books44 Chapter 329: Seeking Help from Rouge
Chapter 329: Seeking Help from Rouge
Chapter 329: Seeking Help from Rouge
Li would occasionally ask him, "Child, do you hate your mother? Do you hate that your mother hit you?" Li Ming would lie on the bed and shake his head, saying, "No, because you are my mother, the best person in the world to me."
When Li heard him say that, she patted his head with satisfaction.
Li pulled her thoughts back to reality. The food on the table had long since gone cold, and was even a little hard. Li stood up listlessly and threw away the food she hadn't eaten. Turning her head, she looked towards Li Ming's room, unsure what to do, so she went to wash the dishes and clean every nook and cranny of the house.
Around noon, Li finished tidying up the house and felt very tired, so she lay on the bed for a while, too lazy to cook. She didn't know how much time had passed before she woke up, sat up, and massaged her sore shoulders.
She got out of bed, drank some water, and went out. Just as she was about to close the door from the outside, she glanced several times in the direction of Li Ming's room, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. After a long while, she still didn't see him, so she closed the door and walked for a long time, panting heavily and wiping the sweat from her forehead from time to time.
After walking for a while, she stopped in front of a house door, hesitating for a long time. She thought about what she had done to Yan Zhi that day, and wondered what she should say if Yan Zhi opened the door. But then she thought of Li Ming at home, who wasn't eating or drinking, and who was her lifeline. So she mustered up her courage and knocked on the door.
She knocked for a long time but no one answered. So she stopped knocking and stood at the door, unwilling to leave. She looked at the sky and saw that it was already evening. She was getting anxious because Rouge still hadn't come out.
"Squeak~" The door suddenly opened, and Rouge, seemingly just awakened, rubbed her sleepy eyes. She had been sleeping soundly inside and didn't want to get up when she heard the knock, but she didn't know why she had gotten up so quickly. Opening the door, she opened her eyes wide and was somewhat incredulous to see Li Shi.
"Aunt Li... Aunt Li, you... what brings you here? Please come in and sit down." Rouge said, pulling Li Shi into the house. Li Shi walked in somewhat awkwardly and sat down. Rouge brewed her a pot of tea. Seeing Li Shi arrive, Rouge was very happy but didn't show it.
Seeing Li Shi drinking tea, Rouge didn't dare to be negligent, so she stood there blankly instead of sitting down. After a long while, Li Shi finally explained her purpose: "Rouge, about you and Ming'er... I... I won't stop you anymore. I hope you... you can come to my house to see him." Li Shi stammered as she spoke.
Rouge was somewhat incredulous at Li's sudden change, but she was also very happy. However, judging from Li's tone, it seemed that something had happened to Li Ming, so she anxiously asked, "What's wrong with Brother Li Ming? Has something happened to him?"
Faced with Rouge's question, Madam Li was at a loss for words. Rouge sensed something was amiss in Madam Li's eyes, and, disregarding her appearance, she lifted her robes and ran towards Li Ming's house. Madam Li followed behind, watching Rouge's worried expression, wondering whether she was faking it or genuinely concerned.
Rouge ran for quite a while before arriving at Li Ming's house. Pushing open the door, she found the house empty. Looking at the empty house, and hearing no sound from Li Ming, she stood there blankly. When Li Shi rushed over, she slowly turned to look at her and said, "Auntie, where is Brother Li Ming?"
She spoke very softly, as if afraid that if she spoke loudly she would never see Li Ming again. Li looked towards Li Ming's room, unsure what to say, and stood there, rooted to the spot. Like a lost child, she didn't know what to do. Rouge noticed Li's unease and looked at her anxiously, moving her lips, but the words stuck in her throat.
Seeing Rouge's reaction, Madam Li remained silent. Rouge slowly walked over, shook Madam Li's shoulder, and said, "Auntie, where is Li Ming... Brother Li Ming? Why isn't he here..." In the past, Li Ming would appear whenever he heard her voice, or at least she would see him after a while. But today, even though she called his name so excitedly, he still didn't appear.
Rouge felt a little flustered. Li Shi lowered her head, letting Rouge shake her shoulders. She didn't know how Li Ming was doing in his room. Although she was a woman, she could be quite assertive at times, and now that Li Ming was in this state, it was all her fault. But facing Rouge, she really didn't know how to start a conversation.
Seeing Rouge's anxious expression, she was also extremely anxious. "Come with me," Li said calmly, but quickly walked towards Li Ming's room. Rouge followed quickly, and as they walked, Li stopped in front of a room with the door tightly closed. Rouge looked at Li with a puzzled expression.
"Ming'er is inside." She lowered her head, looking at her toes, not daring to look directly at Yan Zhi, feeling guilty about what she had done.
"Brother Li Ming, it's me, Rouge. Open the door!" Rouge knocked on the door as soon as she heard Li Ming was inside. After a few knocks, there was no response, and Rouge became anxious. There was still no answer from inside the room. Glancing at Li's somewhat uneasy expression, she felt that something was amiss.
"Auntie, where's Brother Li Ming?" Rouge turned to look at Madam Li, not appearing overly anxious, but blinking her big eyes. Madam Li pursed her lips, looking troubled, unsure where to begin.
"Speak!" Rouge couldn't contain herself any longer and impatiently questioned Li.
“That day I brought Ming’er home. At first it was fine, but he kept mentioning you. A few days ago I was thinking of finding him a marriage partner, but who knew he would say in front of everyone that he would only marry you, which made everyone angry and run away.” As Li spoke, she looked at Yan Zhi with some displeasure. Yan Zhi covered her mouth, listening to Li’s words in disbelief.
"After that, he went home and locked himself in his room, refusing to come out. The child I raised myself is now disregarding everything for you, defying me time and time again. A few days ago, he even coughed when he spoke. What could I do? He's my only child." As Li spoke, tears streamed down her face.
After hearing all this, Rouge was somewhat at a loss. She never expected Li Ming to go to such lengths for her. After all, Li Shi had raised him all by herself, all alone and with great difficulty. Li Ming's actions were truly beyond her expectations.
She herself was also sobbing uncontrollably, perhaps moved, but mostly overjoyed. After wandering alone in this world for so long, she had finally met the person she would spend her life with.