Chapter 36: A Difficult Dilemma

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Nan Nan was not yet two years old. His tiny body trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes were swollen and red from crying, like two overripe peaches.

Wang Yufen’s heart ached. She crouched down, gathered Nan Nan tightly into her arms, and asked in a soft voice, “Be good, Nan Nan. Tell Mother what happened.”

But Nan Nan only sobbed harder, babbling incoherently through his tears.

Wang Yufen was frantic. She glanced around anxiously and immediately guessed that this must have been Yang Shulin’s doing. Yet after searching the area, she could not find the detestable man anywhere. Clenching her teeth, she hurriedly picked Nan Nan up and carried him into the courtyard. At that moment, the child’s cries were the most wrenching sound in the world.

Outside the courtyard, the villagers were still chattering among themselves, talking over one another like a flock of noisy sparrows.

“Whose child is this? How could they just leave him here?”

“Can’t you tell? He must be the child Wang Yufen had after remarrying. Someone brought him here. Who knows what kind of mess this is…”

“What sort of family does that? They don’t even want their own son?”

Regardless of what the others said, Lin Yu drove his donkey cart into the courtyard. Lin Yao, acting like a little adult, hurried to help him unload the mountain goods from the cart. The brother and sister worked until their small faces flushed red, then went inside together.

The moment he entered the house, Lin Yu’s face flushed with fury. His fists were clenched, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

“This has to be Yang Shulin’s doing!” he said, beside himself with rage. “How can that family be so heartless? They won’t even look after their own flesh and blood, leaving him all alone at our doorstep. Aren’t they afraid something might happen to him? Can they even be called human?”

Lin Yao stood to one side, looking at the younger boy with reddened eyes. She turned to Wang Yufen and asked, “Mother, what are we going to do?”

Wang Yufen’s brows were tightly knitted, her face troubled as she paced back and forth across the room.

The family’s life was somewhat better than before, but the entire burden still rested on Lin Yu’s shoulders. Every day he went out to sea to fish or combed the shore for shellfish, working through wind and rain for every hard-earned coin. Their life was still far from secure. If they had another mouth to feed, the days ahead would certainly become even more difficult.

But this was her own flesh and blood. What mother could truly bring herself to abandon her child?

After agonizing over it, she finally made up her mind.

“Tomorrow, we’ll take him back. Yang Shulin’s family has fields and farmland. They may be terrible people, but no matter how hard things get, they can at least feed the child.”

Lin Yu shook his head repeatedly.

“Mother, even if we take him back, Yang Shulin won’t want him. You know what that family is like. Since they went so far as to bring the child here, they must have already made up their minds not to raise him.”

Silence fell over the room. Only Nan Nan’s intermittent sobs remained, tugging at everyone’s heartstrings.

Seeing the distress on his mother’s face, Lin Yu tried to persuade her.

“Mother, why don’t we keep Nan Nan? Just look at that family—they’re worthless. Yes, they have land and can give the boy food, but what kind of person will he become if he grows up with them? If he follows Yang Shulin and picks up his bad habits, drinking himself senseless every day, the child’s whole life will be ruined.”

Wang Yufen sighed again and again. Of course she wanted to keep him. Nan Nan’s delicate little face and every one of his cries struck her heart like a heavy hammer.

Yet whenever she thought of the family’s actual circumstances, helplessness filled her.

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She had never been good at earning money. In the past, raising Lin Yu and Lin Yao, she had barely managed to scrape by. Their circumstances had only recently begun to improve, and that was entirely due to Lin Yu. If another mouth were added to the household, the burden on his shoulders would become even heavier. He was still so young, yet he already had so much to bear.

After turning the matter over in her mind again and again, Wang Yufen gritted her teeth and made her decision.

“First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll take the child back. I truly can’t think of anything else. If we keep him, the burden on your shoulders will only grow heavier.”

“Mother, it won’t add that much,” Lin Yu said. “It’s only another mouth to feed. He’s so small—how much could he possibly eat?”

“Don’t say another word. This is settled.”

Hearing his mother’s decision, Lin Yu could only shake his head helplessly. Looking at Nan Nan, who was still so little, he felt a pang of pity. The child could speak, but he was clearly frightened of strangers. It was difficult to say whether that fear came from being separated from his mother.

Night gradually descended, and the atmosphere inside the house grew oppressive.

Lin Yu and Lin Yao sat around Nan Nan, trying every possible way to coax him. Perhaps he had cried himself exhausted, for he was now quiet and docile, sitting on the heated brick bed without making a fuss.

Forcing herself to pull together, Yufen turned and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Before long, the fragrant aroma of steamed rice and chicken stewed with mushrooms filled the room.

With Nan Nan there that day, she felt she had to prepare something especially good.

Seeing that the little one had stopped crying, Lin Yu found an excuse to say to his mother, “Mother, I’m going to ask Brother Dachun to come over and have some meat.”

With that, he hurried out of the courtyard.

When Lin Yu reached Wang Dachun’s home, he happened to find Dachun returning from fishing. He was carrying two sizable fish and walking toward their house. The moment he saw Lin Yu, Wang Dachun broke into a broad grin.

“What a coincidence! I was just on my way to your place. I had good luck today and caught several large fish. Weren’t you planning to give some to the mountain keeper? I was just thinking of bringing these over to you.”

As he spoke, Wang Dachun gestured toward the fish in his hands.

They were indeed two large fish. Their mouths were tied with cords twisted from corn leaves, and several scales had been torn away, exposing the tender pink flesh beneath—clearly the result of being caught and dragged roughly in a fishing net.

“Thank you, Brother Dachun. You came at just the right time. We’re stewing meat at home and wanted to ask you over for dinner. But there’s something else I need to tell you.”

Lin Yu immediately recounted how Yang Shulin had brought the child to them.

After hearing the whole story, Wang Dachun’s face reddened with anger, and his eyes widened like brass bells.

“What kind of father does that? They’ll definitely bully you if you go to their house. No. I’m not going out to sea tomorrow. I’ll go with you. I want to see what tricks they think they can play!”

“That’s exactly what I was hoping for, Brother Dachun.” Lin Yu gave a sheepish laugh. “Look at this scrawny frame of mine. There’s no way I could beat him. But it’s different with you. You beat him badly last time, so he must still be traumatized. The moment you stand there, he won’t dare act cocky.”

There was no other choice. Lin Yu’s body was simply too frail, and it was impossible to build himself up again in a short time. Since his mother insisted on going, he had to make sure that she and his sister would be safe.

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By the time they returned home, Mother had finished cooking. As soon as Wang Dachun arrived, Wang Yufen hurriedly invited him to sit on the heated brick bed while she told him the food would be ready at once.

Wang Dachun glanced at Nan Nan on the bed.

“Master’s Wife, I think Little Yu is right. Who knows what this child will become if they raise him? If necessary, just keep him. Look how small he is—surely you can spare him a bowl of rice. If you run into any difficulties, I’ll help you however I can.”

Wang Yufen sighed.

“That may be true, but it still isn’t a solution. You need to save money to marry, too. How could I let you get dragged into our troubles? Little Yu is capable, but with Yao Yao and me already depending on him, we’re more than enough to keep him busy. How could I bear to make him shoulder another person?”

“Let’s wait until tomorrow and see what their attitude is. Forget Yang Shulin—I refuse to believe his grandparents would have the heart to abandon the child to us. Besides, if his grandparents refuse and come looking for him later, there’ll be another quarrel and another headache.”

Hearing this, Wang Dachun nodded repeatedly.

“All right, then. I’ll go with you tomorrow. If that family dares to make trouble, I won’t let them off.”

Before long, the meal was ready.

The steaming dishes were carried to the table, and clouds of heat rose with their enticing aromas.

The rice was hot and fragrant, each grain plump and translucent, like pearls newly freed from a mysterious veil. Its rich scent drifted through the rising steam and slipped straight into their noses, instantly awakening their appetites, as though reminding them that no matter how difficult life became, there were still such humble, comforting moments of warmth.

Next, Wang Yufen brought out a basin of wild chicken stewed with mushrooms, so tempting that it made one’s mouth water.

The tender chicken glistened invitingly. Cooked to perfection, the meat fell apart in delicate strands and melted in the mouth. The brown mushrooms had absorbed the chicken’s savory freshness and the broth’s deep richness, becoming plump and juicy. A single bite sent flavorful juices spilling forth.

Wang Yufen arranged every dish on the table and called softly, “Come and eat.”

Her voice was gentle, yet it could not conceal the weight and helplessness beneath it. Everyone understood that beneath the warmth of this family meal lingered a difficult decision with no easy answer.

Nan Nan was perhaps hungry. He reached his little hand toward the rice, and Lin Yu quickly filled a small bowl and began feeding him carefully.

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