Chapter 24

When Shui Shui heard about preparing the dowry, she immediately understood, it wasn’t about being an adopted child because she knew what "preparing the dowry" meant.
This kind of situation existed in their village. The youngest girl, Xiao Ling, who picked firewood with them, was an example. Her family didn’t have children, so she was adopted by her uncle’s family from the neighboring village. She couldn’t call her biological parents "mom and dad" anymore; instead, she had to call them "Auntie" and "Uncle," and her uncle and aunt, "mom and dad." She was also not allowed to visit the neighboring village. People often said that her uncle and aunt treated her well, and they would surely prepare a dowry for her. Xiao Ling couldn’t be ungrateful; she had to ensure that she would take care of her uncle and aunt when they grew old...
But Xiao Ling privately confided in her that she didn’t like living with her uncle’s family. Since the younger brother came, they often hit her, and the brother also beat her. The happiest part of her day was when she went out with them to pick firewood. She dreamed of growing up, so she could take care of them in their old age, but she didn’t want a dowry, she just wanted to return home...
She wanted to go back to her own home, but they wouldn’t allow her, saying that she should take good care of her brother, and they would still prepare a dowry for her. Xiao Ling told them that she didn’t want a dowry and just wanted to go back home, where she wouldn’t be beaten...
When Shui Shui heard what Mother Yu said, especially when she mentioned preparing a dowry for her, her mind went blank. Her nose grew sour, and her tears fell uncontrollably.
Was she now like Xiao Ling?
Could she not call her mom and dad "mom and dad" anymore?
Couldn’t she go home anymore? Did this mean she had to stay here forever? Couldn’t she go home for the New Year?
Lin Miao suddenly felt panicked. She had never felt so panicked before. This was scarier than being kidnapped.
She had never been away from home for so long. The longest she had been away was when she went to school in the morning and returned in the evening. She had always felt repressed, dreaming of the New Year, and now they suddenly told her that she would have to call someone else mom and dad and couldn’t go back home anymore. All her emotions rushed out at once.
Seeing Lin Miao crying, the adults who were laughing earlier were taken aback and grabbed her hand. "What’s wrong, child?"
Lin Miao thought she had done something wrong. This time, she hadn’t taken care of her brother well, so that’s why this happened.
Because she let her brother suffer, with the wind, the sun, and all that running around.
But, but, she couldn’t find a good solution.
The more Lin Miao thought about it, the more miserable she felt. She cried heartbrokenly. She wanted to explain, to promise that she wouldn’t let her brother suffer from the wind and the sun anymore...
But, she cried so badly that she couldn’t say a word clearly.
Mother Yu was really startled. "It’s okay, it’s okay. Just say what you want to say, don’t be afraid..."
Lin Miao finally forced herself to stop, but still choked up, "I... hic... will take care of... hic... brother... for you... hic... when you’re old... no dowry..."
Father and Mother Yu were truly startled. They had thought she would gladly accept since she wouldn’t have to return to the remote mountain village and would have good food and clothes. Don’t kids love that?
Especially Mother Yu, who had always felt indebted to this child. Hearing her speak like this, she comforted her, "Shui Shui, don’t rush, take your time, don’t cry, don’t cry."
She then signaled her husband to bring Xiao Yu over.
The two children had a very good relationship, as they had both noticed.
Shui Shui only hiccupped as she cried, wanting to reassure them but unable to say anything clearly.
Fortunately, at that moment, Yu Jingxuan arrived.
"Shui Shui, your brother is here," Father Yu said.
Yu Jingxuan, though used to his parents' worldly ways, still felt both angry and heartbroken when he saw Lin Miao crying so sadly.
He was angry at the adults and heartbroken for Lin Miao.
"Shui Shui, don’t listen to their nonsense. We’ll call the village head and go home for the New Year. Don’t listen to them," Yu Jingxuan said, taking out his phone.
When he arrived, he had heard his dad say that she cried when they said they were going to adopt her, but they didn’t understand why she was crying.
But he knew very well, Lin Miao had been waiting for the New Year to go home.
Sure enough, when Lin Miao heard they were going home for the New Year, she hiccupped and, with tears still hanging, stammered, "But... I can’t call... mom and dad anymore..."
"No, don’t listen to them, you only have one mom and dad, and that’s your real mom and dad," Yu Jingxuan wiped her tears. Shui Shui’s little face was flushed and looked pitiful.
Father and Mother Yu hadn’t expected this situation, and they were extremely embarrassed. But they quickly said, "Yes, Shui Shui, you only have one mom and dad."
Once Lin Miao got the adults’ assurance, she felt instantly relieved. Then she realized she had been crying like this in front of so many people and felt embarrassed. She quickly wiped her tears and bowed to Father and Mother Yu, "I will... hic... take care of... hic... brother... for you..."
Then he grabbed her hand and said, “Come on, let’s go call the village chief.”
As soon as Lin Miao heard that, she immediately ran after him.
Kids tend to feel better after a good cry, especially when they’ve been bottling up their emotions for a long time , once they finally let it out, it’s like a weight has been lifted.
It was another sunny day. Yu Jingxuan pulled Lin Miao along toward the garden to make the call. Lin Miao looked a little anxious. “Brother, are you really not afraid of the wind anymore?”
“Not anymore. Brother’s body is super healthy.” To prove how strong he was, Yu Jingxuan even gave her a quick hug as he spoke.
Of course, at his age, he couldn’t really princess-carry someone his own size. It was more like pulling up a radish , he picked her up by the waist just enough for her feet to leave the ground.
Lin Miao burst out laughing. Her brother’s hug had totally felt like he was uprooting a radish, and the way he grabbed her tickled her sides. “Brother, brother, put me down!”
Yu Jingxuan quickly set her down. Lin Miao immediately mimicked him, pretending to pull up a radish too. “Brother, I can lift you up too!”
The tables had turned. Yu Jingxuan: “…”
The two of them laughed and joked all the way to the grape trellis in the garden. Lin Miao already had the village chief’s phone number memorized.
Yu Jingxuan dialed it.
After two rings, someone picked up quickly.
“Hello?”
Lin Miao instantly recognized the voice , it was Xiao Mei.
“Xiao Mei, it’s Shui Shui.”
“Shui Shui! When are you coming back? We all miss you so much! Wait a sec, I’ll go get Xiao Ling and Xiao Pang! Last time you called, they were so upset they missed you , they told me to make sure I tell them if you ever called again!” Xiao Mei sounded super excited.
“I’ll be back for the New Year,” Lin Miao said, then asked, “Has my mom come back yet?”
“No, I heard from my dad that your mom and the others might be headed to the city. He said your parents made a lot of money, so maybe they won’t be coming back anymore.” Xiao Mei remembered something her dad had said after running into Shui Shui’s parents in the city , they were working really hard. Her dad even said Shui Shui’s dad had become a foreman. He’d come home wondering aloud why they didn’t at least let their son go to school if they were earning so much.
She’d been cooking at the time, but she remembered it clearly , if they were making good money, they probably weren’t coming back.
Lin Miao froze. Not coming back? But...she still wanted to go back and play with everyone, to see Big Dog Wei Feng again, and the old grandma at the end of the village who always gave her cookies. And what about the pear tree in their yard? It must be full of fruit by now…
Yu Jingxuan’s heart skipped a beat , he was terrified she’d start crying again.
Then he heard Lin Miao say, “Really not coming back? Then, Xiao Mei, you guys have to go check on our pear tree, and the pomelo too. Don’t let the birds eat them. If they’re ripe and we’re still not back yet, just go ahead and pick them and eat them…”
On the other end, Xiao Mei happily agreed and then asked, “Shui Shui, is working away from home fun?”
Yu Jingxuan noticed Lin Miao didn’t seem too upset about her parents not returning, so he shook his head at her and mouthed: Study hard.
Lin Miao nodded obediently. “It’s not fun. Xiao Mei, you all have to study hard.”
That’s what all the older kids used to say when they came back after working away from home.
“What do you do every day?” Xiao Mei asked.
Lin Miao blinked, suddenly realizing...she didn’t really have anything to do now. Since her brother didn’t need IV drips anymore, she didn’t have to watch over the IV bottle to keep it from drawing blood back.
They sat under the grape trellis in the garden. After hanging up, Lin Miao looked a little uneasy and sighed. “Mom used to say we’d move to the town so I could go to school...but honestly, I really don’t want to move there...I wonder if little brother’s better now…”
Yu Jingxuan realized something , when Lin Miao heard those things, her first reaction wasn’t “my mom abandoned me,” but “we’re moving.”
He looked at her, and something tight clenched around his heart , something called pain. He had never wished so badly that the New Year wouldn’t come. Please, just let it never come.
Knowing she could still go home for New Year, that she could still call those two people “Mom” and “Dad,” made Lin Miao happy , even if she’d have to move later.
Meanwhile, Grandma had also heard about the whole adoption drama. She glanced toward the two kids out in the garden and pressed her temples.
She remembered what the old master had warned her about, and her heart felt uneasy , especially when she thought of how hard Shui Shui had cried after learning she couldn’t go home.
After hesitating for a while, she finally picked up the phone and made a call.
This kidnapping incident was widely considered a miracle, divine protection, even. After all, two of the kidnappers had been caught, and the remaining ones would surely have wanted to eliminate any evidence. And yet, the young master had managed to escape and vanished in the heavy rain for two whole days.
To protect Lin Miao from being exposed by the media, it was never officially revealed that two children had been kidnapped.
But the Yu family knew very well, it was mostly thanks to Lin Miao. Without her, little Yu never would have made it out of that mud-brick house, not with those vicious dogs outside. He would’ve ended up in the reservoir like they planned...
Mother Yu felt incredibly guilty for having scared Lin Miao to tears. This whole ordeal had shaken her so deeply, she was seriously considering retiring from the entertainment industry, stepping away from fame and returning to a quiet life. As a result, she grew even more affectionate toward Lin Miao.
At first, Lin Miao was a little uncomfortable with the attention.
That changed when Mother Yu took her to the mall to pick out candies, saying they should sample some first and buy the best ones to bring home for the New Year.
Mother Yu held Lin Miao’s hand, and Lin Miao held her brother’s. The three of them bounced along cheerfully, sampling sweets in every store.
Mother Yu wore no makeup, just plain clothes, and had left her hair undone. Surprisingly, no one seemed to recognize her.
The three went from shop to shop, tasting everything.
Someone finally did recognize her. But she just waved them off, saying, “You’ve got the wrong person,” refused any requests for autographs or photos, and quickly whisked the kids away.
She winked at them and whispered, “Let’s make it a game! If anyone spots me, we sneak away like ninjas, okay?”
Lin Miao absolutely loved it. It was thrilling and fun.
Yu Jingxuan, on the other hand, found his mom kind of childish.
But then Lin Miao said, “Okay! Okay!”
And Yu Jingxuan reluctantly agreed, “Alright, fine.”
They went to another shop with free samples.
“Auntie Yu! Try this one, it’s so good!” Lin Miao excitedly offered the fruit candy she’d just sampled.
Her brother didn’t like sweets, but Mother Yu did, so sharing with her made Lin Miao even happier.
Mother Yu quickly tried the one Lin Miao recommended. “Oh wow, this is amazing! Shui Shui, should we buy this one? I think it’s the best we’ve tried all day!”
She used to avoid sweets to keep her figure, but now she was hooked, it was impossible to stop after just one!
Lin Miao nodded eagerly and looked at the price. “125.”
She counted on her fingers but couldn’t figure it out, so she pulled out 200 yuan and asked, “How much can I get for 200?”
Her mom had originally given her 500 yuan. She’d spent 50 at the hospital, then the kidnappers had taken 250, leaving her with 200.
Yu Jingxuan realized something, he never carried money. There hadn’t been any reason to.
Mother Yu blinked, “Shui Shui, I’ll pay for it.”
But Lin Miao immediately shook her head. “No need, I’ve got money.”
She asked the shopkeeper to weigh out 200 yuan’s worth. When she saw how tiny the bag was, she went quiet. That small bag definitely wasn’t enough…
Even if her mom said they weren’t going back, that only applied to regular days. During New Year’s, they had to return for the ancestral rites. That meant giving candy to her childhood friends.
After they got home, Yu Jingxuan hurried to tell his parents about Lin Miao’s situation, afraid they’d say or do something well-meaning but hurtful again.
He told them how she believed she was just a worker, and how she still expected to return home for the New Year, to bring candies to the kids in the village, everything.
Grandma sat nearby, sighing. “Xiao Yu...What if Shui Shui goes home one day and never comes back?”
Yu Jingxuan froze, speechless.
Two days later, Father Yu solemnly called Lin Miao into the study.
She was nervous, worried she’d done something wrong. But instead, he handed her 1000 yuan.
She blinked in confusion. “Uncle Yu?”
Father Yu looked serious. “Those bad people who took your 250 yuan last time, the police recovered it. They even added 750 in compensation.”
Lin Miao’s eyes lit up. “The police are amazing!”
Father Yu also handed her a jade pendant. “And this.”
Lin Miao touched it. “Huh? This isn’t the same fish one I had…”
Her old pendant had been a fish. She was so used to touching it, she could tell the difference instantly.
“The old one was broken. Just wear this instead.” Father Yu’s serious demeanor made his words sound very convincing.
Lin Miao obediently put it on without another thought.
But she had another question on her mind. “Uncle, what’s my job now?”
Her brother no longer needed IVs, so her previous job had ended.
Father Yu paused, then replied, “Well, jobs have vacations. You’ve worked four months straight, you should get eight days off per month, that’s 32 days. You can take your break now.”
Lin Miao nodded thoughtfully. That made sense. All workers got vacation.
When she stepped out, she saw her brother scolding Da Huang, the dog. “Da Huang, those are my slippers. You can’t play with them, understand?”
“Woof woof woof!” Da Huang argued back.
“Woof woof woof!” The two little dogs joined in.
Yu Jingxuan was exasperated. “If you chew my slippers again, no meat for you!”
“Woof woof woof!” Da Huang protested.
“Woof!” the two puppies echoed.
Lin Miao rushed over and saw Da Huang had chewed up another slipper.
“Brother, maybe he just wants to go out?”
Yu Jingxuan thought that made sense. Da Huang had been stuck inside healing from a neck wound, but it looked mostly healed now. He found a leash, and Grandma handed it to them, but warned seriously, “Don’t leave the neighborhood.”
Ever since learning he was truly healthy again, Yu Jingxuan had been bouncing around with Lin Miao, completely fearless.
“Wait for me!” Mother Yu called.
So the three of them ended up walking the dog together.
Mother Yu had thought the kids might struggle with it, but instead, she ended up being dragged around by Da Huang, completely exhausted…
At that moment, she suddenly felt she’d never gain weight again.
Da Huang still wanted to run, so Lin Miao and Yu Jingxuan took over the leash while Mother Yu stayed behind, watching the two little dogs.
There were surprisingly many people walking their dogs in the neighborhood.