"Liu Tong, Liu Tong, wait..."
Liu Tong had just walked out when he heard a call from behind him. As he turned around, he saw Wu Mei and Liu Qing sprinting towards him.
Liu Tong came to a standstill and stared at the two people gasping for air. "There's no rush," he reassured them both. "Please take your time."
"Liu Tong, we've heard you were driven out," Wu Mei said, inhaling a bit.
"We know you don't have somewhere to go right now, so let's start with my place!"
"You are, Liu Tong, helping the entire family. The children are still young, and Xu Ran must continue to take his medication. So let's get going. We won't let you go hungry," Liu Qing added.
"Well..." Liu Tong was hesitant.
"Even if you don't care about yourself, you should think about your two kids!" Wu Mei tried to reassure him.
"You must not have had your lunch yet! Tangtang and Guoguo have to be starving. Whatever happens, come to my house for some food first. "
"Yeah, and Ran needs to see a doctor about his injury," Liu Qing said.
Liu Tong was saddened as he looked at the two silent and compliant children by his side, as well as Xu Ran, who was seriously wounded. He was angry at himself for being so useless that he couldn't even protect his children.
"Well, I am so sorry for causing you so much trouble," he replied, nodding at Wu Mei and Liu Qing.
"What are you talking about?" Wu Mei and Liu Qing both waved their hands at the same time. "If it were others, I wouldn't bother."
Naturally, Liu Tong recognized that Wu Mei and Liu Qing had come to his help in his hour of need because of their friendship. He agreed to embrace their kindness and promised to look after the two families in the future.
Xu An, Wu Mei's spouse, was a skilled craftsman as well as a skilled field hand. Moreover, since Wu Mei was virtuous and capable, his family led a happy life in Xu Village, and they could even be called rich.
Wu Mei had two children as well. The oldest was named Dahu, and the youngest was named Yueya'er. They were also extremely obedient.
When Wu Mei returned home with them, he asked Dahu and Yueya'er to play with Tangtang and Guoguo first. He sat Liu Tong and Xu Ran in the hall after that. After all of this was taken care of, he went straight to work in the kitchen. Liu Qing returned home and stated that he would bring some food here.
When Xu Ran and Liu Tong were left alone in the room, Xu Ran sat in his seat and placed his hand on the hand of Liu Tong, who was sitting next to him. "Tongtong, I'm fine now," he said softly. "I'm not going to bring you through any more pain."
Liu Tong was shocked for a moment after hearing Xu Ran's words, and then his eyes turned red.
Xu Ran rose from his seat and walked behind him. He gently stroked Liu Tong's back to console him, avoiding the area where he had been injured. "Tongtong, you've been working hard for us all these years," he said. Thank you so much."
Liu Tong stood up, red-eyed, and embraced Xu Ran tightly. "Ran, Ran..." he kept calling.
"I'm here, Tongtong, and I'm all right now..." Xu Ran patted his back and gently comforted him in his ear.
Liu Tong was so enthralled that he had no idea whether he was sad or happy at the moment. Since he married into the Xu Family, he had hoped that Xu Ran would recover. He had been suffering in the Xu Family for several years, but his dreams for Ran had never died. The belief that Ran would recover had always cheered him up, even in the worst of times.
He had been waiting for seven years when Ran unexpectedly informed him that he was well and that he would not allow him to suffer any longer.
Liu Tong had a deep urge to weep in order to relieve all of his frustration from the previous years. He wouldn't have to work alone in the future. His husband, as well as the father of his children, was finally cured.
Liu Tong didn't lose his cool for long because they were already in someone else's home.
Xu Ran started to say Liu Tong his intention after he had calmed down.
"Actually, Tongtong, I returned to myself the day before yesterday. I recall all that has happened in the years since I became a fool. I also know what kind of life you led. I apologize for the trouble. I am the one who has let you and the kids down."
"No, you didn't cause any trouble for me or the kids. And I've always been willing to help."
Liu Tong interrupted Xu Ran's speech. Liu Tong spoke easily, displaying his desire and affection for the family.
"Don't worry, Tongtong," Xu Ran said softly, despite the pain in his mouth. "The last few days have come to an end. Our family will be fine and will have a better future."
"Yes," Liu Tong nodded repeatedly. He believed in Xu Ran.
"Tongtong, pay attention to what I'm doing. Since I returned to myself, I've been planning a family separation. My life in the Xu Family is not easy, whether I am a fool or not. As a result, it's preferable for us to break up with them and live on our own. I'll inform you about the other plans later this evening. Remember to tell the doctor to search my head thoroughly when he arrives. Then go to the doctor and ask for more medication, and I'll feel better once I take it."
Liu Tong nodded, "I got it."
When Liu Tong saw Wu Mei come to call them for dinner, he still wanted to say something.
It was inconvenient for them to continue talking. They were led to the dining room after getting up.
Their two children had already taken a seat at the table and were eating. They seemed to be starving.
When they got close enough, they saw the two kids eating egg soup. Liu Tong was moved, but he stayed silent. He drew Xu Ran to a chair and quietly expressed his gratitude.
Wu Mei received a thankful glance from Xu Ran as well. He was well aware that eggs at the time were not cheap, and that most people could not afford to eat them. Instead, they were sold for money.
Wu Mei was now so generous that he fed the two children the valuable eggs.
Xu Ran contemplated how, once he was wealthy, he would undoubtedly assist Wu Mei's family as a payoff.
They were served rice by Wu Mei and Liu Qing. Although it was brown rice, it was not bad. Aside from that, there were three dishes on the table, as well as meat. Liu Tong was deeply moved by the fact that everyone was willing to help him in his time of need.
He wanted to express his appreciation once more. He, on the other hand, swallowed his thoughts. He felt that no words could adequately convey his gratitude.
"Liu Tong, please look after Dahu and Yueya'er for me," Wu Mei said when they were eating. "I'm going to go out with Liu Qing."
"All right, it's ok. All you have to do now is get down to work. Liu Tong answered, "I'll take good care of Dahu and Yueya'er."
Wu Mei took Liu Qing out of the house after Liu Tong agreed. They intended to go to the village to find out what was going on. They will also invite a doctor to their house to examine Xu Ran's wound. His mouth was dripping blood. They were both upset that he had been badly wounded.
They had just walked out the door when they saw someone hurrying towards them.
They discovered it was Wu Lan, Wu Mei's younger brother, after they got close. He was married to the Xu Village from the Wu Village, much like Wu Mei. Wu Mei had always gotten along with his younger brother. They both grew up together and married in the same place, which led to them becoming friends with Liu Tong.
"Lan, why are you rushing so quickly? Has something happened?" Wu Mei approached Wu Lan and asked.
"I... I... I learned Liu Tong was dismissed from his home. Is he alright?" Wu Lan stood there, arms akimbo, panting, and asked.
"Don't worry," Wu Mei patted him on the back. "Liu Tong has settled at my place. He's all right."
Wu Lan felt a bit better after resting for a while. "Bro, what's the matter?" he asked.
"I went to town with Xu Zhen today, but when we returned, we were told that Liu Tong had been evicted from his home. I dashed to Xu Houcai's house in a hurry. However, there was no one there when I arrived. Liu Tong is in your house, I was told later."
"Unfortunately, we don't know anything about it right now," Wu Mei sighed. "Others told me that Xu Houcai kicked out four of them without offering anything to Xu Ran. I'm not sure how they'll survive in the future."
They couldn't help but frown when Wu Mei mentioned it. Liu Tong and Xu Ran had nothing but a hungry family to support at the time. How will they be able to survive?
Liu Qing was sad, but he knew that finding a doctor to treat Xu Ran's injury came first, so he disrupted the two brothers, who were lost in their own grief.
"All right, we'll talk about it later tonight, now we need to find a doctor to treat Xu Ran's injury. I'm afraid Liu Tong was beaten today as well, though he didn't say anything."
"What are you talking about?" Is it true that Xu Ran was hurt? Xu Houcai, you're such a scumbag! How could he possibly beat his helpless son? He's totally morally corrupt!"
Wu Lan became even angrier after hearing this. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and prepared to fight the evil person.
"Lan, don't be so rash," Wu Mei quickly interfered. "This is a family affair amongst those. We are unable to engage in it. We will cause concern if we really do anything to Xu Houcai and Xu Cheng. Liu Tong and Xu Ran may have a poor reputation in the village in the future."
Wu Lan became aware of his impulse after hearing Wu Mei's words. "Bro, what can we do then?" he asked, quickly calming down. "We can't let things go on like this!
"When we get back, we'll talk about it. You'll bring Xu Zhen and Xu Fa to my house later. Then we'll have a lively discussion about it. Now let's go find a doctor."
"All right, Bro., Then you seek a doctor with Qing." Wu Lan fled, saying, "I'll go home first and plan some stuff for Liu Tong's family."
Wu Mei grinned as he observed Wu Lan's impulsive conduct, saying, "What a boy! He's married, but his personality remains the same."
"There's nothing bad about it," Liu Qing grinned as he looked at Wu Lan's leaving back. "Do you think everybody is like you?"
Wu Mei reasoned that if Wu Lan was the same as him, he would not be able to adapt. So he smiled and said, "That's true."
Liu Tong's family was dining peacefully in Wu Mei's house at the time. Dahu and Yueya'er were also present, but they had already consumed their lunch. They were all standing back, watching. Four children will play together after Tangtang and Guoguo finished eating. Liu Tong had asked them to eat together, but the two children respectfully declined.
The kids in the countryside, according to Xu Ran, were extremely polite and unpretentious.
Liu Tong cleared the table after the meal, and the two kids went outside to play with their new friends. Xu Houcai had hit Liu Tong in the shoulder, which was very painful at the moment. As a result, working was difficult for him at this time.
As Xu Ran noticed that no one was around, he took the bowls from Liu Tong's hands and said, "Tongtong, let me do the washing." "I'm aware that your shoulder hurts. You'll rest for a while and then see the doctor."
"It's all right. Allow me to handle it! You were hurt as well. There are only a few bowls, I can easily wash them," Liu Tong insisted.
"No, your shoulder hurts," Xu Ran also insisted.
Liu Tong didn't want to bother Xu Ran with a few bowls, so he gave him the task.
He was also concerned that Xu Ran wouldn't know how to wash the bowls. After all, in the seven or eight years since he became a fool, he had done nothing. However, when Liu Tong turned back, he saw Xu Ran washing the bowls very thoroughly. Liu Tong gave a warm smile. 'How nice Ran has been!'
03.16.21