Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 120 - 117 Ghost Baby Monthly Ticket 390 additional - s

Chapter 120: 117 Ghost Baby Monthly Ticket 390 additional Chapters

In the afternoon, when Qin Xi returned home, Li Xianglu had made two-mixed flour hand-pulled noodles, thicker than Saozi Noodles, stir-fried with dried vegetables to be eaten mixed together, plus two soy-braised pork knuckles cut into small pieces.

Qin Zhen, this guy, had come home early and, along with Li Jianqing, used a net to catch seven or eight carp in the thawing river, each weighing over three pounds, and now they were all in the water purging the mud.

There was no meat in the stir-fried veggies, and even with cornmeal mixed into the dough, the noodles weren’t tough, so everyone scooped up chili oil and drizzled vinegar over them, stirring well before eating.

Li Xianglu glanced at Li Jianqing, who was laughing merrily, and suddenly asked: "Third Brother, I heard Uncle’s family has a woman over?"

Li Jianqing’s smile disappeared instantly, and the taste of the food in his mouth became bland.

After stirring a few more times and slurping a few mouthfuls of noodles, he said: "Never mind them, I’m about to have my final exams soon, and I can’t manage the family affairs."

Qin Xi raised an eyebrow from the side.

Li Xianglu glanced at Grandpa Li, then at Qin Xi, took a sip of noodle soup from the table before saying: "I heard from Qu Yeyu that the news is all over the village. He’s planning to remarry, and the woman is a widow with a child."

Mr. Li usually only practices boxing, reads books at home, or goes to the neighboring village to chat with Xue Baimei or play chess. He doesn’t like to get involved with the village gossip. Hearing what Li Xianglu said, he was somewhat surprised.

Qin Zhen swallowed the noodles in his mouth, hurriedly took a sip of noodle soup, and looked at Li Jianqing: "Will your stepmom beat you up?"

Li Jianqing angrily slapped his shoulder and said: "You should worry about Uncle Qin getting you a stepmom instead. With your behavior, I bet you’d get spanked every day, three times a day, finish early and rest early!"

After Li Jianqing finished speaking, Qin Zhen’s eyes widened like a bull’s, murderous in appearance, but then he thought, if Li Erfu, a mere farmer, could find someone, how much more his own father? He heard from his brother that their father was now a director at a major hospital in the capital; surely, many people had their eyes on him.

Thinking of this, Qin Zhen suddenly lost his appetite, put down his bowl, and started to whine: "Brother, I want to go back to the capital! I want to find Dad!"

After dinner, Li Jianqing agreed to come over for fish the next day and then left. Qin Zhen was emotionally unstable; even after getting beaten up by Qin Xi, he still stubbornly insisted on going back to keep an eye on his dad and prevent him from finding a stepmom, which infuriated Qin Xi to the point of almost exploding, dragging his brother back home.

Li Xianglu was cleaning up the dishes and utensils in the kitchen. Two pig’s trotters, only a plateful after being cut, and now just half a plate was left, showing that everyone’s appetite wasn’t great today.

Mr. Li was soaking his feet and wiping his face and neck in the kitchen, Li Xianglu washed up quickly and brought slippers for him, then, carrying an oil lamp, walked Mr. Li back to his room and saw him lie down before closing the door and coming out.

After locking the front gate, Li Xianglu returned to the kitchen, washed her hair, wiped her body, and changed into a clean fleece pajamas before lying back down.

Her hair still wet, Li Xianglu wrapped her head with a large towel and picked up a book to read under the weak light of the rechargeable desk lamp.

Ah, the last time she charged it was in a guesthouse in Shanghai, she’s been trying not to use it since coming back, but after two months, the power was almost drained.

On the warm, toasty kang bed, Li Xianglu was on the verge of falling asleep when she removed the towel from her head to check her hair, which was almost dry, and started to wipe it with another towel but was truly too sleepy.

’Thud thud thud’ came a persistent knocking at the door.

Li Xianglu listened intently, and there was another series of ’thud thud thud’ - someone really was knocking at the door.

At this moment, the sound of the neighbor Grandpa opening the door was heard, and Mr. Li’s vigorous voice shouted, "Who is it, who’s knocking at the door!"

"Grandpa Li, it’s me, Qin Xi, could you call for Xiao Xiang to come over? I have something here."

Li Xianglu was startled awake, realizing it was already ten o’clock. What’s happening, she quickly climbed out of bed, put on her shoes, and rushed out after quickly changing out of her coral fleece into a cotton-padded jacket, grabbing a hat, and putting it on her head.

By now, Grandpa Li had also put on a cotton jacket and come out, and the front door was opened, revealing Qin Xi’s face under the lamplight.

Upon seeing Mr. Li, Qin Xi said apologetically, "Grandpa, it’s Qin Zhen. He has a fever tonight. Xiangxiang has some fever medicine, and I thought to ask her to bring some over."

Upon hearing that Qin Zhen was ill, Mr. Li quickly dressed in his cotton jacket and said to Li Xianglu who had just come out, "Grab the medicine, and bring the malted milk as well. That lad is as sturdy as an ox; how could he fall ill just like that?" Saying this, Mr. Li went back to put on his shoes.

Li Xianglu went back to her room, lit the oil lamp, found some common cold medicines she had bought at the county hospital last time, grabbed a big jar of malted milk, and went out the door.

Mr. Li, worried, followed her out.

Since it was just next door, they locked the door and went out.

The Qin family also lived in the East and West caves, and since Qin Zhen went back, the Qin brothers had been sleeping in one cave, which saved some firewood for heating the kang. Qin Xi had fetched a bucket of water, and upon seeing the two come in, promptly lifted the straw curtain.

Mr. Li went in first, with Li Xianglu following closely behind. Just as she entered, she heard Mr. Li exclaim, "Whose child is this?"

Hearing this, Li Xianglu turned to look and saw a boy about ten years old lying on the kang, his face frostbitten and red, his bare arms all wounded, not a single place unharmed.

Qin Xi entered from behind and said indifferently, "The team leader had him sent here, said he was found by the river. Our household only has men; it’s more convenient that way."

Mr. Li frowned, climbed on the kang, and felt Qin Zhen’s head, which wasn’t very hot, but then touched the other boy whose fever was so high it burned his hand. Mr. Li pondered and said, "Qin Zhen is still okay, but this child won’t make it if the fever continues like this. He might not survive till tomorrow."

Qin Xi looked at the boy with a complex gaze and after a long while said, "No, he’s tough."

Mr. Li was stunned, then sighed and said, "Alright, Xiangxiang, stay here. Did you bring the house key? I’ll go back to sleep, I can’t keep up without enough rest now that I’m old."

Li Xianglu put down everything, saw Mr. Li out, and then hurriedly poured some warm water to wake up the soundly sleeping Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen was groggy, took the medicine handed over by Li Xianglu, glanced at the older child beside him, and without further attention, fell back to sleep.

Qin Xi had begun to strip off the other child’s clothes, revealing scars of all sizes on his body; there was almost no spot left unmarked.

Li Xianglu was shocked, her mouth agape. Was this child being abused?

Qin Xi smiled faintly and said, "His name is Xu Wu, he’s from Shanghuai Village. He’s ten years old this year. His mother died in childbirth giving birth to him, and when he was two years old, his father drowned in the river. His father was a swimmer. Then at the age of three, a big fire broke out at home, killing the older brother and sister-in-law who were raising him. He alone survived because he was asleep in a dog hole. Now his uncle’s family is in charge of him."

As Qin Xi spoke, he took some alcohol that was standing nearby and started cleaning each place where the boy’s blood had crusted. Perhaps the child was delirious with fever; he only twitched a little, causing Li Xianglu to get goosebumps all over.

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