Chapter 4: 4. Chapter 4: It Turns Out to Be a Spiritual Spring

Chapter 4: It’s Actually a Spirit Spring

It could be said that the eldest sister and her husband chose to have a second child out of fear that no one would look after their son with cerebral palsy after they passed away. However, their actions also led to the lifelong misfortune of another young girl.

In her past life, Hua Xiali would occasionally provide financial support to this "niece."

Hua Xiali wanted her eldest sister to take this year’s college entrance exam. If she passed, she would have to attend university for four years, which would naturally delay the birth of another child by a few years. By then, the child born might not necessarily have cerebral palsy.

Even if it were still that same son, this gained time would allow her to persuade her sister and brother-in-law to get medical checkups and get their bodies into the healthiest state possible, which might prevent the child from having cerebral palsy.

Lost in thought, she didn't know when she had fallen asleep again. Before long, she was woken up by a foul stench. Hua Xiali was startled, thinking she had soiled the bed, but the smell was far more pungent than that. Finally, she realized the odor was coming from her own body and jumped out of bed in a panic.

She grabbed a change of clothes from the wardrobe and went to the washroom. After setting down the wooden tub, she transferred a basin of spring water into it and added a bottle of hot water to make it lukewarm before bathing.

On an April morning, the temperature was still quite low; she didn't dare bathe in cold water.

As Hua Xiali bathed, black sludge flowed off her skin. Soon, the basin of water was completely blackened. Hua Xiali realized then that what she had obtained wasn't just ordinary spring water, but the kind of "spirit spring" water described in novels.

There were only two bottles of hot water in the house. After using them up, Hua Xiali still wasn't clean, so she had to finish with cold water. Only when the bathwater remained clear, as if it hadn't been used at all, did she dry herself off. Shivering, she put on her clothes and hurried to the kitchen to boil more hot water, hoping to warm herself by the fire.

Since this was spirit spring water, she couldn't let her family drink as much as she had all at once, lest she scare them. She would have to let them drink it little by little to slowly condition their bodies.

Her father had been paralyzed for three years. If he were to recover his health and walk on his own overnight, wouldn't that be a blatant signal to Hua Qingmei that she had discovered a spirit spring and possessed it?

She wasn't yet sure if Hua Qingmei was a reincarnator or if she knew something, so she had to be careful, taking every step steadily until after Hua Qingmei was married off.

Hearing sounds from the house, Hua Xiali knew her family was waking up. She quickly got up, ran back to her room, and applied the medicinal patch to her eyes.

Her eyes, which had been so severely bruised yesterday, would certainly arouse suspicion if they recovered overnight. So, she applied the patch prescribed by the barefoot doctor to block everyone's view.

"Xiali, why are you up so early?" Mother Hua walked into the kitchen and asked with concern upon seeing Hua Xiali sitting behind the stove. "How are your eyes? Are they better? Do you want to go see the doctor again?"

"No need, Mom, it doesn't hurt anymore." Hua Xiali shook her head. If she went to the doctor, wouldn't the secret be exposed immediately?

So, she couldn't go.

Once the water in the pot boiled, Hua Xiali filled two thermoses, took them to the living room, and placed them on the coffee table. Then, she poured the remaining hot water into everyone's tea mugs.

She quietly added a spoonful of spirit spring water to her eldest sister's mug. If her sister was really going to take the college entrance exam this year, she needed to help her improve her memory now.

After all, her sister had been out of the classroom for three years; self-study certainly couldn't compare to students who had teachers guiding them at school.

The biggest worry now was tuition. Five hundred for tuition, three hundred for miscellaneous fees. The school was several kilometers away, so her sister would have to live on campus, which would cost several dozen more, plus living expenses and stationery for the exams—she would need to prepare nearly a thousand yuan!

If she got into university, she would need another three thousand by the end of August.

The families willing to lend them money had already lent plenty over the past three years; she couldn't bring herself to ask again. As for those who weren't willing, even if she knelt and kowtowed, they wouldn't agree. Thinking of this, Hua Xiali let out a heavy sigh.

"Xiali, why are you sighing so early in the morning?" Mother Hua asked, puzzled.

Hua Xiali shook her head and said, "Mom, Wang Liang and Ding Yong will definitely come looking for me today. Please chase them away; I don't want to have anything to do with them."

Mother Hua nodded. "Understood. Since you said you won't marry, we won't force you."

Soon, Hua Chunli and Zhang Yongfeng also got up. After washing up, Zhang Yongfeng went to the room to help Father Hua wash. After eating breakfast at home, Zhang Yongfeng left for the brick factory with his lunch.

The brick factory wasn't far, about a twenty-minute walk. To pull more loads of bricks and earn a little more money, Zhang Yongfeng didn't come home for lunch, choosing to bring his own instead.

It wasn't just Hua Chunli, his wife, who felt bad for him; even Hua Xiali, his sister-in-law, felt the ache. If Zhang Yongfeng hadn't joined the Hua family, he wouldn't have to suffer like this.

The current Hua family was like a pit of fire, yet Zhang Yongfeng had jumped in without hesitation. This devotion was truly moving.

Hearing the sound of a bicycle outside, Hua Xiali hurriedly put down her bowl and chopsticks, ran to the backyard, and slammed the back door shut.

Mother Hua and Hua Chunli exchanged a look and walked out together. They saw Wang Liang riding his bicycle over. Seeing Mother Hua, Wang Liang asked politely, "Auntie, is Xiali up yet?"

Standing behind the backyard door, Hua Xiali couldn't help but sneer. This man was a truly good actor, having deceived them all. If she hadn't suffered so much in her past life, who would have been able to see him for what he really was?

"Wang Liang, are you truly sincere about wanting to marry our Xiali?" Mother Hua dropped her usual gentle demeanor, her gaze becoming stern.

Wang Liang didn't know what had happened to cause such a shift in Mother Hua's attitude. He became more cautious and nodded. "Auntie, I truly like Xiali. Naturally, I am sincere about wanting to marry her."

Upon hearing this, a brilliant smile bloomed on Mother Hua's face, as if she had finally set her mind at ease. "Good. We have received your intentions. Now, it depends on whether your Wang family has the sincerity to back it up."

Wang Liang smiled with relief, as if everything were already set in stone.

Mother Hua continued, "You know our family's situation. We owe a lot of money from treating Xiali's father, and future treatments will cost even more. If you are truly determined to marry our Xiali, please go back and tell your parents: our family requires a dowry of fifty thousand yuan. Furthermore, we need a bicycle, a color TV, a refrigerator, and a washing machine. Also, your family must cover the costs of Xiali's father's subsequent medical treatments. After all, in our situation, it's hard to find someone who doesn't look down on us, so we naturally can't let this opportunity slip by."