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Chapter 20: Sold by Grandmother

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Chapter 20: Sold by Grandmother

The voices in the main room had stopped at some point, so Shu Yu heard everything the two children said.

For some reason, her eyes became slightly swollen.

San Ya didn't have many candies to begin with, so she couldn't have any after giving some away.

The old lady naturally heard this too. She turned her face away and looked a little gloomy.

Shu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Grandmother Lu, although it may seem impolite, I still want to ask, how did Er Ya get lost in the first place?"

The old lady was stunned for a moment, and after a moment, she sighed and said, "What's impolite about it? It's not a secret, everyone knows. Our family brought disaster upon ourselves by finding a money-grubbing and shameless in-law!!"

Speaking of this, the old lady became angry, gritting her teeth, "That old lady from the Ruan family is no good. I heard that someone wanted to buy a newborn baby, and Er Ya had just been born. She took advantage of the fact that my second daughter-in-law was in confinement and came to our house to say she would take care of them. She was the child's grandmother, how could we know she had such intentions? When we weren't paying attention, she took the child away."

"That damned woman, not only did she sell the child, she didn't even know who the buyer was. We wanted to find Er Ya, but the other party wasn't from here and had already left. I was really blind back then to find such a daughter-in-law for my second son. If it weren't for..."

If it weren't for the fact that Da Ya was still young at the time, the old lady really wanted her second son to divorce that broomstick Ruan.

Fortunately, Ruan's relationship with her family was not good, and they have been out of contact for these years. Otherwise, she would have driven Ruan out long ago.

Shu Yu was stunned. It turned out that this was done by her maternal grandmother's family?

No wonder when the old lady scolded Ruan, she hung her head low, allowing her to curse at her, speaking softly.

But obviously, Ruan must have been under tremendous psychological pressure, worrying about Er Ya who was sold, while also enduring the torture of self-blame in her heart.

The old lady said, "We reported this matter to the officials at the time, but our county's official... didn't care. He said that these were all family affairs, and if we caused trouble, everyone would be taken out and beaten."

Shu Yu furrowed her brows, but it was not unexpected.

Lord Shu was the magistrate of Dong'an Prefecture, and the entire Shu family was cold and ruthless. Lord Shu was not a good official and had handled countless dirty affairs. As the saying goes, "The fish rots from the head down", so it was easy to imagine that the county officials under his jurisdiction would be negligent in their duties.

"Afterwards, I called the men in my family and the people in the village to settle accounts with the Ruan family and we had a fight. The old lady of the Ruan family was bedridden for almost half a year before getting up. Ever since then, my second son has been looking for Er Ya, and he doesn't miss any bit of news. Whenever he hears that there's a clue, he rushes over to investigate. He's gone to many places."

As she spoke, the old lady looked at the house. "Our family has become poorer and poorer. Sometimes I think, why don't we just give up? Maybe Er Ya is living a good life and enjoying herself. But my second son said, what if things aren't good? What if Er Ya is suffering, and waiting for us to rescue her? If we give up, then Er Ya is truly lost."

Shu Yu lowered her head, and her hand, which was placed on the table, clenched into a fist, tightly gripping it.

The old lady wiped her eyes. "Miss Shu, to be honest, I have my own reasons for telling you all this."

Shu Yu looked up.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 19: Eat More candies and You Won't Be Bitter

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Chapter 19: Eat More candies and You Won't Be Bitter

Shu Yu remembered that the old man who drove the cart was called... Lu Lao san.

So the woman in the county who took advantage of him and got Lu Lao San to carry her basket for free was Lu Sanjie, who was from the Lu family?

So the chubby boy's parents were them, and it really was quite a coincidence.

Lu Lao San grumbled a few words at the door, probably because the old lady's threat had frightened him, and he didn't dare to come in. He stayed outside for a moment before returning.

The old lady snorted coldly. "You're becoming more and more out of touch."

She approached and immediately put on a smiley face, saying to Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, why are you standing here? Go inside and rest in the hall. I've borrowed a cart from the village chief and we'll leave early tomorrow morning."

As she spoke, she handed the basket of vegetables she was carrying to Ruan Shi.

Ruan Shi visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worrying about what dish to make for dinner tonight. There was a small vegetable patch in the yard, but only a few beans and cabbage were planted. They had just picked the beans yesterday, and it would be two more days before they could pick the next batch.

If they didn't have any guests, they could just drink some porridge and eat some pickles to get by.

Now she didn't know where her mother-in-law she got the vegetables from, and with the meat that Miss Shu had brought over, they could finally make a few decent dishes.

Ruan Shi was left to take care of the kitchen, while the old lady brought Shu Yu back to the hall.

She found that although the old lady spoke harshly at times, the elderly woman also had her own wisdom. When Shu Yu chatted with her, she didn't feel awkward at all. Listening to her talk about the interesting things in the village was actually quite entertaining.

She also learned that San Ya and Da Hu were twin siblings, the only dragon and phoenix twins in the village. She had an older sister above her who was three years older than her Da Ya and already married, living in the neighboring Da Yan village.

Lu Erbai had four siblings: the eldest, Lu Dasong; the second, Lu Erbai; the third, Lu Sanshu, who had just been scolded outside; and a younger sister, Lu Sihang.

As for why the old lady would live with her second son, she didn't say.

But Shu Yu guessed that perhaps the old lady saw that the Lu family was living a difficult life and wanted to help out.

As they were talking, Shu Yu saw San Ya and Da Hu secretly observing them outside.

Shu Yu looked over and the two quickly withdrew their heads.

Shu Yu smiled, and San Ya pulled Da Hu to sit on the steps in the courtyard. She took out a candy from her pocket and put it in Da Hu's mouth, whispering, "This is from Sister Shu, it's so sweet."

The first candy Sister Shu gave her was so sweet that she couldn't even eat half of it before putting it away, thinking she would give the other half to Da Hu when he returned.

But later, Shu Yu gave her all the remaining candies, and San Ya suddenly had a lot of candies in her hand.

When she came back just now, she gave one to her mother, one to her father, and now one to Da Hu, so everyone had one. She wanted to keep the rest for herself and give some to her older sister when she saw her in the future.

That way, her older sister's days would be sweet too.

San Ya told Da Hu her thoughts, and Da Hu nodded repeatedly. He added, "Let's keep one more for when we find Second Sister in the future."

"Okay." San Ya nodded vigorously. She thought for a moment and said, "I'll save two for Second Sister. Mom said Second Sister is alone outside and might have suffered a lot, so if she eats more candy, she won't feel so bitter."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 18: Little Brother Dahua

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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)

Chapter 17: Very Similar to Da Ya

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Chapter 17: Very Similar to Er Ya

You should know that in recent years, Lu Er Bai has been looking for the missing Er Ya and had a broken leg. Even those who could lend him money have already done so, and now even his own brothers won't lend him anything.

The old lady had some worries lifted from her mind and her steps became lighter. She left the house not long after.

San Ya also went out, and Da Hu has yet to return. She needed to go out and look for him.

Shu Yu smiled, looked away, and saw that Ruan Shi was still looking at her with the same intense gaze as before.

Lu Er Bai also sensed it and couldn't help but reach out and pull Ruan Shi's arm, whispering, "wife, why don't you go make some food?"

But Ruan Shi took a deep breath and ignored Lu Er Bai, only asking Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, are there any family members at your home? Who are your parents? You're so young and came to Shangshi Village alone, is there no one with you?"

Lu Er Bai couldn't help but widen his eyes and his voice became heavier. "why are you asking about this? This is all Miss Shu's personal business. How can you ask so casually?"

However, Ruan Shi still paid no attention to him and continued to ask Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, may I ask if there are two moles on your left arm?"

Lu Er Bai took a cold breath and scolded her, "please stop asking."

But Ruan Shi suddenly covered her face and burst into tears, leaving Lu Er Bai feeling somewhat unsure of what to do.

He looked at Shu Yu in embarrassment and said, "Sorry, Miss Shu. As you know, I have a daughter who went missing years ago, and I've been looking for her all this time. It's also been a source of pain for my wife. You and Er Ya are about the same age, so she might have thought of her when she saw you and got a little emotional. I apologize."

He stood up with his cane and reached out to pull Ruan Shi's arm. "Miss Shu, please wait here for a while. We'll go to the kitchen and see what dishes we can make."

Shu Yu silently nodded and watched the couple support each other as they stumbled out of the hall.

Until their figures disappeared, Shu Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If it wasn't for Lu Er bai's interruption, she really didn't know how to answer just now.

Shu Yu rolled up the sleeve on her left side and indeed, there were two small black moles on her wrist.

She still hasn't decided whether or not to acknowledge the Lu family. Although she knows that the Lu family didn't intentionally abandon her and has been looking for her all these years, even to the point of impoverishing themselves.

But she has to consider the powerful plot in the book. Although she has no relationship with the Shu family now, who knows if the ending in the book will pull her back when they are exiled.

She can handle it herself, but what if it also affects the Lu family?

The Lu family didn't appear in the book, so no one knows what the ending will be like.

As Shu Yu was thinking, she suddenly heard Ruan Shi's cries.

She was startled. The kitchen was on her left, and she could faintly hear their conversation.

Lu Er bai seemed to be comforting Ruan Shi, but Ruan Shi, who was usually timid and soft-spoken, became excited. "I'm not crazy. Brother Bai, you don't know. Just now, when Miss Shu turned around while holding San Ya's hand and was talking and laughing with her, I seemed to see Da Ya talking to San Ya."

"Brother Bai, haven't you noticed that Miss Shu looks a bit like Da Ya? Although Da Ya is thinner and darker, and seems a bit older. But if you think about it carefully, isn't Miss Shu's nose and eyes very similar to Da Ya's?"

(End of this chapter)

Note:

In Chinese culture, it is common to use "Da," "Er," and "San" as informal ways to refer to someone based on their birth order or age within a group. These terms are often used among friends, siblings, or acquaintances to address or refer to each other.

"Da" (大) is used to refer to the eldest or the person with higher seniority.

"Er" (二) is used to refer to the second oldest or the person with the next level of seniority.

"San" (三) is used to refer to the third oldest or the person with the third level of seniority.

Chapter 16: I'll Pay for It

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Chapter 16: I'll Pay for It

San Ya leaned against Ruan Shi and whispered, "While I was waiting for my brother outside, Da Bao came out and said that Third Aunt had bought him candy in the county today. I ignored him, but he came up to me and I couldn't resist saying that I had eaten candy today too."

Then, as Shu Yu saw, the chubby boy boasted while scolding San Ya, and finally cried loudly.

After all, the chubby boy was the old lady's grandson, so Shu Yu explained a few words.

But the old lady waved her hand, "It's okay, it's okay. If his father dares to come, I'll deal with it. " She obviously cared more about Lu Er Bai's leg and asked urgently, "Miss Shu, is there any other way to treat our second son's leg? Is the plaster really useless?"

Shu Yu shook her head, "Not only is it useless, it will also aggravate the injury. He fell on his leg again today. It's best to see a doctor tomorrow. Delaying it is not good."

The old lady was worried and sad, "Well, then, I'll think of something else."

Shu Yu knew that the Lu family was in dire straits, and even five taels of silver might not be available, let alone five qian.

Lu Er Bai's leg couldn't be delayed any longer.

She knew that wealth should not be displayed, but after the interaction just now, Shu Yu had a better understanding of several people's characters.

She took out two broken silver coins and put them on the table, "Uncle Lu's medical expenses, I'll pay for it."

The people in the hall all widened their eyes, and Lu Er Bai reacted the most, quickly pushing it back, "No, this won't do. How can I take your money?"

The old lady wanted to say something, but seeing her son's appearance, she finally sighed and turned her head to look elsewhere with red eyes.

Shu Yu's tone was particularly firm, "Uncle Lu, as you know, if you don't accept it, I won't feel at ease and won't be able to face you."

Lu Er Bai was stunned. He wanted to say that his leg was not her responsibility. He hadn't paid attention and left with the injury untreated. But he couldn't say such a thing in front of his mother. Otherwise, with his mother's personality, she would definitely make Shu Yu responsible to the end.

So he finally clenched his fists and asked in a low voice, "Then let's consider it a loan. When my leg is better, I'll work hard and pay you back."

The old lady nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, the most important thing now is to cure your leg. We'll get through this difficult time as a family and figure out how to make money later."

Ruan Shi nodded on the side, even San Ya said softly, "I, I can also work in the fields and pick lots of vegetables."

Shu Yu didn't refuse, he'd worry about paying back the money later. The priority now was to cure Lu Erbo's leg.

Feeling relieved, the old lady got up and said, "Since we're going to the county tomorrow, I'll go to the village head's house and borrow a cow cart."

Then she instructed Ruan Shi, "Second daughter-in-law, start cooking and cook the pork. Miss Shu must be hungry too. It's getting late and she probably can't leave today. Why not rest here for the night? Our house is very run-down, I'm afraid you won't be comfortable."

"It's okay, I'm just afraid of bothering you."

The old lady smiled so much her eyes were squinting, "It's no bother at all."

She had originally been reluctant to cook the pork, planning to slowly eat it over time. But Miss Shu was so generous, even lending money to help cure Lu Erbo's leg. How magnanimous!

(End of chapter)

Chapter 15: Make Him Cry

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Chapter 15: Make Him Cry

Little Fatty stared in disbelief. Before he could ask anything, he heard Shu Yu say to San Ya, "Let's eat some candy first. We still have some snacks at home. We'll have them later."

San Ya blinked, feeling a bit light-headed from the sweetness in her mouth.

Shu Yu handed the rest of the candy to her.

Across from them, Little Fatty's eyes lit up when he heard the word "snacks." When he saw the candy in San Ya's hand, he lost his cool and charged over, shouting, "Give it to me! What right do you have to eat candy, you ugly thing? Give it all to me!"

San Ya was startled, and Shu Yu narrowed her eyes. When Little Fatty ran over to them, she grabbed his collar and spun him around, then pushed him back.

Shu Yu wasn't too rough, but Little Fatty stumbled and took a few steps forward before stopping.

He was a little confused, but the next moment he looked down and saw that the candy in his hand had fallen to the ground. Instantly overwhelmed with grief, he sat down and kicked his legs, crying loudly, "My candy! My candy fell! Ugly freak, you owe me! Waaah! If you don't give me candy, I'll beat you to death! I want candy! I want snacks!"

San Ya looked up at Shu Yu worriedly and said, "Big sister."

Shu Yu squatted down, patted the little girl's head, and said to her, "It's okay. We're not his parents. We won't indulge him. If he has the guts, let him cry all night, cry until the end of time."

Although Little Fatty was crying, he clearly heard what Shu Yu said. He stood up angrily, dusted off his pants, and glared at them, pointing his finger at them, "You wait for me! I'll go tell my dad, and when he's done with his business, he'll come and teach you a lesson."

With that, he ran back to his house.

When he's done with his business?

Shu Yu felt disgusted and shuddered. She shook her head, took San Ya by the hand, and turned to go back into the courtyard, closing the gate behind them.

Then she looked down and saw San Ya suddenly laughing.

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny? Did you think of something amusing?"

San Ya was startled and quickly shook her head. "No, no, the candy was just really sweet." Actually, she wanted to say that she and her brother were always the ones who were made to cry by Da Bao, but today was the first time they had made him cry.

But that was a bad thought, and she didn't want her sister to know she was a bad girl.

She just wanted to enjoy this moment and not think about it anymore.

Shu Yu couldn't help but laugh, "You like it, I'll buy it for you next time."

San Ya blinked, "Oh, there will be a next time?"

The little girl didn't dare to ask, afraid that her sister was just trying to appease her, but she held onto Shu Yu's hand tighter.

Shu Yu smiled and finally looked up, only to come face to face with Ruan Shi who was standing nearby. Ruan Shi's eyes were burning with a hint of intensity as she looked at them.

For some unknown reason, her eyes became slightly red and her lips trembled.

Shu Yu wondered, "..." Did she do anything strange just now? She only teased the little troublemaker on purpose.

But Ruan Shi quickly wiped her face and forced a smile, "Come in first."

Her voice was also very soft, as if she was speaking in a whisper.

San Ya had already run to Ruan Shi's side and was curiously looking up at her, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," Ruan Shi said and couldn't help but glance at Shu Yu a few more times.

The group then returned to the main room, and the old lady asked what had happened.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 14: Third Uncle's Son

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Chapter 14: Third Uncle's Son

Shu Yu wasn't a professional doctor, and the only things she could discern were these.

But she was certain that Lu Erbai's leg injury was definitely not as easy as that quack doctor had claimed.

She frowned, "So, it was that Yan Langzhong who treated Uncle Lu's leg?"

"Yes, it was him," the old lady said with disgust, "I knew someone with the surname Yan couldn't be trusted. This leg has been treated for a year and it still hasn't healed properly. He's truly a useless doctor who can't do anything right."

"Ahem, mother," Lu Erbai quickly coughed twice.

The old lady silenced herself immediately, realizing she couldn't speak so crudely anymore. She changed the subject and asked, "Miss Shu, can you heal my son's leg?"

Shu Yu shook her head, "If it was right after the leg was reattached, I would have been confident in knocking it off and reattaching it again. But now, it's been so long, it's better to find a specialist in bone-setting. Do you know if there's anyone around here who's skilled in this area?"

"A specialist in bone-setting?" The old lady frowned. It was Ruan shi, who had been silent all this time, who whispered, "There's a doctor surnamed Xu in our county town who is skilled in bone-setting."

The old lady glared at her, "That Dr. Xu may be good, but the fee he charges for his diagnosis is something ordinary people can't afford. Just look at our family, we can't even sell you to afford the medicine."

Ruan shi shrank her neck and fell silent immediately.

"How much is the fee?" Shu Yu asked.

"For just the diagnosis and bone-setting, without counting the cost of medicine, I heard it's this much," the old lady gestured with her hand, "How can ordinary people afford it?"

"Five taels of silver?" Shu Yu still had money on her, and Lu Erbai had injured his leg while saving her, so it was only fair that she paid for his medical fees.

The old lady nodded.

Just as Shu Yu was about to speak, they suddenly heard San Ya's scream from outside the door.

The scream only lasted for a moment before it stopped.

But everyone in the room heard it, and Shu Yu immediately ran out. Ruan shi followed closely behind, and the old lady also wanted to go out to see, but Lu Erbai struggled to get up and sat down again, feeling weak.

Shu Yu had not even run to the courtyard gate when she heard a haughty child's voice ringing out, "Hahaha, you ugly freak, you still dare to lie. Have you even looked at what your house looks like? With your poor and shabby appearance, can you even afford candy? You can only dream of drinking a sip of sweet syrup."

The words were truly deserving of a beating. As she approached, Shu Yu realized that the speaker was a chubby child who was teasing San Ya with his head shaking and hand waving, holding a piece of candy in his hand. "See, this is candy. My mother brought it back from the county for me today. It's so sweet. You've never even seen it before, have you? Not only are you an ugly freak, but you're also a liar."

San Ya sat on the ground, tears swirling in her eyes, but she kept holding back from crying out loud.

She stood up skillfully, her voice tense, although her volume was still very low, but she was very firm, "I didn't lie, I'm not a liar."

"You are, and if you say another big lie, I'll hit you."

The chubby child glared at her, twisting his big fat face and waving his hand to threaten her.

San Ya was very afraid of him and couldn't help but take a small step back.

Then she bumped into Shu Yu who was standing behind her, and she looked up in surprise.

The chubby child also noticed her, his face full of surprise, "Who are you? How did you get to my uncle's house?"

Uncle? So, this is the son of the third uncle who lives across from them?

Suddenly, Shu Yu laughed evilly at him, took out a candy, and stuffed it into San Ya's mouth right in front of the chubby child.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 13: Lu Erbai's Leg

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Chapter 13: Lu Erbai's Leg

Lu Erbai couldn't help but look at San Ya. Even if the little girl had self-control, she was still young and had not eaten good food before. Lu Erbai immediately said, "San Ya, the adults are discussing things, you go outside and see if your brother has come back."

"Okay." The little girl obediently nodded, but she took a few steps and turned back to look at Shu Yu before running away.

Shu Yu noticed something strange. Lu Erbai seemed to have not told his family the reason for his injured leg. Otherwise, with the old lady's temperament, she would not have been so calm about it.

However, he didn't say anything, and Shu Yu felt more and more uneasy.

She couldn't help but look at his left leg and asked, "How's Lu Uncle's leg? I heard you guys talking earlier, it seems like he fell again. Did he see a doctor?"

"The village doctor happened to be away, but I think there's no big deal. It'll be fine after a couple of days of rest," Lu Erbai said hurriedly. Although he said so, his expression didn't match his words.

In fact, he had looked restrained since they were in the courtyard earlier.

Shu Yu naturally noticed this, "Otherwise, let me take a look at Uncle Lu's leg."

Before Lu Erbai could speak, the old lady asked in surprise, "Does Miss Shu know medicine?"

"A little bit." In fact, she knew more about nursing knowledge. In her previous life, the reason why the top boss retreated was that he had some health problems. As his confidante, Shu Yu needed to understand and learn about this aspect for emergencies.

But the old lady saw Shu Yu's calm demeanor and felt that she was very capable. She quickly got up and made way, "Then please help me take a look at my second son's leg. It was smashed by a stone a year ago, and it was fixed at that time, but it was not healed properly and was broken again. As you can see, the situation in our family is not good, we can only rely on the village doctor to help us reconnect it, but it hasn't healed for such a long time."

Lu Erbai blushed and felt very embarrassed, and he shrunk back, "Mom, this is not appropriate. Miss Shu is a young lady, and she is also a noble lady. How can she see the leg of such a rough person like me?"

"Lu Erbai saved my life, so I'll take a look. It won't hurt. Besides, I'm not really a noble lady. For now, you can treat me as a female physician," Shu Yu said, already squatting down.

Lu Erbai hesitated, but Shu Yu had already grabbed his leg.

He immediately dared not move, and Shu Yu felt around a little before frowning, "Your bone is misaligned and hasn't been fixed."

"What?" The old lady quickly asked, "What should we do?"

Lu Erbai still wanted to refuse, but Shu Yu had already taken action.

"Knock it off and reconnect."

The three members of the Lu family stared in shock and took a deep breath, "Knock it off?!"

Shu Yu looked up at Lu Erbo with a serious expression, "If we don't reconnect it, it will only get worse in the future. Especially since you fell today and there is water accumulation in your legs, if it's not treated, it's highly likely that your blood vessels will be blocked, and your leg will become completely useless."

The Lu family was scared and their faces turned pale, "How could it be so serious? The doctor in our village said it was just a bruise and that a few more patches would make it better."

Chapter 12: Long Time No See

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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)

Chapter 11: The Truth About the Debt

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Chapter 11: The Truth About the Debt

"Is it you?"

At the moment when Shu Yu saw the appearance of Lu Erbai, she finally understood the meaning of the sentence that the master of Dongqing Temple wrote in the letter to her.

She really owed a debt.

It wasn't the debt of the original owner's life, but the debt of gratitude that she owed.

A year ago, the reason why she crossed over to this world was because of the original owner falling off a cliff.

When she woke up at that time, she was hanging on the half-slope of the cliff, covered in injuries and unable to move. Lu Erbai happened to pass by and saw her appearance. He quickly climbed up and rescued her.

As a result, when they were coming down the mountain, a big stone rolled down from above, and Lu Erbai couldn't escape with her. When the stone fell, he pushed her away but was hit by the stone himself.

His leg was broken at that moment.

Shu Yu had just crossed over and hadn't figured out the situation yet. But Lu Erbai's actions were very shocking to her.

She didn't understand why he would do that. He could have saved himself if he had just left her there.

Lu Erbai himself didn't know why he did it, he only said it was an instinctive action.

Now thinking back, it may be because they had a close father-daughter relationship, and the blood ties were too strong.

Later, both of them passed out and were brought back by the people from the temple who came to look for her.

When Shu Yu woke up, she immediately asked about Lu Erbai's condition. The master of the temple said that they were lucky because there happened to be a skilled wandering doctor in the temple, and both of them had no life-threatening injuries.

Even Lu Erbai's leg was reconnected, but he needed to rest for a while.

Shu Yu's injuries were more severe, and she was in a daze most of the time. Although she wanted to go see Lu Erbai, she couldn't get up and could only wait until she was well before going to thank and repay him.

At that time, the Shu family members who came to offer incense had all left, leaving only Shu Yu with a lazy servant girl who didn't work hard to keep her company during her recovery.

Shu Yu was not valued by the Shu family. Before they left, they didn't even send anyone to check on Lu Erbai, nor did they care about the fact that he had saved Miss Shu from their family. For the Shu family, he was just an ordinary civilian without any threat to his life, not worth even a glance from them.

Shu Yu didn't care either. This was her fate, and she would thank him herself. When she was conscious, she gave all the silver she had to the abbot and asked her to send it to him. As for everything else, she would wait until she could leave her bed.

Who knew that after only two days, the abbot came to tell her that Lu Erbai had left. It was said that Lu Erbai had a missing daughter whom he had been searching for all these years. He had come to the Dongqing Temple area to search for her because he had heard that she might be there.

He saved Shu Yu, but had delayed himself for a few days. He was afraid of missing any clues about his daughter and couldn't wait to leave the temple and head down the mountain.

At that time, Shu Yu only knew that his surname was Lu, but didn't know his full name, and that he didn't live in the capital.

She had no clue how to find him.

The abbot of the Dongqing Temple didn't know much about him either, only that his leg bones were set and, if properly cared for, there shouldn't be any major problems.

But now, looking at Lu Erbai again, it was clear that his leg had not only failed to heal, but had become more serious.

The abbot of the Dongqing Temple was good at face reading. Perhaps, after looking at their faces, he became suspicious and investigated, so he knew who her biological parents were?

With many of her doubts answered, Shu Yu took a deep breath and walked towards the group of people in the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 10: Father and Daughter Meet

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Chapter 10: Father and Daughter Meet

Shu Yu didn't know what to say for a moment. Although he was indeed quite poor, it wasn't to this extent.

San Ya said, "And my third uncle's house is just across the street. My grandmother said that my third uncle is always squatting at the door, so there aren't many people walking this way on normal days. Because Third Uncle liked to take advantage of others, people in the village would avoid him when they saw him."

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow, just as she was speaking, there was a commotion outside.

San Ya got excited and slid off her chair, "It must be my dad coming back."

As she spoke, she ran outside, and Shu Yu also stood up and walked towards the door.

Before he even reached the door, there was already a shrill and somewhat sharp woman's voice coming from outside, "I told you to stay at home, but you didn't listen. We have me and your wife in the field, so why did you go and join in the fun? Now, you've fallen down and hurt yourself, don't you want your leg anymore? I'm telling you, we don't have any money left to take you to see a doctor. If your leg is permanently disabled, then just stay at home and wait to die. I don't care about you anymore."

"Mom, I'm sorry. I just felt much better today and wanted to help," a man's honest and hoarse voice followed closely, with a strong sense of apology, "I didn't expect to cause more trouble for you guys."

"Help? What kind of help? Staying at home peacefully is the greatest help you can give me. I'm really unlucky to have given birth to a debt collector like you," the old woman's voice became increasingly high-pitched as she scolded, "You and your wife are truly a perfect match, one is a debt collector, the other is a jinx. There's not one easy-to-handle person in my family. Look at our village, who's like us..."

She rambled on and on, and San Ya, who wanted to say something, couldn't find an opportunity to speak.

When she finally opened her mouth, the old woman turned to San Ya, "You go away, can't you see that your dad is already like this? You're running around and blocking the way, not at all sensible for someone your age."

The old woman was very fierce, and San Ya was timid, so she shrank her neck and spoke softly, "Grandma, there's a visitor at home."

As soon as she finished speaking, she ran behind her own parents to hide.

"Visitor? What visitor? Our family is like this, and your uncles don't even come to visit. Who else could it be but debt collector?" The old woman instinctively replied, but then, as if she had thought of something, she slapped her thigh, "Oh no, they're not here to collect debts, are they? I knew it, my eyelid has been twitching all day today."

San Ya quickly shook her head, "No, no. Sister said they came to thank Dad, not to collect debts."

"Thank? What is there to thank your dad for? Is there anything worth thanking him for? Are you being tricked by someone, little girl? Where are they? Did you bring them home?" The old woman glared at San Ya, "Why do you bring anyone and everyone into our home?"

Then, as she looked up, she saw Shu Yu standing at the doorway of the main room.

Shu Yu met eyes with the old woman and stood by the doorway, unsure if she should go out or not.

The old woman became instantly alert and, holding onto Lu Er Bai, stepped forward to block his body with hers.

Lu Er Bai had remained silent after being scolded by her, but he lifted his head as soon as San Ya mentioned that there were visitor. He looked towards Shu Yu.

However, upon seeing Lu Er Bai's face, Shu Yu was suddenly stunned.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 9: The Lu Family

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Chapter 9: The Lu Family

The Lu family was a bit far from the village entrance, located behind the Shishi village.

Shu Yu followed San Ya and had already surveyed the village by the time they arrived at the Lu family's residence.

Shishi village wasn't very big, and the houses were not built in a particular pattern. Most of them were old, including the village chief's house, which was only a slightly bigger mud house.

Upon reaching the Lu family's doorstep, San Ya quickly ran ahead and pushed open the half-closed door, shouting, "Dad, Dad, I'm back!"

Shu Yu followed behind and closed the door behind her, placing her backpack in the corner of the yard before looking at the small courtyard in front of her.

It was tiny, probably less than fifteen square meters, but still cluttered with many things. However, it was apparent that the Lu family members were hardworking and kept the place clean.

Shu Yu walked through the courtyard and entered the main room.

San Ya had already rushed over, sweating profusely, and said hesitantly in a low voice, "Sister, my dad's not home, he might have gone out."

"Your family members are all out?"

San Ya shook her head, "They're all out working. Sister, can you wait here for a bit? They'll be back soon. I'll go pour you some water to drink."

With that, she turned and ran to the kitchen, coming back a moment later with a bowl with a small chip on the edge. She placed it on the table in front of Shu Yu and pushed it towards her, whispering, "Sister, I washed this bowl again, it's clean. It doesn't have any cracks and won't cut your mouth. You must be thirsty after walking such a long way. Please drink it."

Even the best guest bowl had a chip in it, which gave an indication of the family's situation.

Looking around the room, Shu Yu noticed the places where the wind came in, and the walls that were slightly leaning. To her, this house was a hazardous house that could collapse at any moment.

Shu Yu looked at the little girl, who was anxiously fidgeting with her clothes as if holding a broken bowl of water was a heinous crime. She paused for a moment and then reached out to touch the girl's head, saying, "Thank you."

After that, she picked up the bowl and took a sip of water, followed by a pause and a smile. "This water is very sweet."

The little girl became happy, "This is spring water. My brother fetches it from the mountain every day." She didn't mention that her family didn't usually drink it; they only used it to brew medicine for her father.

Shu Yu was about to inquire about the family's situation when she pulled the girl over to sit on a nearby stool and asked, "Do you have a brother? Besides your father, you and your brother, is there anyone else in your family?"

"And my mother and my grandmother."

"Do you have any sisters?"

At the mention of her sisters, Sanya's mood inexplicably became low. She nodded slightly and said, "My eldest sister and second sister... my eldest sister got married two years ago, and my second sister..."

She didn't continue, instead lowering her head and rubbing her sleeves anxiously. Shuyu noticed this was her way of showing unease.

Was she referring to herself as her second sister? Did the young girl know about her situation?

Shu Yu had intended to ask more questions, but Sanya looked up and urged her, "Sister, drink some water. If it's not enough, I can go and pour more for you."

It was clear she didn't want to talk about her second sister, and Shuyu didn't press her further. She quickly changed the subject, "Since there's no one at home, why isn't the front door locked? What if a thief comes in?"

Sanya blinked and shook her head, "We don't have anything in our house. My grandmother says even rats go around it."

(End of chapter)

Chapter 8: San Ya Eats Candy

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Chapter 8: San Ya Eats Candy

The little girl in front of her had a scar on her face, but it wasn't very big. It seemed like it hadn't been treated properly, but if it were, it could easily be restored.

Shu Yu helped the girl up and asked her, "What's your name? Is your father named Lu Erbai?"

The little girl nodded dumbly, still thinking about what she had just said.

After a while, she realized what was happening and quickly said in a low voice, "I-I'm called San Ya."

"San Ya, can you take me to your home?" Shu Yu picked up the backpack from the ground.

San Ya immediately wanted to take it, "I'll carry it."

"No need, I can walk faster carrying it myself." Unless there were any surprises, this was probably her younger sister.

San Ya still wanted to take it, but when she looked at her dirty little hands and then at Shu Yu's clean and neat clothes, she decided to retract her hands.

Shu Yu handed a piece of candy to the child who had shown her the way earlier. As for the others, they looked like bears, and they didn't get any.

The child jumped up with joy, stuffed the candy into his mouth without hesitation, and then let out a satisfied sigh, "It's delicious."

The other children looked at him enviously, and one by one, their eager eyes fell on Shu Yu.

Even when San Ya saw the candy in the child's mouth, her gaze was somewhat uncontrollable.

Shu Yu also gave her a piece of candy. San Ya hesitated for a moment, shook her head quickly, and hurried home, "I'll take you to my home right now."

Shu Yu smiled, the little girl was quite resistant to temptation.

She followed behind, and San Ya walked a long way before suddenly remembering to ask, "Sister, what are you doing at my home? Do you know my father?"

Her voice was very small, as if asking this question would make her angry. After asking, she immediately lowered her head and dared not look at Shu Yu.

Shu Yu held the pigweed in one hand, and the snacks and meat in the other, and replied, "Your father helped me before. I just found out where he lives and came to see him."

San Ya said, "Oh," and then looked up at her again. Inattentive, she stumbled and fell to the ground with a "thud."

Shu Yu frowned. This child was too easy to fall.

There were many reasons for a child to fall, and judging from San Ya's appearance, it was highly likely that she was suffering from malnutrition and calcium deficiency.

San Ya quickly got up as if it was routine, and hesitantly said, "Yes, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

San Ya was stunned, why was she apologizing?

Perhaps, it had become a habit for her. "Sorry" was the phrase she said the most often in her daily life.

Shu Yu couldn't help but think of her younger self. She used to apologize to Aunt Xue frequently as well. In fact, when she saw San Ya earlier, she was certain of her own identity.

Little Shu Yu and San Ya today were exactly the same. When she was young, she was also underfed and underclothed, thin and weak, just like a copy of San Ya.

Looking at San Ya in front of her, Shu Yu couldn't bring herself to be harsh.

Even if she was really sold by her biological parents when she was young, it had nothing to do with this little girl.

Shu Yu directly stuffed the candy into her mouth, and the little girl widened her eyes in disbelief. The sweetness in her mouth made her feel like she was dreaming.

She wanted to say something, but Shu Yu interrupted, "Don't let it fall out, otherwise it'll be wasted."

San Ya quickly covered her mouth and stared at Shu Yu with her round, bulging eyes. After a while, her eyes curved slightly, and her eyebrows revealed happiness, "It's so sweet."

Shu Yu couldn't help but smile, "Let's go, lead the way ahead."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 7: Little Sister is Called Ugly Duckling

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