Don’t cherish what you have, you’re toads
Author: 橙子澄澄
Source: Instadoses
"Grandma, is there hot water boiling at home? Quick, I need a shower, I stink!"
The moment the carriage stopped, Qian Wanjin jumped off it, raised his voice and shouted.
Grandma Liu came out of the kitchen. "Oww, What happened? What have you got on your clothes? Wait a minute, Xiao Jinzi (means gold). I'll get you some hot water. Where's Nannan? Is she still back there?"
In three years, Qian Wanjin successfully occupied the Liu family, winning the affection of everyone in the family except for Liu Yusheng. His name changed from the rusty Young Boss Qian to Xiao Jinzi.
He refused to be called by this name, which sounded much like little eunuch.
But the elderly liked it… so, he gave in.
In private, he was a very approachable person.
Only Liu Yusheng didn't know any better and never changed his name.
As soon as the grandma asked about Liu Yusheng, Qian Wanjin immediately rolled his eyes and pointed his thumb back. "She's in the carriage. There's a big surprise for you, grandma. Take it easy and don't get too excited later."
"What big surprise?" The others popped up from the kitchen or from the hall.
Well, except for the two brothers Liu Zhixia and Liu Zhiqiu who had already gone to the town's private school, everyone was alive, and was back in good time.
After a moment of incomprehension, Liu Erlin's eyes suddenly widened. "Xiao Jinzi, it isn't it, right? Has he been found? Is it?"
"He's found?"
Hualala – the group immediately swarmed to the door. Thus, Qian Wanjin only enjoyed a moment of pampering before the crowd left him behind.
"Grandma, I still need hot water for my bath!" In his ire, his voice croaked.
No one cared about him.
You don't cherish what you have, you're toads!
In the carriage, Liu Yusheng was still having difficulty with Axiu. "We're home, let's get off first, okay?"
"Brother Axiu will have a lot of family in the future. Everyone will love you and cherish you, I promise, okay?"
The young man seemed to think that the small space was safer and hugged Liu Yusheng in his arms without budging an inch. She talked till her mouth ran dry, but he remained calm like an old monk devoid of worldly passions.
"Nannan, did you find Axiu? Did you?"
"Why don't these two kids get out of the carriage when they're at home?"
"Come down quickly. I have cooked dinner, let's go home and eat…" Grandma Liu rushed ahead and lifted the curtain of the carriage. When she saw the child in the carriage, her eyes turned red and she shivered so much that she couldn't speak.
Everyone's voice was drowned out the moment they saw Axiu. Their excitement and joy seemed to be doused with a basin of ice water, penetrating coldly into their hearts.
Like a beggar, half of his face was exposed under his tangled hair, and half of his cheeks were covered with pits and twisted, hideous scars. His black eyes under his unkempt hair were soulless. They had just made such a fuss, but he didn't even spare them a glance.
If he wasn't hugging Nannan tightly, he would have looked like a lifeless statue.
Grandma Liu's chest rose and fell violently. She turned around and squeezed out of the group, walked to a corner of the family's yard and sat down, pounding her chest and bawling. "Bastards, those beasts! How could they do this to a child! They'll be punished, they'll definitely get what they deserved!"
"Xiulan, Du Juan, help your mother back." Grandpa Liu clenched his teeth, his eyes red. "Nannan, Axiu, come down. We're going home!"
Chen Xiulan and Du Juan wiped the corners of their eyes together and went to help Grandma Liu back to the courtyard, so as not to disturb their neighbors. Axiu's current condition wasn't suitable for too much commotion. That child – he had changed a lot.
And upon seeing Axiu appear alone, the family realized another matter.
Wanrong, that gentle and elegant woman, was gone.
The three grown men in the family, Grandpa Liu, Liu Dalin and Liu Erlin, all stood beside the carriage, waiting for the kids in the car to get off.
Movement in the carriage was slow in coming.
Liu Yusheng blinked back the tears that wanted to rush outward and hugged Axiu back even harder. "Brother Axiu, let's get off the carriage. We're home, where the family is waiting for us."
Axiu didn't speak. His eyes fell on the reddened corners of the child's eyes, and after a while, he pursed his lips, hugged her and moved off the carriage slowly.
Liu Yusheng was greatly relieved. She almost thought he wouldn't respond again. As long as there was a reaction, it wasn't totally hopeless.
What she feared most was that he closed his heart completely and no one could get in again. By then, inevitably, he was bound to never come out again.
In the courtyard, Qian Wanjin has bathed and changed into clean clothes. Along with his gleaming fashion, he crossed his hands while he leaned against the kitchen door. I'm now happy, was painted all over his face.
"First, clean him up. He's so smelly. I won't eat at the same table with him later!"
A stinky virtue with an unforgiving mouth.
Liu Yusheng took a look at Axiu. His entire body was indeed dirty and he gave off an odd smell. If he sobered up in the future and remembered that he used to look like this, he would be disgusted.
It just… How was she to convince him to take a shower when he won't even let go of her? She couldn't just watch him bathe…
Before Liu Yusheng could contrive a reason, Grandma Liu, who had finished drying her tears, said, "There should be warm water left in the kitchen. Right, let Axiu bathe first and change into a clean set of clothes. We need a little more time to set the table, so it's just perfect. Dalin, fetch some water for Axiu. Xiulan, go and find a set of Zhixia's old clothes for him to wear for the time being. We'll sew him some new clothes later."
"Hmm, okay. We're on it." Liu Dalin and Chen Xiulan split up.
The protagonist, Axiu, remained unperturbed. It didn't feel like the grown ups were working for him at all.
When everything was finally ready, Liu Yusheng brought him to the bathroom and the problem came back.
Axiu hugged her and refused to let go.
A tiny struggle from her earned a smother and a tighter hug from the young man, as if his baby was about to run away. One way or the other, there was a rush of anxiety in his movements, even his eyes changed.
Qian Wanjin was standing at the door, and the more he looked, the more he was upset. "Bastard, that's enough already! Why, do you still want Lucky Nannan to bathe with you?"
Liu Yusheng: "…"
The Liu Family: "…"
In the end, it was Liu Yusheng who solved the problem by hanging her headband next to the tub, temporarily getting out of Axiu's arms.
Taking the little time that Dad and Second Uncle had to help Axiu bathe, Liu Yusheng also freshened herself up.
Listening to the screams and cries of pain coming out of the bathroom from time to time, a faint smile crept up Liu Yusheng's eyes.
When she walked out of her room, she saw her grandparents, her mother and my second aunt waiting at the door. "Nanan, tell us what's going on with Axiu? How did he end up like this?"
The two little children were good playmates before, but they had never stuck together like this. The look that Axiu also showed now was distinctly abnormal.
Liu Yusheng pursed her small mouth and said softly, "He's suffering from psychological trauma."
Note this is for Offline reading/purpose only credits to the authors, publishers, editors and translators.
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