridge or soft, fragrant steamed buns.

Thinking of all this, Beibei’s sadness welled up, and she cried even harder.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t scold her, but comforted her gently. The little girl, starved for affection, threw herself into her arms.

Is this what it feels like to have a mom to protect you? Beibei felt like the happiest child in the world at that moment.

Gu Qinghuan gently hugged her, patting her back as if she’d done it a thousand times before.

For a moment, it was as if she was comforting her own childhood self—back then, when she was wronged, all she wanted was her mother’s embrace. But her mother had never been there, not even once.

Dabao looked at his sister enviously, then clearly explained what had happened: “Uncle, as soon as Grandma got here, she tried to take the grain. She wouldn’t listen to anything we said, and she pushed my sister down.”

Seeing things weren’t going her way, Liu Guifang slapped her thigh and started shouting, “You little brats! I haven’t even started crying yet. Day and night, you guard against thieves, but it’s the ones in your own family you can’t defend against! Gu Qinghuan, tell me—did you steal my grain? In just a little while, a few hundred pounds are missing. You have to pay me back!”

Gu Qinghuan looked at her like she was an idiot. Even though everything she said was true, who would believe her?

Xu Huaizhi felt a headache coming on. What a mess."