The whole family is insanely eavesdropping on my thoughts Chapter 638
Chapter 638: A Sip, A Bite
“Your father was truly ruthless.”
“Your mother, having married into the Li family, devoted herself entirely. She toiled tirelessly, managing both household and farmwork, wearing herself out, while your father still found faults with her.”
“She bore children for the Li family, shouldered endless burdens, and yet, before her body even turned cold, he brought another woman into the house.”
The most pitiful ones were the children.
With a stepmother came a stepfather’s heart.
“After giving birth to Rui Rui, Madam Dong treated him like the apple of her eye, guarding him closely.”
“That woman, ah… sneaking off to her former husband’s home just to boast. Boast that she could bear sons…”
“Who would have thought that, while she was away, the child woke up, went to the river to catch fish, and drowned…”
“Sigh, one cannot blame anyone else for this. Your stepmother was destined to have no children of her own.” The village chief sighed. If that had been the end of it, perhaps the matter would not have been so lamentable.
Fate, however, was merciless.
“When the child fell into the river, the entire village rushed out upon hearing the news. As fate would have it, your stepmother was returning home from across the river, the closest one to the struggling child.”
“People on the shore shouted for her to help…”
“Among them, someone murmured that the child looked like Guo Guo, that it was probably him… The woman glanced over, seeing only a small figure thrashing in the water. The face was obscured by the river’s ripples, but the height and clothing matched Guo Guo’s. Without a second thought, she turned and walked away.”
“The village raged against her heartlessness. A young man, skilled in swimming, immediately dove in to save the child. But swimming from the opposite shore delayed him…”
By the time they pulled the child out, his stomach was bloated, his cheeks pale and cold—he had already drowned.
To everyone’s shock, it wasn’t Guo Guo.
It was Rui Rui.
Immediately, someone ran to the Li household.
Madam Dong entered the house, carefully peeking inside. Her son was still in bed, curled under his blanket, sleeping soundly.
But as she turned around, frantic shouting came from outside.
“Li Fu Gui! Li Fu Gui! Hurry! Your son has drowned!”
Madam Dong frowned, her fingers reaching up to adjust the camellia flower in her hair, her expression turning annoyed.
“If Guo Guo drowned, let the village handle the burial. Why are you making such a commotion? Don’t disturb Rui Rui’s nap!”
“A child who dies young cannot be buried in the ancestral tomb. Do not bring him back.”
The old woman delivering the news slapped her thigh in shock and cried, “Not Guo Guo—Rui Rui! Rui Rui! He was wearing his brother’s old clothes, went to the river, and drowned!”
“The child thrashing in the water just now was your own son, Rui Rui!”
“Hurry!” The old woman’s voice cracked with grief. Even though Madam Dong was disliked, the villagers adored Rui Rui for his sweet disposition.
“!” Madam Dong jumped in fright.
Her expression darkened instantly. “What nonsense! My son is well-behaved, he’s inside napping!” she retorted, though her hands trembled as she pushed open the door.
She ripped the blanket away.
Beneath it… lay only a pillow.
Madam Dong’s legs gave out, and she collapsed with a wail before dashing towards the river. Crying, she stumbled through the village. The gathered crowd parted, and it was then she saw—
A small, bloated body.
Her own son.
She fell to her knees, clutching his lifeless form, slapping herself across the face over and over, her wails piercing the night.
“Why did you go to the river? Why wear his clothes? My son… My son…”
By the time the villagers fetched Li Fu Gui, Madam Dong had fainted from grief.
“They’re holding Rui Rui’s funeral now. That woman—before she knew the truth, she insisted that Guo Guo couldn’t be buried in the ancestral tomb. Now that it’s her own son, she’s threatening to hang herself if anyone dares refuse him a proper burial.”
“Pitiful, yet infuriating.” The villagers sighed, shaking their heads. Mai Feng remained silent.
“Come, I’ll take you to relocate your mother’s grave. She suffered all her life, but at least you’ve made something of yourself. She can rest easy now.” The village chief personally led him up the mountain.
The mountain paths were rough, so they dismounted their carriage and followed the chief on foot.
Halfway up the hill, Mai Feng paused, staring at a distant courtyard.
Lights flickered. Flames burned brightly. The rhythmic sounds of hammering echoed—it was Rui Rui’s funeral.
“Nini… do you not hate your little brother?” Shan Shan, perched atop Windchaser’s back, asked softly.
Mai Feng lowered his head, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, barely visible in the dim moonlight.
His voice was hoarse as he murmured, “Madam Dong never accepted me, but Rui Rui… he was never unkind.”
“He was too young to do anything. But he always called me ‘big brother’ with his soft little voice, always followed me around no matter how I tried to shake him off.”
“He would even hide mantou in his clothes, burning his little chest just to give it to me.” Even though Madam Dong forbade Rui Rui from interacting with him, Rui Rui always found ways to help.
That was why Mai Feng never openly opposed Madam Dong.
He would rather leave with Guo Guo.
After he left home, the one thing he missed most—aside from his late mother—was Rui Rui.
With his head bowed, his eyes reddened under the moonlight.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
That night, they burned his mother’s coffin to ashes. Mai Feng knelt and bowed twice before gathering the ashes into a sandalwood box.
“Would you like to go back and see? After you and Guo Guo left, Rui Rui searched the village every day.”
“He would ask everyone he met—have you seen my big brother?”
“He was a good child.” The village chief sighed.
“I wish to offer incense for Rui Rui.” Mai Feng descended the mountain, carrying his mother’s ashes.
Before leaving, he stopped by a small mound near an old tree and placed a handful of fresh grass upon it.
He then pulled a small carrot from his sleeve and placed it beside the mound.
Mai Feng’s eyes softened. “When I was a child, I once found two rabbits trapped in a snare. Their legs were broken.”
“I used vines to carry them away in secret.”
“But their injuries were too severe. My mother tried herbal remedies, but they didn’t survive.”
“So, we buried them under this tree, to spare them from being eaten by wild beasts. Every time I came up the mountain, I would leave some wild fruits here, hoping that in their next life, they would never go hungry.” Mai Feng gazed at the small mound with longing before finally turning away.
Windchaser glanced at him. “Not long after you returned home, your mother became pregnant, didn’t she?”
Mai Feng froze. “Yes… and coincidentally, that was when she conceived my little brother.”
“And Rui Rui loved wild fruits. That’s why he was named Guo Guo.”
Windchaser nodded, holding Shan Shan in silence.
Shan Shan leaned on his shoulder, lost in thought.
When they reached the village, word quickly spread. Li Fu Gui emerged, his bloodshot eyes betraying his exhaustion.
Madam Dong sat in a stupor, staring at the small coffin, her bruised face lifeless.
“Li Fu Gui, your son has returned.”
“Mai Feng is back—he walks with nobles now and has gained great fortune.”
The voices outside stirred Li Fu Gui. He turned slowly, looking toward the approaching figure—
His eldest son, dressed in fine robes, standing tall.
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation