Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Swing Chapter 304: Chapter 304: Swing Li Residence
Madam Xie and her family had moved into Aunt Li’s house a few days ago, and the four of them only used three rooms, but the monthly rent was so expensive that Madam Xie felt pained for a long time.
It was only after Xuexue consoled her that her mood improved slightly.
“Mother, think about it—even though we don’t have many rooms, look at this courtyard, it’s so large. Sitting there to enjoy the cool air is quite comforting, isn’t it?” Xuexue said, pointing to the large courtyard enclosed by walls outside the rooms. There were some flowers and plants grown there, and in the morning, as soon as you walked into the courtyard, a burst of floral scent would hit you, bringing immense delight.
“Hmm! That’s true.”
Madam Xie nodded. Finding a residence like Aunt Li’s in Mo Family Village was indeed hard, but paying several taels of silver a month was too expensive, including the cost of the meals for the old maid.
“No matter how expensive, we won’t live here for long, will we? Once our house is built, we will move back,” Xuexue said, hugging Madam Xie’s shoulders with a smile.
Only then did Madam Xie feel relieved.
“Sister, when the time comes, can we have a small garden like Aunt Li’s at our house?” Chuner also came over excitedly to ask. She really liked the garden here, especially the swing in the garden where she played a lot every day.
Xuexue smiled and asked, “Chuner, do you like the garden?”
“I do.”
“I’m afraid we can’t. Our place is too small; once the house is built, there won’t be any extra space to create a garden.”
Upon hearing this, Chuner’s face fell, and she immediately became dejected. She had planned to invite Xiao Gougou to play on the swing when their house was ready. Aunt Li’s house was off-limits for Xiao Gougou, who was afraid of causing damage and not having the silver to compensate.
“However, we can have Big Bull plant a couple of trees in the yard and set up a swing,” Xuexue said, knowingly teasing her.
“Really?” Chuner’s face lit up immediately.
“Yes,” Xuexue nodded. “If Chuner doesn’t believe me, you can ask your Big Bull Brother.”
Big Bull was currently in charge of overseeing the construction progress and purchasing all related materials.
“Okay! I’ll go ask Big Bull Brother.” Chuner actually jumped off the bed, put on her shoes, and ran to the next room to find Big Bull.
“Actually, Aunt Li is quite desolate, with no children and her husband, who had been her companion for decades, also gone,” sighed Madam Xie, whose heart had calmed down and felt great sympathy for Aunt Li’s fate.
“It’s all destiny!”
“Mother, I don’t know if I’ll end up as desolate when I’m old.” Madam Xie lamented. Aunt Li had a husband and still ended up this way, whereas she had been repudiated by her husband’s family.
“Mother, you are not like Aunt Li; you have us,” Xuexue held Madam Xie tightly. She recalled how her foster mother from her previous life died miserably. In this life, she would definitely protect her thoroughly.
It was said that when Aunt Li was young, she and her husband were very loving and prosperous. Unfortunately, having no children even after being married for over a decade gradually brought disapproval from her in-laws, who wanted their son to divorce her and marry someone else who could bear heirs to continue the Li family lineage. However, her husband’s love for her was as deep as the ocean, and he ignored his parents’ advice, choosing to stay with Aunt Li for the rest of his life. A few years ago, her husband passed away due to a severe illness, after seeing many doctors to no avail, leaving her alone in that big residence.
Since her husband’s death, Aunt Li had become increasingly reclusive, often locking herself in the residence for days, and it became normal for her not to step outside. The villagers also gradually grew accustomed to her behavior, moving from initial gossip and pointing fingers to acceptance as the norm.