Chapter 238 - Xu Huang
At this time, the poorest families in the village often started to run out of food and were extremely short on money. This happened every year.
How many old people and children couldn't survive winter? This was true. Every year, when winter was almost over in Yunwu Village, many families in the village had it especially difficult. Those old people who lived alone were even worse off.
It all depended on whether they could endure it.
Old Aunt Xu, who had collapsed at home, was lucky to have encountered Mother Rong and Ye Lulu. Otherwise, the consequences would have been very serious…
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you…" Old Aunt Xu naturally recognized the Guan family. She did not expect to be saved by Mother Rong and Ye Lulu. She looked at them with tears in her eyes.. "It's me, an old woman, who burdened your Guan family. I even drank your porridge."
"Don't talk about that. It's just a bowl of porridge," Mother Rong quickly consoled. She had always been warm-hearted. Even if she was poor in the past, she would help the miserable elders in the village if she could. With that said, she quickly asked, "Where's Xiao Huang?"
Ye Lulu was stunned. She thought that Old Aunt Xu did not have any relatives and lived alone. So there were other people in her family? Then why did Old Aunt Xu look like she had no one to take care of her and was so hungry?
Was that person unfilial?
"…The food at home is really running out. Xiao Huang went up the mountain," Old Aunt Xu said. She couldn't help but choke up at the mention of her grandson. She said, "Before winter, Xiao Huang had already been stocking up on food for winter, but he was still young. He wasn't as strong as those strong young adults. He hadn't studied, so he didn't know anything else. There were no adult men at home, and no one had taught him woodworking skills… There was nothing at home. Xiao Huang could only run errands for people and earn very little money."
"There's not much food left, but he still cares for me… He keeps making porridge for me and won't let me eat black noodles and cornbread like him. We ran out of grains a few days ago. Xiao Huang left me his last black noodles and cornbread."
Old Aunt Xu cried, "We had no more food three days ago. Xiao Huang said that this can't go on. We were about to starve to death, so he left his last cornbread in the house for me and went up the mountain to find food… There was no choice. It was snowing heavily on the mountain, and I didn't know what the situation was. There was no choice… There was no food at home, and it was impossible to go down the mountain. Xiao Huang could only go up the mountain…"
From Old Aunt Xu's explanation, Ye Lulu found out that Xiao Huang was Old Aunt Xu's only grandson. Her husband, son, and daughter-in-law were all gone, and only a grandson was left. His name was Xiao Huang, and his full name was Xu Huang.
The bad thing was that Old Aunt Xu's grandson was still young. He was only fifteen or sixteen years old. As he had always been too poor and couldn't eat his fill, he was thin and short. Compared to the strong and healthy young men in Yunwu Village, there were really too few jobs that he could do.
Therefore, it was very difficult for Xiao Huang to carry the burden of taking care of Old Aunt Xu.
Old Aunt Xu and Xiao Huang lived together and were still living a very tough life.
Hearing what Old Aunt Xu had said just now, it was very difficult for Xiao Huang as well. For an adolescent to go up the mountain aimlessly in the winter to find food… The snow on the mountain was so thick and there was no one around. It was too uncertain.
"Grandma!"
There was a shout from outside and a figure flew in. He threw himself in front of the bed, his face filled with fear. "Grandma!"
When the figure stopped, Ye Lulu saw that it was a fair-skinned and delicate young man. He looked a little tenacious and stubborn. His nose was three-dimensional, and his eyes were bright. His face was filled with anxiety, and the corners of his mouth were tightly pursed. He looked at Old Aunt Xu with grief and fear in his eyes.
As expected, he had a relatively thin figure. He was not tall, but he was straight like a bamboo. He did not look short or weak. He still looked like an adolescent.
Ye Lulu was beside him. She looked sideways at Xu Huang. The young man had a tall nose bridge. She felt that this grandson was quite delicate.
He was a handsome man.
Ye Lulu looked at Xu Huang for a while before looking away.
"Grandma! I heard from the villagers that you fainted. Are you alright?" Xu Huang ignored the presence of the Guan family and rushed to Old Aunt Xu's side. His voice was gradually turning deeper. It was clear and hoarse, and it was actually quite pleasant to the ears. He said, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have gone up the mountain for a few days. I knew that you were alone at home and there was no more food at home…"
"When I went down the mountain just now, I saw that the things at home were smashed. I didn't see Grandma, so I thought that something happened to you… Fortunately, after I rushed out, a woman in the village told me that Mother Rong from the Guan family had carried Grandma over…"
There were people walking around the village. When Mother Rong carried Old Aunt Xu back, there were indeed villagers who saw them.
Xu Huang sounded guilty.
Upon hearing this, one knew that he had not found any food on his trip up the mountain…
Sigh.
Mother Rong sighed in her heart. It was really too difficult. This was also expected. How could one find anything to eat on a mountain in winter? Beasts were hiding, and the mountain was covered in heavy snow. It was difficult to walk. How could one find food? What food could there be…
Xu Huang was not old enough. He was just a young boy, but he was forced to go up the mountain aimlessly to find food…
Even if Xu Huang went up the mountain, one would be afraid that he would encounter danger.
However, Xiao Huang did not find any food either. What should he and Old Aunt Xu do? There was no more food.
Many people in the village starved to death during winter every year.
The Guan family sighed.
When Old Aunt Xu saw that Xu Huang was back, tears welled up in her eyes. Instead, she was very happy. "Xiao Huang, you're back… It's good that you're back. Don't go up the mountain again. There's no food on the mountain either… Grandma is fine. Mother Rong and Sixth Aunt Ye were kind and saved Grandma. They even fed Grandma porridge."
When Ye Lulu heard this, the corners of her lips twitched. Eh, Sixth Aunt Ye?
Was she talking about her?!
As a university student in the modern era and a young woman in her twenties in ancient times, Ye Lulu wanted to say that she really could not accept being addressed as Sixth Aunt Ye…
Sixth Auntie Ye?
To such a young man, was this her identity?!
Ye Lulu's expression immediately became very subtle and stiff.
However, Old Aunt Xu did not notice this. She said to Xu Huang, "Xiao Huang, quickly thank Mother Rong and Sixth Aunt Ye."
Ye Lulu was speechless.
When Xu Huang heard this, he sorted out his expression and quickly said to Mother Rong, "Thank you, Mother Rong, for saving my grandmother!" He turned around and looked at Ye Lulu. "Thank you, Sixth Aunt Ye."
Only then did she see that Xu Huang's eyes were still very bright. They were dark brown and very clear.
Which girl could accept being called so old?!