Chapter 190: Are You My Mom?

The woman was feeding her son a roasted sweet potato when she suddenly looked up and discovered Xiao Dabao hiding under the tree.

Her loving smile vanished instantly, and she picked up a broom with a fierce expression.

"Didn't I tell you all to leave? Why are you back? Get lost, quickly..."

Xiao Dabao was so frightened that he turned and ran.

But just then, a little boy's voice came from behind him.

"Hey, do you want to eat a roasted sweet potato?"

Xiao Dabao stopped, turned around, and gave a timid nod.

The boy smiled, a flash of pride in his eyes.

"I am going to be a hero in the Yuan Family Army in the future, and now I need to practice throwing snowballs. If you come over and be my target, I'll give you a roasted sweet potato to eat."

Xiao Dabao's eyes lit up, but fearing a beating, he shrank back, not daring to approach.

"Re-really?"

"I, Wang Hai, keep my word!"

Xiao Dabao was overjoyed; fearing he would lose this chance to eat a sweet potato, he hurried over.

"Okay, I'll be your target."

"Then stand still."

Xiao Dabao hurriedly set Xiao Liujin down at the entrance and ran to the designated spot.

The boy named Wang Hai picked up a handful of snow from the ground.

"I'm telling you now, no matter how I hit you, you are not allowed to move. If you move even a little, you won't get the sweet potato."

"Okay, okay..." Xiao Dabao nodded happily.

As long as he could get something to eat, even if it were sweet potato skin, he would be willing.

"Thwack."

A snowball flew toward his face, hitting Xiao Dabao squarely.

The chunk of snow fell into his collar, making him shiver from the cold.

So cold!

From ahead came Wang Hai's excited shout, "Mom, was my aim accurate?"

"A Hai is so good, throw another one."

Xiao Dabao stood in the snow, snowballs hitting his face one after another.

The packed, hard snowballs still hurt quite a bit when they struck his face.

The falling ice shards scattered onto his body and melted into water.

Xiao Dabao dared not move.

If he moved, there would be no food.

His thin, tattered clothes were already soaked through with melted snow, and he stood in the freezing weather, shivering violently.

"Is, is it done?"

"Who told you to move? I haven't had enough fun yet!"

Another snowball was thrown!

Thwack!

Xiao Dabao's eye took a heavy hit; his vision went black, and a wave of sharp pain followed.

A trickle of hot blood vaguely flowed from the corner of his eye.

He was so cold he was losing sensation, feeling dizzy and faint, his face bruised and swollen, with blood running from the corner of his eye, yet he still dared not move.

Without food, his younger brother and he would starve to death...

He did not know how much time had passed.

Wang Hai was finally tired of throwing; he panted and tossed the snowball onto the ground.

"Mom, I've had enough fun."

Xiao Dabao's spirits lifted; ignoring the blood on his face, he hurried forward.

"My roasted sweet potato..."

"You stinking beggar, who said I was going to give it to you?" Wang Hai suddenly turned hostile. "A poor beggar like you wants to eat our family's roasted sweet potato? Keep dreaming."

Xiao Dabao was stunned and spoke stammeringly.

"But... but... didn't you say that if I acted as a target, you would give us something to eat?"

"That was your own choice!" After saying this, Wang Hai shouted at the woman, "Mom, they are bullying me! Hurry and chase these beggars away, they smell so bad."

"Get lost!" The middle-aged woman brandished the broom.

Wang Hai sneered and opened the door, letting out a black dog.

"Woof, woof, woof..."

The black dog bared its teeth and lunged viciously.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Xiao Dabao was knocked to the ground by the black dog, his lower leg bitten hard, and he screamed in pain.

Xiao Liujin cried, waving his little hands desperately, trying to crawl over.

"Brother..."

"Liujin, let's run!" Xiao Dabao struggled desperately to break free, hurriedly picked up Xiao Liujin, and ran quickly out of the courtyard.

Behind them came Wang Hai's happy laughter.

"Mom, look at them, they look just like two dogs."

"Don't pay them any mind; they are orphans, with no father or mother, unwanted by anyone!"

Xiao Dabao carried Xiao Liujin on his back and fled all the way to a dilapidated temple outside the village.

The two were famished and shivering from the cold.

It was snowing heavily again.

This year was another year of disaster.

Xiao Liujin was delirious, his small face flushed and burning hot, and he murmured softly, "Big Brother, I miss home, I miss Mother..."

Xiao Dabao thought for a moment, picked up a tree branch, and drew a house on the ground.

"Come, Liujin, this is our home."

He then drew a crooked image of a woman.

"This is Mother."

He held Xiao Liujin, curled up into a ball, and slept inside the drawn house.

"Liujin, we have a home and a mother now, too."

In the dilapidated temple where the wind blew in from all sides, the two children, one big and one small, hugged each other tightly.

"Liujin, I heard that Beijiang is recruiting soldiers, and they will give food to those who serve. The people in the village are all afraid to go, saying the Northern Frontier Army is too miserable and one might die on the battlefield."

"But Big Brother is not afraid of death; as long as there is food, we can survive."

"Big Brother will definitely get lots of good food in the future, you must hold on."

Xiao Liujin fell into a hazy sleep.

He seemed to feel a hand changing the wet cloth on his forehead.

Someone was taking care of him, and someone was feeding him medicine.

In his ears, a woman's voice vaguely drifted in.

"Great, his fever has finally broken."

The woman's voice was very gentle and pleasant to hear...

Has Mother come?

Inside the tent.

Bai Wei glanced at the thermometer and finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Liujin is finally out of danger."

Just a moment ago, Xiao Liujin had a high fever of forty degrees and remained unconscious, which was extremely dangerous.

She had done her best to treat him and watched over him personally.

She had finally saved Xiao Liujin's life.

Xiao Dabao's eyes were red, and he plopped down on his knees before her.

"Bai, you have saved Liujin once again; Xiao Dabao kowtows to you."

Bai Wei hurriedly said, "Get up quickly."

Xiao Moting stepped forward and had Xiao Dabao stand up.

While she was treating Xiao Liujin, Xiao Moting had stood by the side helping the whole time; he kept telling her to rest, but she never agreed.

Because Xiao Liujin's condition was truly dangerous.

Bai Wei was afraid of any accidents.

Fortunately, the thing she worried about most did not happen.

Xiao Moting stepped forward, his tone revealing a rare firmness, "Bai, leave the rest to me; you go and rest."

Bai Wei was just about to speak.

Suddenly, Xiao Dabao's joyful shout rang out in the room.

"Liujin is awake!"

She hurriedly turned around, saw that Xiao Liujin had opened his eyes, and revealed a smile.

"Liujin, you've finally woken up; is there anywhere else you feel uncomfortable?"

Xiao Liujin looked blankly ahead.

This woman wearing a veil had a pair of bright, beautiful eyes that curved into two crescent moons when she smiled, and her whole being exuded an air of intelligence and determination.

Who is she?

Why is there a feeling of familiarity?

Xiao Moting also let out a sigh of relief.

"Liujin, you were sick, and it was Bai who stayed up without sleep or rest to take care of you."

Xiao Liujin's gaze flickered as he looked at Bai Wei.

"Bai, are you my mother?"