Chapter 12: Long Time No See

 Chapter 12: Long Time No See

Lu Erbai was a bit dazed, squinting his eyes for a while before recognizing the person in front of him.

In surprise, he asked, "You are... Miss Shu?"

"It's me, Uncle Lu. Long time no see," Shu Yu stood in front of the group and greeted them with a smile.

The three people in front of her, like San Ya, were all thin and weak, their clothes patched and empty. Lu Erbai was even more haggard and weathered than he was when she saw him a year ago. He didn't even look like a man in his thirties.

Lu Erbai felt a bit awkward and forced a smile as he nodded, "Uh, yeah, long time no see. So, Miss Shu, how come you're here? Do you need something from me?"

Shu Yu glanced at his raised left leg and said, "There's something I need to discuss with you. It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go inside first."

Lu Erbo eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes, let's go inside."

The old lady opened her mouth, wondering why this girl didn't seem to regard herself as a stranger. This was their home, but she spoke as if she were the hostess.

She and Lu Erbai's wife, Ruan Shi, supported Lu Erbo into the main hall. San Ya followed closely behind, and when everyone was seated, she ran to the kitchen to pour water and placed a bowl in front of each person.

Shu Yu looked at her bowl, which was the only one without a crack, feeling a bit embarrassed to drink water.

Noticing her gaze, Lu Erbai became even more flustered and whispered, "Our house is simple and we don't have any tea or anything like that. Miss Shu, please don't mind."

"Uncle Lu is too polite. The spring water here is very sweet. I like it more than tea," Shu Yu replied with a smile.

Lu Erbai visibly relaxed and rubbed his hands together, "That's good, that's good."

He lowered his head, and then realized that the old lady kept hitting his arm and gesturing with her eyes, whispering, "Why don't you introduce us? Who is this girl, and how do you know her? I've never heard you mention her before."

Luo Erbai reacted, but before he could speak, Shu Yu said, "My name is Shu Yu. A year ago, when I fell off a cliff, Uncle Lu saved me. I was seriously injured and couldn't fully regain consciousness. Later, when I was able to get out of bed, Uncle Lu had already left, and I didn't know where he lived. I couldn't thank him in person, and I felt really guilty."

Now Shu Yu was glad that she had taken a couple of seconds to think in the county town and bought some meat and snacks. Otherwise, if she had come empty-handed and found out that Luo Erbai was not only her biological father but also her lifesaver, she would have been really embarrassed.

She pushed the meat and snacks in front of them and said, "I came in a hurry and it's getting late, so I only bought a few things. I'll..."

Before Shu Yu could finish her sentence, Luo Erbai waved his hand and said, "No, no, no need. You gave me money back then, which was enough. Why bother buying these things? Really, it's not necessary."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was glared at by the old lady.

The old lady pushed the meat and snacks to her side and scolded Luo Erbai, "Are you stupid, Second Son? This is her heartfelt gift. If you don't accept it, Miss Shu will feel uneasy. Besides, you can't return the meat and snacks. The doctor said you need to eat more to recuperate. How long has it been since you've had meat? And Da Hua and Sanya haven't had any decent snacks either."

(End of this chapter)