Hehua immediately pulled Xiao Douzi to kneel in front of Xiao Xiaomei, pleading, "Xiaomei, I know that I cannot raise Douzi alone. I hope you can help us again in the future. Once Douzi grows up, I will make sure he repays his aunt and remembers all the kindness you have shown."
Xiao Xiaomei’s face darkened instantly. She didn’t ask them to stand up, but instead said, "This time, I have taken out quite a bit of Silver Coin from my husband’s family for burying my mother and brother. My in-laws were already dissatisfied with me, and now they are even more so. My days ahead will not be easy either; how can I possibly help you? I have already given you all that I had in my private savings, and that is as much as I can do!"
Upon hearing that Xiao Xiaomei was unable to help them in the future, Hehua immediately burst into fearful tears, "Xiaomei, if you don’t help us, how on earth are we supposed to survive?"
The household was already not wealthy, and now after the funerals, it was left completely destitute.
"Douzi is the only seedling left by your brother, the only root of this family," Hehua cried again. "Xiaomei, please, you must help your brother and your mother preserve this root!"
"It’s not that I don’t want to help you; I simply can’t." Xiao Xiaomei was getting irritated. "Just now, I’ve told you about my situation. I assume you wouldn’t want me to displease my in-laws further and get sent back home, would you? If that happens, all three of us won’t be able to survive."
Upon hearing Xiao Xiaomei’s words, Hehua didn’t know what to say and just kept crying.
Seeing his mother cry so heartbrokenly, Xiao Douzi also started crying loudly.
The older and the younger cried together, making Xiao Xiaomei even more irritated. She was just about to scold them and tell them to stop crying when she suddenly remembered meeting An Jing and Xiao Changyi, which brightened her eyes instantly, and she quickly said, "Sister-in-law, though I can’t help you, there is someone who can."
Hehua immediately stopped crying and asked anxiously, "Who?"
It was clear who the Wretch was; it was also Xiao Changyi. But as soon as Hehua heard what Xiao Xiaomei said, she shook her head in fear, "He will bring us doom!"
Xiao Xiaomei was also afraid that Xiao Changyi would doom her, but at this moment, she reassured her, "The fortune-teller said that he only brings misfortune to his elders and siblings, not to others. Look at his wife An Jing; isn’t she living quite well now?"
Hehua was rather simple-minded, and upon hearing Xiao Xiaomei’s words, she was persuaded immediately, only worrying, "He was abandoned by his mother as a child, and after that, there were so many unpleasant things; he has no relation to this family anymore. Will he help us?"
"Douzi is his biological nephew; he cannot possibly not help. He surely wouldn’t coldly watch his own nephew die."
"Back when An Jing was about to strangle our mother, he almost watched her die."
Xiao Xiaomei was momentarily lost for words but then said, "You also said it was ’almost.’ He probably won’t be that ruthless. However, if he really is that heartless, you could give Douzi to them to raise. It’s not like they’re going to have children of their own. Douzi is his biological nephew, and it’ll be closer than if they were to adopt a child from another family."
Hehua shook her head vehemently, "No, no, Douzi is the child of Gousheng and me. I’m counting on Douzi to support me in old age; I can’t give him away to someone else, no one is allowed."
Once Douzi was adopted out, he would no longer have any ties to her as his mother. What else would she have left to rely on?
In this respect, Hehua was indeed smart.
"Are you stupid?" Xiao Xiaomei finally couldn’t restrain herself and scolded, "Both of you are so poor you can barely survive. If you wait for Douzi to support you in your old age, both you and he might end up dead!"