Chapter 52: Promise

If she hadn't overheard it, that would be one thing, but having heard it and not stepping in to teach them a lesson would leave a knot in her chest—she wasn't even eating her food, so what gave them the right to bully people?

She watched the girl turn and walk out of the ward with a dark expression.

Seeing Liu Chuxue quietly withdrew her gaze: "Mom, help Dad sit up."

The two of them had already heard what that big brother at the door said. Liu's mother's face was full of heartache, which almost made Liu Chuxue laugh: "Alright, health is the capital of revolution. These few days let's take advantage of Dad's good fortune and build ourselves up properly."

Hearing her second daughter's words, Liu's mother felt a pang of bitterness.

Even Liu's father felt uncomfortable inside. These years his wife and daughters had followed him, and indeed hadn't had any good days, but the family's conditions were what they were, and besides, filial piety outweighed everything. Sometimes he too felt helpless.

Liu's mother still wanted to say something, but was stopped by Liu's father: "The child means well. Say too much and the child will feel bad."

Liu's mother figured that was true too: "Fine, then let's enjoy our second daughter's good fortune early."

As she spoke her eyes reddened, because she had given birth to three daughters in a row, and the village had not been shy about laughing at her behind her back—every kind of thing was said.

She felt for her daughter. If only the family had an older brother or a younger brother, it wouldn't have come down to a Miss like her stepping out and racking her brains for solutions. As she sighed inside, a surge of pride welled up at the same time.

Her daughter was a capable one. So what if other families had sons? They probably weren't even a match for her daughter.

Liu Chuxue took chopsticks out of the bundle, then handed out a two-grain steamed bun to each of them: "Eat till you're full, build yourselves up strong. Once Dad's discharged, we'll live our little days well. Little sis and I are counting on you two."

The two stopped declining: "Alright, we'll listen to our daughter."

Liu's father's earlier worried look vanished. He took a big bite of the two-grain steamed bun: "Mm, delicious. The master's skill at steaming buns is really something."

He took another bite of stewed cabbage with vermicelli and pork, his face full of contentment: "Delicious. Mother of the kids, hurry and try it. Daughter, you try it too."

Liu's mother picked up some vegetables and ate, her face full of feeling: "It was still last New Year's, when your grandma in a rare show of mercy let the family have a proper meat meal. Since the start of the year, this is the first time eating meat."

Liu Chuxue heard those words and felt a sting inside: "I'll work hard to give the family good days. No matter what the future holds, I'll provide for you in your old age."

Liu's mother was deeply moved hearing this: "You child, don't ever say such things again. Be careful someone overhears, and then you won't find a good match."

Liu's father and mother both knew what their second daughter meant by "no matter what the future holds," but since ancient times it had always been sons who provided for parents in old age. Having no son was always a sore spot for them. Still, their second daughter's words warmed their hearts.

Naturally Chuxue also knew what her mother meant by that—wasn't it just fear that others would spread the words, and when it came time to look at matches, the groom's family would have one more concern, affecting the marriage prospects.

To put Liu's mother at ease, when she went to wash the dishes after the meal, she pulled Liu's mother along too, under the fine-sounding name: mother and daughter paired up, work isn't tiring.

Actually she wanted to find a quiet place to give her a hint of the truth—she had to give them a process to adapt to her changes.

She found a spot and told Liu's mother everything that had happened at the moat today, skipping over what couldn't be said: "Mom, if you don't believe it, I'll take you there another day."

Liu's mother's eyes were full of guilt: "This burden shouldn't have fallen on you, but who told you your fate was bitter enough to make you our daughter."

Liu Chuxue saw her like that: "Mom, from now on we sisters will definitely work hard to become you and Dad's pride, and make those people who laughed at our family envy you for having a few good daughters."

(End of this chapter)