Chapter 101: Chapter 101 Father’s Instructions_1
Chapter 101: Chapter 101 Father’s Instructions_1
Dalang and Erhu thought they had woken up early enough, but to their surprise, Lin Yue had already packed everything. Dalang scratched his head and exchanged a glance with Erhu, deciding that next time they must wake up even earlier.
“Knock, knock, knock, Yueyue, are you ready? I’m waiting for you at the door.” Lin Yue was just finishing packing the buns, leaving a few in the steamer for the children to eat, when the knocking came from outside, and Chunxi was already waiting.
“Yes! I’ll be right there!” Lin Yue responded loudly, just as she was about to hoist the carrying basket onto her back, Dalang had already shouldered it first. Although Dalang was not as sharp as Erhu, he was strong, and he hoisted the carrying basket with an agility that surpassed Lin Yue’s.
“Mother, I’ll go with you.” Dalang’s gaze was unwavering, carrying an air of maturity and strength that belied his young age. It was somewhat heart-wrenching to see him like a little man, having lost his mother so young and now with his father ill, he was the one shouldering responsibility for his younger brothers.
“Mother can go by herself, haven’t we already agreed that you’ll stay home with your brothers to look after your father? If you come with me, who will take care of him?”
“Don’t worry, mother, my brothers and I have already discussed it, I will take good care of our father. Big brother is strong, he can help you work if he goes with you.” Erhu had originally wanted to accompany her, leaving Dalang home, but unfortunately he didn’t have Dalang’s strength and couldn’t be much help, so he had no choice but to stay home and take care of their father with his two younger brothers.
“Yeah, mother, let me go with you. Before father went into the mountains, he said you were young, only three or four years older than me, and you had suffered a lot in the past and were not in good health. Being the eldest son and the man of the house, it’s my duty to look after you in father’s absence. I won’t let you tire yourself out. With Erhu at home, along with Third Brother and Fourth Brother, who are sensible now, they will help Erhu take care of father. Please, just let me come with you. Now that father is ill and can’t get up, I’m the pillar of the house and I must support you in keeping our family strong.”
Dalang’s words certainly reflected a thoughtful and filial child, also because Zhao Erhu, before going into the mountains, had been worried about Lin Yue’s health not being fully recovered and didn’t want her to overwork herself, so he had specially instructed Dalang. Now with Zhao Erhu’s accident, Dalang took Zhao Erhu’s words even more to heart and put them into action.
“We will also help mother hold up this family together! We will protect mother, and even the people from the old Zhao family house better not think about bullying us.” Erhu and the third brother said in unison, and at this point, the fourth brother didn’t feel as sleepy anymore; he always echoed whatever his older brothers said.
“Good children, rest assured, your father has great fortune and will be alright, he will surely wake up. Mother is here waiting with you, you are all sensible children, mother believes in you. So, Dalang will go to the market with mother, and I’m leaving the home in Erhu’s hands.”
Lin Yue said this as she shouldered the basket, and with Dalang sharing the load, they stepped out the door under the watchful eyes of Erhu and his brothers, feeling much relief with Dalang’s help.
Chunxi was waiting outside and was somewhat surprised to see Lin Yue and Dalang coming out together with their burdens, “Yueyue, is your big brother also going to the market with us?”
“Yes, they’ve all discussed it among themselves. They told me this morning they wanted to come with me no matter what, saying Dalang is strong and can help me with the work. I had no choice but to bring Dalang along.” Lin Yue’s words were laced with helplessness, yet she couldn’t hide a mother’s pride in her son’s thoughtfulness, after all, Dalang and the others were indeed her sons.