When Aunt Hua and Granny Lu came out, they could hear Hu Li cursing behind them. She cursed at Aunt Hua, Granny Lu, and even yelled at Qin Xiangyang and his sister, but she did not curse her own child. Though Aunt Hua was angry, in the end, she did not go back. She pursed her lips, thinking that this way of raising a child would lead to trouble sooner or later.
Granny Lu wouldn’t say anything since it’s someone else’s child. Clutching the hard-earned 100 yuan in her hand, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. The money was enough for her and her two grandchildren to eat for a long time. She would need to carefully think about how to support the two kids. Her daughter was gone, but no matter what, she had to raise her grandchildren.
"Granny, why don’t you stay here," Qin Xiangmei urged, holding Granny Lu’s cold, calloused hands. The hands exposed the hardships the old woman had endured. If she is not taken care of properly in the future, her fragile body might not last many more years.
"I’ll stay in the smaller room," Granny Lu said, thinking that the big kang was better suited for the two children to sleep on.
"Granny, I’ll take the small room," Qin Xiangnuan insisted as she guided Granny Lu towards the kang. "Granny, go warm up on the kang. It’s cold outside. We’ll be ready to eat soon."
"How can this be?" Granny Lu hurriedly tried to put on her shoes, saying that she was too dirty to get on the kang.
"No worries, Granny. Just listen to Nuannuan and warm up on the kang," Qin Xiangyang came in, bringing a plate of dumplings.
Granny Lu’s stomach was growling. Although she had eaten a bit at Aunt Hua’s, she was still hungry. Maybe it was because she had been hungry for too long, so after eating and talking for a while, she felt hungry again.
"Granny, have some food first. The dumplings Nuannuan made are delicious."
Qin Xiangyang moved a small table over the fire pit. Then he placed the plate on top, and the three of them sat cross-legged around the table—a large plate of meat dumplings and a large plate of egg dumplings, along with a few small dishes containing dipping sauces such as chili oil, vinegar, and soy sauce.
At first, Granny Lu was somewhat afraid and worried, trembling even as she held the chopsticks.
"Granny, eat quickly, or it will get cold," Qin Xiangyang urged her, picking up several more dumplings and placing them into the small dish in front of Granny Lu.
"Alright, Granny will eat," Granny Lu picked up the chopsticks and took a dumpling, biting into it, and tears almost streamed down her face.
How delicious the dumplings were! She had forgotten how long it had been since she had such tasty dumplings—meat dumplings with finely chopped chives and tender, yellow eggs, making them all the more delicious.
Perhaps it was because too many things had happened. People should avoid extreme emotions, just like Granny Lu now. After experiencing great sorrow and then great joy, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep. The heated kang was warm, not cold at all.
Qin Xiangnuan gently pushed open the door and peeked inside. There she saw Granny Lu really asleep, covered in a fluffy blanket, her weathered face finally showing a hint of color.