Chapter 7: Change in Attitude

Chen Niya was startled and quickly grabbed the children's hands, saying with lingering fear, "You mustn't scratch! You have chickenpox; if you break the pox on your faces, you'll be disfigured. You'll end up like 'Pockmarked Er' in the village and won't be able to show your faces in public."

There was a man in the village called Pockmarked Er, whose face was so pitted and ugly that he couldn't find a wife and nearly ended up a lifelong bachelor. Chen Niya had only heard of him and never seen him, but the two children had seen him while playing in the village. Terrified, they immediately clenched their fists and endured the urge.

Seeing that this wasn't a long-term solution, Chen Niya frowned and said, "Mother is afraid you won't be able to hold back. How about I have your father bring some hemp rope to tie your hands and feet? That way, you won't be able to scratch your faces. How does that sound? Just endure it for a few days; once the pox dries up, scabs over, and falls off, you'll be fine."

The two children nodded obediently. They didn't want to be disfigured; they didn't want to become pockmarked.

With the children's permission, Chen Niya opened the door to call for someone, only to realize that the sky was already turning light. In the dimness, she noticed someone standing outside the threshold of the bedroom across the way. She was startled, but upon closer inspection, she realized it was Wen Yuanliang, who had been missing for several hours.

"Eldest, what are you doing standing over there? Go back to your room and sleep," Chen Niya urged with a frown.

Wen Yuanliang looked up at Chen Niya, then silently lowered his head, remaining motionless.

In the faint morning light, Chen Niya finally noticed the red marks on Wen Yuanliang's face. They looked like welts from a beating. She understood instantly: Wen Youshan must have hit the boy and punished him by not allowing him into the room. It was so cold, and it had rained all night—what if the child caught a chill?

However, she didn't want to openly defy Wen Youshan, so she said, "If you don't want to sleep, help me find some hemp rope or strips of cloth. Your younger brother and sister have woken up, and I need to tie their hands and feet so they don't scratch their faces."

When Wen Yuanliang was being beaten by Wen Youshan, he had learned that his younger siblings were ill. He felt guilty and miserable, and even though he was being punished, he held no resentment. When Chen Niya asked him for help, he wasn't as resistant as before, but...

He hesitated and looked back at the room. Seeing that his father didn't say anything, he gritted his teeth and ran quickly toward the woodshed.

The so-called woodshed was actually just a simple lean-to made of wood and covered with thatch, usually used for storing firewood and miscellaneous items. Seeing Wen Yuanliang go in, Chen Niya knew the boy was truly looking for things for her, and a knowing, faint smile appeared on her face.

Before long, Wen Yuanliang came out with a handful of hemp rope. He ran to Chen Niya and said with a haughty air, "Here."

"Thank you," Chen Niya said with a light smile.

Wen Yuanliang’s pupils dilated, and he froze. Before he could recover, Chen Niya continued, "Your brother and sister have chickenpox and have also caught a cold. Don't come into this room for a while. I might need you to pass things to me occasionally, so don't go running off to play wildly. If you have nothing to do now, go cook some porridge for your brother and sister."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chen Niya closed the door. A moment later, she opened it again, wrapped her hands in cloth, and placed a bag of grain outside the door, reminding him, "Remember to add plenty of rice, and don't add any wild vegetables."

"Oh," Wen Yuanliang replied subconsciously.

It wasn't until he came to his senses that he realized Chen Niya had already returned to the room, and he had actually listened to her and agreed.

Thinking of this, Wen Yuanliang’s feelings were too complex to describe. However, this time he didn't dare to be insubordinate and truly took the grain bag to the kitchen.

Back in the room, Chen Niya pondered the layout of Zhang's room for a while before tying the children's hands and feet. She cautioned them, "Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, tell me. Don't just endure it, but you absolutely must not scratch. If the pox breaks, it will leave scars."

The two children nodded repeatedly.

Wen Yuanhong smacked his lips and said cautiously, "Mother, I'm hungry."

Seeing the child like this, Chen Niya sighed inwardly and comforted him, "Wait a little longer. Your big brother is cooking porridge, and I'll feed you in a moment."

Seeing the disappointment on the children's faces, Chen Niya remembered that they had been craving meat while they were delirious. After a moment of thought, she opened the door again and called toward the kitchen, "Eldest, go wake your father up to prepare the rabbit. Use the rabbit meat to cook the porridge."

Wen Youshan, who was already awake in his room, heard her and immediately replied, "Right away."

Receiving his response, Chen Niya closed the door with peace of mind. Turning around, she saw the two little ones' eyes shining brightly—they looked much more spirited than before—and she couldn't help but chuckle.

About half an hour later, Wen Yuanliang knocked on the door and said, "The porridge is ready. I've left it at the door."

Chen Niya opened the door and saw Wen Yuanliang standing in the courtyard. His gaze fell on the porridge, and he swallowed hard before turning his face away with difficulty. She knew then that he had probably only made enough for the three of them, with none for the others.

In the past, that was how Zhang had arranged things: only those in need got the good stuff. The whole family eating meat together was something that never happened. It seemed Wen Yuanliang had inherited Zhang's ways.

Chen Niya didn't want to eat meat while watching the children eat chaff and vegetables. She immediately called Wen Youshan over. "Use the remaining rabbit meat to make a meat soup for the other children, and add some rice. Don't mistreat them. From now on, we eat what you eat. You can't get rich by being this stingy."

Wen Youshan, who feared Chen Niya being unhappy most of all, agreed immediately and went to the kitchen without a word. Only then did Chen Niya bring the porridge into the room with peace of mind.

Wen Yuanliang was left alone in the courtyard, staring at the room for a long time before leaving.

Meat porridge was a rarity in the Wen household, especially thick porridge. The two children ate it with relish, forgetting their itching for a short while, and kept savoring the taste even after they finished.

Seeing the siblings so happy, Chen Niya said to Wen Youshan when she handed out the bowls and chopsticks, "If you have time, see if you can catch another pheasant or rabbit. If not, even eggs will do. The children are much more spirited after eating meat."

Wen Youshan pondered for a moment and nodded. "Alright, I'll go set some traps on the mountain. There isn't much on this side, so I'll check other areas. If you need anything, tell the Eldest to handle it. I gave him a beating yesterday; he won't dare run off to play wildly anymore."

Chen Niya nodded slightly, not bothering to argue about child-rearing at that moment.

Over the next few days, Chen Niya ate and lived with the two children. Whenever they felt uncomfortable, she would find ways to distract them or tell them funny stories to make them laugh. The sound of laughter often drifted from the room, which put Wen Youshan’s mind at ease.

Wen Yuanliang seemed to have grown up in an instant. He was no longer as hostile toward Chen Niya as before, and sometimes he would even silently help her prepare things.

When Sun Laifu came to visit, he happened to see Wen Yuanliang returning with a bucket of water. He frowned and asked, "Yuanliang, where are your parents? Why are they making you carry the water?"