Aunt Li observed Liu Ran and thought that he looked very similar to Liu Duo. He seemed to be a sensible, obedient kid.
“You’re her brother, aren’t you? How old are you?” She smiled at him.
Liu Ran looked at the kind woman and replied sullenly, “I’m ten.”
Liu Liushi had gone to inform Liu Quanfu, while he stayed behind. But Liu Duo had not spoken to him, so he got upset thinking that Liu Duo didn’t really want them to stay.
Ye Ling sensed that he wasn’t very happy, so he asked him, concerned, “Ran Er, what is it? Are you tired? You should rest.”
Shaking his head, Ran Er didn’t feel like talking. He looked over at Liu Duo before lowering his head and focused on peeling the bamboo shoots.
With that, Ye Ling got up and walked over to Liu Duo.
Liu Duo had just paid a villager when Ye Ling went to stand by her, looking like he had something at the tip of his tongue.
“Ling, what are you doing? If you have something to say, spit it out. Don’t stutter,” she looked at Ye Ling and found his mannerism quite strange.
“Duo Er, say something to him. He seems to be upset, because you won’t talk to him,” Ye Ling was quite fond of this brother-in-law who called him brother too, so he didn’t like that he was unhappy.
Liu Duo looked over at Liu Ran, whose small body was sitting on a stool as he focused on the work at hand.
She had forgotten about him when she became busy!
Back then, when this little fellow used to work with her, he was a chatterbox who literally couldn’t stop talking, and now he seemed so quiet and lonely.
It seemed like there wouldn’t be villagers coming in for a while, so she waved at Liu Ran, “Ran Er, can you come here please?”
When he heard Liu Duo calling him, a smile lit up his face, and he ran over to her.
It was like the person he was at that moment and the person who had been sad a moment ago earlier were two different people!
Liu Duo patted him on the head, smiling, “Ran Er, if you’re tired you should rest. Don’t stress yourself. You’re still young, don’t get too exhausted.”
Liu Ran looked at her. She might just be the same old sister who loved him and was worried that he’d get tired.
Ye Ling felt relieved knowing that just a few words from Liu Duo could brighten Liu Ran’s day. He supposed he really liked this sisterly Liu Duo.
Liu Duo let Liu Ran wash his hands and helped him prepare some ink. She taught him how to write when she was free, not leaving him out again, in case he got upset.
After all Liu Ran may be young, but he was quite sensitive.
It was almost noon when Ye Yang and Ye Mo returned for lunch. They heard Liu Ran’s laughter before they had even entered the yard.
Ye Mo furrowed his brow and entered, “You brat, why are you still in our house?”
He didn’t see Liu Liushi anywhere, and his furrowed brow stretched tighter.
She couldn’t have left him here, could she?
Ye Yang eyed Liu Ran once but said nothing. He put down his farming tools and went to wash his face at the well.
Liu Ran looked at the two and his smile largely faded. He didn’t like these two brothers-in-law. One was cold and unapproachable, and the other acted like a dangerous explosive.
“Mo, turn it down. You’re not fighting so quit shouting like that!” Liu Duo glared at him. She didn’t want him to scare Liu Ran.
Ye Mo also put down his farming tools and went to wash his face. Then he sat down beside Liu Ran, “Kid, where’s your mother? Why didn’t she take you?”
Liu Duo gave him a push when he asked the question, as though he were interrogating a prisoner, “Don’t scare him like that! He’s not leaving. His mother will be back soon. Liuzi got them to work for us!”
