Even inside the water bucket had been filled with water carried on a shoulder pole. These were originally her and Changsheng’s chores. In the end, Yan Huan had finished them all. She was even able to carry the water on a shoulder pole which was a man’s job and finished it.
“Auntie, I have already boiled the water. What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you all.” Yan Huan turned around. With her short hair and disfigured face, she was so skinny all over her entire body that there was no excess flesh on her bones. But she did not make people feel afraid. Instead, due to her extremely bright eyes, she came across as immaculate.
This was a clean and immaculate child, and not an opportunist. She was raised by their parents with love.
Changsheng’s mother suddenly felt that the rims of her eyes were a little hot. She could see that Yan Huan was in fact still cautious and timid. She might be afraid of being thrown out by their family.
“Oh dear…” Changsheng’s mother gave a sigh and then touched Yan Huan’s short hair, which was spiky to touch. Why did a girl make herself into this appearance?
“Ah, Xiao Yan, don’t you worry, you can live in Auntie’s house. Auntie does not have a daughter. I only have Changsheng. You will be Auntie’s daughter, and everything will be okay. You will eat and share whatever food we have to eat.”
Yan Huan cracked a grin, but the tears gathered at the wells of her eyes were once again forced back in.
She turned around and cooked together with Changsheng’s mother. She knew how to cook but she did not know how to make food on a farm. She knew how to use electrical appliances, but she did not know how to use the earth stove here. However, she was still able to build a fire, which was not difficult for her. It was just like the stove that she built the fire for before. She was able to light it up just once. So, she only knew how to boil water but did not know how much rice Changsheng’s family ate each time and how much would be considered enough.
Changsheng’s mother rolled up her own sleeves and scooped out half a gourd amount of rice from inside the rice jar. She washed the rice with water and swiftly started making the dishes. The morning meal was very simple, which consisted of steamed buns made by them, salted vegetables and corn porridge. Originally Changsheng’s mother also wanted to cook an egg for Yan Huan. But Yan Huan declined as she did not eat eggs. She was fine with eating the salted vegetables.
Changsheng’s mother liked this child, Yan Huan. She was smart, sensible, and not greedy. Of course, she was also diligent and rushed to do the chores inside and outside the house. She was free on this day and had nothing to do with her hands, but she did not know what to do.
Yan Huan changed into her old clothes with the cotton padding exposed. She had just put it on and her whole person felt like she was lying on ice. That chill made her shiver.
She was still going to pick up firewood and also to move the firewood which she had put in her own house to Changsheng’s mother here. She could do only these things. Otherwise, she could not just eat white rice and not work. She did not want to live by relying on someone else’s charity. Other people who were good to her was because they were kind, but it was not that they ought to be.
She remembered, and she knew it well in her heart at the same time.
Changsheng’s mother could not dissuade her, so she could only let her go. In fact, Changsheng’s mother was also aware that Yan Huan was a child with a moral backbone. Even if they wanted her to be a freeloader here and did not mind her freeloading since it was nothing more than an extra mouth to feed, in any case it was not possible for her to make them poor, but Yan Huan did not think like this. She did what she could so as to prevent her from really freeloading here for a few months. She might trouble them even more in the future.
She moved out the things from inside her own house, which was in fact, nothing much. It was only firewood. What she had the most was firewood.
The people in the village were pointing fingers behind her back. But what could she do about it? She was ugly and a cripple, but she would not eat or drink for free on others.
Yan Huan did all the housework in Changsheng’s house. She was the first to rise in Changsheng’s house. She was also possibly the first to be up in the whole village. Every morning at the first sound of the rooster’s crow, she would get up and clean and sweep inside and outside the house. Then she would go to the upper reaches of the river and carry the water back to fill up the water tank. She could carry two buckets of water with a carrying pole. The water tank would be completely full, with only five or six trips back and forth. Then she would cook for Changsheng’s mother and Changsheng to eat. Every time Changsheng wanted to go ferry the water, the water tank was often all filled up, which made him quite helpless. He was already up very early, but Yan Huan was even earlier than he was. She had finished all the household chores alone. So, what was the point of having him around as a man?
Consequently, he kept busy in the fields more often during this period and grew a variety of grains. He took good care of those acres of crops so that it would yield them some more food later and also to earn more money. Changsheng was also full of energy and even started work on several acres of wasteland. Once the beginning of spring was here and the land had thawed, he would cultivate and plant on the wasteland.
Yan Huan did not spend too much time in Changsheng’s house. Regardless of the weather, she would go out to collect firewood, so that Changsheng’s family did not have to use any coal. They only used firewood for burning. In this way, they inadvertently saved a lot of money. Other people still said that when Changsheng’s mother took in a person and brought her home to eat at home, drink at home and live at home, it was not known how much food she had already eaten.
But Changsheng’s mother did not think in this way. It was obvious to her that she had picked up and brought home a treasure. That child took care of everything inside and outside the house. She was also able to pick up a lot of firewood everyday which saved them from using coal. That in turn saved them money. When all was said and done, in fact, she was the one who benefited from it.
“Auntie, are you thinking about cutting your hair?” Yan Huan had already thought about asking the question for many days. Changsheng’s mother’s hair was already very long. But due to her old age, she always had hair loss nowadays and it was not easy to comb it up. She might as well cut it short, which was convenient and neat.
“Ah yes, I am also thinking about this matter.” Changsheng’s mother touched her hair and said, “I’m waiting for Third Aunt next door. She has good skills but it’s just that Third Aunt has not been feeling well this winter and has not gotten better. I thought maybe I should just cut my own with a pair of scissors.”
“Oh?” Changsheng’s mother suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help but slap her own thigh as she said, “You see, how can I forget about you? You can give Auntie a haircut. Just cut it like how your hair is.”
“All right.” Yan Huan agreed with a smile. Apart from the destroyed half of her face, her pair of eyes revealed the clear smile inside, like the new green grass that grew out in the early spring. It was very refreshingly comfortable.
“Alas, it’s a pity…” Changsheng’s mother said, shaking her head.
Did Yan Huan know what Changsheng’s mother felt pity about? Half of her face? Perhaps, she did not despair because her own face was destroyed, and her leg was lame. It was not easy for her to keep this life. No one knew how she worked so hard at staying alive and how much she wanted to live. So, it did not matter regardless how she had become. She still persisted that she wanted to live.
