Chapter 2: 202 Family Members

With a 'creak,' the door was pushed open slowly once again. Several people crowded into the already cramped, dilapidated room. Besides Zhang Yuniang, Li Menglan's mother (who had just left not long ago; the female lead will henceforth be the little girl Li Menglan), there were also two elderly people walking in, supporting each other; they were dressed similarly to Zhang Yuniang. If Li Menglan remembered correctly, these two elderly people should be her current grandfather and grandmother.

As for the other boy in thin, patch-covered green clothing, uh... he also had a similarly frail little frame; a boy with thick eyebrows and large eyes who, despite having very little flesh on his face, looked very spirited; hmm... he should be her second brother, Li Zhihao. But wait? Why couldn't she see her father, Li Dazhu, or her eldest brother, Li Zhengming? Li Menglan looked around in confusion.

"Lan girl, your father and eldest brother went up the mountain." Zhang Yuniang saw her daughter's confusion and walked gently to Li Menglan's side, speaking softly and tenderly: "There isn't much in the house to nourish you and your grandfather, so your father and eldest brother plan to go to the mountain to try their luck; perhaps they can catch a pheasant or a wild rabbit or something, so they can nourish your body, Lan girl."

After marrying Li Dazhu, Zhang Yuniang gave birth to two boys and one girl, especially Li Menglan... as the only girl in the Li family, she was dearly loved by the young and old alike. Although the Li family were farmers, they were very attentive to this daughter; even the two brothers, Li Zhengming and Li Zhihao, would always think of their precious little sister—Li Menglan—first whenever they had anything good.

Li Fujin's gaunt, old face was filled with heartache. His granddaughter had always been such a well-behaved and sensible child; it was all the fault of his old bones—how could he have suddenly fallen ill with such a strange disease? It had not only left a once relatively prosperous family destitute but had also nearly killed his well-behaved and sensible granddaughter. Large tears flowed from Li Fujin's cloudy eyes, falling one by one onto the ground.

"Old man, you should be happy that Lan girl has finally woken up; why are you shedding tears? It's bad luck." Li Menglan's grandmother, Lin Sanniang, also gave Li Fujin a reproachful look through her tears and smiles.

"Grandpa, I'm fine. I'll be jumping around again in a few days," Li Menglan said to comfort her grandfather in a raspy voice.

"Good, good, good..." Li Fujin responded in a string of affirmations: "Mm, when the time comes, Grandpa will accompany our Lan girl to the river to fish again."

"Okay," Li Menglan agreed readily.

"Sister, sister, and also your second brother! When the time comes, second brother will definitely find lots of delicious wild fruits for you!" Seeing this, Li Zhihao immediately jumped up and spoke loudly, fearing his sister wouldn't pay attention to him.

"Mm..." A faint smile appeared on Li Menglan's small face: "I knew second brother dotes on me the most." Children need coaxing and praise; the soul inside Li Menglan's body was already in her twenties, so she naturally knew how to deal with children.

Sure enough... Li Zhihao puffed out his small chest and said proudly: "Of course! I am an older brother! Protecting and doting on my sister is a brother's responsibility." Seeing Li Zhihao's little man act, the old and young in the room all burst into laughter.

Hehe... even the Li Menglan lying on the bed showed a joyful smile. This was so good! Even without money, she could have so many relatives who loved her; at this moment, Li Menglan felt very happy. As for money, she could find a way to earn it once her body was better; it's not like a living person would die from holding in urine, right?

Li Menglan didn't believe it; as a distinguished graduate of Peking University, with over a thousand years of knowledge added to her, how could she starve to death in this ancient era? Regarding the future—Li Menglan believed it would surely be bright.

It was almost dark when Li Dazhu and Li Zhengming, father and son, returned from the mountain. As soon as they entered the dilapidated courtyard where the family lived, Li Zhengming couldn't help but shout with a beaming face to Zhang Yuniang, who was squatting in the courtyard: "Mother, Father and I are back!"

"You're back, you're back, why are you shouting so loudly?" Zhang Yuniang glared at Li Zhengming unhappily: "Lan girl just took her medicine and fell asleep, be careful not to wake her."

"Mother, sister has finally woken up!" Upon hearing Zhang Yuniang's words, Li Zhengming quickly lowered his voice and asked in pleasant surprise.

Li Dazhu, who had just entered the courtyard, also heard the conversation between his wife and eldest son. He hurried forward a few steps to stand before Zhang Yuniang and said: "Mother of the children, Lan girl woke up today." A hint of joy appeared on Li Dazhu's dark, weathered face, and his furrowed brows relaxed.

"Mm." Zhang Yuniang stood up to take the things from her husband's hands and said softly: "Indeed, Lan girl finally woke up at noon today. Lan girl, now that you've woken up, my heart can finally be at ease."

Both Zhang Yuniang and Li Dazhu were clearly not yet thirty years old, but because of the family's troubles over the past two years, the two of them looked as if they had aged over a decade.

Li Dazhu's gaze toward Zhang Yuniang was full of guilt. *Sigh... it's all because I am useless, causing my wife to suffer along with me.* "Mother of the children, it's all the fault of your husband being useless, making you and the children suffer alongside me," Li Dazhu said with a choked voice.

"Pah." Zhang Yuniang spat lightly and said: "What nonsense are you talking? Is my father-in-law not my own father? Now that Lan girl has woken up, our family's storm has finally passed; life will gradually get better." Zhang Yuniang was still very satisfied with her man; although the family was a bit poor, having a kind father, filial children, and a harmonious family was better than anything.

"Mm... in the future, I will definitely work harder to let you and the children live a good life," Li Dazhu promised, gripping Zhang Yuniang's hand tightly.

"Mother, Father and I had good luck on the mountain today." Li Zhengming also chimed in with a grin: "Not only did we find some mushrooms, but we also caught two pheasants and a wild rabbit; we can just stew them into soup to nourish sister and Grandpa."

"Good, I'll stew a pheasant soup in a bit; it will be just right for your sister to drink when she wakes up." Zhang Yuniang looked at her eldest son with a face full of relief. Even though Li Zhengming was already fifteen this year, his frame was much thinner compared to others his age. A flash of heartache crossed Zhang Yuniang's eyes; *Sigh... in the end, it's all the fault of me, the mother, being useless.*

If... where would there be so many 'ifs'? At this moment, Zhang Yuniang was grateful to the heavens; at least her family could stay together. That was already very good, wasn't it? Compared to those whose families were scattered, she was already very happy.