Chapter 50: Rainy Night Nightmare

Tian Cuihua felt that her household had been unlucky lately; everything was going wrong!

She quietly consulted a spirit woman for a divination, got some talisman paper, and brought it home to drink with water.

Her sons refused to drink it, so Tian Cuihua pressed their heads and forced the liquid down.

After drinking the talisman water, Tian Cuihua felt much more at ease.

As a result, the next day she rolled down the half‑slope and fell, her face covered in blood.

The doctor said she was lucky; if the stone had shifted just a finger's width more at the corner of her eye, her right eye would very likely have gone blind!

Because of this, Tian Cuihua stood in the courtyard again, covering her eyes, and scolded for a long time.

As a result, the next day Chen Dalang was again attacked by someone who broke into the house and fractured his other leg.

Tian Cuihua:?

Tian Cuihua had a fair amount of silver in her hands.

Of course, relying on farming, their family couldn't save much money.

However, when Chen San Niang returned back then, she had brought quite a bit.

Through stealing and grabbing, Tian Cuihua made that money her own.

The silver amounted to over a thousand taels, plus some jewelry that, if converted to silver, would be worth several hundred more taels.

Over these years, Tian Cuihua was reluctant to spend it.

This time, however, she suffered a major loss, going through a great ordeal.

Tian Cuihua felt that the spirit medium's talisman paper was ineffective.

She deliberately went to the other party's house, hands on her hips, and scolded them for a long time.

As a result, that night her young son ran a high fever and nearly lost his life.

Feeling that everything was going wrong, Tian Cuihua ran again to Chen San Niang's grave to curse.

Chen San Niang died as an unmarried woman.

Naturally, her natal family's cemetery would not allow her to be buried there.

Considering the silver, Chen Dalang and his wife buried her in the back hill.

It was just a simple small mound.

When Tian Cuihua went there, she almost went to the wrong spot.

In the end, whether she found the right place or not, she wasn't really sure.

But Tian Cuihua thought, as long as the meaning of her scolding got across, that was enough.

Tian Cuihua scolded Chen San Niang, scolded her daughter, and called the pair jinxes, saying that even dead they wouldn't rest and still wanted to torment their family.

"When alive, they were all my defeated underlings; now they want to come torment us?"

"Bah!"

"Wait until I find a more powerful spirit woman, then see what I'll do to you two dead ghosts!"

…

In the latter part of the night, it started to rain.

The rain came quickly and fiercely.

Before long, only the pattering sound remained outside.

Chen Dalang's two legs were now inconvenient to move, and the doctor had fixed them with sticks.

The doctor said: if you don't want your legs to become useless later, just keep them fixed properly; don't mess around.

With his legs injured, Chen Dalang's temper grew even worse.

On rainy days the heavy humidity made him feel worse and more irritable.

In the middle of the night, Chen Dalang woke up his wife and children with his noise.

The whole family ended up fighting directly on the kang (heated brick bed).

After the heavy rain came lightning and thunder.

A sudden clap of thunder startled Sui Sui awake.

The little girl sprang upright, her face full of fear as she looked around.

Sui Sui herself didn't know what she was supposed to be looking for.

She merely sensed fear instinctively.

Feng Xuanrui was awakened by the thunderclap; he had originally just wanted to turn over and keep sleeping.

Hearing his sister's movement, he blinked open his eyes in a daze and looked.

Seeing his sister hugging her knees and curled up in the corner of the bed, Feng Xuanrui jumped in fright and became fully awake.

After sitting up, he leaned toward Sui Sui, his voice hoarse from just waking: "Sister, what's wrong?"

In the dark night, it was actually hard to see each other's expressions clearly.

But Feng Xuanrui felt his sister trembling.

The little girl was shaking especially hard, causing even the blanket to sway.

As soon as Feng Xuanrui approached, Sui Sui lightly grabbed the corner of his clothes.

Feng Xuanrui thought Sui Sui was afraid of the thunder.

He slowly moved forward, awkwardly yet affectionately holding Sui Sui in his arms, gently patting her back: "Sui Sui, don't be scared, I'm here, brother."

Sui Sui had originally just been instinctively afraid, her body trembling uncontrollably.

After being comforted by Feng Xuanrui, the little girl finally couldn't hold back, clutching her brother's neck and sobbing.

When Sui Sui cried, Feng Xuanrui's eye sockets also felt a bit sore.

He thought, as the older brother, he had to be strong!

The chubby hand kept patting Sui Sui's back, holding Sui Sui's hand, also especially Gentleness.

Feng Xuanrui thought: "My sister needs me, I must always be here!"

Feng Xuanrui uttered unskilled soothing words, his hand never ceasing its motion.

When Liu Dafu heard the thunder, he couldn't rest easy about the two children.

So, Liu Dafu got up, put on his clothes, and came over.

The night watchman Qing Shan woke at the noise, found he had no place to exert himself, and stood helplessly by the bed.

Seeing Liu Dafu, Qing Shan only felt that the savior had arrived!

Qing Shan quickly walked over two steps, softly telling Liu Dafu the situation: "The young lady fears thunder; Feng Xuanrui has been comforting her."

Liu Dafu originally wanted to say, it's quite normal for children to fear thunder.

But, as the words reached his lips, Liu Dafu suddenly stopped.

At this moment, Liu Dafu recalled something.

That is, the news brought back by Zhan Yuan said that Chen San Niang died on a rainy night.

At that time, it was also stormy, and Sui Sui had just turned three, exactly the age of innocent ignorance.

Although not much time has passed since then.

However, Sui Sui probably no longer remembers.

But the memory of losing her mother in the rainy night—does it still leave a deep imprint in her young mind?

So, she fears rainy nights and thunder more than other children.

Thinking of these, Liu Dafu felt waves of heartache.

Liu Dafu muttered in his heart: "This old Chen family, none of them act like humans!"

You know, even when Chen San Niang was alive, Sui Sui's days in the Chen household were worse than those of pigs and dogs!

Yes, yes, you resent the Jin Yang Hou for leaving you, not bringing you back to Jing Cheng.

But you don't vent your anger on men, you take it out on children?

Liu Dafu thought: "Not one family, not entering one gate."

Chen San Niang and Chen Lang are truly siblings, essentially no difference!

Besides finding a sense of accomplishment from bullying the weak, what else do they do?

Feng Xuanrui coaxed his sister for a long time, yet Sui Sui still sobbed.

The child had some nightmares; no amount of coaxing could stop it.

Just as Feng Xuanrui was at a loss, Liu Dafu entered.

Seeing the person, Feng Xuanrui's tears also flowed uncontrollably.

But Feng Xuanrui did not loosen his grip on his sister, allowing her to clutch his neck as she sobbed softly.

Feng Xuanrui's greater worry at this moment was: "Will my sister cry herself sick?"

The young boy's voice choked, his face showing distress.

Liu Dafu could roughly understand that Sui Sui's fear was a kind of subconscious fear.

Liu Dafu shook his head at Feng Xuanrui, then raised his hand and gently patted Sui Sui's back.

Actually, Liu Dafu could completely give a needle and let Sui Sui fall asleep directly.

But that would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause.

Next rainy night, the child will still be fearful and helpless.

So, we must comfort the child well.

Let her know that rainy nights are actually not that scary.

Moreover, she now has many people around her who care for her.

Sui Sui is no longer a poor little thing without anyone to comfort her.

Cute second update at 19:00.

Thanks to the cute ones for their rewards and votes, Sui Sui sends a heart~

(End of chapter)