Chapter 37

Maggie_

She didn’t want Third Aunt to see her embarrassment, so she purposely looked over at Third Aunt calmly with a tranquil smile. Lian Fang Zhou admired herself for being able to smile without a trace of guilt! Afterwards, she stopped her gaze, picked up her chopsticks and calmly ate.

Her method had really worked. Third Aunt paused and blinked. She felt a bit suspicious that there was something wrong with her eyes a moment ago.

“Third Aunt, did you catch a chill?” Lian Fang Qing couldn’t help but asked.

Hearing this, both Lian Ze and Lian Che looked at Third Aunt, with a hint of care in their eyes.

Lian Fang Zhou secretly sigh out a breath of relief. Luckily only Third Aunt saw her distraction.

So she became even calmer.

“I haven’t. It’s just that, I choked a bit!” Third Aunt gave a reluctant smile as she gave an excuse.

“Oh!” Lian Fang Qing replied and dropped the topic, focusing on her bowl as she sipped her soup.

Hearing this, Lian Fang Zhou laughed on the inside.

After dinner like normal routine, Third Aunt tidied up and went to the kitchen to wash dishes. Lian Fang Zhou turned to Lian Ze: “Go find some of our dad’s clothes for him to change. Let him wash himself and take off the dirtied clothes!”

And she also turned to grin to the man: “It’s old clothes, please don’t reject! You have to clean those wounds as you bathe so they will not fester. Tomorrow I’ll go to the village and ask for a bit medicinal liquor from someone. So tonight you’ll have to suffer a bit!”

Lian Ze eagerly agreed and went off.

That man shook his head, grinned: “Actually … these injuries aren’t that serious. It’ll get better by itself in few days.”

Full with shame, he thought: “If it wasn’t because I haven’t eaten anything recently, I wouldn’t be so useless.”

His hair has been slightly tidied up, while his beard was still a lot like bird nests. His smiles were showing rows of neat white teeth.

Lian Fang Zhou politely invited him to sit. With a smile, she asked: “Oh yes, I have not asked for your name yet! Where do you live?”

Hearing this, the man couldn’t help paused a bit. His expression immediately became low-spirited, and seems to give a low sigh.

Lian Fang Zhou also halted, then smiled again: “If you have some difficulties that you do not want explain, then forget it. It doesn’t matter!”

If there’s really difficulties that he has to hide, most likely it is some troublesome matter. Lian Fang Zhou rather not know anything about it. Avoid attracting trouble out of nowhere!

She has three siblings to raise and she must work hard herself to survive in this poor environment. So she doesn’t’ feel like she got the qualifications to intervene in other people’s troubles.

If this matter is troublesome for him, even if he has such good skills, can’t imagine what it would be like to Lian family.

“Not like that!” The man quickly denied. He scratched his head, and with an embarrassed look: “Miss, you misunderstood. I don’t hide any difficulties, but actually, I lost my memories!”

“What!” Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes widened in amazement: is this the legendary amnesia?

With a wry smile, he said: “When I woke up I was on a riverbank. And unknowingly wandered into Yuhe County. It was like this til I met you today… No matter how much I try, I still can’t remember who I am, where I am from, or what has happened to me in the past!”

Lian Fang Zhou suddenly didn’t know what to say. In her heart, she couldn’t help feel sympathetic toward him.

The man thought for a moment, then gave a faint smile. Feeling somewhat self-deprecating, he said: “I came to Yuhe County with a group of migrants. Maybe – like them, my home was destroyed by floods!”

For a moment, Lian Fang Zhou didn’t know what to say. With a laugh, she spoke: “I was in the wrong. I should not have brought it up! Please feel at ease in our home, as you nurse your wounds. No need to overthink!”

The man nodded his head.Understanding what Lian Fang Zhou meant, he immediately said: “After… After two days, I will leave.”

Lian Fang Zhou’s cheeks heated up and felt a bit embarrassed as he was very tactful and said it so straightforward. She grinned: ” I didn’t mean it like this, I…”

Suddenly the man looked up and smiled at her, as if he understood even without her speaking out. And he didn’t blame her either.

Lian Fang Zhou felt even more terrible. No matter what, he did save the three of them right? Pushing him to leave is certainly hurtful.

She was at loss what to say. Luckily Lian Ze found the clothes and came back. So Lian Fang Zhou rushed Lian Ze to take him to wash himself.

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw them leave.

“Sister, sister!” At this time, Lian Che ran over and said: “Aunt Zhang asked when did you come back? And also told you to visit her house!”

“Oops,” Lian Fang Zhou slapped her forehead and spoke with some chagrin: “How could I forget about Aunt Zhang! Silly me! Ah Che, why didn’t you remind Sister earlier!”

“I forgot!” Lian Che rubbed his head and stuck his tongue out.

Lian Fang Zhou smiled and told him to go play on his own. She then got up and grabbed two velvet flowers and wrapped them in paper. Afterward filled a basket half full of the dried mushrooms she had stored for themselves. Then went to the kitchen and cut out about half a pound of pork.

Thus she prepared a gift for Aunt Zhang and her family. The two velvet flowers were for Mrs Zhao and Li Juan.

When Lian Fang Zhou was cutting the pork, Third Aunt had just finished washing the dishes. She had yet to leave the kitchen, when she saw her (Fang Zhou) cut the meat. Her eyes were staring straight at her and asked: “What are you doing?”

Lian Fang Zhou glanced at her and indifferently said: “I’m cutting a piece to send over to Aunt Zhang’s. Should have send some long ago. Just that when we came back, I was busy and forgot to give it!”

“What!” Third Aunt immediately exclaimed. She felt hurt as if the meat was cut by Lian Fang Zhou from her own body.

Furiously, she stepped forward, said: “Are you crazy or stupid?! There’s not enough to eat at home, and you actually want gift to other people for free!”

Lian Fang Zhou halted the kitchen knife and looked up at her. With some helplessness, she said: “Third Aunt, as a human person, first we must live with our conscience, and secondly, think of the long term! Aunt Zhang and Uncle Li have helped us a lot. When they got something, they are willing to share with us. So there is no reason why we shouldn’t share with them! Moreover, the future road is still long. We don’t have any grown men supporting our family, so we’ll have to trouble them with a lot of matters. Got to show some gratitude or else how our conscience will be at ease? ”

Third Aunt knew that she was telling the truth, and didn’t argue back for a moment.

However, her heart still ached, so she continued: “Even if you want to show gratitude, you don’t have to this generous! Do you not feel pain cutting off this piece of pork ah?”

“I don’t!” Lian Fang Zhou simply straightforwardly answered her back. She had finished cutting as she talked.

She placed that cut of meat into a bowl and grinned at Third Aunt. “I’ll make a trip over now, so I’ll have to trouble Third Aunt to store the rest!”

Without waiting for her to continue fussing, she went straight out.

“You -” Third Aunt angrily glared, as she couldn’t do anything else.

With a distressed heart, she carefully packed the rest of the meat as she unhappily grumbled: “Acting so generous, she got no sense of living. There is not enough gold mountain for you to spend, prodigal … … if I was the head, it certainly would not be like this … …”

When Lian Fang Zhou arrived at Aunt Zhang’s home, Aunt Zhang’s family had already had dinner.

“I came over because I just heard from Che er that Aunt was looking for me! I should have came over earlier, but I had completely forgotten about it!”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled to Aunt Zhang and Uncle Li. After greeting them, she put down the gift basket and continued: “Few days back, Ah Ze and I picked these mushrooms. All are good ones, so rest assured aunt and uncle, you can eat them. Today I cut a piece of meat. I hope that aunt will make a scrumptious meal, so please don’t disdain that there’s so little!”

The mushroom were fine but seeing that the piece of meat was around half a catty, Aunt Zhang, Uncle Li, their son and daughter-in-law were shocked.

Mrs Zhao was so happy that her heart was blooming. She could not help but reach out as she laughed: “Oh,Fang Zhou, you’re so kind-hearted. How could we accept!”

Even as she said it, she did not return the gift