Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 49. Baptism of Love

"Mrs. Xinghua, are you heading to Xiaocao’s house?"

Although Qi Shi was displeased with the gossiping of Qin Shi in front of her daughter, she still smiled and said.

"Yes! We are all neighbors, and since Xiaocao is in trouble, we should go and check on her."

Qin Shi sighed. Although she mostly wanted to see whether the rumors were true, she still felt sorry for the child who had gone mad without reason, despite the child’s recent bad reputation in the village.

Qi Shi nodded, though inside, she was simmering with anger. However, having cursed and fought as much as she could, she felt that she still needed to maintain appearances.

She added, "It’s really quite pitiful. Even though she did that to my daughter... Ah, forget it, no need to say more. You all go ahead; I’ll head home with my child."

"Alright, alright,"

Everyone went their separate ways, and no one invited Qin Shi to join them.

Although Qin Shi appeared gentle and mild, her true nature was just like her mother-in-law’s: agreeable when there was no conflict but fierce if provoked or offended. This was especially true regarding Hua Jin, whom they fiercely protected.

Hua Xiaocao never admitted it, but everyone knew that the incident might indeed be related to her; otherwise, given the temperaments of the Hua family elder and Qi Shi, they wouldn’t have come directly to their home.

Inviting Qi Shi there was not for support but to add fuel to the fire.

This was evident to everyone.

...

"Mom, did you specifically come out to find me?" Hua Jin asked as she walked, her eyebrows slightly raised.

"Why is my daughter so clever?" Qi Shi playfully pinched her daughter’s cheek as she spoke.

Upon hearing that Hua Xiaocao had been found mad in the back hills and brought back, and knowing that her daughter was also out, the uneasy Qi Shi quickly came out to look for her.

"Mom... my face is getting deformed..." Hua Jin quickly pulled her mother’s hand down, pouting and beginning to act spoiled.

"Such a baby..." Although she said this, Qi Shi gently rubbed her daughter’s face with her now free hand. She hadn’t pinched that hard, just making it a little red.

The mother and daughter were affectionate for a while, and neither said anything more about Hua Xiaocao.

A short while after they arrived home, the Hua elder and Hua Liu returned.

Hua Jin eagerly moved the stool under the eaves into the sunlight for her grandparents to sit on, then sat beside her grandfather, her big eyes filled with curiosity, waiting for him to explain things.

"Mom, has she really gone mad?" Qi Shi couldn’t resist asking while serving tea to her in-laws. She sincerely hoped the rumors were true.

"She’s mad," the Hua elder merely sighed.

It was indeed pitiful to see, with her appearance ruined and her body full of injuries, but what of it? The Hua elder had no sympathy or pity for someone who dared to harm her granddaughter.

Her granddaughter was the truly pitiful one, a good child almost losing her life and suffering so much. The Hua elder remembered it well.

"Let’s not talk about it; it’s just the fate of an individual," Hua Liu murmured, recalling the scene of Hua Liu’s family trying to drive the mad Hua Xiaocao away. He couldn’t help but frown.

He disliked the child intensely, but he disliked Hua Liu’s family’s actions even more. They didn’t even put on a pretense, nor wanted to take her to a barefoot doctor. If they really threw out a mad girl, wouldn’t it embarrass him as the village chief?

After scolding them, they took her back home, but... Hua Liu didn’t want to think about it.

If he weren’t the village chief, Hua Liu wouldn’t have cared whether she was dead or alive.

He waved his hand to skip this topic, as it was affecting their mood.

"Grandpa, I want to go to town tomorrow," Hua Jin took the opportunity to say.

Hua Liu immediately understood, "Have you painted again?"

His eyes noticeably brightened with interest.

"Yes, I’ve painted quite a bit. Let me show you, Grandpa." Hua Jin stood up and ran back to her room, knowing exactly what her grandfather meant.

"Grandpa, Grandma, everything is here," Hua Jin spread out twenty design sketches and five apparel samples on the small wooden table in the courtyard.

Hua Liu, the Hua elder, Qi Shi, and Hua Chengtian, who had been working on carpentry, all stopped what they were doing. Everyone was immediately full of spirit, their eyes gleaming as they looked at the papers on the small wooden table.

They couldn’t tell the quality, but they all felt that the paintings seemed very lifelike.

Each had its own unique style. Even the men thought they were good, let alone the women and girls. They finally understood why the shopkeeper at the embroidery house had offered such high prices.

"Alright, your dad will accompany you tomorrow." Since the child found a way to earn money, the elders must support her.

Hua Liu agreed without hesitation, pride almost overflowing from his eyes as he looked at his granddaughter.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Hua Jin was delighted.

Thinking about the money she’ll get tomorrow, how could she not be happy?

"Sis... Sister..." Just as Hua Jin was carefully packing away the drawings, she heard Xiaosi’s distant voice getting closer from outside the gate.

"Sis, the traveling merchant is here. Do you want to check it out? There are lots of fun and tasty things," Xiaosi, with a small agenda of his own, looked at his sister with hopeful eyes, ignoring everyone else in the courtyard.

Hua Jin quickly put away her patterns, glanced at her brother, and couldn’t help but smile. At the moment, the little guy was looking at her with eager eyes.

Ever since the day their mother gave her ten coins, the little guy had nearly become her little shadow, following wherever she went when she played outside.

"But... I don’t really need anything," Hua Jin teased her brother, and the rest of the courtyard tried to stifle their laughter.

Mostly because Xiaosi’s intentions were too obvious, the lack of any concealment obvious to all.

"..."

"Sis, all the kids in the village are there; it’s really lively. Why not... just take a look? Maybe you’ll find something you want," Xiaosi said, trying to persuade his sister, his eyes a bit anxious.

If she didn’t go, the slingshot he had his eyes on would be out of the question.

"Really lively?" Hua Jin feigned mild interest.

"Yes, yes, very lively," Xiaosi nodded enthusiastically, nearly breaking his neck. "Sister, let’s go see. I’ll go with you."

"Then..." Under Xiaosi’s tense gaze, Hua Jin finally said, "Alright," and immediately Xiaosi took her hand, unable to wait, pulling her off before being suddenly stopped by Hua Jin.

"Hold on," she said, simultaneously giving her brother a playful flick on the forehead.

The sound was crisp, oddly pleasant.

Xiaosi, a bit stunned, covered his head and looked at his sister, not understanding why he got flicked while they were walking, catching him by surprise.

"Sis, what’s wrong?"

He hoped she wouldn’t change her mind—thinking about it made him anxious.

"Why so rush? Didn’t you notice what’s in my hand? And aren’t we going to look at goods? Let me go back in to get money, right?"

Hua Jin, exasperated, looked at her brother, realizing that his rush needed tempering and that his observation skills and judgment needed improvement.

Thinking about this, she figured she wouldn’t be bored next.

Only then did Xiaosi realize he was too impatient. He rubbed his head and chuckled to mask the awkwardness of the moment.

Then he quickly let go of his sister’s hand.

After glancing at her brother, Hua Jin took the drawings into the house, only to find him with his head down when she came back out.

Trying not to laugh, she knew the little guy had just experienced a lesson in love.