books44 Chapter 149 is about family.
Chapter 149 is about family.
When his younger sister was mentioned, Ashu's smile vanished, and he lowered his head, saying:
“A few days ago, Ahua was washing clothes by the river and caught a cold from the rain.”
Lin Chunyi frowned deeply and asked him, "Have you seen a doctor? How are you now?"
A cold is no small matter, especially since Ahua is only nine years old and her body can hardly withstand it.
He smirked again, "I've seen the doctor and gotten the medicine. She's much better now. I told her to rest for a few days, so I won't let her do any work for now."
We can't let our two older sisters worry about their little things.
He's so useless; even when his sister is sick, he's still worried about the chores at home...
Perhaps sensing his self-blame, Lin Lanshan patted his head and comforted him, "It's alright, it'll be fine soon. Let's go in and take a look."
A-Shu hesitated, "Sister Lan-Shan, A-Hua isn't better yet, don't let her infect you."
"Snapped!"
"What are you saying? Go inside." Lin Lanshan slapped him on the head, then left the mule cart in the yard and walked towards the front yard.
Ashu covered his head, gave a pitiful reply, and followed the two sisters to Ahua's room.
Ashu and Ahua were only staying temporarily; even if Yang Yu agreed, they would never occupy two of his rooms.
So the brother and sister always lived in the same house.
The house was small, about fifteen square meters, and was built with mud and thatch; it was quite simple.
Ashu gently pushed open the door, and the two followed him inside. There weren't many things in the room; you could see everything at a glance.
The first thing you see is a small low table.
On top was a tattered copy of the Thousand Character Classic, a teapot, two teacups, and two small wooden stools on the floor.
Next were two small wooden beds placed far apart, with an old cloth draped between them, dividing the room into two small rooms.
There were wooden basins and washcloths on both sides, and an old wooden cabinet next to the right bed.
In the left corner, there was a pile of bamboo woven products of various sizes: baskets, hampers, winnowing baskets, sieves, etc., and the workmanship looked quite good.
"Brother? Cough..."
The door opened softly, but Ahua, who was lying on the right side of the bed, still woke up. She rubbed her still-closed eyes and struggled to get out of bed.
The voice that asked the question was somewhat hoarse and weak, and also muffled.
Ah Shu stepped forward and helped her sit down, saying softly, "Ah Hua, look quickly, who has come to see you?"
Ahua's head was spinning, and she was still a little disoriented. "Ah, who's here?"
Ashu made way, and the two sisters stepped forward to take a closer look at Ahua, who was sitting on the bed.
The little girl, who was only half her height, had lost even more of the little bit of flesh that had finally grown on her face. Compared to how lively she was the last time we met, she looked much weaker.
"Sister Lanshan, Sister Chunyi, you've arrived!" Ahua's face lit up with joy when she saw the visitors.
Then she hurriedly covered half of her face with her hands, saying, "I'm not well yet, sisters, please don't come into the house, you'll catch it!"
She spoke quickly and then coughed twice more.
Lin Lanshan walked over and patted her head, comforting her, "If a little cold could catch us both, then all the martial arts we've learned over the years would have been for nothing. Don't worry, it's not contagious."
Lin Chunyi turned and took a few steps to get the teapot, but was stopped by Ashu, who said, "Sister Chunyi, let me do it!"
"No need, go do your work. Did you do your morning exercise today?"
Training disciples should naturally be serious, so Lin Chunyi did not smile when she asked the question.
Ashu thought she was angry, his face stiffened, and he panicked as if caught slacking off. He quickly explained:
"Not yet, but I definitely haven't been slacking off! Sister Chunyi, I've brewed medicine for Ahua and cooked the meal, I'm off to run right away!"
Lin Chunyi suddenly smiled faintly, "Go ahead, don't push yourself. If you're too tired, you can take it easy on your own. Your health is the most important thing."
"I'm fine!" He nodded with relief and quickly ran out of the house.
At such a young age, they already understand how much pressure a teacher can put on a seemingly casual remark...
Lin Chunyi then picked up the teapot again, poured a cup of water, and handed it to Ahua.
Ahua, perhaps because she was sick, became more sensitive.
She was very nervous, looking flattered and overwhelmed. Her mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts:
I am an orphan and have only survived thanks to the kindness of others. Being sick is already a burden; if I were to trouble my benefactors further, wouldn't I be disliked and abandoned?
Although it seems like just a small thing like pouring water...
Lin Lanshan didn't know how complex a nine-year-old girl's mind was, or how far-fetched her thoughts might be. But judging from her worried and fearful expression, she was definitely overthinking things!
So she gently flicked Ahua's forehead and said seriously, "If you're sick, you should rest properly. What are you thinking about?"
Don't overthink things at such a young age, it'll stunt your growth. Drink your water and lie down to sleep.
A slight pain on her forehead pulled Ahua back from her panicked thoughts.
She stared blankly at the two sisters, her eyes glistening with hot tears.
They didn't seem to dislike themselves.
Lin Lanshan then joked, "Or should I feed you?"
Ahua blushed, sniffed, and then said in a voice barely above a whisper, "No, no, no, I can drink it myself." She then drank the water in the cup in one gulp.
The two sisters watched her lie down, close her eyes, and then fell silent.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.
Ashu walked in, his back slightly hunched, carrying a bowl of yellowish-brown medicine in both hands.
Before the two sisters could even get close to him, they smelled a bitter, medicinal odor!
Their faces changed, and they held their breath. They then nonchalantly took a few steps back to the side.
The smell of Chinese medicine, whether smelled or tasted, is absolutely their lifelong enemy!
Ashu carefully placed the medicine bowl on the wooden cabinet and woke up his younger sister, who was pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed, to drink the medicine.
After she sat up, Ashu brought over the bowl and said, "Ahua, the medicine is no longer hot."
When the medicine bowl was brought to her lips, Ahua's stuffy nose was filled with the smell of medicine!
She pouted, on the verge of tears. She'd been drinking bitter medicine for two days already; it tasted awful, and she didn't want to drink it anymore. But she knew she couldn't be impulsive; she'd already paid for it…
She had no choice but to take the bowl from her brother, take a sip to test the temperature, then close her eyes, hold her breath, and swallow it all in one gulp.
The two sisters chuckled to themselves; it seemed their little nine-year-old warrior was quite the character!
After drinking the medicine, Ahua's face was all scrunched up. She quickly took a glass of water from her brother and rinsed the bitter taste from her mouth.
Lin Lanshan took something out of her small snack bag and waved it in front of her.
"Ahua, you're so great and brave! I've decided to give you a reward. Look what's here!"
Ahua's face immediately lit up with a smile, and she said excitedly, "It's chicken claw fruit! Thank you, Sister Lanshan!"
She took it, took a small bite, and sure enough, it was sweet. Her eyes crinkled with joy.
Ah Shu, standing nearby, watched longingly, wanting to eat as well. But it belonged to his younger sister, so he lowered his head, pursed his lips, and looked away.
"Sister Lanshan, can I share half of my food with my brother? He does so much work every day and takes care of me. He's great, and I want to give him a reward too," Ahua asked nervously.
Ashu shook his head and said in a trembling voice, "Brother doesn't like sweets, Ahua will eat them."
In an instant, he felt that all the hardship and exhaustion he had endured since his parents passed away had vanished.
Because he has the best sister in the whole world!
Ahua didn't give her brother any face at all, and immediately found evidence to refute him:
"Brother is lying! You clearly love sweets. Last time, the village chief's aunt gave us two candies, and you grinned like an idiot. You even hid them under your pillow when you got home!"