Chapter 761 - 392: An Old Tree Blooms

Chapter 761: Chapter 392: An Old Tree Blooms

When Juhua and Huai Zi got home, they ate a simple dinner and immediately split up to get busy. As he and Qingmu had arranged at noon, Huai Zi went out to speak with someone about the matter, while Juhua returned to her parents’ house to wait for Mrs. Yang.

He saw that Juhua had been busy all day without a moment’s rest, even now that it was dark. "You go on ahead," she said. "Aunt Liu and I will look after the two little ones. I’ll come over to check on your mother after they’re asleep. It gets chilly at night, so wear an extra layer. Pu Pao, you go with the Young Madam. You’re a clever girl with sharp eyes; watch the path for her."

Pu Pao promptly agreed, her voice bright and clear.

Juhua smiled. "Mother, it’s just next door, not far at all. You’re the one who needs to be careful walking. It’s better if you have Pu Pao go with you."

He waved her away, saying she was used to walking all over the mountains and fields and was much steadier on her feet than Juhua.

Juhua gave a helpless smile. She was anxious about Mrs. Yang and also worried that her grandmother would be fretting at home with only Hulu if her brother and the others hadn’t returned. So, she and Pu Pao quickly made their way to the Zheng Family home.

Sure enough, Qingmu and the others had not yet returned.

Under the pale moonlight, the courtyard gate stood wide open. Two large dogs lying at the entrance immediately scrambled to their feet when they saw Juhua, but they didn’t bark—they had clearly recognized her as she approached. Instead, they just nuzzled against her legs. Xiao Hei, the dog from years ago, was old now and his gait was a little unsteady. He drew close to Juhua, sniffing her constantly, seemingly more attached to her than ever.

The door to the main house was also open. Her grandmother, Mrs. Wang, sat at the entrance holding Hulu, staring out at the courtyard with anxious eyes. Behind them, a solitary lamp flickered on a table where Laishou was hunched over, practicing his writing. He faced the door, and his back, projected onto the wall, cast a large, distorted shadow that didn’t look human.

Juhua’s heart filled with regret. ’I should have asked Aunt Liu or Grandma Liu to come and keep her company,’ she thought. ’I shouldn’t have left an elderly woman at home with two small children.’ Looking in from the entrance, the large courtyard was utterly silent, save for a single, dim yellow light in its center. The three of them—one old, two young—were all completely quiet, making the scene feel exceptionally lonely and desolate.

"Auntie!"

Children do have the sharpest eyes. The moment Hulu saw two figures enter the courtyard and got a better look, he cried out, his voice filled with delight.

He had been sitting with his great-grandmother for what felt like ages. For some reason, his little heart felt restless and adrift. Even nestled in her warm embrace, clutching at the front of her robes, he felt terribly anxious. He had stubbornly refused to go to sleep, insisting on waiting for his parents and grandparents to return. The moment he saw Juhua, however, his heart suddenly settled. He quickly struggled out of Mrs. Wang’s arms and ran into the courtyard to greet her.

Juhua took his hand and led him inside. Pu Pao brought over a small stool and placed it behind her. Once seated, Juhua pulled Hulu onto her lap, stroking his head and giving him a kiss. She then turned to Mrs. Wang and said apologetically, "Grandma, I’m so sorry to have left you all alone. You must have been worried sick. Haven’t you eaten yet? You shouldn’t wait for Mother and the others. It’s better to eat first so you’re free to help when they return. Otherwise, stopping for a meal will just slow things down."

As if Juhua’s arrival had given her a backbone, Mrs. Wang’s face broke into a wide smile. "I wanted to have the two little ones eat first," she said, "but with so many people gone from the house, even the children find it hard to endure. Both Laishou and Hulu insisted on waiting for everyone to come back before they would eat."

Just then, Laishou put down his writing brush and came to Juhua’s side, calling softly, "Sister Juhua!"

Juhua answered him and checked the wound near his ear. Seeing that it had already scabbed over, she relaxed and said to him, "Let’s eat now. That way we won’t be in the way at the table when your aunt gets back. Pu Pao, light another oil lamp and make the room nice and bright. You and Grandma can dish out some food and bring it here for the boys to eat. After dinner, I’ll tell you all a story."

She wasn’t worried about who would cook, as she had already prepared several main dishes before leaving her in-laws’. Mrs. Wang only needed to cook some rice and stir-fry a few side dishes for dinner.

Laishou immediately and excitedly agreed. "I’ll go help Grandma bring out the food! Hulu’s still little, so he can stay here with Sister Juhua."

Pu Pao was delighted as well; whenever the Young Madam told stories to Hulu, she would listen without so much as blinking. She eagerly lit the lamp and began to set out the food.

The room was instantly filled with light and chatter, no longer desolate and silent as it had been moments before.

After they had eaten and the bowls were washed, Juhua saw that her brother and the others still hadn’t come back. Forcing down her anxiety, she started telling stories to the children. Mrs. Wang, meanwhile, was sewing by the dim light, squinting at her work, and she wouldn’t stop no matter how Juhua tried to persuade her.

"...This simpleton was rather lucky; he actually managed to find a wife. In the fifth month, his wife became pregnant, so the simpleton went to her parents’ home to share the good news. His father-in-law and mother-in-law gave him a basket of eggs, telling him to go home and cook them for his wife. The mother-in-law, worried the simpleton would have one of his foolish fits and mess things up, explained to him very carefully that he had to wait until the water in the pot was bubbling—GURGLE, GURGLE, GURGLE—before cracking in the eggs. The simpleton memorized this. But on the way home, he forgot most of it. He started to panic, thinking desperately, ’When did Mother-in-law say to put the eggs in?’ After thinking for a long, long time, he finally remembered: he had to do it when he heard the GURGLE, GURGLE, GURGLE sound. Just then, he happened to be passing an irrigation ditch. Water was flowing from a higher field into the ditch, making a GURGLE, GURGLE, GURGLE sound—"