Chapter 18: Little Brother Dahua

 Chapter 18: Little Brother Da Hu 

Shu Yu unconsciously touched her eyes and nose. She had never met Da Ya  before, so she didn't know how much they resembled each other. However, Shu Yu as a child was quite similar to San Ya now.

No wonder Ruan Shi had looked at her with such a fiery and excited gaze earlier. Her intuition was really accurate.

In the kitchen, Lu Er bai and Ruan Shi were still talking. Lu Er bai hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss Shu... she has parents and a family, and it looks like she's living well. Even if, I mean even if she really is Er Ya, she must be living better than she would have in our family."

Ruan Shi was stunned, and the couple fell silent at the same time.

After a while, Ruan Shi sobbed softly, "When you say that, I... I hope she really is Er Ya. At least it means she's doing well and hasn't suffered too much. That way, I can feel more at ease."

Lu Er bai patted her shoulder and said, "Alright, don't think too much. Go wash your face and start cooking. Mother will be back soon."

Ruan Shi sniffled and replied with an "Mm-hmm" before turning around to get busy.

Shu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to walk into the courtyard.

Suddenly, the courtyard door creaked open, and Shu Yu looked up to see a small figure with a pale and skinny face struggling to drag a bundle of firewood inside.

When the figure saw her, he paused and turned his head around to look around.

After confirming that this was indeed his home, he asked in confusion, "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"Are you... Da Hu ?" The name didn't match his size at all.

"Do you know me?"

Shu Yu nodded and went over to pick up the bundle of firewood he was dragging behind him. As she passed him, she noticed that the rope tying the firewood together had worn away his palms.

This little guy was young and small, but he had a big heart. He insisted on dragging back such a big bundle of firewood before he would be satisfied.

Da Hu  was taken aback for a moment, then quickly followed her into the house.

Shu Yu placed the firewood at the corner of the wall, clapped her hands, and turned around to see Da Hu  following behind her curiously.

Shu Yu smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Do I look like a bad person?"

Da Hu  stared at her and quickly shook his head, "No, no, I... " He inexplicably became nervous and took a small step back.

Ruan Shi, who was cooking in the kitchen next to them, and Lu Er Bai, who was helping with the fire, heard the commotion outside and hurriedly came out. "Da Hu  why are you coming back so late?"

"I saw a lot of firewood at the foot of the mountain and wanted to pick up more, so I came back late," Da Hu  said while secretly glancing at Shu Yu. When he saw her looking over, he quickly lowered his head and blushed slightly.

Ruan Shi noticed this and said, "This is Miss Shu, our guest."

Guest? Da Hu  was shocked and widened his eyes. Does their family have such distinguished guests?

Just as he was thinking about this, he heard the old lady's voice outside, grumbling, "...Lao San, you go home now.  Er Bai has guests today. If you dare to come and cause trouble, I'll come and lie down in your house, and you can take care of me from now on."

As she spoke, she opened the courtyard door and led San Ya inside, then turned around and closed the door with a bang, blocking the man outside.

Shu Yu had sharp eyes and saw the man outside with a look of anger. Wasn't he the same person she saw when she first entered the village?

(End of Chapter)